If you’ve ever purchased a candle online, you might be somewhat familiar with the terms “candle throw,” “hot throw,” and “cold throw.” If you haven’t, a quick scroll through candle reviews will likely introduce you to these terms. Candle enthusiasts often comment on how strong (or weak) the throw is. But why is it so important?
The Definition of Candle Throw
Candle throw refers to how well a candle’s scent disperses through the air to fill a space. If you’ve tried a variety of candles from multiple brands, you might have noticed that sometimes you can only savor a candle’s fragrance from a few feet away, while other times you can smell a candle in another room entirely.
While scent and fragrance describe what the candle smells like, throw describes the quality of that smell—how strong or weak it is and how it permeates the room. A strong candle throw means the fragrance travels farther and fills a larger space, while a weak throw means the fragrance can only be noticed up close. Understanding candle throw is crucial for selecting the right candle for your space, ensuring the scent is as noticeable as you expect.
Cold Throw vs. Hot Throw
The terms “cold throw” and “hot throw” describe how scent travels before a candle is lit and after it’s lit, respectively. Cold throw refers to how strong a candle smells when you pick it up off a store shelf. Hot throw is the strength of a candle’s scent when you’re burning it at home.
One important thing to understand when buying a candle is that a strong cold throw doesn’t necessarily guarantee a strong hot throw. Depending on a candle’s design and the type of wax used, it might have a robust cold throw but a weak hot throw or vice versa. Cheaper candles with a single dominant scent may not change much, but luxury candles with complex scent profiles often undergo a transformation when lit.
The Science Behind Candle Throw
Candle throw, from a scientific perspective, describes the rate at which fragrance molecules evaporate from the candle wax into the surrounding air. The scents we love come from fragrance oils and other ingredients mixed into the candle wax, which is then poured, cured, and packaged into an elegant candle. When fragrance molecules evaporate into the air and into our noses, we perceive the “smell.”
This evaporation process occurs even when the candle is unlit, creating the cold throw. However, it speeds up significantly at higher temperatures. As the candle burns and the wax becomes hot, a large number of fragrance molecules are quickly released into the air, producing the hot throw. Different types of fragrance molecules evaporate at different rates and temperatures, which is why we describe fragrances as having top, middle, and base notes.
How to Choose a Candle with Strong Hot Throw
Candle throw is influenced by four main components: the wick, the wax, the fragrance oils, and the container.
1.Wick: The wick controls the temperature at which a candle burns. Higher temperatures lead to more evaporation and a stronger hot throw. Look for candles with thicker, high-quality wicks or double wicks.
2.Wax: Soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin, leading to a weaker throw. However, high-quality soy candles use thicker wicks to increase the temperature of the melted wax, resulting in an equal or better throw.
3.Fragrance Oils: Pure, high-quality fragrance oils, free of impurities and mixed at an optimal concentration, provide a cleaner burn and stronger throw.
4.Container: The container size affects the wax pool. A larger wax pool, when fully melted, allows more fragrance molecules to evaporate, producing a stronger throw.
Other Tips for Maximizing Candle Throw
**Burn Longer**: Let your candles burn longer to achieve the strongest hot throw when the entire top layer of wax has melted.
**Avoid Tunneling**: A larger wax pool allows fragrance molecules to evaporate faster, giving you a stronger scent.
**Circulate Air**: Keep doors open to allow the scent to permeate. A gentle breeze from a fan or window will also help the fragrance spread.
**Read Reviews**: Now that you know what candle throw means, you’ll be able to decipher how others describe their experiences with a candle before you buy it.
Understanding candle throw helps you choose the best candles for your needs, ensuring the desired ambiance and fragrance strength for your space. At Sweet U Candles, we meticulously craft our candles to provide an optimal throw, enriching your environment with delightful scents.
