Use a Holder for your Votive Candles

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Comparing the burn times of candles for fun and profit.

I recently compared the burn times of votive candles on a glass plate versus in a glass votive holder. My results show that a votive holder increases average burn time by 4 hours.

Yankee Candle suggests that a votive lasts 15 hours on average, so using a holder gives you an extra candle every 4 (3.75) candles. This holder costs $1, so the investment is returned after 2 candles (1.875,) when priced at $2/votive.

I started this experiment because my candles looked underused. I always noticed a pool of still-fragrant wax on my glass plate after burning. My usual reaction was to toss what was left on top of a tart burner (one of these:)

Using a candle to use a candle.

I used Yankee Candle votive candles for both tests.The first test yielded the most impressive difference:

First test:

• My plate-held candle lasted 12 hours and 58 minutes.
• My holder-held candle lasted a total of 19 hours and 12 minutes.

Second test:

• My plate-held candle lasted 11 hours and 10 minutes.
• My holder-held candle lasted a total of 13 hours and 56 minutes.

I burned the candles over a period of a few days while I was in the house and kept track of the time from being lit to being blown out.

Running the tests was a difficult task, but smelled amazing.

Of course, there are a ton of different variables to take into account. Wick length, relative levels of fragrance over time, and differing scents come to mind immediately. I’d like to hear from everyone if I’ve missed anything.

Have you timed your votive candle burn times and received different results?