Class 4: Industrial Oils, Lubricants & Candles
Class 4 reads like a class for oil refineries: industrial oils, greases, lubricants and fuels. In practice, it’s the candle class. It’s the 36th most used of the 45, with 9,235 UK registrations between September 2021 and September 2026, which is about 70% fewer registrations than the average class, and about half of those registrations claim the single word “candles”. If you make candles, this is almost certainly your class. If you make lubricants or fuel, you’re sharing it with a lot of home fragrance brands.
What class 4 covers
This is the official Nice heading, in full:
Industrial oils and greases, wax; lubricants; dust absorbing, wetting and binding compositions; fuels and illuminants; candles and wicks for lighting.
The thread running through all of it is things that burn, light or lubricate. Fuels and illuminants cover everything from diesel and natural gas to firewood, charcoal and lamp oil. Candles and wicks sit here because, historically, a candle is a light source. It doesn’t matter that most candles are now bought for the scent.
When you definitely need class 4
- You make or sell candles, tealights or wicks under your own brand
- You sell motor oil, engine oil, lubricants or greases
- You supply fuels: diesel, fuel oil, gas, biofuels or lamp oil
- You sell firewood, charcoal, wood pellets or firelighters
- You sell raw wax, such as beeswax, paraffin wax or candle wax
When you might need class 4 without realising
A few businesses end up in class 4 without ever thinking of themselves as fuel or oil companies.
- Energy suppliers. Electricity itself is class 4. Electrical energy appears on 691 registrations, and electrical energy from renewable sources on 563. The service of distributing it is a different class, which I’ll come to below.
- Barbecue and outdoor brands. Charcoal, firelighters and wood briquettes are all class 4, even when the rest of the range is grills and garden furniture.
- Gift and homeware shops with their own label. A single own-brand candle in a gift range puts that product in class 4.
- Cake decorators. Birthday candles are class 4, not class 30 with the cakes. Candles for use in the decoration of cakes is claimed on 742 registrations.
If your brand is going on anything you burn, light or pour into an engine, it’s worth checking class 4 before you file.
Not sure which class your product sits in? The free class tools below show you where businesses like yours actually file, or you can give us a call.
What businesses actually claim in class 4
These are the terms that turn up most often in recent UK class 4 registrations:
| Term | Marks using it | Share of class 4 | How common |
|---|---|---|---|
| candles | 4,741 | 51.3% | Essential |
| scented candles | 3,854 | 41.7% | Essential |
| perfumed candles | 3,182 | 34.5% | Essential |
| fragranced candles | 2,860 | 31.0% | Essential |
| aromatherapy fragrance candles | 2,237 | 24.2% | Most use this |
| tealight candles | 1,808 | 19.6% | Most use this |
| candles (perfumed -) | 1,762 | 19.1% | Most use this |
| candles in tins | 1,741 | 18.9% | Most use this |
| candles and wicks for lighting | 1,738 | 18.8% | Most use this |
| soy candles | 1,673 | 18.1% | Most use this |
Every one of the top terms is a candle. Candles alone is on 4,741 registrations, and scented candles on 3,854. The first term that has nothing to do with candles is lubricants, on 1,085. That’s worth knowing if you’re a candle maker: class 4 is where your competition is, and a name that’s clear in the oil and fuel end of the class may still collide with another candle brand.
It’s also why candle brands tend to claim several overlapping terms, such as scented candles, perfumed candles and soy candles. The broad word covers the ground, and the specific ones show what the brand is actually known for.
What class 4 does not cover
Chemical additives and coolants are class 1. A lubricant brand can protect its oils in class 4 and still leave its additive range exposed. Chemical additives appears on 179 class 1 registrations, and antifreeze and radiator coolants are class 1 as well.
Degreasers, car cleaners and polishes are class 3. A vehicle-care range is often split: the motor oil is class 4, but the car shampoo, polish and degreaser sold on the same shelf are class 3. Cleaning preparations alone is claimed on 2,701 class 3 registrations.
The appliance that burns the fuel is class 11. A fuel supplier that also brands boilers, burners or stoves needs class 11 for them, where boilers appears on 591 registrations and gas burners on 495. LED and flameless candles are class 11 too, because they’re electric lights rather than candles.
Servicing and maintenance is class 37. A garage or lubricant brand that also changes oil and services vehicles is providing a class 37 service. Vehicle maintenance appears on 457 class 37 registrations.
Where these terms actually live
| Term | Belongs to | Marks using it |
|---|---|---|
| chemical additives | Class 1 | 179 |
| cleaning preparations | Class 3 | 2,701 |
| boilers | Class 11 | 591 |
| gas burners | Class 11 | 495 |
| candle holders | Class 21 | 2,234 |
| vehicle maintenance | Class 37 | 457 |
| distribution of energy | Class 39 | 524 |
Each of these is a separate registration. A mark in class 4 does not cover any of them.
The mistake I see most often
The mistake is filing for the consumable and forgetting the equipment or the service around it. Fuel, the appliance that burns it and the engineer who maintains it all sit in different classes, even when customers see one brand on all three.
It’s common with energy and heating businesses in particular. The electricity or oil is class 4. Distributing electricity to customers is class 39, where distribution of energy appears on 524 registrations. The boiler is class 11. Servicing it is class 37. A business that does all four under one name, and files only class 4, has protected the part customers think about least.
The simplest fix is to list what customers actually pay you for, then match each item to a class before you file. A UK application can’t have classes added later, so it’s far easier to get the list right at the start.
Is class 4 the right class for you?
If you make or sell candles, lubricants, fuels, firewood or raw wax under your own brand, class 4 is very likely yours. If you also sell the appliance, service it, or distribute energy, look at classes 11, 37 and 39 as well.
Our free class tools build a specification from wording already accepted on real UK filings, so you can see what businesses like yours claim before you commit.
Common questions about class 4
Are wax melts class 4 or class 3?
The UKIPO’s own class list puts scented wax melts in class 3, as fragrancing preparations, even though candles are class 4. You’ll find some wax melts filed in class 4 on the register, but I’d follow the IPO’s list. The electric warmer that melts them is class 11. A home fragrance brand selling candles, melts and warmers could need three classes.
Is a candle holder class 4?
No. Candle holders, candlesticks and candle jars are class 21, with other household containers and ornaments. Candle holders is claimed on 2,234 class 21 registrations. If you sell candles in a branded holder that customers keep and reuse, it’s worth claiming both.
Which class is e-liquid?
Class 34, not class 4. Liquid for electronic cigarettes sits with tobacco and smokers’ articles, even though it looks like the kind of thing class 4 would cover. The vape device itself is class 34 as well.
Is cooking oil class 4?
No. Class 4 is for oils that burn or lubricate. Oils for eating, such as olive oil and cooking oil, are class 29 with other foods. Essential oils for fragrance or cosmetic use are class 3.
About these figures. Last researched 23 September 2026, from UK trademarks registered between September 2021 and September 2026 whose entry in this class is still active. That is current drafting practice rather than the historical register. Terms shown are those most frequently used in that period.
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