Best Emergency Candles – Longest Burning Candles On The Market Today

Have you ever imagined living in a world without electricity? A lot of people across the globe live and survive without the use of electricity, and if you want to be prepared for everything that might come your way, you should consider such a scenario. How to stay prepared? Well, by stocking on as much many emergency candles as you can.

But how do you know which is the best? The one that won’t let you down when you need it the most? The one that deserves its place in your INCH bag?

We’ve done the hard work for you! We’ve tested over 40 different models, so you don’t have to. We picked the top 10 candles on the market today. Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look at the best emergency candles on the market, how to choose the one right for you, and we even answered a few questions at the end.

1. BOLSIUS Set of 12

Bolsius candles are a superb choice in our opinion firstly because it’s a well-established company which was founded in 1870 and has been a domestic choice ever since. They offer a set of 12 thick white pillar candles, which turn the emergency into a luxury experience. They are long-lasting and unscented, and their build prevents dripping and fast melting. Bolsius’ products are made of high-quality wax and pure cotton wick, further assisting the lack of dripping.

The Bolsius have a clean and smoke-free burn. The burn time of this set is 16 hours per piece, and the burn is strong enough to brighten medium to large rooms. Each candle has dimensions of 3 x 2.5 inches, and they come packed securely in a sturdy cardboard box. Their wide base makes them more secure and less likely to fall over.

2. Sterno STN-3CND

The Sterno STN-3CND candles can be bought separately or in sets. Usually, they come in a set of three, and each one lasts over 115 hours of continuous burn. The Sternos are made with liquid paraffin, they are odorless and produce no smoke. They are also packaged with a plastic storage cap, and their purpose is to avoid any messy spillages.

The liquid fuel is sealed inside, and only the wick is showing. Made from survivalists for survivalists, the Sterno emergency candle is a must-have addition to any prepared household.

3. UCO Beeswax Lantern

With its wide base, the UCO candle lantern is a great choice, and it’s a cheaper option that is also reliable. The UCO comes in packs of three, which are produced from natural beeswax and last for around 12 to 15 hours of burn time. They are an ideal option for emergency situations as they produce little smoke and produce a pleasant smell due to the beeswax. There is no paraffin in the UCO candle, and it burns in a clean manner without any residue.

The high-melting temperature reduces the dripping, and the cotton wick is sized, so that ideal flame height is maintained and burn time is optimized. The pack includes 3 candles with a size of 3.5 inches, creating an economical source of warmth and light.

4. SE Survivor Series 3-Wick

The SE Emergency candle is an ideal budget alternative not only because of its low price but also because it’s an awesome product. It is lightweight, and it comes with 3 wicks, as each wick lasts up to 12 hours, which would be perfect for a power outage. Made from soy wax, it’s packed in a water-resistant aluminum tin, which is also reusable.

Your best bet in a power outing would be to light all three wicks simultaneously to have peace of mind. If you do that, however, and you have stocked only one candle, in 36 hours you will be left without light or heat. You can extend the burn time after a point in time by choosing how many wicks you would like to keep on burning.

5. Bolsius Unscented White

A great Bolsius alternative is the straight unscented white candles. They are long sticks that come in a pack of 45, allowing you to be calm that you have enough of them in stock.

Bolsius unscented is made from unscented wax, and they are dripless. Furthermore, they produce a clean and even flame which lasts longer than most.

They burn continuously and consistently, so you shouldn’t have to ignite them repetitively. One burns for up to 7 hours, they are 1-inch thick and 7 inches high. The 45-piece pack weighs 5.28 pounds and should last you for a long time.

6. Sterno White

The Sterno white emergency candle is a great alternative to their liquid option, as it lasts for up to 55 hours. It’s ideal for emergencies such as a lack of lighting as it is unscented and made of wax. It measures 2.8 inches in diameter, and it’s 6 inches tall ready for use whenever the need occurs.

Sterno has been on the market for over 100 years; therefore, we trust that it delivers quality and performance when necessary. It’s cheap, and it weighs 1.1 pounds so that it can be carried in a bug-out bag without too much worry.

7. Candlelife Emergency

The Candlelife Emergency is not only cheap, but it also brings quality into your household. You have the option to buy one, two, a pack of three or six pieces. Each one lasts for about 115 hours of burn time, so if you buy 6, they will last a total of 690 hours. The Candlelife is a great light source and can be used in the house or the wilderness.

It’s lightweight and easy to carry, furthermore, it’s odorless and smoke-free. It’s a great choice to use during blackouts. They are made of pure liquid with high-quality paraffin for long-lasting burn and lack of smell. If you are not fully satisfying for you, you can return it within 30 days and receive a 100% refund.

8. Hollowick 36-Hours Disposable

The Hollowick 36-hours disposable liquid candle is a great choice if you wish to stock up your storage because they come in a large pack. The smallest pack is 24 pieces.

The Hollowick 36 hours model produces up to 3 times more light than usual fuel cells. The burn time of the Hollowick is quite long, producing clean light without any mess.

It burns cleaner than solid wax ones, as they produce no stains and no melted wax mess. You can use them for lamps and lanterns. There are no hazards with the Hollowick brand. Furthermore, they provide clean, non-disrupted light for those dark nights. The case weighs 4.6 pounds.

9. Coghlan’s 36-Hour

The Coghlan’s 36 hours lighting is compact and lightweight with three wicks, as each wick burns up to 12 hours which makes it 36 hours in total. The model comes in a metal canister with a protection cover. Furthermore, it comes with a book of standard matches, which is thoughtful and useful if, for some reason, you have no matches or lighters.

The container is durable and compact and can be easily stored in a drawer. The dimensions of the Coghlan survival candle are 1.5 x 5.5 x 4.2 inches, and it weighs 8 ounces. The Coghlan’s 36-hour provides both heat and light in an emergency. It’s suitable for the household, as well as for a campsite or cabin.

10. Candle By The Hour

This is a fantastic, naturally made product that offers different colored refills. It’s made out of 100% beeswax, and it burns up to 80 hours. The Candle by the hour model comes with a metal copper stand with an elegant wick holder, which allows it to self-extinguish when the flame reaches the clip.

It has a fantastic, unique design which is perfect for those who would need a little comfort in dark times. With beeswax, you will not only have light but the air inside your home will be kept fresh and clean. It’s an innovative product which we would advise you to try. The Candle By The Hour is vertical and extremely easy to use. Its dimensions are 5 x 5 x 10.55 inches, and it weighs 1.63 pounds.

How to choose an emergency candle?

Select a type of candles

Most candles are made of wax, and all of us know this. However, some types of wax may harm you and those around you if you’re in a small, enclosed area. The ones we use at our houses or the decorative candles we see are made from paraffin wax, and they don’t have a long-lasting life.

Furthermore, some of these paraffin lights can produce toxins and allergens, depending on the blend, which can affect you very badly in a closed room, a tent, or any smaller area.

Type of wax

Considering the fact you should be looking for something reliable and long-lasting, here are a few types that will definitely come in handy:

1. Soy Wax
2. Beeswax
3. Palm Wax

Despite being better for the health, they are not cost-effective, therefore, don’t be surprised if most of them are made of paraffin wax in the end. Not only is it the cheapest, but it also burns cleanly and doesn’t leave much mess to clean afterward.

Type of wick

Something most of us don’t pay attention to is the type of wicks used on candles. They are not as important as wax types; however, they make the candles burn and the amount of light they produce. Let’s see the wicks types:

1. Flat Wicks – Flat Wicks are the most common type of wick. They are either knitted or plaited to have a flat profile. The way they are made is what makes them curl in on themselves while burning. What’s good about them is you don’t have to trim the wick to control the burn.
2. Square Wicks – Similar to flat wicks, square wicks are made from more material. They are durable and sturdy, and they are most used in beeswax candle applications. The larger the candle, the easier it is to use square wicks, as this way, they don’t clog.
3. Cored Wicks – Cored wicks are usually plaited, or they’re designed with a knitted wick surrounding its core. That’s why when they burn, they produce an even, upright flame. Cored wicks can incorporate materials like paper, zinc, cotton, tin, etc. Cored wicks are common for emergency products.
4. Specialty Wicks – They are wick styles for more specified needs, such as liquid paraffin, kerosene, or other liquid fuels that make up emergency candles. They are created to burn the oil without burning the wick itself, and that’s why they are usually larger and more absorbing.

Amount of burn time

Burn time is one of, if not the most important factor in emergency use. Most candles made for this purpose should burn for up to 100 hours. Or you can buy packs of smaller ones which burn between 5 and 20 hours. The difference is the larger ones burn for a longer time, however, provide less light. While smaller can be lit one by one or altogether, which allows for a certain amount of flexibility. Both types come at sensible prices allowing you to choose the ones which suit your needs better and never leave you in the dark.

Stability

Well, we all know that even candles made for emergencies hold the risk of causing accidental fires. To avoid this, you should pay more attention to those with a broader base. The traditional pillar-style ones that you see in restaurants or at weddings look lovely. However, they are much easier to push over. That’s why candles with a larger base are much more stable and less likely to fall over.

If you pay close attention to the seal on liquid wax candles, you will notice that some of them are designed to go out if they get knocked over. However, if the highly flammable wax gets spilled on the floor, it might ignite things surrounding it.

Scent

Scented candles are great; however, they aren’t the best choice for emergency use. That’s because emergency candles are supposed to provide light and the scented often come in colored glass or solid jars. That causes their brightness to be limited. Furthermore, if they have a strong scent, it might become nauseating as the smell will amplify with time.

Now that we are more acquainted with the structure, we can go ahead and take a look at the top 10 list of best emergency candles we have created. Hopefully, on the way down, you will find the right ones for you, just like we did.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that we have seen our list of the best products on the market, it’s time to turn to the most common questions we have had and heard when it comes to emergency candles:

What Is An Emergency Candle?

It is a survival product that is meant to assist you whenever there is a power outage or other electricity surrounded issues. If you are in the wilderness and have no light, an emergency candle would assist you. They usually last longer than normal scented ones.

How Many Hours Do Emergency Candles Last?

That is a tricky question, as it depends on the model and brand you purchase. Most of them can last from 5 to over 100 hours. The most common models on the market are 36 hours, but the longest burning on this list is the Sterno STN-3CND, which is rated for well over 100 hours of continuous burn.

What are the longest burning emergency candles?

Usually, the longes burning survival candles are liquid ones, even though they produce less light than most common wax-based models ones. As we mentioned above, some of the Sterno models can last well over 100 hours.

What Are Survival Candles Made Of?

Emergency or survival candles can be made from liquid paraffin wax, paraffin wax, soy wax, beeswax, or palm wax.

Can A Survival Candle Heat A Car?

Usually, it takes a long time to heat a car with a candle; however, a multi-wick one can keep a car heated for up to 24 hours.

How Do You Light A Room With Candles?

There are some common techniques to increase the light output when using candlelight.

If you place candles in front of mirrors, the light will be reflected. Furthermore, if you place them inside glass holders, the light will be refracted and multiplied. Also, if you put some next to a white wall, the lighting in the room will be stronger due to the reflection f the wall.

Final Words

There are various emergency options available today, and many of them are created with the sole purpose of serving you in case the unexpected strikes. After you have seen our article, aim for the ones which are made from high-quality materials and remember high quality and useful features don’t necessarily mean high prices.

According to experts, the average household can experience at least 2 blackouts per year. Therefore, our advice to you would be to do your research now and stock your house and cabin with a few emergency candles. Try to set them aside for when you need them the most, and don’t use them if you have forgotten to buy your usual scented candles.

Last but not least, rely on candles that wouldn’t cause spillages, therefore, there will be a lesser chance of fire during a blackout. We hope this guide has been as useful to you as it was fun for us to prepare!

Happy Prepping!

Related links:

• Prepping on a budget
• Emergency food supply
• What is the best emergency blanket?
• Emergency kit
• Food rations