A new approach to radio-controlled candles. The Candelair RGBW
Following the success of Candelair, clients began asking for more choice in candle shapes and sizes. Its narrow, tapered design worked well for certain applications, but it wasn’t suited to every candle or prop.
That feedback gave us a new challenge: could we create a compact, radio-controlled insert that clients could fit into a wax candle of their choice?
The result is a shorter, slightly wider candle insert, developed around the practical needs of the people using it.
More freedom over shape and size
Rather than making clients work around a fixed candle design, we wanted to give them more freedom over the finished appearance.
The idea is straightforward: choose a wax candle large enough to accommodate the insert, bore a 20 mm hole into the top to the required depth, and drop the unit into place. The insert provides the light and radio control, while the surrounding wax candle provides the shape, size and finish.
That opens up more possibilities for incorporating controlled candlelight into props and designs.
Rechargeable by design
Feedback on Candelair also highlighted a growing preference for rechargeable power, so we developed the new insert with an integrated rechargeable battery.
After exploring several charging approaches, we chose USB-C for this product. It’s widely available and allows clients to charge their candles using readily available charging equipment.
For applications that need longer running times, the insert can also remain connected to a power bank during use, extending operation for as long as the power bank can supply it.
Practical controls, shaped by experience
The wider body gave us room to introduce mechanical buttons for switching the device on and off, setting its address, and disconnecting it from a radio network.
Choosing mechanical switches was a direct response to changes in prop construction. As prop makers increasingly use magnets to hold components together, magnetic sensors can create unwanted interactions.
Physical buttons help avoid that conflict. It’s a small design decision, but one that reflects how closely the development process follows our clients’ experiences.
Candlelight, with room for colour
Clients also asked whether the flame could produce other colours—or allow colour mixing to adjust the tone of the candlelight.
To achieve that, we worked with suppliers to develop a custom LED combining red, green and blue channels with a dedicated 1800 K warm-white channel.
That dedicated warm-white channel matters. Mixing RGB light to reproduce candlelight can make it difficult to achieve the tone you want. Starting with a warm-white source designed for a candle-like appearance gives us a better foundation.
The RGB channels can then be used to modify that warmth or change the flame colour entirely, opening up everything from subtle adjustments to colourful “disco candles”.
Bringing the Candelair RGBW together
Alongside the electronics, we developed a custom two-part plastic enclosure and explored different ways of joining it together to create a neat, compact unit.
Every part of the design has been shaped by a practical question: how can we make radio-controlled candlelight easier to incorporate into the things our clients want to create?
From rechargeable power and physical controls to custom colour mixing and a simple drop-in format, this new insert takes what we’ve learned from Candelair and puts it into a more adaptable form.
