Top-Down of Different Size Candles

When shopping for scented candles it is important to think about how you want the fragrance to fill your space and how strong you want it to be. This will help you determine what size candle you should choose because the size of the candle plays a part in the spread of the fragrance. Now, before we get into it, we need to talk about scent throw.

What is Scent Throw?

A candle’s scent throw refers to how far a fragrance spreads in the air in your space. This is achieved through the process of evaporation.

Additionally, there are two kinds of scent throw, hot and cold.

Cold Scent Throw

This term is used to describe the fragrance of an unlit candle. Essentially, this is what you smell when you are in the store or when you open it for the first time at your house. Anytime your candle is unlit and cooled, you will be able to smell a sample of what it will be like when you light it. This is because the fragrance molecules are still able to evaporate from your cold candle, but it is at a much slower rate compared to when your candle is lit. Therefore, the distance of this type of scent release is much shorter than the hot scent throw which means you will need to be close to the candle to smell this scent preview.

Hot Scent Throw 

This is the term that explains the way that your candle smells when it is lit. As a candle wick is burning, the flame melts the wax allowing the fragrance molecules to easily evaporate into the air and fill your home. A candle’s scent throw will be much greater when your candle is burning because the heat helps the molecules to move and evaporate faster. This results in a farther spread of the fragrance. For more information, check out this short blog about the science of candle fragrances.

This leads us to our discussion of the importance of candle size and surface area.

Candle Size and its Impact on Scent Throw

The size of your candle will play a very crucial role in the way that your scented candle’s fragrance actually fills a space.

Many candle sizes, like our scented jar candles, are expressed as ounces, which is helpful when talking about the length of time that it will burn. However, more importantly we need to focus on the diameter of the candle. The ounces may indicate a wider candle, but sometimes a candle can be taller rather than wider. Therefore, when deciding how much scent you want permeating your space, you will want to be able to see the width of the candle.

Why Is The Diameter Important for Scent Throw?

The diameter of a candle’s melt pool (which is the wax that melts on the top when the candle is lit) will indicate more or less scent being released into your space. The farther the wax melts outward, the more scent is able to evaporate. Increased evaporation means more fragrance will enter the air and be able to spread a greater distance. This is another reason that candle makers tell you to allow your wax to melt all the way to the edge of the candle jar. For our scented pillar candles, you should only allow the wax pool to reach within 1/4 inch of the edge so that the wax will not spill over the side of the candle.

In addition to the diameter, you can also add more smaller candles for a greater scent throw. Essentially, using more candles of a smaller size increases the amount of fragrance that is available to spread throughout the room.

While the size of your candle can help you improve the scent throw for your home, you also need to consider the size of the space you are using it in.

How Room Size Affects Scent Throw

While the size of your candle can tell you how much scent is dispersed, the size of your room will determine how concentrated the fragrance is. For example, in a small room like a bathroom, a smaller diameter like our 7-ounce jar candles would strongly fill the space with fragrance. 

However, in a large living room, the fewer fragrance molecules of a 7 oz would be spread thin and the scent would be a lot lighter. Thus, you may not notice it as much.

Depending on what atmosphere you are trying to create and how strong you want a fragrance to be in your space, a small candle in a large room may be just subtle enough for you. In contrast, if you want a fragrance to fill the space more, a larger candle will be the better option. Let’s look at some tips to help you decide what candle size will be best for the ambiance you want to create.

Choosing a Candle Size for a Specific Scent Throw

Sometimes, having a stronger scent throw is ideal, but many people want a lighter fragrance release for certain events such as a dinner party so as to not conflict with the food. In this case, a few scented tealights or scented votive candles would be enough to provide just a little bit of fragrance to set the mood. However, you might not want to use too many because the more candles you use, the more scent will be available for evaporation.

As previously mentioned, a small candle like a 7-ounce will be sufficient for the average bathroom space and other rooms of similar size if you are looking for a strong scent. If you want it to be more subtle, you can try our scented wax melts paired with a fun and elegant warmer.

For an office space, our 16 and 26-ounce jar candles will provide a strong aroma quickly. Though the 26 oz candle technically has more wax, the 16 oz has a very similar diameter meaning they both have comparable scent throws.

Your kitchen and dining room are great places for our scented loaf pan candles or our pie candles which each have large diameters. They are very fitting for those spaces as the style and scent of the candle are food related.

In your living room, you may want something strong or subtle, so the size of the candle is fully up to you. However, if you are looking for stronger fragrance, our 48-ounce, 70-ounce, 64-ounce, 1-gallon, or 2-gallon jars would be great options for the space. Yet, a 16 oz or 26 oz candle jar will also provide great fragrance because we fill our candles with as much scent as possible.

These are only a few examples and you may want to test different sizes to see what amount of scent you like for the space. Additionally, we have had many people say that the fragrance fills the whole house, so if for some reason that is not something you desire, you may want to choose a smaller size.

Since we have looked at the factors that play the biggest part in your candle’s scent throw, we should discuss some candle care tips that will help your candle last the longest and perform the best.

Candle Care Tips for Maximum Scent Throw

  • The single most important thing when burning a candle that we must emphasize is to never leave a burning candle unattended. Do not leave the house and do not go to bed with a lit candle because that creates unnecessary fire risk. Please read our candle burning instructions page for important safety instructions.
  • As mentioned above, allowing your candle to melt to the edge of the container is the best way to maximize its scent throw.
  • Trim the wick of your candle before you light it to approximately ¼ of an inch. An excessively long wick can create soot or carbon deposits on the wick which can affect how the fragrance is dispersed through your home. For more information check out our blog that discusses the importance of wick trimming.
  • The physical location of your candle in a space can also aid in the way that its fragrance spreads in your house. One that is placed high on a shelf will release its scent above your nose so it will have to spread to the right height before you can smell it. Therefore, it is best to place your candles on your coffee table, dining table, counter, kitchen island, or desk.
  • There are some people that have recommended placing your candle in front of a fan or open window to allow a breeze to spread the fragrance. While this in theory sounds good, a draft will actually negatively affect your candle’s flame and cause the wax to burn unevenly. Therefore, avoid drafty areas.
  • Storing your candles in a cool dry place and ideally away from sunlight will help it to look as good as the day you bought it and to keep it smelling fresh. Keep them out of any attic, basement, or shed that will experience fluctuating temperatures.

Ultimately, the size of the candle you choose is entirely up to you and what you hope to achieve. Additionally, this blog is simply a starting point to explain how your candle releases its scent and how some of our candles can create a certain atmosphere in your home.