In 2018, we asked, “What is the next status candle?” And while the answer to that question continues to evolve, I feel pretty confident that I’ve found that latest iteration. And it’s gigantic. Last month, I came across a TikTok featuring the unboxing of a candle so enormous it could pass for a fireplace. “At what point does it stop being a candle and start becoming a miniature campfire?” asked one of the hundreds of commenters. It’s a valid question. This monstrous candle, from a brand called Remedium (styled as Re’Me.Di.Um), costs $139, has ten wood wicks, and is comparable in size to a space heater.
Candles are frequent fodder in a certain corner of TikTok — called WickTok — but users were especially rapt over this particular one, so much so that the guy behind the video, a fairly popular candle reviewer named Ryan Bush, filmed eight follow-ups. If the crackle of my favorite candle, which has a single wooden wick, could be heard from even the farthest corner of my studio apartment, I had to imagine a Remedium would sound like I had a full-on bonfire going in there.
Unfortunately, before I could try it myself, the candle sold out, at least in part because of Bush. (If you’ve ever wondered about the power of TikTok, Remedium introduced its large candle bowl in December; Bush posted his first clip about the candle on January 14, and four days later, the company announced it was entirely out of stock.) But it’s not just this particular giant candle that’s having a moment — it’s giant candles in general. While popular candle brands like Voluspa and Diptyque have been selling jumbo-size versions for several years, they’re having a real moment — if my TikTok and Instagram feeds are any indication — during these homebound times. And it makes sense: We could all use a little comfort right now, and what’s more comforting than a candle that’ll last longer than the pandemic? Ahead, we’ve rounded up astronomical candles for your burning pleasure, ranked by diameter, from visibly-larger-than-your-average-candle to where-would-I-even-put this?
Diameter: 6 inches
The width of an average candle is about three inches, so we figured that double that size is where the large candle market begins. Diptyque candles range from mini one-ouncers to this absolutely massive version, which weighs in at 51.3 ounces and has 190 hours of estimated burn time. It can be used indoors and outdoors and comes in a few scents — this one here has notes of fig wood and milky sap. Like most of the candles on this list, this one will cost you. But in addition to it being a Diptyque-quality candle, the pot is also pretty special: Each one is handmade by famous French porcelain atelier Virebent.
Diameter: 6 inches
This candle, the same size as Diptyque’s, has three wicks, a burn time of up to 240 hours, and notes of Mediterranean herbs, wood, and incense. Another selling point? The very collectible canister courtesy of a Comme des Garçons collaboration.
Diameter: 6.2 inches
At nearly 14 inches tall, this candle can burn for 800 (!) hours, the longest burn time on this list. That means you could burn the candle for more than a month straight (though we don’t recommend actually doing that).
Diameter: 7 inches
This one from Cire Trudon is only an inch wider than the Diptyque, but the burn time is almost double. (According to the description, you’ll get at least 300 hours out of it.) It comes with five wicks; has notes of amber, tobacco, patchouli, and fresh bergamot; and is all wrapped up in an especially lovely handblown-glass vessel.
Diameter: 7.8 inches
A deluxe-size version of Jo Malone’s beloved candle, weighing in at more than five pounds and boasting a burn time of 220 hours.
Diameter: 8.5 inches
One of the few unscented candles on this list, CB2’s brass bowl candle would look especially nice on a bedside table (if it’ll fit, that is). It has 88 hours of burn time, and then you can reuse the container as a salad bowl (just kidding … unless?).
Diameter: 8.6 inches
This one’s about the size of an ice bucket (and could double as one once you use up the candle). The burn time is more than 250 hours, and if bamboo and black musk doesn’t appeal, Voluspa makes plenty of other scents.
Diameter: 9 inches
This Anthropologie exclusive — in Capri Blue’s fresh-smelling Volcano scent — is similar in size and burn time to the Voluspa above.
Diameter: 10 inches
With its hand-carved 15.25-by-ten-inch wooden vessel, this Etsy find is stately, to say the least. It comes in six scents, burns for about 20 hours, and has eight wood wicks, so you’ll really feel like you’re sitting fireside.
Diameter: 10.25 inches
Similar in spirit to Remedium’s sold-out bowl candle, this one is ten and a half inches, or the size of an average dinner plate. (Yes, I measured mine from Ikea.) It’d make a nice statement piece on a coffee table or bookshelf. The scent — with cedar, tobacco, floral, and amber notes — will keep your apartment cozy all day, or at least for the 13-hour burn time.
Diameter: 11.5 inches
Though the burn time isn’t listed for this candle, given what we know about its size (98.7 ounces), we’d guess that it would give you at least 50 hours of use. No matter how long it lasts, it comes in a beautiful etched brass container that you can repurpose when all the wax is gone.
Diameter: 12.5 inches
This candle is “so much bigger than I anticipated,” says one reviewer. If you’re looking for a Remedium dupe, this has almost the same dimensions. The scent is French vanilla, it has five wicks, and many say it works as a great centerpiece.
Diameter: 14.5 inches
Now entering the larger-than-Remedium territory, this one has 15 wicks, more than any of the other candles on this list. The notes include cedarwood, lemon, clove, and vanilla, and it comes in an etched metal bowl.
Diameter: 15 inches
With a candle of these proportions — 15 inches — you’ll have it for a while, so it’s nice that it’s fully customizable. You can pick the color to match your décor, select the scent, and even specify the number of wicks you want. It has a 25-hour burn time, though that may vary slightly depending on your number of wicks.
Diameter: 18 inches
From the same seller, we have this truly enormous 18-inch round candle with a burn time of 30 hours. (This is exactly as wide as my microwave; I measured.) It can be customized in all the same ways and comes with seven wicks, though you can also specify exactly how many you want.
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