Quick-Light birthday candles are birthday candles connected by a thin strip of flash paper, so you light just one and the flame races from candle to candle until every one is lit, all in a matter of seconds. They solve the hassle of lighting a cake full of candles one at a time. Better yet, they turn lighting the candles into a show your guests will talk about long after the party.
Why Lighting Birthday Candles Is Such a Hassle
If you've ever been in charge of the birthday cake, you know the drill. You're hovering over the cake with a lighter, waiting for each wick to catch. Some catch right away, and some take a few tries. By the time you reach the last candle, the first ones are already dripping wax onto the frosting, and your fingers are feeling the heat.
That's why so many people light the candles in the kitchen before the cake comes out. Everyone knows it's a chore, and nobody wants to stand around watching it. They just want to get to the fun part.
Quick-Light Birthday Candles change that. Lighting the candles stops being the boring step in the kitchen and becomes part of the celebration itself.
How Quick-Light Candles Work
Each pack of Quick-Light Birthday Candles comes with 12 candles linked together. At the top of each candle, a piece of flash paper covers the wick and connects it to the wick on the next candle. When you light the candle on one end, the flash paper carries the flame down the line, and each candle lights the next in a chain reaction.
It happens fast. Seriously, seconds. One Amazon reviewer admitted, "For some reason I thought the video in the ad was sped up. These suckers light up fast." Another put it simply: "Only have to light one! But be ready to sing."
Once the chain reaction is over, you have a cake full of regular birthday candles, burning just like the ones you grew up with and ready to be blown out.
What That Big Flash Is
The first time you light a strand, you'll notice the flame gets a little higher for a moment. That's because the flash paper is burning along with the candles. It gives a dramatic effect, almost like you're watching a magic act. That flash will become the centerpiece of your celebration. Just stand back!
Who Quick-Light Candles Are For
We hear most often from people celebrating a milestone birthday. When you're putting 40, 50 or 60 candles on a cake, Quick-Light solves the biggest problem you have. If you're someone who needs a candle on the cake for every single year, these are the perfect solution for you. One Amazon reviewer wrote that her husband "insists on the correct number of candles on his birthday cake," and he turned 76. She was already reordering for birthday number 77.
But Quick-Light isn't only for big numbers. A lot of people simply want something exciting that makes the person they're celebrating feel even more special on their big day. As one reviewer said, "the look of surprise and joy on my husband's face as they all went up and lit was even better than I expected. Everyone was amazed from 80 to 5 years old."
And they're a great fit for the people in your life who always seem to have the newest, coolest thing. Bring these to a party and get ready for someone to ask, "Where did you find those candles?"
What People Say After Their First Quick-Light Birthday
The Quick-Light Birthday Candles 4-Pack has a 4.6-star rating across 503 reviews on Amazon, and a few themes come up again and again.
- It's easy: "No more burnt fingertips from matches... no more half melted candles by the time they're all lit... no more hassle!"
- It's fast: "The candles ALL lit instantly in an impressive whoosh! It happens fast and is fun for guests to see."
- It stops the room: "Everything came to a stop when the candles automatically lit the next one. No one expected it. It was really fun!"
- It handles big numbers: Reviewers have lit 88, 95 and even 133 candles for a double birthday party, all in one go.
- People don't go back: "Awesome. I'm not going back to manual candles."
How Many Quick-Light Candles Do You Need?
The math is simple: every pack has 12 candles. Count the candles you want on the cake, then pick the packs that get you there.
- Quick-Light Birthday Candles: 1 pack, 12 candles
- Quick-Light Birthday Candles 2-Pack: 24 candles
- Quick-Light Birthday Candles 4-Pack: 48 candles
So a 40th birthday fits in one 4-Pack, and a 60th is a 4-Pack plus one more pack. If you're connecting several packs, it's nice to have a candle or two left over to help bridge the strands, but you don't need to buy a whole extra pack just to be safe.
Planning a big number? Our post on the easiest way to light 50 candles on a cake walks through a milestone setup.
How to Set Up and Light Quick-Light Candles
Setup takes a few minutes, and lighting takes a few seconds. Here's how to get the best chain reaction:
- Remove the candles carefully from the package so the flash paper between them stays connected.
- Spread them out. Place the candles upright, about an inch apart, and space them as far apart as the paper allows while it still connects them.
- Keep the paper straight. Set the candles so the flash paper between them runs as straight as possible and doesn't dip down toward the frosting.
- Connect packs for bigger cakes. To join two strands, overlap the ends of the two chains so the flash paper touches. Working with part of a strand? Cut a spare piece of flash paper and fold it so it stays touching both strands, bridging the gap.
- Want more than one chain reaction? You can separate a strand into sections. Each connected section lights when you light the first candle in that chain.
- Get the cameras rolling first. Make sure anyone who wants a video is already recording before you light the first candle. This happens in seconds, and you don't want anyone to miss it.
- Light one end and step back. Then start singing.
A Few Safety Basics
Quick-Light candles are real candles, so treat them like any other candles:
- Adult use only, and keep children and pets at a safe distance.
- Keep anything flammable away from the cake, including paper decorations.
- Never lean over the candles while lighting them, where the flame could reach your hair or clothing. Remember, the flash paper gives a bigger flame for a moment.
- Never leave burning candles unattended, and don't move the cake while they're lit.
- After you blow them out, a candle may relight on its own. To fully put them out before throwing them away, submerge the candles in water for 5 minutes.
What to Pair With Quick-Light Candles
Here's one of my favorite things about Quick-Light Birthday Candles: once they're lit, they're traditional birthday candles. That means they pair well with just about anything you'd normally put on a cake, except flammable paper decorations. Skip those.
Many people pair Quick-Light with number candles. If you're turning 18, for example, you might choose a 1 and an 8 plus 18 Quick-Light candles. We carry classic number candles, as well as Sparkleez number candles, which start as a sparkler and magically become a flame you can blow out. For a cake that says it all, there are also Quick-Light Happy Birthday letter candles.
Looking for more ways to make the day memorable? Check out our tips on how to plan the best birthday party ever and our show-stopping party bundles.
You've Never Seen Birthday Candles Like This
If I could tell you only one thing before you light your first strand, it would be this: you've never seen birthday candles like this. Lighting the candles used to be the part of the party everyone waited through. With Quick-Light, it's the part everyone remembers.
Ready to see it for yourself? Shop all Quick-Light Birthday Candles at Best Party Ever!