Tried & Tested Dripless Tapered Candles

There is a romanticism about a drippy tapered candlestick, but it doesn’t translate into real life. There’s nothing romantic about wax dripping all over your table, counter, or mantle. Lately, I've only been buying dripless tapered candlesticks. I want to be able to light candles for dinner on a weeknight and just enjoy them, not worrying about them dripping everywhere. Anyone with me!?

Shop The Study

We wanted to do this test to figure out what are the best dripless candles on the market. Yes, there are some variables — color is a fun factor and composition of soy vs. beeswax vs. coconut. But really what we're looking for is a tapered candle that burns cleanly, lasts a long time, and will truly be dripless. Without further ado, here are our results from the ones that we tested (just in time for those fall dinner parties!)

Candlesticks | Bubble Chandelier | Trestle Dining Table | Handled Vase | Faux Stem

The "Test"

We measured the candles out of the box, set each candle up in a candlestick in the study, lit them each with a match, and let them burn for 4 hours. We studied them to see if there were any drips, and then measured them again at the end to calculate burn rate. Spoiler: There were all as dripless as they said they'd be, but the price point and burn rate were slightly different.

Some brands included the wick in their length and the actual candlestick measured just a little shorter than advertised. Some were more narrow in diameter which required a candle adhesive dot to secure them in the candlestick holder. I also noticed that pretty much all of them burned at a faster rate than advertised — almost all lost 50%+ of their height over 4 hours!

That being said, they all performed, but if you're going for the best bang for your buck, go for the basic Viyffo Taper Candles from Amazon in White. If you want the most color options, get the Hyoola Dripless Taper Candles from Walmart. And if you want the one that's giving me the best mood on a candle this season, go for the Light Gray Taper Candles from McGee & Co.

Here are the candles from left to right in the photo:

Hyoola 12" Light Grey Dripless Taper Candles, Unscented Set of 12 (Walmart): - $23.99

1. Price per candle: $2.00
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.20
3. Composition: 100% paraffin wax and cotton wicks
4. Color options: 28 colors
5. Country of origin: Made in Europe
6. Size: 12"H (measured at 11.75")
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, non-wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 10 hours
9. Burn rate: 51% (ended at 5.75")

Essential Taper Candle - Set of 6 (Ballard Designs): $10.50

1. Price per candle: $1.75
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.23
3. Composition: Paraffin wax
4. Color options: White
5. Country of origin: Unknown
6. Size: 12"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 7.5 hours
9. Burn Rate: 57% (ended at 5.125")

Yummi Brand Sandstone Taper Candles - Set of 12 (McGee & Co.): $34.00

1. Price per candle: $2.83
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.28
3. Composition: 100% soy wax with wax-coated wick with extra plain cotton wick (two candles are joined at wick)
4. Color options: Sandstone or Light Gray
5. Country of origin: Made in Canada
6. Size: 12"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Fluted base, non-wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 8+ hours
9. Burn Rate: 54% (ended at 5.5")

Baobab Collection Candela 4-Pack Candlestick (Nordstrom): $14.30

1. Price per candle: $3.58
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.38
3. Composition: Unknown wax with a wax-coated wick
4. Color options: Black or silver
5. Country of origin: Made in Germany
6. Size: 12.2"H (measured at 11.75")
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, non-wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 10 hours
9. Burn Rate: 50% (ended at 5.875")

2pk Unscented Taper Candles White - Room Essentials (Target): $4.00

1. Price per candle: $2.00
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.33
3. Composition: Paraffin wax with plain cotton wick
4. Color options: White or cream
5. Country of origin: Made in Vietnam
6. Size: 10.6"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 6 hours
9. Burn Rate: 53% (ended at 5")

Viyffo Taper Candles 10 Inch Brown Set of 4 Unscented, Dripless, Smokeless Long Tall Tapered Candlesticks (Amazon): $9.99

1. Price per candle: $2.50
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.25
3. Composition: Vegetable Wax, Beeswax, Paraffin Wax
4. Color options: 4 gradients in 8 colorways
5. Country of origin: Unknown
6. Size: 10"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 10 hours
9. Burn Rate: 59% (ended at 4.125")

Yummi Brand Light Gray Taper Candles - Set of 12 (McGee and Co.): $34.00

1. Price per candle: $2.83
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.28
3. Composition: 100% soy wax with wax-coated wick with extra plain cotton wick (two candles are joined at wick)
4. Color options: Sandstone or Light Gray
5. Country of origin: Made in Canada
6. Size: 12"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Fluted base, non-wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 8+ hours
9. Burn Rate: 58% (ended at 5.1")

Viyffo Taper Candles 10 Inch Ivory Unscented, Dripless, Smokeless Long Tall Tapered Candlesticks - Set of 12 (Amazon): $16.99

1. Price per candle: $1.42
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.18
3. Composition: ‎Soy Wax, Beeswax, Paraffin Wax
4. Color options: Ivory or white
5. Country of origin: Unknown
6. Size: 10"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 8 hours
9. Burn Rate: 60% (ended at 4")

Colonial Candle 10" Unscented Dripless Handipt Taper Candle - Set of 12 (Target) - $39

1. Price per candle: $3.25
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.41
3. Composition: Paraffin wax, extra long wick with half wax/half cotton
4. Color options: 15
5. Country of origin: Made in the USA
6. Size: 10"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, non-wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 8 hours
9. Burn Rate: 53% (ended at 4.75")

6" White Dripless Candles - Set of 2 (Michael's) - $14.98

1. Price per candle: $7.49
2. Price per hour per candle: $0.94
3. Composition: Unknown wax
4. Color options: Antique white
5. Country of origin: Made in the USA
6. Size: 6"H
7. Candlestick "fit": Smooth base, wobbly
8. Advertised burn time: 8 hours
9. Burn Rate: 46% (ended at 3.25")

And of course we can't forget the candle holders... from layered gold candlesticks like I used here, to modern black iron taper holders, or even this stunning copper set (a girl can dream, right?), there are so many great options out there. My tip is to pick a finish you love and mix and match freely!

1. Gold Geometric Taper Holders $15
2. Silver Candlesticks $12
3. Booker Taper Holders - Set of 4 $62
4. Brass Wright Taper Holder $18
5. Tan Marble Taper Holder $18
6. Marble Candleholder $42
7. Set of 3 Aluminum Taper Holders $25
8. Flora Wood Taper Holder $22
9. Layla Taper Holder $99
10. Black Cast Iron Taper Holder $18
11. Antiqued Brass Candlestick $22
12. Aluminum Tabletop Candlestick $47