Candle A
$0.45
per burn hour
Candle B
$0.40
per burn hour
Cheaper to burn
The cheaper candle costs $0.05 less per hour. Over 100 hours of burning that is $4.71.
Why this is the number that matters
Price tells you what you hand over once. Ounces tell you how heavy the jar is, which varies with wax type and wick count. Cost per hour is the only figure that reflects what you actually get, and it is the measure every comparison on this site is ranked by.
One caution: nearly every published burn time comes from the maker, measured under conditions of their choosing. We treat those as estimates and label them as stated. When we have burned a candle ourselves, we publish the measured figure instead and say so.
Questions
- How do you calculate candle cost per hour?
- Divide the price by the burn time in hours. A $38 candle rated for 85 hours costs about $0.45 per hour. This collapses price, size, and burn time into one comparable number.
- Where do I find a candle's burn time?
- It is usually printed on the base or the box, and listed in the product specifications online. Treat it as a manufacturer estimate: there is no standard test behind it, so figures from different brands are not strictly comparable.
- Is the cheapest cost per hour always the best buy?
- No. It tells you what an hour costs, not whether you will enjoy it. Scent throw, vessel quality, and whether you like the fragrance are worth real money. Use the number to know what you are paying before judgement takes over.