Wax melts come with a choice of warmer: the classic ceramic burner with a tealight underneath, or an electric warmer that plugs into the wall. If you already own one and want to know whether your melts will work in it, or you are deciding which to buy, this guide covers how each works, how they compare, and how to use either safely.
The short answer
Yes, you can use wax melts in an electric burner. Wax melts are made to soften at low heat, so they work in an electric warmer as well as a tealight burner, and our crystal wax melts work in either. Electric warmers give gentle, steady heat with no flame; tealight burners need no socket and usually cost less to buy. Use one or two cubes, follow your warmer's instructions, and never leave either running unattended.
How each kind of warmer works
Tealight burners
A tealight burner is a ceramic or glass dish held above a small opening for a tealight. The flame warms the dish from below, the wax softens and the fragrance rises. It runs until you blow the tealight out or it burns down, and it needs nothing but a match. Our pebble wax burners work this way: a smooth ceramic pebble with a dish on top and room for an ordinary tealight inside.
Electric warmers
An electric warmer heats the dish with a warming plate or, in some designs, a small bulb underneath. You switch it on, and many have a timer or a dimmer. There is no flame, but the plate, the dish and the melted wax still get hot.
Can you use the same wax melts in both?
In most cases, yes. Wax melts are designed to melt at a low temperature, so the same cube works over a tealight or on an electric plate. Our crystal wax melts are 50g snap bars that work in any tealight wax burner or electric warmer: snap off a cube or two, place them in the dish and switch on or light up. As the wax melts, the real gemstone chips set in each bar appear in the pool. Whichever warmer you use, follow its maker's instructions, and with a bulb warmer use only the bulb it was designed for.
Electric vs tealight: how they compare
| Tealight burner | Electric warmer | |
|---|---|---|
| Flame | Yes, a small open flame | No flame |
| Heat | Warms up quickly and can run hotter | Usually gentler and steadier |
| Where it works | Anywhere stable and away from draughts | Within reach of a socket |
| Ongoing cost | Tealights | A little electricity |
| Cost to buy | Usually less; ours are £6.95 | Usually more |
| Look | Ceramic or glass, with a candle glow | Many styles, some with a light |
Which should you choose?
- Choose a tealight burner if you like the glow of a real flame, want to use it anywhere in the house without a socket, or want the lower cost to start.
- Choose an electric warmer if you would rather have no flame at all, want gentle fragrance over a long evening, or like to use a timer.
- Have one of each if you want a burner for evenings on the coffee table and an electric warmer for a hallway or a room you pass through often.
How many cubes to use
One or two cubes are plenty for a small dish, and you can add another in a large room if the scent feels light. Do not fill the dish to the brim: melted wax needs room so it cannot spill. When you can no longer smell the wax while it is melted, the fragrance has gone and it is time for fresh cubes.
Using them safely
- Stand any warmer on a stable, heat-resistant surface, away from curtains, shelves above and anything that can catch fire.
- Keep it out of reach of children and pets, and away from draughts.
- Never leave a lit tealight unattended, and switch off an electric warmer when you leave the room.
- Never add water to hot wax, and never move a warmer while the wax is liquid.
- In a tealight burner, use an ordinary tealight only, never a larger candle.
Cleaning either kind
Let the wax cool and set, press one edge of the disc and it usually pops out whole. Pick out the gemstone chips, rinse them and keep them. Our guide to cleaning a wax melt burner covers the freezer trick and washing the dish, and the same methods work for the removable dish of most electric warmers once it is unplugged and cool.
Common questions
Can you put wax melts in an electric burner?
Yes. Wax melts are made to soften at low heat, so they work in an electric warmer as well as a tealight burner. Our crystal wax melts work in either; just follow your warmer's instructions.
Do electric wax burners smell stronger?
Not necessarily. A tealight burner often warms the wax faster, while an electric warmer holds a steadier, gentler heat that suits a long, even scent. The size of the room and how much wax you use make more difference.
Are electric wax warmers safer than tealight burners?
They remove the open flame, which is the main risk with a tealight burner, but the plate, dish and wax still get hot. Treat both with the same care: a stable surface, out of reach of children and pets, and never left running unattended.
Do you sell electric wax warmers?
Not at the moment. Our pebble wax burners are ceramic tealight burners at £6.95, in speckled off-white or matt black, and our crystal wax melts are £3.50 a bar, with 10% off automatically when you buy three or more.
Browse our crystal wax melts and wax burners, read what crystal wax melts are and how to use them, or compare wax melts and candles.
