5 Best Thermometers for Candle Making In 2023 (Buying Guide & Review)

If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best thermometer for candle making is, then we recommend the Yacumama Digital Liquid Thermometer as the best one.

Making candles is difficult enough on its own, but when you have inadequate tools, the process can be very unpleasant and unenjoyable. Getting the right tools for candle making is essential, and one of the most overlooked items is a good candle wax thermometer.

People often forget about the thermometer or simply say, “I’ll use the one I have in my kitchen.” However, you usually want a more sturdy and reliable thermometer for candle making than the one that you likely already have at home.

Let’s get right into how to choose the best thermometer for candle making, and then I’ll go over five of the best thermometers that I’m sure you’ll enjoy using the next time you make a batch of candles.

In this article, I’m going to be reviewing the following thermometers for candle making:

5 Best Thermometers for Candle Making Reviewed

There are many different thermometers out on the market, and choosing the best one can be quite overwhelming and confusing. In the following few sections, I’ll go over the pros and cons of five great thermometers to help you choose the best one for your needs.

1. Yacumama Digital Liquid Thermometer

The Yacumama Digital Thermometer is a very well-built and practical thermometer with many excellent qualities going for it. The thermometer body is made of durable plastic, and it has a stainless steel 5-inch probe that takes fast and accurate temperature readings within seconds. 

With an IPX7 waterproof rating, this thermometer will have no problem getting rinsed off after use, which allows for easy and quick clean-up.

The thermometer has three buttons (an on/off switch, a button to change from Fahrenheit to Celsius, and a button to lock the current temperature) and a small, digital display. Overall, the Yacumama Thermometer is a good and affordable option for people wanting a simple thermometer for candle making.

The only real downside to this thermometer is that a small number of customers have reported their thermometers running out of battery quickly or unexpectedly shutting off. However, this appears to be quite rare and isn’t be a significant issue.

Pros

• Extremely simple to use
• IPX7 waterproof rating
• Easy to clean and maintain
• Well-built plastic body and 5-inch stainless steel probe
• Accurate and fast temperature readings

Cons

• The plastic body isn’t the highest grade material
• Some rare issues with the battery and unexpected shutoffs

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2. ThermoPro TP03 Digital Thermometer

The ThermoPro TP03 Thermometer is great for candle making due to its accuracy, speed, and convenient design. This thermometer design allows you to fold its 3.9-inch stainless steel probe into the device’s body for storage. 

It may not seem like much, but a thermometer with a folding probe can actually be quite useful for storage reasons and to ensure the probe doesn’t get bent or broken while no in use.

With only a simple on/off button, a button to change between Fahrenheit and Celcius, and a button to fold out the probe, this thermometer is super intuitive and easy to use. The display on this thermometer is very clear and easy to read, plus the display is backlit.

Overall, the ThermoPro TP03 Thermometer is an excellent thermometer for candle making, but there are a few cons to it as well. One of the main disadvantages of this thermometer is its inferior materials and short probe. The plastic body of the thermometer is less than ideal and can easily crack if you’re not careful.

Pros

• Accurate and fast temperature readings
• Easy to use
• Foldable design
• Easy-to-read backlit display

Cons

• The plastic body isn’t the best quality
• The probe is only 3.9 inches long

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3. Thermometer World Candle Thermometer

The Thermometer World Candle Thermometer is excellent for those who want a more robust and durable analog thermometer for their candle-making adventures. This thermometer has a well-constructed stainless steel body and 11.8-inch probe that is perfect for a lot of use and will stand up to the test of time.

Additionally, there is a handy attachment clip for clipping the thermometer to the side of a pot of wax. Because the probe is 11.8 inches long, there could potentially be some problems with it being too long for your wax boiler, so the clip may be impractical, depending on your setup.

The display on the top of the thermometer is super clear and easy to read, and there is even coloring to show how hot you should heat your wax. Overall, this Thermometer World thermometer is perfect for candle making and has all the bell and whistles you might want. However, it is analog, so taking a temperature reading can take longer than the previously discussed digital thermometers, which can get a reading in only a few seconds.

Pros

• 11.8-inch stainless steel probe
• Easy-to-read dial with colors to indicate recommended wax temperatures
• Attachment clip
• Very well constructed

Cons

• Analog thermometers are not quick at getting accurate temperatures
• The probe can be too long for some candle making setups

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4. Scandinavian Candle Co.Thermometer for Candle Making

The candle-making thermometer by Scandinavian Candle Co. is a well-made thermometer specifically designed with candle makers in mind. This thermometer is well constructed and made of glass with some plastic pieces near the top and bottom.

The temperature scale along the length of the probe is handily marked with colors in addition to the temperature numbers to indicate recommended wax temperatures. The colored regions on the scale can assist you in knowing when to stop heating your wax and when to add fragrances and other additives. There is also an attachment clip on the side of the thermometer for easy mounting on your wax boiler.

While this Scandinavian Candle Co. thermometer is well-liked by many candle makers, there are a few complaints about the thermometer’s design that you should consider before buying. 

The primary con to this thermometer is the fact that the enclosed temperature scale is made of paper. If, for any reason, water or condensation makes its way into the glass enclosure of the thermometer, the paper scale will degrade and likely fall apart.

Pros

• Easy to read scale with colors to indicate recommended wax temperatures
• Attachment clip
• Specifically designed for candle making
• Well constructed

Cons

• The enclosed temperature scale is made of paper
• If the glass cracks, condensation will ruin the temperature scale

== Check Price on Amazon ==

5. Etekcity Infrared Thermometer

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Last but not least, we have the Etekcity Infrared thermometer, a well-made and affordable thermometer that’s great for candle making. Because this thermometer is infrared, it only takes the temperature of the surface of the wax you’re melting. 

The outside temperature of melted wax does not accurately portray the actual temperature of the wax, so it can be challenging to get a good temperature read using an infrared thermometer. However, if you stir the wax while you take its temperature, you can get pretty accurate.

Overall, this thermometer has all the functionality you would want and expect from a good thermometer for candle making. It’s got a pretty good-sized, backlit LCD screen, it reads temperatures within milliseconds, and its controls are straightforward and simple.

Pros

• Reasonably sized, backlit LCD screen
• Quick temperature reading
• Simple controls
• No clean up necessary due to its contactless design

Cons

• Plastic build that isn’t the best quality
• Wax temperature readings can be inconsistent because it only measures the surface temperature

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How to Choose the Best Thermometer for Candle Making

Choosing a good thermometer for candle making doesn’t have to be a long and challenging process, but there are certain qualities and traits to look for in a good thermometer before buying.

Type of Thermometer

There are many thermometer types, but they mainly fall into two categories: contact thermometers and remote thermometers. Most people prefer to use a contact thermometer for candle making, but there are some instances where remote thermometers are better.

Contact Thermometers

Contact thermometers, much like their name suggests, read the temperature of an object or liquid by directly coming into contact with the subject.

Using a contact thermometer for candle making is often preferred because they are affordable and accurate. There are also many different types of contact thermometers, so you’ll have a wider variety of choices when getting one.

Remote Thermometers

Remote thermometers are thermometers that read the temperature of an object or liquid without directly coming into contact with the subject.

Most remote thermometers use infrared scanners to find the temperature of an object. Remote thermometers can often be more expensive and less accurate than contact thermometers, but they allow you to be further away from the hot wax when reading the temperature. 

Usually, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits when it comes to using a remote thermometer for candle making, but some people still prefer them.

Price

Another significant trait that you should also factor into your decision is price. Even if you had an unlimited budget, it isn’t necessary to spend much on a thermometer that you are primarily going to use for candle making.

You don’t need a super fancy thermometer for candle making, so you can usually get away with getting a thermometer in the $10 to $30 price range. 

Of course, you could easily spend much more or less on a thermometer for candle making. However, more expensive thermometers tend to have unnecessary features, and less expensive ones often don’t hold up over time.

In the end, assess your budget and consider how often you’ll realistically be using your candle-making thermometer. If you intend to use it often, it might be worth spending a little extra to get a nicer thermometer that will hold up and give you all the functionality you’ll need.

Accuracy

While candle making can be quite an exact science, it often isn’t necessary to get a SUPER accurate thermometer, like the ones used for medical purposes. Most household-level thermometers will work excellently for making candles.

Ensure your thermometer is fairly accurate because accidentally letting a wax or fragrance reach its flashpoint can be dangerous. Getting a thermometer that has a ±2.5° F or better accuracy rating is usually sufficient for a thermometer primarily used for candle making.

Overall, you’ll want a reliable, fast, and accurate thermometer for candle making, but there is no need to go out and get the most expensive or accurate one on the market.

Build Quality

The build quality of your thermometer is also an essential characteristic to pay attention to because it can be the difference between having to buy a new thermometer every time you want to make candles and having a thermometer that lasts for years.

Just like with the accuracy of a candle-making thermometer, there is no reason to get the most heavy-duty thermometer out there. However, you still want one that is of decent quality and will hold up over time as you use it.

Personally, I prefer metal body thermometers just because they tend to be more durable and long-lasting, but plastic body thermometers can be great and affordable as well.

Ease of Use

Last but not least, you want to ensure that your thermometer isn’t too complicated and difficult to use. Some thermometers out on the market have a million different settings and buttons, and at least for candle making, these features simply aren’t necessary.

Before getting a thermometer, make sure it is simple to use and doesn’t have a ton of buttons and settings that you’ll never actually use. 

Some people enjoy having a complicated thermometer because of the functionality, but most of the time, they’re more trouble than they’re worth. Super complicated thermometers can be extremely frustrating if you don’t take the time to learn how they work, so I would try to avoid them if possible.

Final Thoughts

With so many options, it can be challenging to find the perfect thermometer for candle making. The five thermometers listed above are all great, but one comes out above the rest, in my opinion: the Yacumama Digital Liquid Thermometer!

The Yacumama thermometer has the perfect blend of traits to make it ideal for candle making. It’s reasonably priced, very accurate, has excellent build quality, and is super easy to use and intuitive. 

The other thermometers on this list, while excellent, simply don’t have the same blend of positive traits for such a low price. While my personal favorite thermometer for candle making is the Yacumama, everyone has their own preferences and needs, so make sure to carefully assess what you want in a thermometer and pick one that best fits your needs.

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