WEDO Wick Eco-10

The Eko-10 cotton wick is a braided wick made of cotton fibres for candle making, especially for jar candles. In a candle it has a single but decisive job: it draws up melted wax by capillary action and carries it to the flame. The choice of wick therefore determines whether the candle burns evenly and without smoking and whether the wax melts across the full width of the jar. The number in the name indicates the size within the Eko wick range – the higher the number, the thicker the wick, the larger the flame and the wider the melt pool. The wick is of European origin and is supplied by the piece.

Key features

• Cotton fibres without a metal core – the wick burns cleanly, leaves no metal residue and suits candles made from both vegetable and mineral waxes.
• Braided structure – the tip of the wick curls slightly to the side as it burns, which makes it self-trimming and limits the formation of a carbon deposit (known as mushrooming) at the end of the wick.
• Stable flame – when the size is chosen correctly, it gives a calm flame without flickering or soot, and the melt pool reaches the edge of the jar.
• Part of a graduated range – the Eko range offers several sizes, so you can choose a wick precisely according to the diameter of the candle and the type of wax.

Use in candle making

The wick is particularly suitable for jar candles (glass, tin, ceramic), where the melted wax stays in a pool around the wick. It works with soy, rapeseed, coconut and paraffin wax, as well as blends of these. Vegetable waxes are thicker than paraffin when melted, so they usually require a wick one size larger than paraffin in a jar of the same diameter.

The wick is fixed in the jar with a metal sustainer, which is secured to the bottom with wick glue or a double-sided adhesive pad. Before pouring, the wick is centred and held taut with a wick centring tool (two sticks or a clothes peg will also do) and stays in this position until the wax has fully set. If the wick is not primed with wax, you can dip it briefly in melted wax before inserting it – it holds its shape better and is easier to light.

How to choose the right size

The right wick size depends on the diameter of the jar, the type of wax, the fragrance oil content and the dye used. Fragrance oils and pigments make burning more difficult, so a candle with a higher fragrance load often needs a larger wick than the same candle without fragrance. There is therefore no universal chart – it is always advisable to confirm the specific size with a test burn. Make test candles with two or three neighbouring sizes and compare them after several hours of burning:

• Wick too small – the flame is low, the wax melts only in a narrow ring around the wick and the candle burns straight down (known as tunnelling).
• Wick too large – the flame is tall and flickers, the candle smokes, mushrooming forms on the wick and the jar heats up excessively.
• Correct wick – the pool of melted wax reaches the edge of the jar within a few hours, the flame is calm and the walls of the jar stay free of soot.

For wide jars, where even a larger wick does not reach the edge, two or three wicks are used, spaced evenly across the surface.

Good to know

A cotton wick is sometimes confused with a wood wick. A cotton wick burns more quietly, is easier to light and is more tolerant of different waxes. A wood wick crackles, produces a wide flat flame and is more sensitive to the type of wax and the fragrance load. For jar candles made from vegetable waxes, a cotton wick is the more reliable choice for both beginners and volume production.

Soot on the wick or on the glass, when the size has been chosen correctly, usually signals a draught, a wick that is too long or burning for too long without a break. The wick should therefore be trimmed before each lighting.

Frequently asked questions