How we test our candles

Safety Testing

At Blooming light, your safety and satisfaction come first. That’s why every candle we review undergoes our safety tests: the two 4-hour burn test and one 8-hour test.

We also encourage candle makers to do this test.

The 4-Hour Burn Test

Hour 0:00

  • Place a candle on a metal tray with 8 inches of clearance away from it.
  • The room temp should be between 68-86*F / 20–30*C
  • wick trimmed to 1/4 inch

Hour 0:05

  • Record flame size (under 1 ich extinguish itself and higher then 3 inches is way too big for a flame)
  • Record any soot you seen (black smoke that comes out of the candle)

Hour 1:00 and 2:00

  • Record flame size and soot. 
  • record for carbon dropping (black smoke) or signs of mushrooming (this will look like a mushroom of Corben on the wick)
  • record the jar Temperature (under 140*f / 60*C is safe to ensure you have 10 seconds to take your hand off the jar before you get burned)
Hour 4:00
  • Record flame size and soot.
  • Extinguish the candle and note the afterglow (the glow it has after the fire has gone out; if it does not go out in 10 seconds, it could reignite itself)

8-Hour Power Burn Test

This extended test extends the candle’s use beyond standard use to evaluate durability, and safety over time.

Hour 0:00 Setup

  • Prepare the same setup and steps as the 4-hour test.

Hour 6:00

  • record flame size, soot levels, and container temperature

Hour 8:00

  • Complete the final safety notes.
  • Document failure or safety risks.
These tests are designed to protect consumers and ensure our recommended candles are safe, clean-burning, and reliable. If a candle fails to meet these standards, we’ll tell you exactly why and suggest safer alternatives that pass with flying colors. Your home deserves nothing less than beautiful, safe, and trustworthy candles.