Candles: Refill or Reuse?

We get asked this a lot...“Why don’t you sell candle refills?”

And honestly… it comes down to safety.

As much as we care about sustainability (and we really do), we care even more about making sure every single Cubbyhole Candle burns safely in your home.

When we pour a full candle, everything is designed to work together, the glass thickness, the wick size, the wax blend, the fit. It’s all tested as one complete product. Once a candle has been burned all the way through, the glass can develop tiny stress fractures you can’t see. Reusing it, even if it looks perfectly fine, can increase the risk of cracking or overheating the second time around.

There’s also the human factor.... Refills rely on the jar being completely cleaned, fully intact, the wick correctly secured and the refill sitting perfectly centred and flush. Even small gaps or slight misalignment can affect how a candle burns. And because we’re dealing with an open flame, “almost right” isn’t something we’re comfortable with.

Many companies do offer refills, often as part of a sustainability initiative and that works well for their business model, vessel design, and testing processes. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that approach. For some brands, especially those using very thick ceramic vessels or engineered refill systems, it makes perfect sense.

For us, we’ve chosen a different route.

Sustainability is incredibly important to us, but it has to go hand in hand with responsibility. We never want to rely on guesswork when it comes to safety. We want every Cubbyhole Candle you light to be exactly as it was designed, poured, and tested, from first burn to last.

Keeping our candles affordable without compromising on quality or safety will always be part of our commitment.

Thank you for understanding why we’ve chosen not to offer refills. It’s a decision rooted in care, quality, and your peace of mind.

Wash your used candle glass, pop in a tealight for a cosy glow and snuggle up.

Joanne 💛 xx