You deserve a gorgeous sexy nail, and you know it. That’s why now and then, you’d go to get a manicure. But, there’s a wee little problem – the regular nail polish is prone to get chipped within a short time – ruining the gloss and leaving you with no option than to go back for a fresh finish.
Then, came along the gel polish – this polish costs a lot more and lasts a lot longer than the traditional finish you were used to – yet there’s something off with it – You’d realize pretty soon that the cost adds up fast.
So, here’s what we recommend you do: Get a UV/LED nail lamp – it is quite affordable and cost saving measure in the long term, get your gel manicure and use them at home. I would say that it’s a must-have for 2019!
Now, you’d have your shiny, sexy manicured nails at a fraction of what it would have cost you every time you visit the salon.
IN A NUTSHELL
Why Should You Buy a UV LED Nail Lamp Dryer
Before going into that, a nail dryer should not be missing from your beauty care arsenal.
The thing is, the gel manicure is formulated with molecules that can only stick under a specific wavelength. What this means is, the gel polish will not dry unless exposed to the UV or LED light. This is one of the many uses of UV light and that’s why you need such a lamp.
If for whatever reason, you weren’t able to cure the polish under a lamp, it will chip off very fast, so you don’t quite enjoy the benefits of gel polish – which is having long lasting nails.
Thankfully, the prices of these UV/LED nail lamps are affordable, and you’d have recovered the money spent after a couple of uses. Take, for instance, if you pay $35 every three weeks for a gel manicure, that’s about $600 a year, and when you compare this with the cost of one lamp, you’d see it makes sense to get it.
What you should look out for when deciding to buy a nail lamp
Regardless of the fact that these dryers are using a combination of UV and LED light, here are some things to bear in mind before buying:
- Pedicure feature: Though not a crucial feature, but if you’d like to also dry pedicures with your dryer, then, you’d have to make sure the brand you’re interested in can do so.
- Heating prevention features: You don’t want to expose yourself or clients to burns due to over-heating from the nail lamp. Hence, its better you make sure that the dryer has an inbuilt safety feature that helps you regulate the heat.
- Timer settings: Most nail dryers have timers that help you keep track of the duration; however, you would want to make sure the brand you select has at least three timer settings.
- Amount of light beads: Exactly as how many plants a set of LED grow lights can cover, the number of bulbs or beads a dryer has is correlated with how fast the nails gel will dry.
So, to help you make this decision, we’ve curated and reviewed the top best UV/LED nail lamp dryers on the market today:
This device is suitable for both professional and home use. With a four-setting timer ranging from 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds to 99 seconds low heat mode enables you to set the preferred heat level without burning or scalding yourself or clients. It works quite well with all LED and UV gels, such as Top Coat, Color Gel, Builder, etc.. Hence you don’t have to worry about whether your gel polish is going to be dried or not.
Top Features
- Advanced Curing Tech: The double power cure offers a curing speed twice as fast as the conventional lamps – which means you get your gel manicure cured in less time than usual.
- Smart sensor: this feature enables the device to switch on or off automatically when there’s a finger inside it and when you remove your fingers after curing. Hence you don’t have to press any button to power it on or switch it off.
- Solid Device: Have 36 powerful light beads evenly distributed and has a lifespan of 50.000 hours of use.
If you are a professional manicurist in search of a modestly priced dryer that is compatible with all gel polish then consider buying this one.
Though it is also designed to be used at home, this nail polish dryer comes packed with 24 pieces dual source beads and light within the 355nm-405nm wavelength making it one of the most versatile polish dryers on the market today.
Top features
- Easy to operate: is intuitively designed making drying your fingernails walk in the park. The Makaartt design team really put efforts into delivering a gorgeous-looking and functional product.
- 24 pieces of durable light beads: The beads last for an upward of 50000 hours thereby saving you the cost of having to change them often.
- A heat vent: This conducts heat away from the dryer hence preventing overheating.
- An auto-sensing feature: Now you don’t have to bother about switching on the device, it automatically senses your hands and turns itself on, after drying it turns off.
- Two timer settings: The timer setting helps you keep tracking of the duration of drying and to regulate the heat level.
The MelodySusie is an Amazon leading brand and this 48W professional nail dryer is designed with mixed LED/UV light bulbs which means they are compatible with both types of gel manicure.
Top Features
- An inbuilt sensor: that senses when you place your fingers inside.
- Designed for a pedicure: You can also dry your toenails with it. The bottom is removable which enables drying pedicures.
- Three timer settings – to 5, 20, and 30 seconds
- 18 pieces of energetic light beads to do the job in seconds
This one is an answer to the need for a dryer that cures both LED and UV gel polishes. It features a white light, instead of the regular purple light, other devices are known for. Suitable for salon and home use with 50000hrs lifetime.
Features
- Automatic hand sensor
- Uses white light which is less dangerous to the eye and skin
- Designed to cure pedicure
- A two-setting timer for 30 seconds and 60 seconds
- Easy to operate
- 24 Watts of drying power means it consumes less energy while still curing gel polishes fast.
The arch-shaped design of the Matrixsight 24W Curing Lamp makes it perfect for use both to cure the five fingers at once or the whole toes.
Packed with 15 UV LED light beads distributed evenly for all round drying. It also comes with a white light which is less harmful to the eyes and skin.
Features
- Easy to use with 30s/60s preset timer.
- An automatic sensor that turns on when you place your hands in and turns off when you remove it.
- Compatible with almost all gels.
MelodySusie Eos Pro12W is a top-rated product. It comes with a unique design and soothing color that is sure to give you a pleasant experience. Fitted with 12 UV/LED light beads that quickly cure a variety of gel polishes you’re sure to get a bang for your money.
Features
- A motion sensor that turns on/off the light when you place your hands inside or remove them
- Adequate ventilation to conduct heat away from the dryer
- Minimal UV radiation to prevent harm to your eyes and skin
- Easy to use with only three buttons that regulate the level of heat
- A preset timer of three settings 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 90 seconds.
- It comes with an AC adapter, user manual, and a welcome card
If you want a portable, lightweight device that packs up nicely, then consider the SUNUV SUNmini nail dryer. It sure punches above its weight with its simple, but cute design and features:
- Very pocket-friendly
- Cure all varieties of gel polish
- 50000 hours long-lasting led light that eliminates the need for changing bulbs
- Easy to use a short once press turns on the 45-second curing while a long-press of 1-2 second turns on the 60 seconds curing cycle.
- Low wattage but quick curing time
- USB Port for plugging into a laptop
This is an adorable cute portable dryer that gives off a light in the 365nm-405nm wavelength which makes it suitable to cure all kinds of gel polish.
Features
- Easy to use.
- Can be used to cure both fingers and toes nails
- One timer settings: 60s
- Packs well – can carry in your pocket comfortably
- Environment-friendly and accessible support
Frequently Asked Questions
How do nail lamp dryers work?
Are nail dryers safe to use?
Why both UV and LED into a nail dryer?
What types of nail gels do these dryers cure?
In conclusion
This is our list of the best nail dryers on the market today.
Whether you go for a professional 48W curing lamp or prefer to go with one which fits in your purse, like the 6W items, you can be sure that the UV&LED combo of lights packed into these wonder devices will cure your gel polish as safe as possible and in no time!
