9 Best Nail Lamps For Achieving A Salon-Worthy Manicure (2024)

Looking to upgrade your DIY beauty skills? Then a nail lamp is where it’s at. Because if lockdown taught us anything, it’s that having a salon-worthy manicure needn’t involve leaving the house. Powered by professional-grade UV rays and LED lights, these lamps work by drying or curing each nail evenly and quickly, which means you don’t have to spend an age blowing on them or waving them about frantically to ‘air dry’.

So what is the best nail lamp to buy?

Not only are nail lamps more convenient, but the best ones come with built-in functionalities such as timer settings, and clever space design so that your hand sits comfortably under the lamp - meaning they're super easy to ensure you're using them correctly at home. Some are even so tiny; you can slot them in your handbag or suitcase. Before we reveal the best ones that are worthy of your cash it’s worth noting that using a lamp often involves exposing your skin to UV rays. So, keep your SPF handy and apply a thin layer to your hands or feet before curing. SPF 30 is a good shout and will help to prevent damage.

Which is better, a UV or LED nail lamp?

LED lamps tend to offer faster drying than UV ones, meaning that they're safer purely as you're exposing your skin to the light for less time, but both are equally popular and deliver a fresh mani in the comfort of your own home.

What nail lamps do salons use?

Every nail salon is different, so depending individual salon – it ranges. But there are professional options for both the type of nail lamp and the type of LED gel polish used below.

For a salon-worthy manicure that you can achieve at home, here are the best nail lamps that create a fool-proof and safe experience.

Hailed as a true feat of green-engineering, it's the world’s first LED-cured gel routine with natural ingredients. Available in 30 shades, gel aficionados can expect that all-important high shine and super durable finish minus the thick plastic-effect. Best of all you don't need to use a UV lamp in order to cure Green Flash. Instead, with this version, you cure your polish using an LED lamp, which is way healthier for your skin, plus you don't that weird achy feeling having left your hands under the UV light for what feels like an age.

This slick-looking lamp is loved by pros because it gets to work in as little as 15 seconds. The dome design allows for even positioning of LED bulbs and there are 3 timer pre-sets for 15, 30 and 60-second curing cycles.

In this snazzy buy, 15 LEDs ensure that your nails are cured quickly and evenly. Plus, the lamp contains a smart sensor so you know exactly where to place your hand.

Perfect for those who are hoping to be back on the go this summer, this mini UV lamp means gel manicures are possible on holidays or weekend breaks (remember those?)

The great thing about this lamp is that it helps to cure both hard gels and soak-off gels. Plus, it has a clever slide-out tray, which is perfect for doing pedicures.

Not only does this have 4 timer settings, but the shape means you have enough space to dry all your nails or toenails (including thumbs) evenly at one time. So you don't have to faff about with side drying.

This lamp will work on all your fave gel polishes including CND Shellac, Bluesky, and Gelish. It works in as little as 180 seconds and comes with 4x 9W UV bulbs. It’s also manicure And pedicure friendly.

It might be one of the more spenny lamps on the market, but this The Gel Bottle Inc X SunUV collab cures applications in just 60 seconds. With 39 carefully positioned LEDs, it ensures you get a smooth, ultra-shiny finish… just like you would at the salon.

Ok, so this one is on the pricey side – but that's because it's a seriously high tech and energy-efficient LED Lamp, featuring an automatic sensor and cool down light temperature.