Candle Safety Testing

Candle products may appear relatively simple, yet their safety and performance can be influenced by a wide range of factors, including wax composition, fragrances, colourants, wick construction, containers, accessories and intended use. As products move through development, sourcing and market entry processes, organisations often need evidence to support product safety, evaluate performance and demonstrate compliance with applicable requirements. Depending on the intended market, this may include product safety frameworks such as the EU General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, the UK General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and other relevant regulatory requirements.  For the USA, there are industry ASTM standards that define key safety requirements.

Intertek supports the evaluation of candles, candle holders and associated accessories through testing and assessment programmes designed to generate objective evidence throughout the product lifecycle.

Candle products and accessories we test

Intertek laboratories support a broad range of candle products and related non-electric accessories, including:

• Indoor candles, including container, pillar, taper, tealight, nightlight, votive, floating, gel, birthday and novelty candles.
• Outdoor candles, garden torches and other products intended for outdoor use.
• Wax melts and other non-electric room-fragrance products
• Candle containers, holders, lanterns, shades, toppers, wax burners and other non-electric accessories.

What candle testing can evaluate

Fire safety and burning behaviour

Fire safety and burning behaviour are key considerations for many candle products. Depending on the product type, testing may evaluate aspects such as stability, flame behaviour, burning performance and behaviour after extinguishing. Assessment programmes may support recognised standards such as BS EN 15493 for indoor candle fire safety, BS EN 17616 for outdoor candle fire safety and ASTM F 2417, alongside customer-specific requirements where applicable.
Assessment of the finished product can also help understand how key product elements interact during use.

Soot and smoke performance

Testing may include soot and smoke-related evaluations together with performance observations linked to burning behaviour, consistency and product design. Where applicable, assessments may be conducted against BS EN 15426, the recognised European standard for evaluating sooting behaviour in indoor-use, single-wick candles up to 100 mm in diameter.

Product safety information and labelling

Labelling assessment can review safety statements, symbols, instructions, placement and legibility against applicable standards, such as BS EN 15494 for indoor candles, BS EN 17617 and ASTM F 2058for outdoor candles, and market requirements. The review may also identify where additional hazard communication requirements, including CLP considerations, should be addressed.

Candle containers and accessories

Safety considerations are not limited to the candle itself. Containers, candle holders, lanterns, wax burners and other accessories can influence product performance and safety during use. Testing may support product-specific requirements, including BS EN 17885 and ASTM F 2179 for candle containers and accessories

Materials chemistry and toxicology

Chemical testing can be selected for the materials and substances used in the finished product, including dyes, lacquers, coatings, embedded materials, wicks, waxes, fragrances, additives and colourants. Depending on the target market and customer requirements, the programme may address REACH, restricted substances lists and other applicable chemical requirements. Toxicological assessments can also be provided by specialist Intertek teams where relevant.

Retailer protocols and supplier testing programmes

Retailers and brands may require candles to meet their own protocols in addition to recognised standards. These protocols can combine safety, performance, chemical and quality criteria.

Intertek can test against an existing retailer or customer protocol. Where a company needs to establish or update a consistent testing programme for its suppliers, our technical experts can support the development of a structured framework that can be applied across suppliers and product ranges while remaining aligned with the company's products, quality expectations and markets.

Benchmarking and product development

Comparative testing can help companies assess products, suppliers, manufacturing changes and alternative designs. Depending on the objective, benchmarking may compare burn consistency, burn duration, flame behaviour, soot and smoke, wax-pool development, wick behaviour and other relevant performance characteristics.

Benchmarking programmes can support product development, quality improvement initiatives, supplier comparison and sourcing decisions by providing objective information about how products perform relative to defined criteria or comparable products already available on the market.

Global laboratory support and specialist candle expertise

Intertek combines candle product knowledge with laboratory testing across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Our teams can support individual products, new designs and materials, retailer programmes, or wider product and supplier portfolios.

Discuss your candle testing requirements with our teams