Summary
Tea lights are small, cheap and easy to love. But a tea light set-up is really three things: the holder, the candle and the little cup it sits in. We looked at five Australian shops that come up when people search for tea lights, and compared what they sell, what it is made of, what it costs per hour of light, and what delivery adds. Every shop is good at something different. This guide tells you which one fits your job.
The short answer
- Gleemium — best for natural, hand-carved wooden tealight holders that last for years. Free delivery.
- Koh Living — best for Australian-made soy tealights and glass holders designed by Aboriginal artists.
- Hutwoods — best for natural stone holders and long-burning coconut soy maxi tealights.
- Three Suns — best for scented soy tealight gift boxes, hand-poured in Sydney.
- dusk — best for cheap multipacks and buying in store today.
We checked every shop's own website on 27 September 2026. Prices and stock will change.
Which shop do you need? Start here
I need something to put them in
Go for a holder you will keep. Gleemium for carved wood, Koh Living for artist glass, Hutwoods for stone.
I need the candles
Koh Living for plain soy, Three Suns for scented gift boxes, dusk for the lowest price per pack.
I need hundreds for an event
Skip the top five and see Hueseeka in our "two specialists" section below. It sells packs of 600.
What this article covers
- The three parts of a tea light set-up, and which part lasts
- How we ranked the five shops
- A card for each shop: what it sells, prices, delivery, who it suits
- All five side by side
- Price per hour of light
- Two specialist shops for events and candle makers
- Safety, and where the used cups end up
- Frequently asked questions
Before you shop: a tea light set-up has three parts
A tea light is a small candle in a thin metal or plastic cup, so the wax can melt all the way down while it burns (Wikipedia). When you buy tea lights, you are really choosing three things:
- The holder. This is the part you keep. A good one lasts for years.
- The candle. This burns away, usually in a few hours.
- The cup. This gets thrown out. Metal tealight cups are too small to go in your kerbside recycling bin, because they slip through the sorting machines (Recycle Mate).
Only one of those three stays in your home. That is why we think the holder is the part most worth spending on, and why it shapes the ranking below.
How we ranked the five shops
We ranked on what lasts and what it is made of: natural materials, made by hand, and built to be used again and again. That is our lens, and on that lens Gleemium comes first. We have also been clear about where each other shop does better — and several of them do.
Disclosure: Gleemium publishes this blog. Every price and fact below comes from each shop's own website, linked in the sources, so you can check it yourself.
1. Gleemium — best for natural, hand-carved holders
Best for: natural wooden holders
What it sells: 7 tealight holders. Five are solid wood, carved by hand and sold in pairs: crescent moon, hamsa palm, mandala, elephant and lotus. There is also an iron reindeer holder for four tealights, and an MDF heart holder.
Price: $58 to $78 for a pair of carved holders, which is $29 to $39 per holder. Reindeer $54, heart $46.
Delivery: free, no minimum spend.
Made by: artisans in India, using traditional carving tools. Every holder fits a standard tealight.
Buy here if
You want a holder made from a natural, grown material that you will keep for years. Each one is carved by hand, so no two pairs match exactly. Pairs suit a mantel or dining table, and delivery is free.
Look elsewhere if
You need the candles too — Gleemium does not sell tealights. Or you want a single holder, or a non-flammable material like glass or stone. The heart holder is MDF, not solid wood.
Source: Gleemium tealight holders collection, checked 27 September 2026.
2. Koh Living — best for Australian soy tealights and artist-designed glass
Best for: soy candles + artist glass
What it sells: hand-poured 100% soy tealights made in Australia, in small, large and native-scented sizes. Also 21 glass tealight holders with a layer of clay, each credited to a named Aboriginal artist.
Price: tealights $2.50 (small) to $5.95 (large scented). Holders $24.45 to $36.95 each.
Delivery: $9.95 flat, free over $99 (site banner).
Made in: tealights made in Australia; holders designed in Australia, gift boxed with a story card. Koh Living says a portion of each holder sale goes to the artist.
Buy here if
You want plant-based soy candles made in Australia, or a glass holder that supports Aboriginal artists. Glass cannot burn, so it is the safer holder material.
Look elsewhere if
You want a natural material like wood or stone. Also check sizes: the large tealights are 4.5 to 5cm wide and will not fit a standard holder. Only the small one does.
Source: Koh Living tea lights and holder pages, checked September 2026.
3. Hutwoods — best for natural stone and long-burning maxi tealights
Best for: stone holders + maxi tealights
What it sells: 12 scents of maxi tealights in packs of 3, made from coconut soy wax with lead-free cotton wicks. Also its own natural stone maxi tealight holders in travertine and marble.
Price: $29.95 for 3 maxi tealights, which burn for 10+ hours each. Stone holders $119.95 to $269.95, and every holder comes with a pack of 3 maxi tealights.
Delivery: $9.95 flat, free over $150. Free pick-up from its Caringbah, NSW store.
Worth knowing: the stone holders are made for maxi tealights, not standard ones.
Buy here if
You want a heavy, natural stone piece that will outlast almost anything, and a scented candle that burns for a whole evening.
Look elsewhere if
You are on a budget. At about $10 per maxi tealight, it is the priciest candle here per piece, and the holders start at $119.95.
Source: Hutwoods maxi tea lights, homewares and shipping policy, checked 27 September 2026.
4. Three Suns — best for scented soy gift boxes
Best for: scented gift sets
What it sells: 7 boxed tealight sets of 8, in six scents plus a mixed box. Each tealight is soy wax with phthalate-free fragrance and has a small crystal set into it.
Price: $29.95 for 8, about $3.74 each.
Delivery: free over $99 (site banner); its written policy says free over $89, with a $12.95 flat rate below that.
Made in: hand-poured in small batches in Frenchs Forest, Sydney.
Buy here if
You want a pretty, ready-made gift, or a way to try scents before buying a big candle. Australian made and soy.
Look elsewhere if
You want unscented tealights for a dinner table, or a holder to put them in. The burn time is not listed on the product pages.
Source: Three Suns tea lights and shipping policy, checked 27 September 2026.
5. dusk — best for cheap multipacks and shopping in store
Best for: budget + in store
What it sells: 39 tealight products, including about 25 scented packs, 2 unscented packs and 5 tealight holders.
Price: $14.99 for 10 scented tealights ($1.50 each) that burn up to 4.5 hours. Unscented 20-packs $14.99. Holders from $7.99.
Delivery: free over $99. Click and collect, and stores across Australia.
Wax: sold as "soy blend". The site does not say what the blend is made of.
Buy here if
You need tealights today and want to pick them up in a shopping centre, or you want lots of scents for a low price.
Look elsewhere if
You want to know exactly what the wax is, or you care about natural materials and handmade pieces. Burn times are shorter than the maxi and large tealights here.
Source: dusk tealight candles, checked 27 September 2026.
All five side by side
| Shop | Sells holders? | Sells candles? | Main material | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gleemium | Yes, 7 | No | Solid carved wood (5 of 7) | Free |
| Koh Living | Yes, 21 | Yes, soy | Glass with clay | $9.95, free over $99 |
| Hutwoods | Yes, stone | Yes, coconut soy maxi | Travertine and marble | $9.95, free over $150 |
| Three Suns | Not in its tealight range | Yes, soy | — | Free over $89–$99 |
| dusk | Yes, 5 | Yes, soy blend | Glass and mixed | Free over $99 |
Price per hour of light
The sticker price hides how long a tealight lasts. So we divided each price by the burn time the shop lists.
| Tealight | Price each | Listed burn time | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Living soy unscented, large | $4.50 | 14 – 16 hours | 28 – 32c |
| dusk soy blend scented, 10-pack | $1.50 | Up to 4.5 hours | 33c or more |
| Koh Living native scented, large | $5.95 | 14 – 16 hours | 37 – 43c |
| Koh Living soy unscented, small | $2.50 | 5 – 6 hours | 42 – 50c |
| Hutwoods coconut soy maxi, 3-pack | $9.98 | 10+ hours | $1.00 or less |
| Three Suns soy crystal, 8-pack | $3.74 | Not listed | — |
Prices before delivery, checked 27 September 2026. "Up to" and "10+" burn times mean the real cost per hour depends on how the candle burns in your room.
What this tells you: big, slow-burning soy tealights can cost less per hour than cheap small ones. But a big tealight will not fit a standard holder, so decide on your holder first.
Two specialists worth knowing
These two did not make our top five for home buyers, but they are the right call for two very specific jobs.
- Hueseeka — for weddings and events. It sells tealights in bulk. Its 9-hour event tealights come 600 for $119, about 20 cents each, and are made from paraffin wax. Its coloured tealights use plant-based wax, 120 for $80.99. Delivery is free once your cart reaches $299 (Hueseeka).
- Aussie Candle Supplies — for making your own. It sells empty tealight cups for candle makers, including polycarbonate cups it says can be washed and refilled many times. They start at $6.80 for 50 (Aussie Candle Supplies).
Safety: small candle, real flame
Read this whichever shop you choose
- Never leave a tealight burning when you leave the room, and put it out before bed. Fire and Rescue NSW says many of the house fires it attends are caused by unattended candles (Fire and Rescue NSW).
- Always keep the tealight in its cup, and always put it in a holder or on a heat-safe surface. Never stand a bare tealight straight on timber, plastic or a tablecloth (Three Suns).
- With a wooden holder, the cup is what keeps the flame and hot wax off the wood. Use the size of tealight the holder is made for.
- Leave space between tealights, and keep them away from curtains, drafts, children and pets.
Want no flame at all? LED tealights give off no heat, so they can sit safely in holders made from wood or paper and be left on (Wikipedia).
Where the used cups end up
Every burned tealight leaves a little metal cup behind. In Australia, those cups do not belong in your kerbside recycling bin, because they are too small for the sorting machines. For most people, they go in the general rubbish bin (Recycle Mate).
That is not a reason to give up tea lights. It is a reason to be choosy about the part that stays: a holder made from a natural material, that you will use for years, instead of a cheap one that gets replaced.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy tea lights in Australia?
For holders, try Gleemium for carved wood, Koh Living for artist-designed glass and Hutwoods for natural stone. For the candles, Koh Living and Three Suns sell soy tealights made in Australia, and dusk sells low-cost multipacks online and in stores. For events, Hueseeka sells packs of 600.
Why are they called tea lights?
They are named after their first job: sitting under a teapot warmer to keep the tea hot. Today most people use them for soft light and atmosphere.
Are tea light candles safe?
Yes, when you use them properly. Keep the tealight in its cup, put it in a holder or on a heat-safe surface, keep it away from anything that can catch fire, and never leave it burning when you leave the room.
Are tea lights toxic?
It depends on the wax. Most cheap tealights are paraffin, which comes from petroleum. Soy comes from a renewable crop and tends to burn with less soot. Burning any candle in a well-aired room, and trimming or checking the wick, helps.
Are tea lights recyclable?
The metal cups are not accepted in Australian kerbside recycling bins, because they are too small and slip through the sorting machines. Put them in the general bin unless your area has a special drop-off.
Can I use LED tealights in a wooden holder?
Yes. LED tealights have no flame and give off no real heat, so they are safe in holders made from wood or paper, and you can leave them on.
Do all tealights fit all holders?
No. A standard tealight is about 3.8cm wide. Large and maxi tealights are wider, around 4.5 to 6cm, and will not fit a holder made for standard tealights. Check the width before you buy.
Sources
- Gleemium — Tealight holders collection, checked 27 September 2026
- Koh Living — Tea Lights collection and holder pages; site shipping banner
- Hutwoods — Maxi tea lights, Homewares, Shipping policy
- Three Suns — Tea lights, Shipping policy, Tea light candles guide
- dusk — Tealight candles
- Hueseeka — Tealight candles
- Aussie Candle Supplies — Tea light cups
- Fire and Rescue NSW — Candle safety
- Recycle Mate — Metal tealight cup
- Wikipedia — Tealight
Prices, stock and delivery were checked on 27 September 2026 and will change. Confirm on each shop's own site before you buy. Gleemium publishes this blog and ranks shops on a natural-material, built-to-last lens. We have said plainly that Gleemium does not sell candles, that glass and stone cannot burn while wood can, and that one of our own holders is MDF.
