Candle Wick Trimmers

Slide a candle wick trimmer down to the wick before every burn and the flame comes up calm and low instead of tall and smoky. Each trimmer reaches deep into a jar and catches the clipping on a tray.

Best Seller

Wickman - Wick Trimmer Silver

$13.00

Best Seller

Wickman - Wick Trimmer Black

$13.00

Best Seller

Wickman - Silver Fleur di Lis Candle Wick Trimmer

Wickman - Wick Trimmer Silver Fleur di Lis

$13.00

Best Seller

LAFCO - Candle Wick Trimmer & Snuffer

$32.00

Wickman - Blue & White Candle Wick Trimmer

Wickman - Wick Trimmer Blue & White

$13.00

Wickman - Wick Trimmer Rose Gold

$13.00

New

Wickman - Wick Trimmer Brass

$13.00

The Quarter-Inch Rule

Why a Candle Wick Trimmer Makes an Expensive Candle Last Longer

A candle wick trimmer buys a luxury candle more hours: according to the National Candle Association, candles burn up to 25% longer when the wick is trimmed every couple of hours, and it recommends a quarter inch before each use to prevent high flames and soot. Leave the wick long or crooked and the candle does the opposite, burning unevenly, dripping, flaring and sooting the glass you paid for.

Black has been our best-selling Wickman trimmer finish over the past year, with silver a close second, and this fall brass has outsold both. Every Wickman trimmer has a built-in tray that catches the clipped wick, so nothing drops back into the wax pool. LAFCO built its version to do two jobs, trimming the wick and snuffing the flame with the same tool, and that is the one we point to when someone wants a single piece to leave on the coffee table.

Pair a trimmer with one of our candle snuffers and the routine takes care of itself: trim to a quarter inch before you light and the wax melts into a warm, even pool, snuff instead of blowing when you are done, and the wick is ready for the next burn. The silver trimmers arrive boxed, which makes a candle wick trimmer an easy add-on when you are gifting a candle, and wick dippers, lighters and the rest of the kit live in our candle accessories.

Candle Wick Trimmers: How to Trim a Wick and Why It Matters

What is a candle wick trimmer?

A candle wick trimmer, sometimes sold as a wick cutter, is a long-handled tool made to trim a candle wick to a quarter inch, the length the National Candle Association recommends before each use. The handle reaches down into a jar where scissors cannot, and a built-in tray catches the clipped wick so it never lands in the wax. The Wickman trimmers we carry are steel, in finishes from black to rose gold.

How do you use a candle wick trimmer?

Before you light the candle, lower the candle wick trimmer to the wick, cut it to a quarter inch and lift the trimmer straight out so the tray carries the clipping away. Do it before every burn: the National Candle Association notes that wicks left long or crooked can cause uneven burning, dripping, flaring and sooting.

Can you trim a candle wick with scissors?

Scissors work on a new candle, but once a jar candle burns down, the blades cannot reach the wick without tilting the jar or scraping the glass, and the clipped end tends to drop into the wax pool. A candle trimmer is built for the job: the long handle reaches the bottom of the vessel and the tray holds the trimming. The National Candle Association advises clearing debris such as wick trimmings from the wax pool before lighting, and a trimmer's tray keeps them out in the first place.

Does trimming the wick make a candle last longer?

Yes. According to the National Candle Association, candles burn up to 25% longer when the wick is trimmed every couple of hours. A shorter wick makes a smaller flame, and a smaller flame works through the wax more slowly and with less soot. On a candle you paid real money for, a trimmer is the accessory we would buy first.