We've been braiding cotton cords in Jaipur for over 20 years, and candle wick is one of the simplest things we make — and one of the most misunderstood. A wick isn't just string. It's an engineered braid, and the ply count and braid pattern decide how your candle burns.
We supply flat braided and square braided cotton wick in multiple ply counts, sold as raw unwaxed rolls straight off our braiding machines. We sell the braid, not tabbed finished wicks. Candle factories in 50+ countries buy cord this way because it's the cheap way to do it — import by the kilogram, then wax and tab close to the production line.
What Is a Candle Wick, and Does the Braid Really Matter?
A candle wick is a braided cotton cord that pulls melted wax up to the flame through capillary action. That capillary action is set by the braid — how many plies, how tight, flat or square. Get it wrong and the candle tunnels, smokes, or drowns itself. (This surprises most buyers: the wax blend gets all the attention, but most burn problems trace back to the wick.)
Flat braid curls as it burns, which pushes the tip into the hottest part of the flame so it self-trims. It's the standard choice for container candles. Square braid stays upright and holds more melted wax, so it suits beeswax and pillar candles where the wick needs rigidity. We run both constructions on our in-house braiding machines and hold the same spec batch after batch.
Why Buy Wick Braid by the Kilogram Instead of Tabbed Wicks?
Because braiding is the hard part. Tabs are cheap. Every pre-tabbed wick you import carries assembly labour, sustainer tabs, glue dots, and retail-style packaging inside its unit price — and then you pay freight on all that air.
- Raw braid rolls pack dense; one carton holds thousands of meters
- You cut to the exact length each vessel needs instead of stocking ten tabbed SKUs
- Tabbing is a fast local job with basic equipment, done at your labour rates, not your supplier's
- One braid spec covers several candle formats once you control the cutting
Honestly, paying import prices for pre-tabbed wicks past hobby scale makes no sense. The brands that scale buy braid and finish it locally. Simple as that.
How Big Is Candle Wick Demand Right Now?
Google search data (July 2026) shows 8,100 monthly searches for candle wick in the United States, with demand peaking November through January when winter candle sales are at full burn. In India, the same term averages 2,400 monthly searches but spikes to 5,400 in October — more than double — as workshops ramp up for Diwali.
Work backwards from those dates. Sea freight takes 25-40 days, so a US brand shipping by sea for the November peak needs braid leaving Jaipur by early September. Air courier at 7-10 days buys you more room. Less margin, though.
What Do You Get From Our Factory?
Twisting, braiding, and dyeing all happen in-house on our own machines, so there's no trading layer between your purchase order and the production floor. For wick, that means we control ply count, braid tension, and roll length ourselves — and we can repeat a spec exactly on your reorder.
- Flat braided and square braided cotton wick in multiple ply counts
- Raw, unwaxed rolls — ready for your own waxing and tabbing line
- MOQ of 100 meters per SKU, so you can trial several ply counts in one shipment
- Quotes answered within one working day
Send us your vessel diameter and wax type. We'll tell you which braids to test.
