Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a salon, certain standards always apply. Take the nail lamp, for example. It has to be powerful enough to cure gel polish no matter where it’s used. Under-cured polish bubbles and peels or looks cloudy and dull. Over-cured polish is prone to cracking. So, what is the best wattage for a UV nail lamp?
What Wattage Will You Need?
The recommended power for professional UV nail lamps is 36 watts. (Each UV bulb inside it is 9 W or less).
However, LED nail lamps don’t have to adhere to this standard. What matters more are the wavelengths they emit.
If you aren’t sure what wattage of nail lamp to purchase, check with the manufacturer of the polish you use. The brand designates whether you can use LED UV light or if you need regular UV to cure the product. They should also say what wavelengths are best for curing the polish if you use LED light.
Since it’s becoming harder and harder to find UV nail lamps, we’d like to focus here on the best LED nail lamps.
The Benefits of LED Nail Lamps
If you compare prices, you might find that the initial purchasing price of a UV lamp is lower than what you’d pay for an LED lamp. Nevertheless, you’ll be paying more over the long term for a UV lamp because the bulbs must be replaced every few months and they aren’t cheap. They also use more electricity than LEDs.
- LEDs are energy-efficient and last up to 50 times longer than UV bulbs.
- LED nail lamps also cure polish in 30 to 60 seconds while UV nail lamps take up to 3 minutes.
Let us illustrate the benefits using one of the best LED lamps for gel nails:
Lavis UV/LED Nail Lamp
Here is a salon-quality nail lamp for a professional finish every time. It can cure most if not all types of gel polish in seconds. What’s more, it’s portable and rechargeable.
The mirror finish interior features 42 LEDs that emit at two wavelengths: 365nm + 405nm. This is important because the wavelengths determine whether the polish will dry properly. The polish is formulated to interact chemically with the right color of light. It happens that these wavelengths are the most common ones required by gel polish manufacturers.
Moreover, each LED is just over 2 watts. The fact that they are low power individually guards against overheating and burning the skin. But when they all work together along with the reflective interior, they provide full coverage to dry the nails completely.
Also important, there are four timer settings and a motion sensor to activate the light. The sensor lets you work without having to touch buttons and possibly smudge the polish before it’s dry.
The settings include 10, 30, 60, and 90 seconds for all types of gel polish, builder gel, and so on. Remember, each gel polish you purchase will have instructions about how long to cure it.
Pro tip: It’s smart to apply polish in thin layers. It prevents improper curing and it’s easy to add more.
You’ll remember that we mentioned 36 watts at the beginning of the article. So, is a 96W nail lamp safe? Like any other manicure tool, it is if you follow the instructions!
You might also enjoy the following LED nail lamp. It isn’t as powerful, but it has some nice features.
Harmony Gelish Nail Lamps 18 Light Unplugged
Designed for home use and nail techs on the go, this portable light offers 36 watts of power. It can cure 5 fingers or toes at a time.
It has an interesting feature called Intelligent Power Assist that prevents inconsistent power levels when it’s running off the battery. Plus, the display makes sure you know how much charge is left.
The brand also points out highlights like the eye shield and the Comfort Cure setting for sensitive skin.
Lastly, the casing is resistant to scratching and acetone and the built-in handle makes it simple to tote around.
If you’re still not sure which nail lamp will work best for you, consider the next one, too.
Kiara Sky Beyond Pro Rechargeable LED Lamp Version II - Blue
Is a 48-watt lamp good? That’s the maximum power of this portable nail lamp. What’s nice is that it has an interchangeable battery with an extended lifetime. The company sells replacement batteries separately, although you probably won’t need one for a few years.
The interior is highly reflective with no dead zones so that all the polish on your fingers and toes cures correctly. All you need to do is set the timer for anywhere from 15 to 90 seconds and let the motion sensor trigger the light when you’re ready. FYI, the 90-second setting is low heat for comfort.
What about a Mini LED Nail Lamp?
It’s tempting to try to save money with a compact focus nail lamp but these are usually made for gluing false nail extensions like soft gels. Depending on the lamp, you may be able to cure polish as well but it’s time-consuming to do only one finger at a time.
How to Care for a Nail Lamp
Don’t use acetone to clean the nail lamp unless the manual says you can. Instead, you can keep things neat and clean with car wax.
Before you use the nail lamp, apply car wax to the reflective metal surfaces only, not the bulbs. It’s a fiddly job but worth it. The wax will make it easy to wipe clean and preserve the mirror finish.
Conclusion
We hope we helped you find the answers you needed today about the best wattage for a nail lamp. Feel free to browse our selection of nail lamps to find the right fit for your needs. It’s so much fun to work on nails when you have the correct tools!