Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Emerging Tech
  4. News

Real-flame smart candle requires no matches — just your smartphone and an app

Add as a preferred source on Google

It’s been over 3 million years since we first tamed fire, but that doesn’t mean we’re done innovating with it. Far from it, in fact, as we’ve now found a brand new way to control those flames. Meet the LuDela, branded as the world’s “smartest and safest real-flame candle,” one that can be lit and controlled by a smartphone, eliminating the need for matches. Stone Age, meet digital age.

On September 20, LuDela introduced a new kind of candle — one that features “unprecedented Wi-Fire technology” that can be “lit, extinguished, and controlled” by nothing more than an app. This candle, the LuDela team claims, “addresses safety and aesthetic concerns that candle burners have faced for centuries, resulting in “a safer, more convenient, and hassle-free approach to burning candles that delivers increased peace of mind and enjoyment to users.”

Recommended Videos

While the candle wax featured in a LuDela candle is the wax traditional candle burners prefer, there are no traditional wicks in this candle to speak of. Rather, there’s an “Everbrite Flame” that keeps this particular source of light burning bright.

“There’s nothing quite like the glow, smell, and ambience of candles, but with it comes the fire risk, wax mess, hassles with wicks, and the time it takes to light and extinguish multiple candles,” said Jamie Bianchini, co-founder & CEO, LuDela. “LuDela addresses these issues with a smart candle that delivers the convenience and increased safety benefits of LED candles, but with the magic and fascination of a real flame. Combined with our social mission, LuDela delivers better light and better lives around the world.”

Thanks to this candle’s Wi-Fire control system, you can set a timer on how long you want the candle to burn, tap to extinguish it, check out a candle-remaining meter, and even set different scene modes. Moreover, various safety features include the ability to extinguish when the candle has tipped over, a child-lock app, and safety alerts.

Right now, the LuDela smart candle is available for $99 at www.ludela.com, with delivery expected in early 2017. And while this may seem steep for a candle, Bianchini notes, “LuDela literally pays for itself. Within the first year, candle refill savings allow most LuDela users to recoup their $99 investment and begin saving money while continuing to enjoy safer, clean burning, beautifully smelling natural candles that light up their space — and their lives.”

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Amazon refreshes Blink lineup with first 4K, pan-tilt, and battery-powered spotlight cameras
Amazon Blink Cameras 2026 lineup

Amazon has just launched five new products as part of its Blink security camera lineup, expanding their resolution, adding a spotlight, and jazzing up their hardware format. The Blink Mini 4K+, priced at $79.99, is the company's first 4K security camera that now goes all the way up to 4K video capture quality and offers a 115-degree horizontal field of view.

Blink Mini 4K+

Read more
Apple is already planning a bigger, 360-degree rotating HomeView
The upgraded model could pair a 9-inch display with a robotic arm that turns toward whoever is speaking.
Apple HomeView feature

Apple’s first HomeView hasn't reached customers yet, but the company is reportedly working on a more ambitious version. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is developing a higher-end model with a roughly 9-inch display mounted on a robotic arm that can rotate a full 360 degrees.

The current $299 HomeView is still on preorder, with deliveries beginning November 13. It uses a fixed 7-inch display on a speaker base, and Apple also sells a wall-mounted version.

Read more
Apple HomeView: Everything you need to know about Apple’s new smart home brain
Apple HomeView is more than an iPad for your wall. Here's everything it does
Apple HomeView feature

During the Welcome Home event, Apple announced a bunch of products that expand its smart home lineup. These share a connected ecosystem around the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The idea was to bring its tight integration into the living room, kitchen, and practically every other corner of your house.

Among these new gadgets was the Apple HomeView, the company's long-awaited smart home display, unveiled during its October 13 Welcome Home event. It combines a 7-inch touchscreen, built-in speakers, Apple's new conversational Siri AI, and a centralized dashboard for managing everything from security cameras to smart lighting.

Read more