DEKRA: Pay attention when buying candles
Ensuring Candles are Safe and Free from Harmful Substances
- Wax candles still popular
- Buy only tested products with the RAL Quality Mark
- Self-extinguishing candles reduce fire risk
DEKRA’s product experts recommend that consumers pay attention when buying candles for Christmas. They advise against blindly reaching for the cheapest offers. Untested products may emit worrying concentrations of substances that are harmful to health. Moreover, lower-quality candles may burn quickly and unevenly, thus increasing the risk of fire.
Wax candles are still very popular. A DEKRA survey a few years ago showed that some 30 percent of Germans prefer the atmospheric light produced by real wax candles. According to the European Candle Manufacturers Association (ECMA), around 163,000 metric tons of candles were used in Germany in 2023. That is an average per capita consumption of 1.94 kilograms each year.
The raw materials count
However, not all products bring joy. “The quality of wax candles largely depends on the raw materials used,” explains Volker Albrecht, head of the DEKRA candle laboratory. If savings are made on the primary materials such as paraffin, pigments, and coatings, candles may burn too quickly and unevenly, drip, produce too much soot, or emit worrying concentrations of substances that are harmful to the environment and health – for example, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), sulfur dioxide, and heavy metals.
RAL Quality Mark signals safety
The DEKRA experts therefore recommend that buyers look for the RAL Quality Mark, which is awarded by Germany’s Quality Association for Candles (Gütegemeinshaft Kerzen) after thorough testing in an independent laboratory like DEKRA’s. The Quality Mark is recognizable by its candle flame icon. Testing determines whether a candle meets RAL specifications, especially whether it burns evenly and does not produce too much soot. It also examines whether the raw materials, pigments, and coatings comply with the defined purity and quality requirements because these are what ultimately determine which harmful substances are emitted as a candle burns.
Self-extinguishing candles reduce fire risk
“By choosing products with this quality mark, consumers can be certain that they have bought high-quality candles,” explains DEKRA expert Albrecht. “The RAL ‘Candles’ Quality Mark is also a guarantee of a fully traceable supply chain because manufacturers may only use selected high-quality raw materials free from harmful substances.” Generally speaking, Albrecht recommends self-extinguishing candles, which greatly reduce the risk of fire in the home.
Tips for greater enjoyment and safety
Consumers can also play their part in minimizing the presence of harmful substances in the room air:
- Ventilate the room frequently, especially if many candles are burned for a prolonged period or scented candles are used.
- Candle care also helps, i.e., cutting the wick if it is too long and the candle starts to emit soot.
- If candles start to flicker, it usually helps to trim the edge to a height of 10 to 15 millimeters.
- It is also advisable to keep candle holders clean.
DEKRA expert Albrecht has one last tip: “To enjoy your candles, you should also read and implement the manufacturer’s advice on the packaging or label.”