The best long lighter for candles

The problem with candles is almost never the flame, but the distance. If a candle sits deep in a glass or a lantern, with an ordinary lighter you hold your thumb above the fire while your fingers scrape along the rim.

A long lighter solves that with a stem of ten to almost thirty centimetres. Everything suitable for that is listed under candle lighters.

For most people the PyroPen Turbo at 9.95 euros is the most sensible buy: long enough for an ordinary candle holder, refillable and so cheap that it doesn't matter if it falls on the floor once.

A straight lighter is quicker and sturdier. You grab it, press, done. But it only works if the wick sits right under the opening. With a candle burnt halfway down, or a lantern with a side door, you can't reach it with a straight shaft.

That's what the flexible neck is for. The 5x Prof Sealion Flex lets you angle the head and holds that position, so you can steer around the rim. You trade off some sturdiness, but with deep glasses it really helps.

Mainly after length? The 4x Prof Hake Aansteker + Gas is the longest in this line-up with a 27 cm grip, and refill gas is included.

How deep your candles sit

First measure how deep your candles sit. For an ordinary table candlestick, ten to fifteen centimetres is enough. For a hurricane lamp or lantern you'll want twenty or more, and then length matters more than what's attached to it.

The flame

Next, look at the flame. A jet flame blows straight ahead and won't blow out, which is handy for a candle on the patio. But it's also fierce: keep it a centimetre or two from the wick, or you'll scorch the wax around it black.

That's why the Atomic Pen Torch has a slider to reduce the flame, which is no unnecessary luxury for candles.

Refillable or not

Finally, check whether it's refillable. Light a few candles every evening and a disposable model will be finished within a month. All five in this line-up are refillable; the rest of that range is found under refillable lighters.

Which gas to use

Refill with high-pressure butane gas, usually 45 PSI. Universal lighter gas has too little pressure for a jet flame and gives a weak flame that keeps going out. You'll find which canisters fit which model under lighter gas.

After filling

Wait half a minute after filling before lighting it. Fresh gas is still cold and expands, so lighting it straight away makes the flame shoot up far too high. If it won't light at all, there's usually wax or dust in the opening; simply blow it out with compressed air.

Storage

Otherwise, just store it upright in a drawer or kitchen pot. If a long model like this lies loose in a drawer, the button will eventually get pressed by something lying next to it, and the gas runs out without you noticing. Models with a cap or lock slider are less prone to this.

Travelling

Taking a jet flame lighter on holiday? First check can you take a lighter on a plane to see what is and isn't allowed. The rules for a jet flame are stricter than for an ordinary gas lighter.

For most households, the PyroPen Turbo is enough: long, refillable and cheap enough to keep two at home. If your candles sit deeper, the 5x Prof Sealion Flex with its bendable neck is the better choice.

The other three come down to length or looks. They all light the same candle; the difference is how far you need to reach.