We got an email from Vessel yesterday full of facts and figures about the Candela - mainly about safety and affordability.
The safety bit: According to the NFPA, the number of home fires due to unattended candles has doubled in the last five years - obviously not a risk with Candelas that use LEDs and rechargeable batteries.
The affordability bit (and this really surprised us):Over two years, at three times a week, Candela is 97% cheaper to use than regular taper candles (!)...here's the chart:
Plus, it's made of fully recyclable plastic and is designed to be used over and over.
We've always liked the somewhat futuristic look of Candelas, but dismissed them as a somewhat-expensive option, which we see may not really be the case. We just wonder if we'd really stick with them or end up going back to our regular tea light regime?
Anyone have Candelas? Thumbs up or down? Have you used them steadily for a while? Let us know your review/thoughts in the comments below...
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Do they flicker like candles?
view mellymel's profile
I have candelas - I use them instead of a bedside lamp, and they're terrific. I've used them since Christmas without problems.
view Susanna's profile
the earlier versions of the candela weren't so hot - once the battery went kaput, you basically had to toss them out. but over the years, they've improved on the design so you can now simply replace the dead battery. much better!
and i agree with susanna - they are indeed terrific.
also: we had a great experience with vessel's customer service. we actually needed to replace the charger unit for ours last year. so we called them up and they sent us a new one - free of charge.
(mellymel - no, they don't flicker. they have a soft glow to them that's really nice though.)
view anh-minh's profile
I have them and use them. They're terrific. They're also awesome in a kids room because if there's a power failure (causing their nightlight to go out) the candelas automatically turn on.
I bought a set for a friend for a housewarming gift. I couldn't afford much more and thought they were neat. All their wealthier friends got them things I would have gotten them if I could afford them but 6 months later they told me the candelas were the best gift they got (they've got a kid and are the ones who told me about the power outage thing).
I like their large lamp they just put out this year but can't afford it.
view Dobbs's profile
I've got nothing against the Candelas (never used one), but the phrase fully recyclable plastic is a bit of a misnomer.
view dancingspring's profile
I bought the Candelas maybe 4 months ago. The day after I brought them home there was a big storm and our power went out for a few hours. It was great to have the Candelas! We use them instead of or in addition to tealights and really like them.
view msc's profile
There was something like this at a nightclub on the tables. They changed color. I so wanted to snag one because they were so cool.
view cali-nys's profile
OXO has bought the Candela brand from Vessel. Looks for new, and rebranded items shortly. They promise better quality, etc ... lets hope.
view bud smith's profile
cali-nys,
We have one of those. It was a gift and it came from Sharper Image or one of those other gadget-type gift stores.
view Jon_B's profile