Short answer
Glass around the flame, a base that stands flat, and a flame that sits below the rim. The glass stops a breeze from blowing the candle out or making it smoke. The lower the flame sits in the cylinder, the better it is shielded: as a pillar burns down, the glass does more of its job.
An open-topped cylinder shields the flame from the side, not from above. On a gusty evening no candle burns calmly, in glass or not. Outdoor lanterns are for still evenings and sheltered spots: a covered terrace, a balcony out of the wind, the lee of a wall.
Stand a lantern on something flat and hard. Gravel, lawn and uneven paving let a base rock, and a tall holder on a small base tips more easily than a low one.
On the table, a lantern lights faces and food, so keep it low. On the ground, beside a lounge chair or at the end of a bench, a tall lantern gives light at the height of a lamp without a cable, and leaves the table free.
Thomas stands on a flat round base ø20 cm. Put it on paving or decking, not on the lawn. The garden lounge chair guide covers the chairs it stands beside.
| Where | Lantern | Height | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor dining table | Tom Small, in glass | 17 cm | Flame below eye level, people see each other |
| Coffee or side table | Tom, set of three | 17, 20.5 and 24 cm | Stepped heights read as one group |
| Beside a lounge chair | Thomas, in glass | 95, 105 or 115 cm | Lamp-height light, nothing on the table |
| Indoors only | Vera, open flame | 75, 85 or 95 cm | No glass: a breeze reaches the flame |
Low ones in glass. A lantern on the table should keep the flame below the eye level of the people sitting, so they can see each other across it. The Small Tom at 17 cm does that, and a group of three stays under about 30 cm.
As a centrepiece: one group in the middle of a short table, or a row down the middle of a long one with the ends kept clear. Odd numbers look natural, three in stepped heights. Keep the rest of the top for plates, dishes and glasses, and put any taller light on the ground beside the table. The garden dining table guide has the table sizes.
A pillar candle, narrower than the glass so air can reach the flame, and short enough that the flame stays below the rim. In Thomas, a pillar up to ø9 x 15 cm inside the 20 cm glass. In Tom, a pillar with a finger of space to the glass all round, the flame kept below the rim.
Trim the wick to about 5 mm before you light it: a long wick makes a tall flame that a breeze turns into smoke. Unscented at the dining table, so the food smells of food. LED where nobody will be watching, such as a lantern left glowing on the balcony while you are inside. Candles are not included. Sizes and burn time are in which candle for which holder.
Not in wind. Vera holds a slim dinner candle in a crown with no glass around it, so the slightest breeze makes it flicker, drip and smoke, and a gust can blow it out or bend the flame sideways. Keep Vera indoors, in a hall or beside the dinner table, where the air is still. The taper candle holder guide covers where it works.
Outside, use a lantern. The glass is what makes it work.
Never leave a burning candle unattended, in glass or not, and put it out before you go inside. Keep lanterns clear of cushions, throws, parasols, awnings and dry plants: the glass shields the flame, but the air above it is hot.
Stand them where nobody will knock them: not on a path, not on a step, not at the edge of the table. Keep them out of reach of children and pets. If a gust rocks a lantern on a flat surface, the evening is too windy for candles: put it out.
Bring them in. Our candle holders are steel, welded and powder-coated in Sweden, but they are not made to live outside: standing water and frost are hard on any finish. An open glass also fills with rain, and a wet wick will not light.
After an evening outside, let the candle cool, empty any water, dry the frame and the glass, and store them indoors. Keep them in over winter. If a glass breaks, it is sold as a spare part, clear and sold singly: Thomas's is 20 cm high, Tom's 10 cm. Wax on the glass comes off with the wax removal guide.
On a balcony, space is the limit. A Tom on the table, or a single Thomas in a sheltered corner, gives light without taking floor you need for chairs. The balcony furniture guide has the layouts.
On a covered terrace, a pair of Thomas beside two lounge chairs, with Tom on the table between them, makes one family of light; see a lounge corner without a sofa. In an open garden, light the place where you sit and bring the lanterns in when you go. Place the furniture first: how to arrange outdoor furniture.
Thomas and Tom come in black, beige, white and taupe, so the frame can match a black or a light garden set.
Tom Hurricane Candle HolderFrom £239
Thomas Floor Candle HolderFrom £439
Vera Floor Candle HolderFrom £369
