Not worth a 1 star review, basically dangerous as you may have gas up and running trying to ignite while the first 15 break or fail to ignite .a very frustrating process trying to light a match that seems to have all the ingredients to ignite reduced for profit above functionality,and the wood stick itself useless in quality. Never again.i guess you get what you pay for
Poor quality. Often fail to ignite. Sadly I won’t be purchasing this product again unless there is a significant improvement in the quality. I wonder about the quality control and given previous reviews, the intention to improve the product.
Unsafe, useless matches. 1 in 10 actually light. Burnt myself, damaged my table due to match finally lighting only to break and set fire to my table cloth. Do not buy these matches.
Reviews with attachments
Awful – If it’s a life and death situation and you were relying on these matches to save your life, you would die. If you did not die from hypothermia, you would most certainly die from frustration. The phosphorus seems to jump off the match head, which in itself is dangerous, and then the source of ignition is gone and the match is useless.
They are dangerous – Bits fly of set fire two stuff on floor that I using to start fire they don't work most used 1/2 box to light one fire Send back to NZ.
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- +1
New version of these matches now available – Try the "new" version. For everyone who's had issues with these matches, they've just come out with a new design. I picked them up in Bunnings. Only the 10x box safety matches SKU had the refresh (at least in the store I was at) but it's a major improvement already. The match sticks have the same thick wood they've always had (better than… Read more · 1
Redheads). The match heads look the same as the old version, but they don't feel so volatile when you light them up.
The ignition strips have been changed from a solid, smooth brown strip to a "honeycomb" style that runs the length of the box so you get maximum length out of it.
They've also fixed the horrible aesthetic of the box design with the photo of open tray with match heads. I never liked that. The new design is much more aesthetically pleasing.
40 matches per box. Is that an increase or decrease? I can't remember. Readheads have 45 but they're thinner and smaller.
Overall, great job on the revised product. I hope that this carries over to the extra long, waterproof and the XXL matches
Dangerous, do not use – 50 years of using Redheads.. never 1 problem. But these Samba matches, rarely light First go, then the phosphorus can jump off the match when lit. Like today, so my finger is now on ice as the phosphorus jumped onto it. They are cheap - for a reason. I’m surprised Bunnings sells them. Beware.
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Don’t waste your money - buy redhead ones – Just trying to light a bloody candle - so get 11 matches in, all have either snapped or the top falls apart and goes everywhere. Biggest joke and waste of money.
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Recent reviews
Most crap matches ever. Stick with nz made beehive matches. They not often snap, dont strike the red end off and will pretty much light Any day, night, sun, hail, rain or storm. Beehive are the best
Worst matches I’ve ever used!! – Absolute crap. About 1 in 6 actually work. They either break, go out, or fizz and create loads of noxious smoke. Samba gas fire lighters aren’t much better. Rub 2 sticks together instead!
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Very safe matches...dont light and break..so useless – Useless...tried 13 matches before i got 1 to ignite and rhen that broke and burnt my finger... quality can only be described as appaling... even using an accelerant didnt work..as these are the only matches our supermarket stocks not alot of options for us... probably suggest getting 2 sticks and rubbing them to gether be more use...
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Rubbing two sticks together more likely to start your fire – Very safe matches. No way I could get them to reliably light, and when they did the end snapped off and dropped onto something you didn't want burnt. The only way you can be sure they will burn is by putting them into an already alight fire.
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Avoid. Not fit for purpose – Have discovered surefire way to get light everytime. I use a lighter to light end of match . Beehive matches superior alternative. Attractive price but something wrong with chemistry between match head and side of box
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Unsafety matches – These are very frustrating, not only do they not work, if by some miracle they actually light then the match snaps and the fire flies off onto whatever is near - dangerous matches, not safe at all.
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They have no right to call these matches – These matches don't work, the striking strip is not rough enough to give a good strike and every time you go to strike one of these stupid matches, that area of the strip gets smoothed out and won't work for the next match. The head crumbles as you strike it and even if it sparks, doesn't catch alight. I could go through an entire box trying to… Read more
get one to light. They work better striking them on Beehive matchboxes, they actually manage to light before the phosphorus crumbles off the stick. Lots of them break. They're literally so terrible I thought they were made in a third word sweat shop for a pittance and am shocked to see they're made in Australia. The last time I used them I literally threw the remainder of the box into the fireplace in frustration.
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Poor quality less than 1 in 5 ignite – Have used samba firelight for years and happy with product so decided to purchase the multi pack of their matches. What a mistake! On average only 1 in 4 or 5 actually ignite so could not recommend at all.
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Rubbish – You strike the match and nine times out of ten they don't ignite. Bought a pack of 3 long 55mm safety matches. Most of them in a box DONT ignite . And if they do watch out as they spark .
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Should they have have a use-by-date? – Safety matches for starting a fire in a combustion heater are great - but not when you use last year's matches and nearly EVERY match is a fizzer.... Well, no flame is happening! Claudia
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Samba Unsafety Matches -Potentially Life threatening – Very poor. They combust in less than 20% of occasions. These matches are unsafe for use with gas ovens and hobs. Also useless in any outdoor setting. Fail to light and discharge excessive smoky chemicals. Avoid using with flammable chemicals or in situations where you need to rely on matches.
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Not a good reflection on this brand – I recently changed my matches to the Samba brand as I liked their Firelighters. Am really disappointed with the matches as it takes 6 or more matches to light the fire. They are like a slow burning ember but don't actually flame.
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Worst matches ever – I bought a multi pack of these matches and find them to be of really poor quality. Every box countless broken matches, some with no heads, split ones etc, and the strike part on the boxes very poor, wears out quickly and no longer enables a strike.
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Complete crap – If I could give 0 I would. Do not start fire. Pretty sad kids on New Years when their sparklers wouldn’t light because these matches are so terrible. Do not recommend
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Totally useless, unsafe to use matches – You have to strike the side of the packet a number of times before these matches light. In that time the match regularly breaks in half. When it does finally light it is a slow ignition, sometimes only flaring as you are ready to throw it in the bin. In the case where it lights successfully, it is difficult to extinguish and care needs to be… Read more
taken to ensure the match has burnt out prior to placing in the bin, for fear that the bin will then catch fire! I won't be purchasing these again
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Useless – Same as others, most don't light and the smell is awful. For the odd one that does finally ignite, it burns very quickly and easily breaks, making it dangerous. Not fit for purpose.
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used to be good - what happened ? – I started using these matches several years back as I got fed up with Redheads not working properly .I use a lot of candles and incense . Sadly in the last few months Samba matches have changed completely .I don't know if they are being manufactured in a different factory or what but they are now terrible ,they don't light most of the time ,or… Read more
part of the match lights then goes out ,or they fizz and splutter like a fireworks. This has nothing to do with being damp as I have always kept them in a dry place .The quality control needs to be looked into otherwise Samba will lose a lot of customers .
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Found a new way to make a safety match near useless – Rather than simply fail to strike (as redheads do) Samba matches fail to light the ignition material simply smokes away rather than lights at least 50% of the time. Like Redheads these matches cannot be exposed to humidity as they will fail to light at all after a night outside but under cover.
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Don't light & emit a toxic smoke – As per other reviews, I find that I need to light multiple matches before one gets going. When they don't light they still burn, emitting a toxic smoke. Redheads, although more flimsy than I remember, light just about every time and don't leave you inhaling toxic chemicals.
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Won't light! – Use on average 6 matches before one will light, they used to be good but the last two ten packs have been absolutely useless. Why have they changed? Won't be buying any more
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Worst matches ever – I use about three matches to light a fire. Cheap rubbish. They break in half and sometimes flick smouldering match heads around the place. Dangerous. What happened to government regulations and standards that would outlaw sub standard dangerous products?
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The worst matches ever made in history – 9/10 don't even light they just fizzle out. I can't believe they're actually sold being as bad as they are. They are so absurdly bad it's basically a joke. Once you get one to actually light it's fine, but the striker on the side only lasts half a box which doesn't help much either.
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Fireproof matches – I'm thinking these matches would be great to use to build a house in a bushfire-risk area, they seem quite fireproof. As everyone else seems to know, I have found these matches are terrible - very hard to light.
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Not very safe! – Samba SAFETY matches are DANGEROUS! Simple as that! Countless times I have struck the match and bits on the BURNING product crumbles away and becomes airborne landing and burning whatever it lands on! I have many clothing items that have small holes in them caused by flying embers from the match! That’s only if you can get it to strike… Read more
successfully after multiple attempts striking the inferior product! So to rectify this major issue I began storing them in an airtight container, thinking it was air temperature and humidity affecting the match, with very little difference in the outcome. Once upon a time a match had a much harder head and this issue was never a problem. I believe manufacturers have lessened the quality of the product for profit reasons at the expense of safety.
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These are crap, CAN live without them – We had better luck with rubbing two sticks together!!! Take them off the market!!! These are absolute joke. How can you take these out bush and use when needed? And now you can’t even let me post without having to type 30 words for goodness sakes!!!
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Crap bix and sticks – Just crap compared to red heads. Had to throw all in the fire place as they spotlight. Boxes shot and matches just as much needing high heat to light. A joke and waste of money.
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Hopeless Samb matches – What the box shows and the reality. Most matches in the box won’t lite. Hopeless. Out of the box of 50 matches, a third HD to be thrown in the fire.
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