Flameless Candles were first introduced to the mass market around 2009 and have become very popular. Many people love the look at atmosphere created by flickering candlelight but hate the risk of fire that accompanies using real candles. Flameless LED candles attempt to re-create the type of light given off by real wax candles without the risk of fire.
Standard Flameless Candle Options
In the few years since they were introduced, flameless candles have developed a number of different standard features that you should be familiar with when shopping for them. The most common options you will need to be aware of are:
- Candle Type: Pillar, votive, tealight, taper
- Indoor or Outdoor – Indoor candles are usually made of wax, while outdoor candles will be made of plastic.
- Moving Wick or Non-Moving Wick – Moving Wick candles usually have a wick that moves back and forth to create a dancing flame effect. This is usually accomplished by using a magnet. Many people like these types of candles but the downside is that the magnets use a lot of power and so your batteries don’t last as long.
- Battery Life – The battery life of flameless candles ranges from 50 hours up to 800 hours. Moving wick candles use magnets that tend to make the batteries not last as long, and the type of LED can also affect how long the batteries last.
- Timer – Many candles come with timers, and the typical timer is for 5 hours. But 4, 8, and 10 hour timers are also common.
- Remote – Many candles come with some type of remote. The remotes may be simple and just allow you to turn on or off several candles at once, or they may be more complex and allow you to adjust the color, brightness, flickering effect, or timers of multiple candles.
- Scent – Most flameless candles are unscented but you can find varieties with a number of scents including vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin, rose, orchid, lilac, and many other types of scents.