How long does a candle burn?

A clean-burning soy candle gives roughly 7 to 9 hours per ounce of wax. An 8 oz candle should last 50 to 70 hours. Wood wicks burn slightly faster at 6 to 7 hours per ounce. The calculator above tunes this per wick series and wax type.

How long do candles last?

Burn time depends on wax weight and wick consumption rate. As a buyer's rule of thumb: 4 oz lasts 25 to 35 hours, 8 oz lasts 50 to 70 hours, 12 oz lasts 80 to 100 hours, 16 oz lasts 110 to 140 hours. Soy lasts longer than paraffin at the same weight because soy burns cooler.

How long does a 10 oz soy candle burn?

A 10 oz soy candle gives roughly 65 to 80 hours with a correctly sized cotton wick (CD-14 or ECO-14 in a 7.5 to 8 cm jar). Wood wicks bring it down to 55 to 65 hours but add the crackle.

How long does a 12 oz soy candle burn?

A 12 oz soy candle gives roughly 80 to 100 hours with a single CD-18 or CD-20 cotton wick. If you've stepped up to two CD-10s for an even melt pool, expect 70 to 85 hours because two flames consume fuel faster.

How long does a 16 oz soy candle burn?

A 16 oz soy candle gives roughly 110 to 140 hours single-wick, or 90 to 115 hours as a 2-wick. Three-wick layouts (used above 10 cm diameter) typically land at 70 to 95 hours because three flames burn through the wax faster.

How long does a tealight burn?

A standard 14 g tealight burns for 3 to 5 hours. The metal cup stays hot for 30 minutes after the flame goes out, so never leave a tealight unattended or place it on a heat-sensitive surface like wood or plastic.

How long does a taper candle burn?

Tapers burn at roughly 1 to 1.5 hours per inch of height. A 10 inch dinner taper lasts 10 to 12 hours. Beeswax tapers burn slightly longer (1.5 to 2 hours per inch) because beeswax has a higher melt point.

How long should I burn a candle the first time?

Long enough to melt the wax all the way to the jar wall, which is usually 2 to 3 hours for an 8 to 12 oz jar. This sets the candle's memory and prevents tunneling on every future burn. Snuff (don't blow), let it cool fully, then trim the wick before relighting.

How long can you burn a candle at one time?

Maximum 3 to 4 hours per session. After that, carbon builds up on the wick (mushrooming), the flame gets taller, the glass overheats, and soot starts depositing on the rim. Snuff, let it cool for at least 2 hours, trim the wick to a quarter inch, then relight.

How do I make my candle burn longer?

Trim the wick to a quarter inch before every burn, never burn for less than two hours (to avoid tunneling) or more than four hours per session, and keep the candle away from drafts. A drafty room cuts burn time by 20 to 30 percent and roughens the melt pool.

Free Calculator

Candle Burn Time Calculator

Estimated hours of burn for any wax weight and wick.

Wax per candle

Wick type

Wick count

Multi-wick unlocks for vessels 80 mm and wider.

Session length: 3 hr

Estimated burn time

28hrs

9 full sessions @ 3 hr + 1.2 hr tail

Wax per candle220 g

Burn rate per wick7.8 g/hr

Show factor breakdown

Wax modifier× 0.90

Diameter factor× 1.19

Fragrance factor× 1.04

Chandler test-burn estimates. Real burn varies with vessel shape, draft, and trim discipline. Log your own test burns and the estimate above will shift toward your real results.

A 240 ml soy jar holding 200 g of wax, burned on a CD-14 cotton wick.

Take the wax weight, not the jar size
The candle holds 200 g of wax once the fragrance is accounted for.
Apply the wick consumption rate
A CD-14 in soy consumes roughly 3.3 g of wax per hour.
Divide
200 g ÷ 3.3 g per hour = about 60 hours of total burn.
Split into sessions
At a safe 3 to 4 hour session that is roughly 15 to 20 burns from one candle.

Answer

About 60 hours of total burn, or 15 to 20 sessions.

Drafts, an untrimmed wick and a warm room all shorten this. Wood wicks consume faster than cotton at the same diameter.

Enter wax weight per candle and pick a wick. We return estimated total burn hours and per-burn session length based on each wick's published consumption rate.