Review on Mystique Flameless Candle, Ivory 6-Inch Taper, Real Wax Candle With Realistic Flickering Wick, Battery-Powered, By Boston Warehouse by Amy Fuhrman

LED candles have come a long way in the last 5 years, from a piece of plastic to a bright yellow (and totally unrealistic) flame-shaped piece of plastic on top ; to candles with a flickering effect, which from afar looked like a real candle; for them the latest generation of imaginary candles that resemble real flames. There is one brand that I believe invented this latest style and of course there are many imitators. Mystique isn't an inventor (and they are honest), but they make one of the best fakes out there. PLUS PAGE1. They are amazingly similar to real candles, they even feel like them. They have the same waxy feel as a real candle. Luckily, they aren't scented, which was popular with fake candles a few years ago. Most of them had a very strong odor and candles with such a odor were not generally very popular with the public2. They are better made than early LED candles. The transition is more positive and appears to be taking longer3. And of course the flame effect is what you buy them for and it's almost as good as looking at a real flame. It's hard not to notice how expensive they are. The cheapest version at the time of purchase was the 8-inch off-white version at just under $17 each. I bought auto on/off timer candles at a discount store 5 years ago for about $2 each and from a distance they looked almost as good. As they are sold. The same candle in a color other than cream can cost as much as $47 per CANDLE. It doesn't cost more to make a candle, the added value is that the market will carry it. It seems logical that plain white would cost the least, but it's one of the most expensive (probably because they're used at weddings).3. Too many "flames" sticking out. I understand they want to show off their cool magnet technology, but real candles look different. As soon as you light a real candle, the wax melts and some or all of the flame buries itself in the top of the candle, which then glows and flickers. If you expose all the "flames" they will look fake. On the plus side, at least the top of the candle is lit...there are other brands that just have a "flame" that doesn't actually look like a candle at all. IMPORTANT After looking at these candles, I was convinced that 95% of all disappointments stem from misuse. How is that possible? I mean how hard is it to use a candle? Well, it turns out there's an absolute right and wrong way to use them. All the magic of how it works is in the flame-shaped tip. It is a flat piece of hinged plastic that attaches to the top of the candle. To work properly you MUST follow a few simple rules that are NOT explained in the instructions: 1. The candle should be as vertical as possible. If it is tilted even slightly to one side, the joint "flame" will not vibrate properly and you will lose full effect2. The "flame" is flat and reflects the LED bulb hidden inside. But he has a good and a bad side. For the perfect effect, place the candle in the candle holder with the LED bulb facing forward (towards you). So it's reflected on a flat plastic "flame". Placing the bulb on the back changes the whole effect, giving you a much more subtle glow than the look of a burning candle wick.3. If you have rotated a flat "flame" 90° so that you are looking at its edge, you lose the effect of the flame entirely. So ideally these candles should be placed where people are looking at them and not gathered AROUND them. Do not touch the flat plastic "flame". It's attached to a thin hinge and when you bend it, it won't give you a shimmering effect.5. These candles look best on a shelf or somewhere else where people look at them slightly overhead. You look your worst when you can look through the hole at the top and the bright LED light hits your eyes and you can see the moving contraption moving. I think for this reason they are not very suitable for the dining table. In addition, the flat foldable "flame" produces a slight clicking sound when rotated and simulates a flame. This is a totally quiet space that can be distracting, especially if you have a few candles on. CONCLUSION I'm a fan of any form of LED candle, be it cones or sticks, that has an automatic on/off timer. Once you turn it on at a specific time, it will turn on at the same time every day and turn off after 5 hours. The timer is amazingly accurate and the battery lasts almost a month. They work very well when placing candles in hard-to-reach places. The only thing to keep in mind is that sometimes you don't want the candle to go out after 5 hours, e.g. such as a long dinner party or a wedding etc. In such cases you can't be sure if it is set to timer mode or not. I like them better than remote controlled LED candles, especially if you tend to mix candle brands and types... I've run into issues where pressing a button turns some candles on and others off. And certain electronic signals, like those from a cell phone, can turn candles on and off when you don't want them to. I have found that remote controlled candles are not as practical as they seem. Conclusion: If you choose a size/color that costs less than $20 per candle, this is a good product. I don't think they are worth more than this price. Make sure the price doesn't fall or they hit the seasonal sell-off (never buy candles before a holiday). Please watch my video to see how they compare to the first generation LED candles and the 'flickering' candles of recent years. I have used careful color checks to try to give you the most accurate representation of what they actually look like, but of course all screens are different so the colors may not look exactly the same to you. I like them (which Revain defines as 4 stars). I don't "love" them because of the high price tag and the finicky precautions you have to take to keep them looking their best.