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1. A fast-drying nail lamp reviewers and nail techs alike swear is an absolute game changer for doing your nails at home. It's roomy enough to stuff ALL your fingers or toes inside, and comes with a 2x power mode that cures your nails in double the time!
Promising review: "Let me start with, I am a nail technician and a product junkie. I have owned many brands of lamps throughout the past eight years. The SunUV brand has far surpassed all of my expectations and needs even more so than other brands. This little gem here though... is amazing. I have never owned a lamp that so thoroughly cured ALL 10 FINGERS. Thumbs included. The lights are placed in such a way that nothing is missed while in the lamp. I am absolutely 100% beyond happy with it. What a game changer. THANKS SUNUV! Sincerely, an extremely satisfied nail tech!" —bellew24
Get it from Amazon for $51.99.
Psst...check out our list of products for people who are obsessed with their nails.
2. A 12W flashlight mini nail lamp for curing any potential nail mishaps you may have on the go (like impromptu subway manicures). Also helpful for finding your way during a power outage.
Requires a AAA battery.
Promising review: "Use this for flash curing nails, works great one handed. Bought a little nail polish stand for it so I can cure using both hands. Very durable button that won't accidentally turn on while storing." —Amiee morgan
Get it from Amazon for $14.49.
3. A fan dryer for regular nail polish made for kiddos — it's powered by pressing a button inside, encouraging squirmy little ones (or impatient adults) to sit still and preserve the manicure you painstakingly gave them (or yourself).
Requires 2 AA batteries or a 3V plug.
Promising review: "Simple to use — there is a button inside you press down that will start the fan. The best thing about this nail dryer is how long the batteries are lasting! I use it about twice a week for about 30-45 min off and on, for several months on the same battery. Noticeable difference in drying time —much quicker. This is a great, easy, quick, long-lasting nail drying machine." —MG
Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
4. A 150W portable UV nail dryer, which is more powerful than most other nail lamps out there, meaning you can be sure this unit will cure your nails in a snap with no tackiness in sight.
Promising review: "Love that it's so convenient for a busy person. I wish I had more time to go get my nails done, but I enjoy doing my nails at home and find it therapeutic. It's lightweight, strong, and works very well. LOVE that I can do both hands at once. My trick is to paint one hand, put it under the light for 10-15 seconds, then pull it out and do the other so that it doesn't smudge — then you can put both hands in for the full 60-120 seconds. It's a time saver. I 100% recommend. I'm getting a bunch for my sisters and friends for Christmas :)" —Pluto
Get it from Amazon for $25.99+ (available in two colors).
5. An 86W LED nail lamp many reviewers say is the most effective, and fastest curing lamp they've ever used for the value. If you're one to loathe sitting around waiting for your nails to dry (and love some crystalline room decor), this is definitely worth the purchase.
Promising review: "Y'ALL, I LITERALLY HAD THREE nail dryers before buying this one and omg it’s amazing, it’s so much better than the ones I have now! It dries so fast and lets me do my own nails, which is so inexpensive! I definitely recommend this lamp! The other lamps I’ve had before never dried my nails and I literally only put light coats as directed but this one is the winner and for the price it’s a steal so anyone who was struggling like me whose had trouble finding a good lamp, this is definitely it. The lamp is absolutely beautiful and looks so fancy, great material, will definitely be using a lot now!"—Sharon
Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in five colors).
6. A gel manicure kit including a macaron-shaped USB UV lamp (!!!!) that would almost be too cute to use if it wasn't so functional and useful for drying your nails completely.
This set comes with an LED lamp, 1-Step gel polish, a cuticle stick, a nail file, and 10 remover pads.
Promising review: "I absolutely love this gel polish and mini UV light! Polish never stays on my nails without chipping within a day or two and this one stays on beautifully and hasn’t chipped at all. I also haven’t had any issues with it curling or lifting. I’m thrilled with this product line and will now be using it regularly." —ShaktiG
Get it from Nordstrom for $35 (six polish colors available).
7. A USB-powered mini nail lamp that couldn't be simpler to use, even if you paint your nails like a two-year-old and usually can't keep your manicure intact to save your life.
Promising review: "I absolutely love it. This lil lamp has 16W of flash cure power. This lamp made it super easy to flash cure my soft gel tips on. I really like the design of the lamp, the open design makes it very easy to fit your fingers under the lamp. Also, the placement of the power button makes it super easy to turn it on and off. I also really like how I can flash cure my art design when I’m happy with how it looks, so that way I don’t bump it. I definitely recommend this lamp, it is AMAZING and you can’t beat the price!" —Cali~girl
Get it from Amazon for $7.79 (available in five colors).
Looking for more items every clumsy person should own? We've got you covered.
8. An impressive manicure set equipped with all of the supplies you could ever need for an at-home spa day, including an LED UV light, variety of gel colors, tools, embellishments, and more. No more hefty salon receipts for you!
The full set includes an LED UV light, seven gel polishes, a base coat, nail primer, oil, top coat, cuticle pusher and trimmer, nail clipper, nail file, separators, a buffer, brush, and decor.
Promising review: "I purchased this item because I was losing patience with regular polish drying time. This was AWESOME! People thought I had my nails professionally done. Mind you I have been doing my own nails for years, but this was the icing! First time out I only used one coat of the color polish and it lasted a week and a half. Tip: make sure the layers are thin and even for better curing." –Bama Diva
Get it from Amazon for $29.88+ (available in 12 varieties).
9. A Kiss Professional Power File & Nail Dryer, the 16-piece mani/pedi set that'll have you buffing, filing, smoothing, shaping, and drying your nails from the comfort of your own home.
Promising review: "While I haven't needed all of the included tools yet, what I've used has been great for doing my nails at home. The grit discs work better than traditional files for shaping nail edges, and the cuticle tools work great with remover oil to keep my nail beds hangnail-free. The polish dryer is my favorite part – really valuable having it built into the kit, rather than having to buy separate sets. Would make a great gift!" –Kat
Get it from Ulta for $39.99.
10. A 6W compact nail lamp ideal for semi-cured gel strips or those with sensitive skin who don't like the sensation (or the concept!) of super strong ultraviolet light on their hands.
11. A full-coverage UV LED lamp with magnetic fasteners, so you can easily go in and clean up the remnants of your many, many at-home spa days. Plus, this is another lamp that nail tech reviewers have chimed in to say is of tip-top salon quality!
Promising review: "5++++ stars for the product!! I received this dryer a few days ago for my home use. But it’s so easy to use and its drying so good that I needed to take it to the salon I’m working for and order three more for the salon. I’m a nail technician, so I've tried a lot of lamps. Trust me, that is the best lamp I’ve ever had! Much more better than OPI ones for $200!!! Very light, quick drying time, modern look, and easy to clean up the polish from it after use (super important for professionals). I love the different settings. Super comfortable for doing pedicure, 30 seconds for drying all gel polishes. I did hard gel extensions with this lamp too, it took me only 60 seconds to dry it up (usually it takes two minutes!) I highly recommend this dryer. Thank you so much for the great product!" —Viktoriia Kryshtal
Get it from Amazon for $47.95+ (available in three colors).
12. A UV LED nail lamp, because sometimes you just want to get a manicure at home in your pajamas and watch your fave Netflix show without having to make small talk. And you absolutely deserve it!!
Promising review: "I recently purchased one of these because my spouse had decided to start learning how to make her own nails out of acrylic gel, and using gel paint. The light she bought herself was low power and didn't work very well so I heard her complaining about it a few times. Since she's had this light she has loved doing her nails and nail art and has been doing her nails at least twice as much. When I asked her how many stars she gives the light she said 'TEN!' but when I informed her it was a five star system she just shouted 'TEN!' again. She commented that she usually cures her nails on the 60 second setting and it works great. Also, she has no issues getting her entire hand inside the light and loves that she is not required to move it around to cure all of her nails properly. She has commented on the short length of the power cord, although it hasn't been an issue." —The Lovable Ol' James
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
13. A USB-powered UV nail dryer that will solve all the nail woes you had with all your previous lamps — tackiness, slow drying — and give you the manicure you always wished you could get at home.
Promising review: "My five-year-old lamp broke and this one is a third of the size so I didn't expect greatness. I was wrong. SO EASY TO USE and SO QUICK TO CURE! 30 seconds per layer and NO TACKINESS! Has timer options and motion activated start. HIGHLY recommend, especially for the price." —SingingMomster
Get it from Walmart for $11.99+ (available in five colors).
14. A ~handy~ nail fan here to help your manis dry faster and reduce the risk of smudging or nicking your fresh polish (which somehow always happens). The ol' blowing-on-your-nails routine was never effective enough, anyway.
15. A powerful 120W portable nail lamp that'll give you a manicure that won't be peeling in two days, prompting you to agonizingly pick off your nail polish and regret every decision you've ever made.
Promising review: "I really like the look of a gel manicure, but the cost can really start to add up if you go regularly. So, in wanting to save some money, I thought I’d take a shot at teaching myself. I did a lot of research before choosing a lamp and I finally decided on this one because it had the highest reviews for the lowest cost. I figured that even if it didn’t work, I wouldn’t be out that much. Luckily, this lamp works perfectly! It is super easy to use and cures quickly— even when my coats end up a little thicker than I intended." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $29.99+ (available in three colors).
16. A 56W rechargeable cordless LED nail dryer able to run for 2.5 hours without needing another charge, which is plenty of time for you to unwind, perform some self-care, and examine the fruits of your labor with satisfaction.
Promising review: "This is a very lovely nail lamp! This nail lamp is affordable; I love its futuristic diamond shape design. It has an automatic sensor so you don’t have to touch the buttons if you don’t want to while doing a manicure. This lamp has four different settings for curing. This lamp is UV and LED gel polish friendly. It has a removable plated bottom if you want to do gel polish pedicures. It’s acetone resistant; this is such a great buy." —Journee
Get it from Amazon for $56.99.
17. A 400W nail fan with hot and cool air settings that'll dry a mani or a pedi in mere minutes. The automatic sensors, lack of UV light, and spacious design for two hands or feet at a time are just bonuses!
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Promising review: "Bought this on a recommendation of a friend and I am glad I did. While expensive, it is worth every penny. Part of my self-care routine is weekly at-home mani/pedis. This dryer makes it more convenient. It is large, but extremely lightweight though not cheap feeling. It plugs into the wall, so no batteries needed. It blows warm or cool air with a button in the side. I use the warm and dry my nails in about 10 minutes. My young daughter uses cool and dries her nails in about 15 minutes. Because of the large size, you can fit both hands or both feet in the dryer at the same time. So convenient. Highly recommend this item." –LaRae
Get it from Amazon for $94.99.
18. A splurge-worthy LED nail lamp with fancy features like a rechargeable lithium battery so you can use it completely unplugged, an on-screen battery monitor, a portable handle, and an eye shield — which is more pampering than you'd get if you went to the salon!
Promising review: "I love my lamp, it works great and my girls feel pampered. It’s so pretty and convenient. The screen tells you the battery level it’s on and the light changes color from green to yellow to red due to battery. It also has a shield to block the LED lights from your eyes. Its works great with curing. Do not regret the purchase. And it has a handle." —Susu
Get it from Beyond Polish for $339.15 (originally $399.99).
You, when you do your first salon-quality manicure at home:
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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