If you’re using a UV nail curing lamp it probably felt like a simple gel manicure takes you ages to cure. LED lamps are way faster, in fact, you can reduce your curing time by 75%. a lot? We agree. In this article, we’ll introduce you with the best UV LED nail lamp for both professional and home-use.
Gel nail manicures require a UV or LED lamp to dry into a hard-as-rock, durable finish. You might view as nail lamps as bulky, expensive gadgets that take up a lot of room.
Au contraire! Efficient, portable lamps cost less than you think! Here are some of our favorite best UV LED lamps for a perfect Gel polish and hard gel extensions application.
Curious about the next steps? We also share some additional information in a buyer’s guide. We’re here to help make the nail lamp purchase process painless!
Related:
Our Favorite UV LED Nail Lamps
Do you want your nails to look like you went to a professional, but you don’t want to pay a professional price? Giving yourself a manicure at home is a great alternative that’s convenient, budget-friendly, and fun!
1. SUNUV SUN2C 48W LED UV nail Lamp
This fantastic UV nail lamp from SunUV is a cute and functional lamp! The smart auto-sensing lights automatically turn on once you place your hands near the lamp. They then immediately turn off when you remove them.
Four flexible preset time controls give you full customizable control over how long the lamp runs. The cute design is sturdy, and you can even choose a new top for the pad! Your nails dry quickly and efficiently so you can get up and go meet up with your ladies or your man!
It’s perfect for any lady who loves cute nails and cute tools all at the same time!
2. Gel UV LED Nail Lamp, Nail Dryer 40W By LKE
Are you worried you’ll have to keep pressing buttons on a lamp in order to keep it on? With this nail lamp from LKE, moving your hands in and out of the lamp, keep it on. No more button-mashing! Choose between low and high power for your drying needs, depending on the nail gel you are using.
Your hands stay smooth and will not brown with the 21 LED lights. The 40W lights offer a shorter curing time than other models and will be perfect for those who on a budget. Lastly, carry this useful lamp everywhere due to its lightweight design!
3. Professional Nail Dryer 72W – SUN 5 Pro Best UV LED Nail Lamp
This powerful, 72W nail dryer is a real professional’s tool. The Sun 5 Pro Best dries two hands at once, meaning you get a clean, even dry on both hands! It also cuts down the time you need to spend on drying your beautiful nails. It also accommodates both of your feet.
The gentle LED lights in this dryer will not harm your hands or blacken your skin like dangerous UV lights from suntan booths can. These little lights last up to 50,000 hours. Years will fly by before you need to replace any lights. Light is distributed evenly with no dead zones or corners.
I love this nail dryer because it allows you to achieve salon-quality manicures and pedicures from the comfort of your own home or office. It lasts a long time, comes with IR sensors, and dries quickly. Great fit for both professionals and home users!
4. Terresa 72 Watt Faster Nail Dryer, UV LED Nail Lamp
The fashionable trendsetter doesn’t have time to waste when beauty is on the line! With the Terresa nail lamp, your gelled nails dry in only 10 seconds! That gives you plenty of time to touch up your gorgeous makeup, throw on that extra accessory, and get out the door!
Evenly dry your hands or feet at the same time without having to angle in your thumb because the lamp is too small. This lamp works with all gels from UV therapy gel, LED nail polish gel, and many more. No gel is too tough for this little lamp! Ideal for both professional and home use.
The timer design and LCD display let you know exactly how long you’ll have to wait in order for your nails to be done. How neat is that?!
5. SUNUV SUN3 48W UV LED Nail Lamp for Gel Nails
SunUV packs quality and efficiency in this medium-power lamp for gel nails. Why work harder when you can work smarter? This lamp features plenty of smart options, including both building and hard gel curing, double speed curing, memory function, smart sensor, digital time display, and over-temperature protection.
The nicely-spaced 48W LED lights offer plenty of coverage so your entire hand can cure in one sitting. Choose between drying times of 10s, 30s, 60s, and 99s, depending on your nail gel manufacturer’s specifications.
It cures almost any type of UV and LED gel. So whether you have a home or salon, this nail lamp is perfect for just about any use! You’ll get professional-grade results at a fraction of the professional cost.
6. MiroPure 48W UV LED Nail Curing Lamp
The MiroPure nail curing lamp is a real champion of nail lamps. The double light source technology covers a wide UV range and works for all kinds of nail gels including rhinestone gems, nail builder gel, CND shellac, LED nail gel, and more. It’s easily one of the most versatile nail lamps on the market today.
The nail lamp automatically turns on once your hands enter the lamp. The default setting is 99s in low heat mode if you do not choose a specific setting. It gradually increases in temperature during this mode. Ultimately, it stops at 120s of continuous use.
A heat dissipation hole prevents the machine from overheating. This keeps you and the nail lamp safe! Overall, MiroPure’s lamp works and works very well.
7. Nail Dryer UV Lamp Led Light for Gels Polishes By SUNUV
SunUV creates another high-quality UV and LED nail lamp! This particular model boasts dual wattage at 24W and 48W. Tailor your salon-like experience by switching between the two power modes along with three timers. Customize your experience to your heart’s content!
Cut your drying time in half with this lamp! The 30 LED beads effectively and quickly dry almost any gel polish and builder gels. All you need to do is stick your hand in, and the dryer starts!
The SunUV lamp is of salon-quality and can be used in both personal and professional settings!
Buyer’s Guide – Best Nail Lamp
This was a really hard decision, but our favorite lamp is the Professional Nail Dryer 72W – SUN 5 Pro Best UV LED Nail Lamp. It not only works really well on almost all types of gels, but it also dries quickly.
The salon-grade nail dryer will last for years. What really sets this one apart is that the nail lamp also works on two hands or two feet. This cuts the drying time in half, which makes it great for personal and professional use.
The Differences Between a UV Lamp and an LED Lamp
It’s important to know that a UV lamp and an LED lamp differ. Although both UV and LED lamps emit UV rays to cure gel nails, where they come from depends on the lamp.
In general, an LED lamp offers not only a quicker drying experience than UV lamps; they also tend to be safer. The less time you’re exposed to UV rays, the better. LED lamps dry nails usually take less than a minute to dry nails. UV lamps take approximately 8-10 minutes.
Additionally, LED bulbs typically last longer than UV ones. An LED bulb will last about 50,000 hours whereas a UV bulb lasts maybe 20% of that, or about 100 hours.
After that point, you’ll need to change the bulb, or you’ll risk diminishing performance from your lamp.
You’ll find that UV lights are cheaper to replace than LED lights. You will find, however, that LED lamps are more economical and faster than a UV light.
Can You Cure UV Gel With LED Lamp?
Unfortunately, LED lamps cannot cure all gels. UV lamps, on the other hand, work with almost all gel brands. If you try to use a UV lamp for curing LED gel, you might need to decrease the drying time.
It’s best to check with the manufacturer for drying times and recommendations.
Fortunately, however, most brands are starting to include lamps that utilize double light source bulbs.
That means they incorporate the best of both LED and UV lights. If possible, try to find a lamp that uses them!
What Wattage Nail Lamp Is Best?
Generally speaking, there exists no “ideal” wattage for LED nail lamps. Most LED lamps start at about 32W. The wattage, however, directly correlates to the curing duration.
A lower wattage lamp consumes less electricity, but the time increases for drying nails. A higher wattage LED lamp will decrease the time it takes to dry your nails.
I recommend checking your specific gel brand’s guidelines. Each brand is manufactured differently. Following their recommendations will yield the best results.
What to Look for in a Nail Lamp?
Here are some important things you should consider when buying a curing nail lamp.
The type of nail gel polish you’re using
Gel polishes are formulated to react to curing light from either an LED or a UV source. Manufacturers add photo-initiators to gel polishes so they’ll dry beneath a nail lamp. Don’t worry about the technical nature of photo-initiators.
All you need to know is that they are part of a gel polish, and they react to light.
It’s important that you know which type of gel polish you have (LED or UV). This will influence which lamp you purchase. Some nail lamps, called smart lamps, work with both LED and UV lights.
The lamp’s light source
Above we have listed the pros and cons of UV and LED light sources. The light source is one of the most important things to consider when you’re looking at nail lamps. Your gel polish will not cure if you choose the wrong light source that’s not suitable for your gel.
Check the manufacturer’s recommendations if you have any questions.
The curing time
No lady wants her nails to take forever to dry, right? You have better things to do! Consider the length of time it takes for a nail lamp to cure your nails.
As mentioned above, a UV lamp takes more time to dry nails. This is because a UV operates within a broader spectrum of light, meaning that it will take some time to completely dry your nails. It can take upwards of five minutes for your nails to dry.
LED lights, on the other hand, work on a more narrow light spectrum. This decreases the time it takes to dry, often within a few seconds.
In general, some brands will dry faster than others. Also consider choosing a lamp that offers timer presets like 15s, 30s, 45s, 60s, and 99s.
Professional or home use
For the most part, all nail lamps work quite well. But some certainly work better than others. Consider if you’ll use your lamp at home or at a salon. Salon-quality lamps will often yield better and faster results than ones meant specifically for home use.
They will most likely be faster, made of sturdier materials, and last longer.
These types of lamps might cost a little bit more, but you’ll most likely not have to replace them for a long time.
Wattage
The wattage of a nail lamp directly correlates to the length of time it takes to cure your nails. A higher wattage lamp, such as one that is 72W, will decrease your drying time. A lesser wattage lamp, such as one that is 12W, will take much longer – it might be more economical, but you’ll spend more time.
In general, you’ll see a great lamp with wattages around 32W or 36W.
Lifespan of the bulbs
LED bulbs tend to last much longer than UV bulbs. As a general rule of thumb, an LED bulb will give you approximately 50,000 hours of life, enough for several years. UV bulbs might last about 100 hours.
Consider how many manicures you plan to give yourself and others. This will help determine which you should buy.
Size of the lamp
Most of the lamps in this list are quite small. You should be able to carry them wherever you need to!
If you’re thinking of buying a few lamps for your professional use, however, you might want to consider getting a larger lamp since they’re more likely to be durable and last longer.
Conclusion
There’s nothing quite like replicating a salon experience from the comfort of your own home. I love finding my favorite gel brand and being able to use a nail lamp to dry my nails without having to go to a professional.
My nails turn out beautifully, and I’m still able to be in my pajamas at the same time!
In this article, we shared some of our favorite best UV LED nail lamps. Some use UV lights, some use LED lights, and some use both!
No matter what, it’s important to do your research to find the ideal lamp for you! I hope you’ll find an amazing lamp so you can have stunning nails too!
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