Written for candle brands buying in bulk: how each size actually sells, what it holds in wax, which lids fit, and what factory-direct pricing looks like at real quantities.
Launch with an 8 or 10 oz straight-sided tumbler as your core size, add a 4 oz travel size and a 16 oz (or 3-wick bowl) later. Factory-direct FOB pricing runs about $0.10–1.06/jar (clear tumblers cheapest, coated/large vessels highest), MOQs from 3,000–5,000 pcs per SKU, and any Pantone spray color is possible on stock shapes. Order jar + lid together for guaranteed fit.
| 4 oz (~120 ml) | Travel tins' glass cousin: samplers, discovery sets, wedding favors, hotel amenities. Typical diameter ~55–60 mm. Low unit cost makes multi-packs work. |
| 8 oz (~240 ml) | The entry "full-size" candle. Roughly 35–45 hours of burn with typical soy blends. Everyday price point, easy to gift. |
| 10 oz (~295 ml) | The premium single-wick sweet spot — the size most craft brands build their brand on. Typical diameter ~75–80 mm, which suits a single large wick or double wicks. |
| 16 oz (~470 ml) | Statement piece and best $/hour value for the customer. Usually double- or triple-wicked for an even melt pool. |
| 3-wick bowls | Wide, low vessels (100 mm+ diameter) for the mass-premium look popularized by big mall brands. Highest unit cost, highest shelf presence. |
Wax weight ≈ 80–85% of the jar's water capacity for a normal fill line — an "8 oz jar" typically carries around 6.5–7 oz of wax. Burn times above are indicative; they depend on your wax and wick system.
Straight-sided tumblers are the industry workhorse: efficient to produce, easy to label, stack well in shipping. Frosted glass diffuses light beautifully and hides wax imperfections. Spray-coated jars (matte black, white, terracotta — any Pantone) give a premium look on a stock shape at stock-shape MOQs; confirm the coating is interior-safe if applied inside. Colored glass (amber, colored batch) costs more than coating but won't scratch. See the live options and pricing on our candle jar category page.
A lid can lift perceived value more per cent spent than any other component. Standard options: bamboo (natural look, needs a gasket for a snug fit), brushed metal (black/gold/silver), and glass domes (premium display). Two rules: buy the lid with the jar so the fit is guaranteed by one supplier, and get lids quoted in the same container — they cost almost nothing to ship alongside the glass.
From our current listings, factory-direct FOB China:
| Clear straight-sided tumblers | ≈ $0.10–0.53/pc · MOQ ~5,000 |
| Matte & Pantone spray-coated | ≈ $0.17–0.25/pc · MOQ ~5,000 |
| Frosted / colored glass | ≈ $0.18–0.36/pc |
| Large 3-wick vessels | ≈ $0.61–0.82/pc |
Add freight, and compare against the $0.80–1.50/jar many brands pay domestic distributors — the math is why brands switch to direct sourcing once they clear ~3,000 units per SKU. For the full cost picture (molds, freight, duties, timeline), read our companion guide: How to Import Glass Bottles from China.
① Pick one core size (8 or 10 oz) and one finish. ② Order samples first — 1–5 stock samples are typically free except courier and arrive in 3–5 days. ③ Burn-test your actual wax/wick system in the sample jar. ④ Place the bulk order (~15 working days production off-season) with lids in the same container. ⑤ Reorder early ahead of Q4 — peak candle season and peak factory season collide in Sept–Dec.
Published by Xuzhou Boklan Import & Export Trade Co., Ltd. Price ranges reflect our live catalog and are indicative — request a firm quote for your specification. More guides: Buyer Guides hub.