The Pyllr Trio unofficial motto is “Looks like a candle, smells like a candle, feels like a candle”; it’s served as our north star from early diagrams, through multiple prototypes, to our current product.
We found that best method to make a product that looks like a candle was to actually MAKE candles.
Step one was learning about the science of wax. Beeswax. Soy. Paraffin. Coconut wax – all are valid candle making options. Some are better vessels for fragrances; other are softer and therefore less suitable for pillar candles. We found that a combination of paraffin and vybar gave us the gloss, strength, and heat resistance needed for the look and feel of the Pyllr Kandl.
The next step was creating a realistic flicker. We did this by studying the lumen output of traditional candles. Lumens are the measure of the total quantity of visible light emitted by a source per unit of time. Lumens are typically measured in terms of lux. A lux is a unit of illumination equal to the direct illumination on a surface. 1 lux is equal to 1 lumen across 1 square meter, at a distance of 1 meter.
We wanted the Pyllr Kandl to flicker like a traditional candle, so we logged hours of lux measurements, at both low and high flicker rates, to create an algorithm that mimics the randomness of a burning wick.
Finally, we had to put it all together. Again, we found that “old world” methods made the most sense. Our kandl is hand poured like traditional candles; the only difference is that we replace the cotton wick with a light emitting diode and circuitry to control flicker and color.
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