Why Do Yankee Candles Have 2 Wicks?

Yankee Candle is one of the most iconic and well-known candle brands in the United States and around the world. Founded in 1969 in Massachusetts by Michael Kittredge, the company is renowned for its wide selection of scented candles in distinctive jars and other home fragrance products. But perhaps the most signature and recognizable feature of Yankee Candles is their use of a 2-wick design in most of their large jar candles. The dual wicks have become an integral part of the classic Yankee Candle look and burning experience.

History of Yankee Candle

Yankee Candle was founded in 1969 by Michael Kittredge II in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Kittredge made his first candle as a teenager, using melted crayons to create a candle as a Christmas gift for his mother. The homemade candle impressed both his mother and her friends, who then asked Kittredge if he could make candles for them as well.

Seeing the potential business opportunity, Kittredge began using paraffin wax to handcraft candles in his parent’s garage. He officially launched the company Yankee Candle in 1969 when he was just 16 years old. The name Yankee Candle was meant to represent Kittredge’s New England heritage.

In the early 1970s, Yankee Candle started using two wicks in their large, pillar candles. The dual wicking provided more fragrance distribution and an improved melt pool compared to a single wick. This innovative 2-wick design became a signature of Yankee Candles and helped their candles stand out from competitors.

Purpose of Candle Wicks

Candle wicks serve a vital function – they deliver fuel to the flame. Inside of every candle is wax, which acts as the fuel source. However, since wax is a solid at room temperature, the wick provides a crucial role in bringing the liquid wax to the flame.

The wick is a specially designed string that sits in the middle of the candle wax. As the candle burns, the flame melts the solid wax around the wick, turning it into a liquid. This liquid wax is then absorbed up into the wick through capillary action. Capillary action allows the liquid wax to travel up the small fibers of the wick.

Once the liquid wax reaches the top of the wick, it vaporizes from the heat of the flame. This wax vapor is what burns to produce the flame. So in summary, the wick acts as a conveyor belt to bring the solid candle wax up to the flame so it can be burned as fuel for the fire.

Advantages of 2 Wicks

Yankee Candle’s signature double wick design provides several key benefits over single-wick candles:

Better fragrance disbursement: Having two wicks allows the candle wax to liquify faster and the fragrance to be dispersed more efficiently. As the candle burns, more wax is heated and the fragrance is released from a larger melt pool created by two flame sources.

Larger melt pool: A larger melt pool means more liquid wax and more surface area for fragrance diffusion. The dual wicks essentially double the melt pool size compared to a single wick.

Brighter light: Two wicks give off more total light, illuminating a room more brightly. The larger melt pool also contributes to brighter illumination. Yankee Candles are designed to provide ambient lighting in addition to fragrance.

In summary, the two-wick system allows Yankee Candles to better fill a room with fragrance, provide greater illumination, and create a larger wax melt pool than single-wick designs. This patented approach is a key factor in the popularity and performance of Yankee Candles.

How 2 Wicks Work Together

Yankee Candle’s signature use of 2 wicks in their candles serves two important purposes that work in tandem to enhance the candle burning experience. One wick is thicker and melts the wax pool. As this wick burns, it melts the top layer of wax around the wick, creating an even wax pool for optimal fragrance dispersal. The second wick is thinner and delivers the fragrance. This fragrancing wick curls as it burns to maximize the surface area emitting fragrance. The combined effect is a candle that melts and pools wax smoothly, while also filling a room with fragrance quickly and evenly. The dual wick system allows the candle to burn slowly and consistently, providing light and releasing a beautiful Yankee Candle scent for many hours of enjoyment.

Yankee Candle Wick Types

Yankee Candle uses several different types of wicks in their candles to create the perfect flame and burn experience. The two most common wick types they use are cotton and paper cored wicks.

Cotton wicks are made of braided cotton fibers and are soft and flexible. They tend to curl as they burn, which promotes full wax pool melting. Cotton wicks are excellent at delivering even, consistent flames, making them ideal for jar candles and pillars.

Paper cored wicks have a cotton wick braid wrapped around a thin paper core. The core provides rigidity to help the wick stand upright as the candle burns. Paper cored wicks burn hotter than all-cotton wicks, making them a popular choice for filled candles and votives. The taller flame helps properly melt and disperse fragrance.

In addition to regular cotton and paper cored wicks, Yankee Candle uses specialty wicks like zinc core and beeswax wicks for certain candles. Zinc core wicks have a zinc alloy integrated into the braided cotton to keep wicks very straight and stiff. Beeswax wicks contain natural beeswax which makes them burn brighter.

By using different wick types based on the candle size and shape, Yankee Candle can ensure an optimized burn and the best possible fragrance throw in every candle they make.

Consumer Response

The two-wick design has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from Yankee Candle customers over the years. On review sites and social media, many customers specifically praise the even burn and enhanced fragrance experience that the dual wicks provide.

Longtime fans of Yankee Candles often cite the two-wick system as one of the reasons they prefer the brand over competitors. They find that the dual wicks result in fewer issues like tunneling, where the sides of the candle remain unmelted. The double wick also keeps the melt pool, the liquified wax at the top as the candle burns, more consistent.

Customers are pleased that both wicks stay lit as the candle burns down, maximizing fragrance diffusion in the room. Some note that single-wick candles often have one wick that goes out halfway through, resulting in diminished scent. The consistent double flame of the two wicks avoids this problem.

Many reviews mention placing Yankee Candles in large rooms and open spaces and still being able to smell them, which they attribute to the dual wick system. When burning Yankee’s extra large jar candles, most feel the two wicks are necessary to create enough scent to properly fragrance the entire room.

While a small minority of customers feel two wicks is unnecessary, most agree that the added second wick provides an optimal burn experience that brings out the full potential of Yankee Candle’s famous scents.

Competitor Comparison

Yankee Candle’s use of 2 wicks differs from some other major candle brands. While Yankee Candle consistently uses 2 wicks in their large jar candles, brands like Bath & Body Works and Chesapeake Bay Candle vary in their wick usage.

Bath & Body Works primarily uses a single wick design across their candle products. Some of their 3-wick candles have recently been converted to single wick versions. The single wick allows their candles to have a more traditional candle flame and experience. However, this can lead to issues like tunneling where the exterior wax doesn’t melt.

Chesapeake Bay Candle offers both single wick and 2-wick options across their various candle lines. Their 2-wick designs tend to be used in their larger 22oz and 26oz jar candles. The 2 wicks help ensure more even burning and wax pool across these wide containers. Their smaller candles stick to a single wick.

Unlike these competitors, Yankee Candle seems to favor the 2 wick design as their standard for most large jar candles. Very few single wick options exist in their lineup. This points to the performance benefits their testing has shown for 2 wicks in these jars.

The Future of Candle Wicks

When it comes to the future of candle wicks, many wonder if more wicks will emerge as the standard. Yankee Candle popularized the use of two wicks in a single candle, but some speculate we could see three, four, or even more wicks used in the future.

The emergence of more wicks would depend on a few factors. Brands would need to innovate candle jar designs to accommodate the extra wicks. There would also need to be testing done to ensure multiple wicks burn safely and efficiently together. Manufacturing processes would likely need to adapt as well.

Most importantly, consumers would have to embrace the concept of having more wicks in a single candle. If research and testing shows tangible benefits like more even burning, faster melting, or a stronger scent throw, buyers may be intrigued. But the novelty could also wear off quickly if the extra wicks provide no meaningful advantage.

While we may see some brands experiment with more wick designs, the two-wick style Yankee Candle spearheaded will likely remain the standard. The tried and true duo of wicks has stood the test of time. And without a compelling reason to add more, consumers will probably continue enjoying the warm, familiar glow of two wicks lighting up their homes.

Conclusion

In summary, Yankee Candle uses two wicks in many of its jar candles to ensure an optimal burn and maximize fragrance dispersal. The second wick helps regulate the melt pool temperature and prevents tunneling, allowing for more even wax liquefaction. With two wicks burning simultaneously, the candle’s scent is lifted into the air more efficiently as the wax pool reaches the ideal temperature. The enhanced fragrance throw provides consumers with a better candle experience overall. While competitors may rely on a single wick, Yankee Candle’s signature use of two wicks demonstrates their commitment to candle quality and performance. After decades of perfecting their formulas, Yankee has found that two wicks burn brighter and more consistently than one. This superior design is a key part of what sets Yankee Candles apart in the marketplace and keeps customers coming back. The two-wick system burns strong in the Yankee Candle heritage and will continue illuminating homes for years to come.