The Oprah’s Favorite Things Pick I’m Buying for All the Candle-Lovers in My Life
My love of candles, from buying them to making them, has been well-documented. But lighting them? Not until now. I have a mini shot glass match cloche that sits atop my mantel and a long-nosed utility lighter that I use for three-wick candles, but both of those eventually run out of matches or butane. It wasn’t until I consulted Oprah’s Favorite Things that I found my holy grail of candle lighters: The USB Lighter Company Motli Light.
It’s not that I hadn’t heard of USB lighters previously — flameless lighters have been all the rage for a minute now. But with all of the product recommendations constantly inundating my feed, I can be slow to buy something new. And honestly, the oxymoron of “flameless lighter” was enough to give me pause. But now, I’ve left the dark side, literally, for the gorgeously candlelit side, and it’s all thanks to this adorable gadget.
When Oprah Daily noted this lighter as one of its namesake’s favorite things in 2022, it said: “Forget matches. This rechargeable lighter creates a small electric spark that allows you to light candles, your fireplace, or even a campfire. To help you see what you’re trying to light in the dark, it also contains an LED flashlight.” I am more of an indoor kid, so the number of times I’ve used this tool to light a campfire in the pitch dark is a whopping zero. That said, the built-in light is still a clever feature for any instances where the power goes out in my apartment and I want to safely light some candles.
Unlike my convenience-store torch lighter, the USB Lighter Company Motli Light is rechargeable, which cuts down on the waste and money of tossing an old lighter and buying a new one. The brand claims that one charge lasts for 1000 lights, and honestly I’ve only charged it once since owning it, and I light a candle every day.
Using this lighter is a breeze, too: Just click it on and zap your candle wicks to life. Although I somewhat abashedly must admit that my favorite part of this Oprah’s list pick is just how cute it is. The long, tapered shape feels sleek in your hand and looks as futuristic as you would expect a flameless lighter to be. Not to mention, it comes in a wide range of colors — and not your typical primary hues, either. I own it in lavender, although I’m also eyeing it in turquoise, magenta, and watercolor (a cool tie-dye pattern).
Because I’ll only ever need the one lighter, I’ll likely be buying them for friends and family as gifts in the future. Not only does the plentiful color palette mean I can customize the lighter to their style (an olive green one for my sister with a brick fireplace; an unmissable cobalt one for my sister who does indeed light fires while camping), but I know it’s a gadget they’re unlikely to have bought for themselves already. I’m a firm believer in upgrading the mundane basics you use every day to be things you love to look at — a little luxury can go a long way in making a place feel like home, after all.
Buy: The USB Lighter Company Motli Light, $45