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Wax Melt Burner - A Complete Guide

Looking into buying a wax melt burner as a way to add comfort to your home, but can’t decide between tealight or electric? Although both types of warmers can be wonderful, knowing the difference is not always easy. Here’s everything you need to know about tealight and electric wax warmers to help you choose the best option before you bring one home.

What Is A Wax Melt Burner?

Ready to curl up with a good book and settle in for a cosy night in? You're not alone. There’s nothing like burning a scented wax melt to help you relax and wind down. A wax melt burner is similar to traditional candles in that they melt scented wax, but often emit a significantly stronger aroma. The wax used with burners comes in smaller portions than flame candles. This means the scent is concentrated to provide a slow-release ambiance or scent throw to any confined space.

What is Scent Throw?

How much scent is released and how far it travels in your home is called the scent throw. Many factors can impact scent throw, including wax type, size, temperature, and fragrance variety. When choosing a burner, scent throw is important to consider.

What Is A Tea Light Wax Melt Burner?

Tea light wax melt burners are powered with a flame underneath a ceramic, glass or metal dish. Wax is added to the dish and soon it's melted by the radiating heat of the tealight candle underneath. Handy if you’re looking to deodorise your home, tealight burners work quickly, and the scent throw is often powerful due to the flame’s high temperature. This type of wax melt burner works well for most people, but tea lights must be replaced often. Fortunately, replacement tealights for wax melt burners are cost-effective and very inexpensive. However, great care must be maintained when using this type of burner, as unattended flames are well-known fire hazards. Take extra precautions to keep an eye on your tea light burner, keep it away from windows and flammable items, and you should have no problem. But what if you forget about your candle or tea light burner and leave it burning without supervision? We all know how dangerous that can be. Fortunately, electric wax melt burners were created to help you get the same fragrance benefits without all the risk.

What Is An Electric Wax Melt Burner?

If you’re looking for a subtler, longer lasting fragrance throw, an electric wax burner is a good choice. The electric version works to perfume your space without being overpowering. Like a tea light burner, an electric wax warmer uses heat to melt wax also contained in a ceramic, glass or metal dish. The difference comes from the source of warmth. Instead of a flame, an electric warmer utilises heat from a lightbulb or a hot plate to melt the wax. Although they do not radiate as much heat, an electric wax burner works well to conserve wax due to its slower melting abilities. You can turn your electric burner on and off the same way you would any other electric appliance or lamp. Some even have timers.  That means leaving it unattended is no issue, and it won’t raise your electricity bill. Energy-saving LED models are also an option if you’re interested. Electric warmer bulbs are typically inexpensive to replace when they need changing. Some models come with a spare bulb to keep on hand. Keep in mind, melting and re-melting wax will eventually decrease the scent throw. Give the melted wax a good sniff to determine how much throw remains and compare it with a new piece.

Burner Styles

Most wax warmer styles are alike in shape and concept but vary greatly in creative design. For the most part, manufacturers have maintained a square or rounded design. You can choose from many different colours and patterns. However, two wax warmer alternatives have changed things in recent years, such as plug-in wax warmers and hot-plate wax warmers.

Hot Plate Electric Wax Melt Warmers

Electric warmers that utilize hot plates share the same concept as standard warmers but are not confined to the same shape as most other burners on the market. Because the heat is closer to the wax itself, there’s no need for the heat to remain confined in a circular space. Although their designs are typically less decorative, heating plate warmers come in a wide range of sizes to suit your wax melting needs. Heating plate warmers are becoming very popular choices for melting wax. That way, you can still get the benefits of smelling your favourite fragrance without the danger of a flame. This is especially handy if you should temporarily leave your heating plate warmer unsupervised for any period of time. Like other electric burners, heating plate warmers often do not give off the same amount of scent throw as tea light burners. Some heating plate units have automatic turn-off options, and others will allow you to adjust the temperature. These options serve two purposes, essentially; the ability to customise the level of scent to match with your personal preferences, as well as safety and energy conservation.

Plug-In Electric Wax Melt Burners

Limited on space? Plug-In Electric Wax Warmers are an excellent choice for you. We’ve all seen the plug-in scented oil warmers before. And, although those work well in a pinch, the scent often runs out quickly, even though they are marketed as slow-release. However, with a plug-in wax warmer, the scent is long-lasting and still packs a punch to aromatise the whole room while being directly plugged into any power socket. As these models are generally powered by a low wattage bulb, scent throw for a plug-in warmer depends more on room ventilation and wax fragrance. They work best when used with highly scented wax melts. Plug-in wax melt burners come in various designs and colours to match your home decor. However, they are basic in functionality, and most simply have an on or off switch for convenience. When you’re done with yours, simply leave it in an upright position until the wax has hardened for disposal or reuse. Although there are several options for wax melt burners, it's essential to consider scent throw, space utilisation, and heat source in accordance with your personal preference when making your final decision. Whatever you decide, your home is sure to smell marvellous.