Fashion
Client with red varnish at manicure salon cairfully waiting when her nails become dry  in UV light. ...

Give Yourself A Pro-Quality Gel Mani With These Affordable LED Lamps From Amazon

by Andrea Pyros
Shutterstock

With the right equipment, it's easy to give yourself a pro-level gel manicure at home. So, grab your favorite bottle of gel polish and order yourself one of the best LED nail lamps from Amazon. You'll find four great options just ahead, all of which combine UV waves with LED bulbs to cure gel nails quickly; choose the one that offers extra features that most appeal to you. For example, some have multiple heat settings and an automatic sensor that turns on and off when you slip your hand or foot in. Or, you might prefer a pint-sized curing lamp that's lightweight enough to travel with. Need some entertainment while waiting for your nails to dry? Order the nail lamp that holds your cell phone so you don’t have to juggle it with wet fingernails.

A few tips to get the best gel manicure results? Apply some sunscreen (with an SPF of 30 or higher) to your hands before starting your curing session, which will help keep your skin protected from UV rays. If your nails get brittle or start to peel, take occasional breaks from gel manicures and either leave your nails bare or chose a non-gel polish instead. Though it can often be tempting, do not peel your gel polish off when you’re ready to remove it; that can weaken your nail beds. Instead, soak cotton balls in acetone, place them on your nails, wrap them in tinfoil, and wait about 15 minutes. The polish should come off easily after that.

For the best nail lamps you can buy on Amazon, scroll on.

We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.

01The Best One-Handed Nail Lamp

The 48-watt SUNUV UV/LED nail lamp is one of the most popular LED nail lamps on Amazon, with over 11,000 five-star ratings and an overall score of 4.7 stars. It boasts four preset timer settings and an automatic sensor that detects when you've put your hand in. The top of the lamp is padded, so you have a place to comfortably rest your hands when applying polish, and there’s an easy-to-clean, removable bottom as well. It works on any type of gel polish, and offers enough room so that there’s zero risk of smudging your still-wet fingers or toes.

That said, it's really only big enough to fit one hand (or foot) at a time. If you're looking for a lamp that can cure two hands at once, keep reading.

02The Best Two-Handed Nail Lamp

If you've got the space for it, a two-handed (or two-footed) nail lamp will cut down on the time spent drying your mani or pedi. Like the SUNUV nail lamp featured above, this also works on all types of gel polish, features four preset timer settings, and has an automatic sensor, but it has 72 watts of power instead. Over 5,000 Amazon shoppers awarded this pro-level lamp a five-star rating or review.

03The Best Travel-Sized Nail Lamp

On the other end of the size spectrum, this 0.15-pound, 6-watt nail lamp is so small and lightweight, you can take it anywhere (it's about the size of a smartphone). It has just one button: Press it once for 60 seconds of drying time, or twice for 45 — that's it. It's the perfect low-investment option for beginners or frequent travelers.

04The Best Nail Lamp With A Phone Stand

Another option for your consideration: this 36-watt UV/LED lamp from Beetles, which has three timer settings, a smart sensor, a base to catch any drips, and best of all, a convenient stand for your phone, so you can stream videos to pass time as you dry your nails. This is a relatively small lamp, but it's big enough to fit a hand comfortably. Choose from two colors: white or pink.