15 Best CURE LIGHTS For Gel Polish

Here are the best nail cure lamps and lights for gel polish.

There are many nail lamps that are available on the market to cure regular gel polishes, thicker builder gels for nails and to glue rhinestones onto your nails and tips.

Nail lamps are a must have nail art tool for DIY manicures using products that need to be set under a lamp.

For those who want to try their hand at gel or polygel nails, thankfully there are lamps out there that are good at curing gel in under 60 seconds. You will also be happy to know that lights for curing gel nails at home are totally budget friendly too.

The nail curing lamps that we will be sharing in this article will have the right amount of cure power required to set your gel nails and your topcoats evenly during the curing process.

There are certain things to look for when you are deciding on a gel curing lamp. The best UV LED cure lamps will give you between 5000 – 10,000 hours of use. Some lamps will last for over 50,000 hours of use.

For a person who is giving themselves a DIY gel manicure every 6 weeks or so you should expect your nail lamp bulbs to last for at least 4 months.

Let’s go through this list of the best UV lamps together to help you decide what one is best for you.

We will discuss the best regular cure light for nails. Also, mini flash curing lights for when you need a quick cure. You will have a professional nail art manicure in no time with these helpful tips.

Best Cure Lights For Gel Polish

1. EOS 5 Rechargeable lamp

Our top choice. This nail lamp has a built-in 4000mAH battery, making it perfect for professional use. After a full 4-hour charge, you can use the nail lamp for 90 minutes.

The UV LED gel nail lamp has a large LCD display screen with a touch-screen panel. It shows the countdown and power status, making it simple to use.

2. Aurora 4 (S-Pro27T) LED/UV Nail Lamp

27 Durable LED UV Bulbs: This nail lamp features 27 long-lasting LED UV bulbs with a lengthy lifespan. You won’t need to worry about replacing the lamp beads. It provides high luminance and light efficiency while consuming low electric power, making it energy-saving and environmentally friendly.

Powerful and High-Quality: Weighing 3.1 pounds, this high-quality nail lamp operates at 48 watts. It boasts a unique timer button design, making it perfect for salon use. The removable base provides ample space to cure five fingernails or toenails.

3. X2 (X-C320C) 2 in 1 Nail Lamp with Nail Drill

Versatile and Easy to Use: This 2-in-1 nail tool serves as both a UV/LED nail lamp and a nail drill. The powerful 0-30000RPM nail drill is easily detachable. It allows you to use the nail lamp alone or in combination with the drill.

Efficient Heat Dissipation Nail Drill: The nail drill machine operates at 30,000RPM and features ventilation holes for efficient heat dissipation.

It comes with a 30,000RPM nail drill handpiece, two types of ceramic nail drill bits, six interchangeable nail drill bits (3/32″), 50 sanding bands, and a USB cord. The powerful yet quiet motor ensures low heat, low noise, and low vibration during use.

4. SunUV pro gel lamp

The SUNUV drying lamp uses an infrared light source. This will quickly cure gel nails and builder gel in double the time with the double power button.

The smart sensor will automatically come on for 120 seconds.

A standard feature, this nail curing lamp comes with cure times for the UV gel nail polish of 10, 30, 60 and 99 seconds. You can easily cure each layer exactly how cured you need it.

5. Beetles gel nail starter set

We have collaborated with Beetles and absolutely love their high quality and affordable nail art products. Their cat eye gel polishes are fun to play with.

This gel nail polish dryer also has a large drying space. You can cure all fingers, including the thumb at the same time which is a huge time saver.

And it also comes with a large set of gel nail polishes that you can play with. This set makes a fabulous gift for a beginner nail artist.

6. Hands free nail lamp

When you are curing gelly tips and need to do a flash cure, then a hands free curing light is what you will need.

This nail lamp can be adjusted to almost any angle. You can cure your nails in any position which makes it super helpful when you are doing your own nails at home.

Also because it has its own stand, it can be placed anywhere on a manicure table which is helpful when you are filming nail art videos.

You can also use it with builder gels when you are embedding waterslide nail decals.

7. SunUV Quick gel curing lamp

If you use gel polish or builder gel on natural nails, you are going to find that this cure lamp works great and is affordable. It’s one of the top sellers on Amazon with fantastic reviews.

For those using very thick gel for adhering nail crystals and nail art stickers you should find that this lamp fully cures everything really well.

8. Jewiteny wide nail lamp

The wide design will allow you to put your whole hand inside so that you can cure all five nails at once. It will cure almost any gel like regular UV gel glue, sculpture gel and also gel polishes that come in a pot.

As it has a light sensor, it will automatically light up as soon as you place your hand under the sensor, no need to push any buttons.

The LED nail lamp that’s inside has a professionally designed dual light source so this is going to cure your gel nails evenly.

9. Lke budget UV gel light

This is a budget friendly nail lamp with 21pcs led lights. No need to push any buttons, just put your hand in the curing lamp and the LED lights will automatically light for you.

You can however press certain times at 30s 60s 99s.

10. EASKEP 39 LED NAIL LAMP

This nail lamp has high quality 39 LED beads that are distributed optimally inside. This nail lamp can cure gels twice faster than other 48W nail lamps on the market.

A feature that you might like is the spherical design. It helps prevent light leakage and maximizes drying speed so it’s very efficient.

11. Rayocon sunx 5 led cure lamp

A budget friendly nail lamp that will make your nails look like you’ve been to a professional. The 45 lamp beads will give you a full cover to ensure that your gel polishes and builder gels will cure evenly and quickly.

There’s also an auto sensor mode which makes sure you don’t touch any buttons while using the lamp since it detects when hands enter the lamp. 120w Nail Lamp

12. Gelish pro nail lamp

The Comfort Cure builds the LED curing power over a 60-second period. So this is going to help with heat spikes. A heat spike is when you cure your gel and it starts to get really hot fast.

If you are a nail technician with an at home studio, you might like this lamp a lot because this cure light will help with keeping your sensitive clients comfortable. 36w Nail Lamp

13. Gelpal portable gel lamp

Another professional grade UV lamp that will work quickly on gel polishes, gel base coats, top coats and all builder gels. The 80W LED light has an auto infrared sensor.

This is ideal because it will automatically light when hands get put inside with the infra red motion sensor, and then the auto sensor will shut down when the hands are removed.

If you are looking for a perfect gift for someone who is just starting out doing their nails, this is definitely one for the list. It has high power and has a user-friendly design.

This gel cure lamp has 4 timer touch settings: 15s, 30s, 45s, 60s. 80w Nail Lamp

This professional gel nail light has a removable external battery and special charger. When in use, you can fully charge the battery separately in advance. This nail dryer for gels will give you 6-8 hours of use.

14. Makartt professional lamp

This rechargeable wireless lamp dries and cures your nails very quickly. When fully charged it will give you about 3 hours of working time so it’s a good option for nail techs on the go.

The detachable metal base is easy to keep clean and sterilize between clients for for your own personal use.

15. Mini Flash Cure Gel Lights

A mini cure light is a portable, handheld flash curing light that is used to set and cure gel polish. Mini cure lights are often used by nail techs to do spot cures or to flash cure gel nails between coats.

They are also handy for curing gel polish in hard-to-reach places, such as under the free edge or around the cuticle area. Mini cure lights are also great for doing DIY gel nails at home.

If you are doing an at home manicure, it can be tricky to get the gel to flash cure with the larger lamps on your own. So a mini lamp is perfect for this because you can hold the nail tip down while curing.

They allow you to apply gel polish and tips without having to go to a salon. Plus, they’re perfect for touching up your nails between salon visits.

Difference between a UV curing light and LED curing light

The difference is that the LED lamp produces wavelengths that are more narrow and targeted so a lamp that uses LED lights will cure gel more quickly than a UV lamp that only uses UV lights.

Nail lamps today will usually have a combination of LED technology AND UV lights so you will see UV/LED or UV LED on the lamp or listings.

LED will give you a quicker drying time than a UV lamp with only UV lights, which are usually older models.

Pro tips for choosing a light for gel nails

Gel nails are popular for good reason: they’re shiny and long-lasting, and it’s easy to get professional results at home with the right gel nail kit and curing lamp.

If you’re just getting into gel nails or looking to replace your old gel nail lamp, here are five tips that can help you choose the gel nail lamp that is just right for you.

1. Consider the wattage of the cure lamp. 

If you’re just starting out with gel nails, it’s important to consider what wattage your gel nail lamp needs to be so it will sufficiently cure gel nail polish. All of the nail lamps in this list will cure within 60 seconds.

2. Gel nail polish is typically cured using a gel nail lamp that emits ultraviolet light in the range of 360 to 370 nanometers. 

Builder gel might require a stronger lamp depending on the brand.

3. A good gel UV nail lamp needs to sit at least 4 inches above your hands while you cure your nails. 

If your gel nail lamp does not allow for enough clearance, your design could be ruined if you touch the top of the inside of the lamp.

4. Choose a gel UV nail lamp that will cure gel nail polish and nail wraps too if you use those. 

There are gel nail lamps that will cure both gel nails and nail wraps that last up to 21 days or more.

5. The best gel nail lamp should emit a UV light that is between 36 watts and 50 watts, with 40 watts being ideal for curing gel nails at home.

Did you find this cure lamp article helpful? We hope so!

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