Electric tea candles are made from a range of materials, including plastic, paraffin (real) wax, resin, and glass. Some models combine a wax body with resin or real glass components for a more realistic look.

Listings describe lifelike flicker effects such as 3D wicks, patented lifelike flicker technologies, dual-LED “real flicker” lights, and warm flickering flame effects that mimic the look of a real candle.

Smaller tealight-style LED candles commonly use a simple twist on/off mechanism (often described as a “twist flame”) to activate and deactivate the light.

Many models use simple on/off controls (for example, twist-to-turn tealights). Other styles include remote controls with brightness settings and multi-hour timers (commonly 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours) or built-in timer functions.