What's the best UV nail lamp available for you

What’s the best UV nail lamp available for you

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that I might receive a small commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.

Whether you are starting to do gel nails as a profession or at home, you will need to invest in a nail lamp. UV/LED curable gel will not dry unless a UV LED nail lamp is used. There are so many different brands, sizes, and designs of nail lamps that it can sometimes be hard to make a decision. One thing that you should always keep in mind when buying a nail lamp, is that not all LED lamps are compatible with every brand of gel polish.

It is very important to buy a lamp that either comes with the kit of gel you use or that the company that manufactures gel specifies will be compatible with their brand of gel. Even if gel feels dry, if the nail lamp is not made to cure that specific brand of gel, there might be small parts underneath the surface that didn’t cure properly. If you are unsure if the lamp will work with your gel contact the manufacturer directly.

Wearing uncured gel will increase your chances of contracting an allergic reaction.

Please note: Prices and ratings might have changed since the publication of this post.

Table of Contents

What you should look for in a nail lamp

After making sure that the nail lamp you want to buy will work with the gel polish you have, there are still a couple of things you should look at before investing. Note that quality nail lamps are not cheap and you should not go for the cheaper off-brand lamp when buying one. 

One thing that you should look at is how the light bulbs are spaced within the lamp. do they cover the entire inside of the lamp equally, or are there more bulbs at the top than on the sides of the lamp? These LED bulbs emit light to a concentrated area, so if your nails are placed outside of their range your nails will not cure properly.

If you can find a lamp that works with the gel you’re using that has a reflective bottom that is a plus, as LED light needs to be reflected to work at its best. If you can’t find a lamp with a reflective bottom you can however just cover the bottom with some tinfoil, as this will not only help with light reflection but will also keep the inside of your lamp clean.

Nail lamps under $20

Melodysusie Aurora 1 LED Nail Lamp

4.1/5

4.1 rating with over 19,000 reviews on Amazon

The 6W LED lamp from Melodysusie is very lightweight and compact. It is small and portable so you can easily take it wherever you want to go. It does however have very few LED bulbs and the manufacturer states that it might take a bit longer to cure the gel than larger lamps.

The design is very simplistic and it only has one button that you have to press to switch between two timer settings(60 and 45 seconds respectively). It also does not have an LCD screen.

Price $

Pros
Cons
  • Small and lightweight.
  • Low cost.
  • Might take longer to cure.
  • Have to press the one button for two timer settings and do not have an LCD screen so you can check how much time has been allocated.

Easkep 48W LED Nail Lamp

4.5/5

4.5 rating with over 3,000 reviews on Amazon

The Easkep 48W LED lamp is similar to many of its predecessors. One main difference is that it has a metal bottom that reflects the LED light, and ensures your nails will be cured of all angles. 

It has four timer settings, a motion sensor, and an LCD screen that displays the time.

Price $

Pros
Cons
  • Has a reflective metal bottom.
  • LED bulbs are evenly spaced for optimal curing.
  • There is enough space for more LED bulbs causing possible dead spots(areas that won’t cure your nails).

DIOZO 48W LED Nail Lamp

4.5/5

4.5 rating with over 6,000 reviews on Amazon

This LED lamp has three timer settings as well as 21 LED bulbs inside. It does not have a removable bottom so you can’t add aluminum foil to increase curing capabilities. 

It comes with protective gloves and a nail file.

Price $

Pros
Cons
  • Comes with gloves and a nail file.
  • LED bulbs are placed at the back so you have to position your hand correctly to prevent half-cures.

Nail lamps under $30

Melodysusie EOS 9 LED Nail Lamp

4.7/5

4.7 rating with over 3,900 reviews on Amazon

This UV LED lamp from Melodysusie is great when using their gel polish kits. They have many different colors to choose from. The lamp is nice and big which makes doing your toes easier as there’s enough space for your foot to move comfortably.
 
I love using a lamp with an LCD screen which allows me to determine how much time is left before it’s done curing. The lamp also has a handy built-in sensor that turns on the lamp when you insert your hand and turns it off when you remove your hand. The lamp has low heat and is made for comfortable usage.
 
It has three timer settings and a removable bottom. One downside is that the LED bulbs do not cover the entire top on the inside. This can result in your nails not curing properly if you don’t insert your hand deep enough into the lamp. It also doesn’t have a reflective interior which means you will have to place tinfoil on the bottom of the lamp to make sure light reaches every part of your nails.
Price $$
Pros
Cons
  • Has an LCD screen that helps you monitor curing time.
  • Is quite big so you can easily do pedicures.
  • Has a sensor that automatically switches the lamp on when you insert your hand and switches off when you remove your hand.
  • The LED bulbs do not span to the front of the lamp, which means you’ll have to insert your hand as deep as possible for effective curing.
  • Is not reflective on the inside so you will have to add tinfoil to the bottom of the lamp for optimal curing capability.

Beetles LED Nail Lamp

4.5/5

4.5 rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon

The Beetles LED lamp has 24 LED bulbs. They are placed a bit back so you will have to place your hand strategically to ensure all of your nails cure fully. It does not have a reflective interior. Beetles have a wide variety of colored gel polishes that are compatible with this lamp.

The design is a bit different than any of the other lamps mentioned as It has a hole or your phone, so you can catch up on your favorite show while doing your nails. The lamp has a movement sensor as well as three timer settings.

Price $$

Pros
Cons
  • Has a sensor that automatically switches the lamp on when you insert your hand and switches off when you remove your hand.
  • Has a phone holder.
  • Is not reflective on the inside so you will have to add tinfoil to the bottom of the lamp for optimal curing capability.
  • You will have to place your hand deep within the lamp for an optimal cure.

Easkep 86W LED Nail Lamp

4.6/5

4.6 rating with over 6,000 reviews on Amazon

The Easkep 86W LED nail lamp has 39 evenly spaced LED bulbs. It has four timer settings. The bulbs are spaced in such a manner to ensure your nails will cure properly at all angles. One downside is that the detachable bottom is not reflective.

The design looks cool with a geometrical texture. It also comes in multiple colors.

Price $$

Pros
Cons
  • LED bulbs are spaced very evenly for effective curing.
  • Has a cool textured design.
  • Does not have a reflective interior.

Jewhiteny 72W LED nail lamp

4.5/5

4.5 rating with over 8,000 reviews on Amazon

This lamp is large enough to fit two hands at a time. It has four timer settings and a motion sensor. There is a memory feature which “saves” the time once you’ve removed your hand, and it then continues at the saved time when you put your hand back in.

It has internal temperature sensing so if the temperature reaches higher levels it will automatically switch to lower power operation until the temperature has lowered. This lamp comes with two nail files and 10 nail soaking clips, which will come in handy when you have o remove your manicure.

Price $$

Pros
Cons
  • Has a memory feature to the time will stop once you remove your hand, and continue at the stopped time once you put it back in.
  • Evenly spaced LED bulbs for an even cure.
  • Comes with nail files and soak-off clips.
  • Does not have a reflective interior.
  • Some people state that the lamp gets warm quite fast.

SUN x5 LED nail lamp

4.5/5

4.5 rating with over 7,300 reviews on Amazon

This lamp has an LCD screen, 3-timer settings as well as a low-heat setting. It is a 150W lamp and has 45 LED light bulbs that are evenly scattered around the inside of the lamp. 

The lamp also has bulbs at the front of the interior so your nails will cure properly without having to insert your hand as deep as possible into the lamp. Just like with the previously mentioned lamp, it has a motion sensor that switches the lamp on and off.
 
It does however not have a reflective interior.
Price $$
Pros
Cons
  • The LED bulbs are evenly spaced so you don’t have to place your hand at the back of the lamp to get a proper cure.
  • Has a sensor that automatically switches the lamp on when you insert your hand and switches off when you remove your hand.
  • Is not reflective on the inside so you will have to add tinfoil to the bottom of the lamp for optimal curing capability.

80W BOLASEN LED Nail Lamp

4.5/5

4.5 rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon

This nail lamp is on the bigger side and comes with a handle so it makes carrying and relocating easy. It has 42 LED light bulbs that are spaced quite evenly through the lamp and is said to have no dead zone (where the light won’t cure the nails). That being said it does not have a reflective bottom.

It has a removable bottom and 4 timer functions. Even though it has a handle to make carrying easy, it should be said that this lamp is not cordless.

Price $$

Pros
Cons
  • The LED bulbs are evenly spaced so you don’t have to place your hand at the back of the lamp to get a proper cure.
  • Has a sensor that automatically switches the lamp on when you insert your hand and switches off when you remove your hand.
  • Has a handle so easily portable.
  • Has a 4 timer setting.
  • Is not reflective on the inside so you will have to add tinfoil to the bottom of the lamp for optimal curing capability.

MelodySusie LED Nail Lamp 48W

4.6/5

4.6 rating with over 2,000 reviews on Amazon

The Melodysusie 48W EOS 3 nail lamp is beautifully designed with a matte black finish and a modern button design with touch controls. It is lightweight and has 24 LED light bulbs placed to the front of the lamp.

It has a motion sensor and LCD screen to display the time.

I did notice that the lamp does not have LED bulbs at the back of the lamp. It also does not have a removable bottom.

Price $$

Pros
Cons
  • Have effectively placed LED bulbs.
  • Sleek modern-looking design.
  • Does not have a removable bottom.
  • Does not have LED bubs at the back of the interior.

Nail lamps over $40 but under $100

Manucurist Green Pro lamp

4.7/5

4.7 rating On Manucurist

Manucurist strives to create green, vegan and cruelty-free products. The green flash pro lamp is a definite favorite on their website. I love this lamp as it’s a sleek matte and very cute and compact.

You can use this lamp with the green flash gels supplied on the Manucurist website.

Price $$$

Pros
Cons
  • Cute and compact design.
  • You can buy this lamp with the green flash pro kit.
  • You will be supporting an ethical, innovative company.
  • As far as I know, it is mainly compatible with Green flash gels.
  • A bit pricey

MelodySusie 48W LED Nail Lamp

4.4/5

4.4 rating with over 800 reviews on Amazon

The Melodysusie 48W LED nail lamp has 24 LED bulbs. One thing that I’ve noticed is that the bulbs on the top of the interior are spaced a bit back, so take note to put your hand in as deep as possible to prevent the gel from not curing properly.

It has four timer settings positioned at the back of the lamp along with a display screen. The lamp is on the bigger side. It has a metal reflective bottom but the rest of the interior is black.

Price $$$

Pros
Cons
  • Has a removable metal bottom which helps reflect the light when curing your nails.
  • Unique button and screen placement.
  • The LED bulbs could be placed better to prevent your nails from not curing fully.
  • The price is on the higher side.

Nail lamps over $100

Gelish Harmony 36W LED lamp

4.7/5

4.7 rating with over 600 reviews on Amazon

The Gelish Harmony lamp is compatible with gelish polishes. This lamp is great as it is made out of metal, so it is sturdier than most LED lamps but it is completely reflective on the inside. This will make sure your nails cure evenly even though it only has 18 LED bulbs.

Like others, it has an LCD screen as well as three timer settings,5, 20, and 30 seconds respectively. It would be nice if the timer has a higher setting option though.

Price $$$$

Pros
Cons
  • Has a complete metal and reflective interior.
  • Only has 18 LED bulbs.
  • Only has lower timer settings.
  • The price is quite high.
If you found this post helpful or enjoyable please share it with your friends and family.

Get free printables sets when you sign up for my newsletter.

Thank You

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.