How Long Do Tealights Burn? [And Burn Themselves Out?]

Whether you are looking to place some tealights around your home, or you want to get quite a few for your special day, then you’re going to want to know how long tealights burn. Here is what you need to know.

So, how long do tealights burn? Tealights generally burn for between 2-8 hours, depending on the brand. Tealights typically will have their own specified burn-time, so it’s important you check any product description, packaging or contact the manufacturer to find out exactly what to expect.

Tealights make great centerpieces at a wedding, they are also great to place around the venue and provide some ambient light.

At the same time, they can create a warming ambiance at home. Great for a cozy night on the sofa, or while having a drink with your partner.

But only as good for as long as they are alight of course!

So, if you are interested in getting some tealights, be sure to read on.

You’ll learn exactly what you need to know to ensure you get the right ones, for you.

How Long Does It Take For A Tea Light To Burn Out?

It can take anywhere from 2-8 hours for a tealight to burn out following being lit. Although the exact amount of time you can expect will depend on the quality of the candle, the materials used, and its intended burning time.

Generally, the more expensive the candle, or higher quality it is, the longer it will burn.

Not always the case but a generalization that can commonly be observed.

When looking for tealights, its important to consider what they are required for.

How long do you need them to burn, how much are you willing to spend and how important is it that they do not go out?

For important events, such as weddingss, you’ll typically want to invest a bit more and go for the tealights that burn from 6 hours plus.

With that being said, if you need them just for the ceremony then you should be okay with 4 hour burning tealights.

If you are looking to place them around your home, then 2-3 hour tealights may be enough; but you may need to replace them more frequently, of course.

Just be mindful of any products that claim they are “long-lasting” and do not state a time.

The term long-lasting can be subjective, and through my experiences, these tend to not last as long.

It’s much better to try to find out an exact burn time, and over-calculate to ensure that they last as long as you need.

For instance, these are great tealights to get from Amazon.

They are hand-poured with high-quality palm wax which is known to burn longer and along with a cotton wick, provide a smoke-free burn.

Ideal.

If you were concerned about tealights not lasting, you can always consider a couple of different options:

• Votive candles,
• LED Battery tealights,
• LED Votive candles

The first suggestion here is a real candle, but it’s much larger in shape and is known to have a much higher burn time (15-30 hours).

The other two, being battery operated, will not go out (until the battery dies). So, as long as you are using new batteries and check them ahead of use, they should be fine.

Just consider many battery-operated candles do not quite look as effective and lose that natural effect.

Do Tealights Burn Themselves Out?

Tealights do naturally burn themselves out and have been designed in a container to safely do so.

So, if you did want to use tealights, you do not necessarily have to worry too much about blowing them out when they are finished.

It is still generally recommended though. But if you cant get to them in time, and they are due to stop burning, they will on their own accord once the wax has been used.

For instance, a 2 hour burning tealight will burn itself out around 2 hours after being lit, a 6 hour candle will do so around the 6 hour mark, and so on.

Finally

Tealights are beautiful, cost-effective and versatile candles that have a range of uses.

They can make elegant centerpieces, set a wonderful ambiance during the ceremony (if allowed by the venue), or they can be used generously throughout the home or a room to set a warming atmosphere.

But how long they burn will depend primarily on what tealights you get and their intended burn time.

If you need your tealights to last a long time, do your research and definitely shop around.

Better yet, test, test, test.

Perhaps even time and calculate the burn time ahead of your special occasion.

It may cost you a little bit more for higher quality tealights, but the more you pay, generally the better they are.

Other than this, do consider Votive candles; they make a wonderful alternative and substitute and can provide 2-3x the burn time,

But just consider, they are different in appearance and may not match the theme you are going for.

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