Samba Safety Matches

It took 7 matches before one worked. Just not good enough. I wasn't sure whether I would be able to light my fire with these matches. They just wouldn't strike and crumbled.

Inconsistent lighting, only about half the packet strike. Matches break easily and are unreliable quality. We bought a bulk lot and all packets have same issues. They are not worth buying.

Samba matches – After putting up with low grade junk from Redhead matches I bought a 10 pack from bunnings. Samba appears to have taken all the criticism on board. The striker plates are now solid (unlike redheads) and the match heads are much larger than redheads. Vast improvement on previous quality.  Show reply

Samba matches Fantastic alternative about time the market leader had good competition – I have been buying matches from a leading brand of match makers for many years only to be disappointed again and again with the poor quality of the companies(RED....) matches, breaks splinter, non lighting, poorly made little scratch on the box , very small amount of Phosphorus sesquisulphide which buy the time you try to light your stove, gas… Read more ·  1

heater etc etc goes out , so you get another one which breaks etc,etc.

I am happy to say I have just bought and used SAMBA brand matches which are larger break less and have a good amount of Phosphorus sesquisulphide so you can light your gas more safely.

I bought these matches at a very large hardware chain and will never, ever buy the other brand again../try them and then write your review!!!

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.

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!

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...

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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.