Candle Wax
Golden Wax 464 vs 444
Two waxes from the same manufacturer, and between every listing selling them, one melt point and one fragrance load.
We have not burned these candles and we do not claim to have. Here is what we did instead. Links to Amazon earn us a commission at no extra cost to you — disclosure.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 10 lb FlakesTop pickGW 464 is the reference soy for container candles, and that is its real advantage: when a wick chart says ECO 8, it was written with a wax like this in mind, so you get the behavior the chart predicts. | The wax most published wick charts are calibrated against | |
| 2 |  Golden Foods Natural Soy 444 Wax, 10 lb BagTen pounds of Golden Brands 444, and the one 444 listing on Amazon that publishes a number: it states the wax holds 5 to 7 percent fragrance. No melt point, no pour temperature, and it is sold by a reseller rather than the manufacturer. | The only 444 listing that publishes a fragrance load | |
| 3 |  Natural Soy 464 Wax, 5 lb BagThe wax to buy if you already know you want 464 but do not want ten pounds of it sitting in a cupboard. Same published specifications, half the quantity. | The same reference wax at half the commitment | |
| 4 |  Natural Soy 444 Wax, 5 lb Bag444 is 464's higher-melt sibling. It sets harder and holds up better in a warm house, at the cost of being fussier about pour temperature and more prone to a rough top. | A firmer soy for warm rooms | |
| 5 |  The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 20 lb BagThe wax most published wick charts are calibrated against, in the largest quantity we could verify as currently in stock. If your recipe is already built on 464, this is the same wax at a lower cost per pound. | Bulk quantity of the reference wax, from the same seller as the 10 lb |
These are the two soy waxes new makers are told to choose between, and the comparison is almost always made from forum memory rather than published data. So we went to the listings and wrote down what they actually print.
The result is thinner than anyone would like. Between four listings for the two waxes there is one melt point, one fragrance load, and no pour temperature at all.
What each listing publishes
| Listing | Melt point | Fragrance load | Pour temperature | Other published detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 464, 10 lb, Candlemaker's Store | 115 to 120F | Not published | Not published | Flake form, single-pour formula, blended with an additive |
| 464, 5 lb | Not published | Not published | Not published | Biodegradable |
| 444, 10 lb, Golden Foods | Not published | Holds 5 to 7 percent | Not published | Described as good for blending with paraffin |
| 444, 5 lb, Golden Brands | Not published | Not published | Not published | Two spelling errors and five words of copy |
One more figure exists and it does not come from Amazon. The published GW 464 instructions from a candle supplier, cited at the foot of this page, give a 10 percent fragrance maximum, fragrance added at 170F and a pour between 135 and 145F. That is the most complete data on either wax and it exists only for 464.
The one difference you can act on
A 5 to 7 percent ceiling against 10 percent is not a rounding difference. It changes the recipe and it changes which fragrances work.
Top pick · The wax most published wick charts are calibrated against
The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 10 lb Flakes
Golden Brands (GW 464)
GW 464 is the reference soy for container candles, and that is its real advantage: when a wick chart says ECO 8, it was written with a wax like this in mind, so you get the behavior the chart predicts.
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Published specifications
- Melt point
- 115 to 120FSource: The Candlemaker's Store listing
- Melt point (maker figure)
- 113 to 118FSource: CandleScience product specification
- Heat to
- 170 to 180F, never above 200FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Add fragrance at
- 170FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Pour at
- 140FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Maximum fragrance load
- 10 percentSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Quantity
- 10 lb flakesSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
What that means
Two suppliers publish slightly different melt points for the same wax, 115 to 120F and 113 to 118F. That two-degree gap is normal for a natural wax and it is why you read your own pour temperature rather than trusting a single number.
Ten pounds is 160 ounces of wax, or roughly forty 4-ounce candles at the usual fill. That is a real supply, not a sample.
464 is a soy blend with additives that reduce frosting and hold fragrance better than straight soy. It is not the most natural wax on the shelf and it is not sold as one.
Good
- Every published temperature you need is documented, by more than one supplier
- The wax most wick charts assume, so chart recommendations behave as predicted
- 10 percent maximum fragrance load, which is at the top of what soy holds
Less good
- Contains soy-based additives, so it is a blend rather than pure soy
- Ten pounds is more than a first-time maker will get through
Skip this one if
You want to find out whether you enjoy this before committing to ten pounds of anything. Buy a one-pound bag first.
Pick 2 · The only 444 listing that publishes a fragrance load
Golden Foods Natural Soy 444 Wax, 10 lb Bag
Golden Foods
Ten pounds of Golden Brands 444, and the one 444 listing on Amazon that publishes a number: it states the wax holds 5 to 7 percent fragrance. No melt point, no pour temperature, and it is sold by a reseller rather than the manufacturer.
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 17, 2026
Published specifications
- Fragrance load
- Stated as holds 5-7 percentSource: Amazon Creators API item data, read 2026-09-27
- Quantity
- 10 lb bagSource: Amazon Creators API item data, read 2026-09-27
- Stated blending
- Described as good for blending with paraffinSource: Amazon Creators API item data, read 2026-09-27
- Sold by
- Listed under a reseller brand, manufacturer given as Golden FoodsSource: Amazon Creators API item data, read 2026-09-27
- Melt point
- Not published on the listing
- Pour temperature
- Not published on the listing
What that means
A 5 to 7 percent load is meaningfully lower than the 10 percent maximum published for 464, and it is the single most useful number on any 444 listing we found. If you scent at 8 to 10 percent out of habit, 444 is not a drop-in replacement.
The blending note is a hint about what 444 is for. It has a higher melt point than 464 in the manufacturer's own literature, which is why makers reach for it in warm climates and in pillar-adjacent work.
Reseller listings for this wax come and go. Check the bag photograph says Golden Brands 444 before ordering, and buy the size you will use within a year.
Good
- Publishes a fragrance load, which no other 444 listing does
- Ten pounds is the size that makes sense per pound
- States the paraffin-blending use case
Less good
- No published melt point or pour temperature
- Sold under a reseller brand, so listings are less stable
- Bullet copy is four words long in places
Skip this one if
You scent at 8 percent or more. The listing itself caps this wax at 7, and a wax that cannot carry your fragrance load will weep it out.
Pick 3 · The same reference wax at half the commitment
Natural Soy 464 Wax, 5 lb Bag
Golden Brands (GW 464)
The wax to buy if you already know you want 464 but do not want ten pounds of it sitting in a cupboard. Same published specifications, half the quantity.
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 17, 2026
Published specifications
- Quantity
- 5 lb bagSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Add fragrance at
- 170FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Pour at
- 140FSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Maximum fragrance load
- 10 percentSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
What that means
Five pounds is 80 ounces, or about twenty 4-ounce candles. That is roughly a season of gift candles for one person.
Buying the same wax in a smaller bag costs more per pound. That premium is worth paying once, while you find out whether 464 suits how you work.
Good
- Half the quantity of the 10 lb bag
- Identical published temperatures
- Fits a domestic cupboard
Less good
- Costs more per pound than the 10 lb bag
- Still more wax than a single evening's project
Skip this one if
You are certain you will keep making candles. The 10 lb bag is the cheaper way to buy the same wax.
Pick 4 · A firmer soy for warm rooms
Natural Soy 444 Wax, 5 lb Bag
Golden Brands (GW 444)
444 is 464's higher-melt sibling. It sets harder and holds up better in a warm house, at the cost of being fussier about pour temperature and more prone to a rough top.
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 17, 2026
Published specifications
- Quantity
- 5 lb bagSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Wax family
- Golden Brands container soy blendSource: Amazon product listing, read 2026-09-02
- Melt point
- Not published on the Amazon listing
What that means
The practical difference between 444 and 464 is firmness. If your candles slump or sweat in summer, 444 is the usual answer.
The trade is surface finish. 444 shows pour lines and rough tops more readily, which is a cosmetic problem you fix with a heat gun rather than a burn problem.
The Amazon listing does not publish a melt point. Check the manufacturer specification sheet before you build a wick around it.
Good
- Firmer set than 464
- Better behaved in a warm room
- Same Golden Brands container family
Less good
- Amazon listing publishes no melt point or pour temperature
- More likely to show a rough top than 464
Skip this one if
This is your first bag of wax. Start with 464: it is more forgiving at the temperatures a beginner actually hits, and it is what the wick charts assume.
Pick 5 · Bulk quantity of the reference wax, from the same seller as the 10 lb
The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 20 lb Bag
Golden Brands (GW 464)
The wax most published wick charts are calibrated against, in the largest quantity we could verify as currently in stock. If your recipe is already built on 464, this is the same wax at a lower cost per pound.
#ad · how this is funded · price as of October 17, 2026
Published specifications
- Quantity
- 20 lb bagSource: Amazon Creators API item data, read 2026-09-19
- Seller
- Listed under the candlemakers brand, the same seller as the 10 lb flakesSource: Amazon Creators API item data, read 2026-09-19
- Working temperatures
- Heat to 170 to 180F, fragrance at 170F, pour at 140F, 10 percent maximum loadSource: Cal Candle Supply published GW 464 instructions
- Form
- Not published on the listing
What that means
The advantage of buying 464 specifically in bulk is that everything you already know still applies. The wick chart, the pour temperature, the fragrance load: none of it changes.
Twenty pounds is 320 ounces, which is about 50 candles at an 8 fl oz jar size. That is a season of selling rather than a season of gifts.
We previously listed a 45 lb box of GW 464 here. It went out of stock, so it has been replaced with the largest 464 quantity we could verify as purchasable.
Good
- The wax the published wick charts assume
- Working temperatures documented in multiple places
- Lower cost per pound than the 5 and 10 lb bags
Less good
- Form is not published on this listing, unlike the 10 lb flakes
- 20 lb is a production quantity, not a hobby one
- Larger 464 cases exist but were out of stock or scarce when we checked
Skip this one if
You are making candles for your own house. A 10 lb bag is already more than a year of casual pouring.
Which one to buy
The decision is easier than the data shortage suggests, because the published gap runs one way.
- Buy 464 if you are starting out, if you pour container candles, or if you scent above 7 percent. It is the wax with a published melt point, a single-pour formula, and instructions you can actually follow. It is also the wax the rest of this site's arithmetic is built on.
- Buy 444 if you already know you want it: a harder wax for a warm room, or a base you intend to blend with paraffin, which its own listing names as a use. Accept that you are buying it without a published melt point.
- Buy neither from a listing with no specifications if a documented one is available at a similar price. The 5-pound listings for both waxes publish essentially nothing, and one of them was down to single-figure stock when we checked.
What changes in practice if you switch
Changing wax is not a swap, it is a re-test. Three things move at once.
- Wick size. A harder wax needs more heat to hold a melt pool, so a wick that worked in one wax can tunnel in the other. Start from how to choose a wick size again rather than assuming.
- Fragrance load. Recalculate to the new ceiling before you pour, not after the candle weeps.
- Surface finish. 464 is sold as a single-pour wax specifically because it sets with a smooth top. A wax with no such claim may want a second pour, and soy wax frosting and wet spots covers what the surface is telling you.
If you want the full picture on the wax that is better documented, the Golden Brands 464 review goes through every published number and what it means at the bench. For the wider field, best soy wax for candles ranks the containers-first options and best candle wax for beginners starts further back.
The honest verdict
This is a comparison where the right answer is partly an indictment of the listings. 464 wins on documentation, not because someone proved it performs better: it is the only one of the two with a published melt point, a published fragrance maximum, a published addition temperature and a published pour range. Until a 444 listing publishes the same, the wax you can plan a recipe around is the one to buy.
How these picks were made. Published specifications compiled from the sources listed below, the arithmetic shown on the page, and live Amazon prices. No product here has been burned by us. Read the method.
Common questions
What is the difference between Golden Wax 464 and 444?
On published data, one number: the best 444 listing states it holds 5 to 7 percent fragrance, while 464's published instructions give a 10 percent maximum. 464 also publishes a 115 to 120F melt point and a single-pour formula. No listing we found publishes 444's melt point or pour temperature.
Is 464 or 444 better for container candles?
464, on what is published. It is sold as a single-pour container wax with a stated melt point and a documented 170F fragrance addition temperature. 444 is often described as the harder of the two, which suits a warm room, but that is not printed on any listing we checked.
Can I substitute 444 for 464 in a recipe?
Not without re-testing. Recalculate the fragrance to the lower published ceiling, burn-test the wick again, and expect the surface finish to behave differently. Treat it as a new wax, not a variant.
How much fragrance oil can 444 take?
The only published figure we found is 5 to 7 percent, from the 10-pound listing. That is meaningfully below the 10 percent maximum published for 464, so a recipe built at 9 or 10 percent does not transfer.
Why do the 5-pound bags publish nothing?
Because they are reseller listings. The bullets on one are five words long and contain two spelling errors, and the other says only biodegradable. The 10-pound listings for both waxes are the ones carrying whatever specification exists.
Which is cheaper per pound?
Check the live prices in the picks above, because both waxes are sold by multiple resellers at prices that move. The reliable saving is buying the 10-pound bag over the 5-pound one for the same wax rather than choosing between the two grades on price.
Sources
Read next
Golden Brands 464 Soy Wax Review
A single-product review of GW 464 soy wax: published melt points, working temperatures, the 10 percent load ceiling, and where it is the wrong wax.
Top pick
Natural Soy 464 Wax, 5 lb Bag
Best Soy Wax for Candles
Soy waxes compared on published specs, flake or bead form, quantity and cost per pound, with the reference wax named.
Top pick
The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 10 lb Flakes
Best Candle Wax for Beginners
Beginner candle waxes ranked on published working temperatures and pour tolerance, with the arithmetic for how much to buy.
Top pick
The Candlemaker's Store Natural Soy 464 Wax, 10 lb Flakes
Candle Wax Temperature Chart
A cross-supplier table of published candle wax temperatures: melt point, heat-to, pour and maximum fragrance load, with the waxes that publish nothing marked as such.
How Much Fragrance Oil Per Pound of Wax
Fragrance load arithmetic: the formula, a table by batch size, the published maximum for GW 464, and why load is a weight percentage.
How to Choose a Wick Size
The five-step method for choosing a wick: measure the diameter, read the chart for your wax, adjust for fragrance load, buy two sizes, burn test.