Spirit Lamps & Alcohol Burners

A spirit lamp, or alcohol burner, is a simple flame heater that burns methylated spirits or ethanol through a wick, giving a small, steady flame without needing any gas supply. Glass and stainless steel versions both work the same way, with fuel wicking up through a cotton or fibreglass wick to burn at the tip.

SmartLabs stocks spirit lamps and alcohol burners in South Africa for labs, schools, and fieldwork, along with replacement wick packs to keep an existing lamp burning cleanly. Wherever gas is unavailable or a small, portable flame is all that is needed, an alcohol burner remains a simple, low-cost choice.

Glass alcohol spirit lamp heating a test tube held above it

What is a spirit lamp?

A spirit lamp, or alcohol burner, is a simple flame heater that burns methylated spirits or ethanol through a wick, giving a small, steady flame without needing any gas supply. Glass and stainless steel versions both work the same way: fuel wicks up through a cotton or fibreglass wick and burns at the tip.

SmartLabs stocks spirit lamps and alcohol burners for labs, schools, and fieldwork across South Africa, along with replacement wick packs to keep an existing lamp burning cleanly. Wherever gas is unavailable or a small, portable flame is all that is needed, a spirit lamp remains a simple, reliable choice.

Common uses of spirit lamps and alcohol burners

A simple wick and fuel flame goes wherever a gas line cannot.

  • Field researcher using a portable spirit lamp outdoors

    Field and outdoor work

    Needing no gas line or power source, a spirit lamp packs easily into a field kit for sample work anywhere away from a fixed lab bench.

  • Student lighting a glass alcohol spirit lamp with a match

    School science practicals

    A glass alcohol lamp gives a low-cost, easy-to-supervise flame source for classroom experiments where gas is not installed.

  • Replacing a worn wick in a stainless steel spirit lamp burner

    Maintaining an existing burner

    A worn or clogged wick is a quick, affordable swap that keeps a stainless steel spirit lamp burning cleanly without replacing the whole unit.

  • Sterilising an inoculation loop over a spirit lamp flame

    Quick flame sterilising

    A spirit lamp flame is hot enough to sterilise a small inoculation loop or needle between samples in routine microbiology work.