Our Story

Where it all began.... 

Back in 2018, our journey began with an unexpected twist. After suffering a serious concussion at school—on top of recovering from a previous BMX crash—Connor found himself housebound and needing time to heal. That meant no screens, no strenuous activity, and no easy distractions.

Finding something that kept him engaged was harder than expected… until we landed on a shared love: scented candles. Off we went in search of something cool—candles that didn’t smell like grandma’s perfume aisle. Connor was on a mission: “Boy scents only.” But store after store came up short. No manly candles. No rugged scents. Just a sea of florals and vanilla.

So we made our own. Candles by Connor was born out of that frustration—and a spark of creativity.

Man candles and MTB Armour?. Yea, That tracks

It might seem like an odd combo at first—candles and protection jackets—but if you know Connor, it makes perfect sense. He’s all about two things: creating things with his hands, and mountain biking.

Living in a world-class biking destination, hitting the trails is part of our daily life. And after testing every bit of armour on the market, we kept running into the same problem: nothing offered full upper-body protection and the freedom to move. So when we discovered the S1 Protection Jacket, it was a game-changer.

Lightweight. Fully padded. Easy to get on and off. No more juggling elbow pads, kidney belts, and tops—it’s one solid piece of gear that does it all.

We’re proud to be bringing S1 to riders right here in New Zealand.

Check out our Thrill Seekers Collection to learn more.

Lara:

I’m Connor’s mum, and I’ve loved scented candles for as long as I can remember. In this little partnership, my first role is to support and advocate for Connor, letting him take the lead. My second role is to bring over 20 years of service and sales experience to the table—driving sales, managing marketing, and overseeing batch testing.