Top 5 Best Nail Dryers 2023:
- Sun Gel UV LED Nail Lamp, LKE Nail Dryer 40W
- SUNUV 48W UV LED Light Lamp Nail Dryer for Gel Polish
- LIANGYIXIAN LED UV SUN Mini 6W Nail Dryer Curing Lamp
- Fuzadel Portable UV Nail Curing Lamp
- Makartt Air Nail Fan Blow Dryer
If you’ve ever had your nails done, then you know the struggle of drying them. It can take a long time and patience to dry your nail art perfectly without smudging it, right?
We bet you’ve already tried drying them in every single way! Dipping them in cold water, spending a lot of money on quick-dry topcoats, you’ve probably even tried drying them with a hairdryer. But none of these seem to work so well for your nails. It can be a stressful process, especially when you put hours in decorating and designing them.
Whether you’re using regular polish or gel nail polish, a nail dryer will save you a lot of time and effort.
It will also save you a lot of money since going to salons every weekend can be very expensive. To help you get your nails on point, we’ve created a review roundup of best nail dryers out there!
Detailed Reviews: 5 Best Nail Dryers In 2023
1. Sun Gel UV LED Nail Lamp, LKE Nail Dryer 40W – Best Overall
Without any doubt, one of the best UV and LED nail lamps is Sun Gel UV and LED Nail Lamp. We assure you, you will not be disappointed with this handy nail lamp!
This nail lamp has a smart sensor and when you put your hand in it, LED lights will automatically turn on without having to press any button! Handy, right? Also, it has a power of 40w and 21 led lights inside, 110-240 voltage. It even has 3 timers. It doesn’t have off and on button, but pressing any of the timer buttons again will turn it off.
The appearance of this nail lamp is simple and elegant. This lamp is 5,24 inches wide, 8,54 inches long and 2,95 inches high, which makes it medium in size. Weighs less than a pound! It’s also easy to carry, which allows you to enjoy manicure or pedicure at any place, any time! This lamp can dry most of the UV nail gel polishes, UV top coats and builder gels, and even led nail gel! Unfortunately, it can’t cure regular nail polish or some of the gel nail polishes that don’t contain UV.
This lamp’s shape is specially curved to protect your eyes and skin from harmful UV lights.
Pros
- User-friendly design
- High-quality UV LED lights service life longer
- Automatic sensor function
- Prevents irritation of the skin
- Cures most of gel nail polishes
Cons:
- Longer curing time for some gel polishes
- It doesn’t cure gels without UV
- Due to its sensitive automatic sensor the lamp can unexpectedly go off
2. SUNUV 48W UV LED Light Lamp Nail Dryer for Gel Polish – Our Premium Pick
If you are not on a limited budget, we warmly recommend you to invest your money in a high-end nail dryer like this SUNUW dryer.
Cleverly enclosed, it prevents UV light from getting into your eyes. It weighs around 2 pounds, which makes it lightweight. Also, it is 8 inches in length and width, and only 3 inches high, thus suitable for curing the whole hand. Furthermore, it emits a white LED light, which is gentler than traditional purple light, so your eyes and skin will be protected.
Automatic sensor turns the dryer on and off, without having to press any buttons. Another special thing about this lamp is that it has a 99-second Low-Heat mode for comfortable curing, and Double power mode for faster curing.
Double power mode increases the power of the lamp and you can choose any timer. To start the double power mode, just press the Low-Heat mode button and hold it for a few seconds. The heat on the double power mode stays the same.
Last but not least, it cures all types of UV gel and LED nail gel polish such as Base Coat, Top Coat, Color Gel, Hard Gels, Builder gel, acrylic, and many more!
Pros
- Smart Over-Temperature protection
- Double Power Speed Button for faster curing
- White LED lights to protect your skin and eyes
- Timer buttons with time memory
- Plenty of space and large LCD screen
- No need to change any bulbs
Cons
- It’s expensive
3. LIANGYIXIAN LED UV SUN Mini 6W Nail Dryer Curing Lamp – Best Budget-Friendly option
When it comes to finding an affordable but good working nail dryer, it certainly can be a very hard task. Well, we’ve found the one that will fit all your needs at once and it’s quite cheap at the same time!
This portable, pink nail dryer is an ideal choice if you travel a lot. It is super easy to move around and reposition, which is great because you can fix your nails fast whenever. It is 5 inches long, 2,5 inches wide and 1 inch high, and weighs only 0,11 pounds which makes it one of the smallest drying lamps.
Due to its bendable legs, pocket size and light weight, it perfectly fits any makeup bag! Convenient as it is, it can’t cure the whole hand at once. So, don’t rush it, one finger at a time!
It has 6 durable LED light beads and power of 6W which makes it perfect for curing both LED and UV gel nail polishes. Although, it’s not suitable for every gel nail polish, because some require higher voltage. Drying function features two time modes (30 or 60 seconds), and it’s regulated by the ON/OFF button.
Lastly, believe it or not, it has over 50.000 lifetime hours!
Pros
- Pocket size which makes it easy to carry around
- Cures both LED and UV gel nail polish
- Flexible drying time
- Doesn’t harm skin or eyes
- No need to change bulbs
Cons
- Can’t cure whole hand at once
- Isn’t strong enough for some nail gel polishes
4. Fuzadel Portable UV Nail Curing Lamp – For Both Gel and Regular Nail Polish
Get ready to set aside some savings, because this dryer won’t disappoint you at all!
Whether you need to dry UV/LED gel nail polish or regular nail polish, Fuzadel Portable UV Nail Curing Lamp is the perfect choice for you.
This dryer is 8,5 inches long, 6,6 inches wide and 3,5 inches high, and you can even fit both of your hands under it. With 1,6 pounds, you’ll find it’s not very heavy to carry around. The smart technology allows you to choose curing time from 3 time modes: 30, 60 and 99 seconds. Digital time display and ergonomic handle are just a few of many great things about this lamp.
Another very useful thing is that this Fuzadel curing lamp has Smart Double Speed Curing mode. Additionally, it has a smart, automatic infrared sensor that allows you to begin or end the curing time as you prefer, just sliding your hands in or out. It’s very easy to clean since it has a removable bottom tray. Also, with 48W, durable led beads ensure drying for over 50.000 hours. To top it all out, it even comes with a charger.
What makes this lamp unique, is that it cures regular polish as well because of the UV light heat. Moreover, if you didn’t know – UV light kills bacteria! Other than that, Over-Temperature Protection mode lowers down heat offering comfortable manicure/pedicure experience!
Pros
- Cures both gel and regular nail polish
- Automatic sensor
- Flexible drying time
- Double Speed Curing mode
- Portable
- Durable light beads
- Over-Temperature protection
Cons
- It’s expensive
5. Makartt Air Nail Fan Blow Dryer – The Best One For Regular Nail Polish
We assume you prefer quality over price, and this dryer is worth every penny.
If you happen to be an old fashion type and you prefer traditional nail dryer fans over UV/LED nail dryers, you’ll love this product. Wasting your precious time and having to worry about smudging your nails will become the thing of the past.
The dryer comes with a ventilation hole preventing damage from overheating. In addition, it has an anti-slip pad that keeps this dryer very stable, even on polished surfaces. As mentioned above, this is an air fan dryer, so there are no UV or LED lights. Therefore, it is not harmful to eyes, hands and feet.
With only two buttons, this nail dryer is very easy to use. It has an ON/OF button and also a button for the air temperature. Thus, you can choose between hot and cold blowing air.
This large-sized fan dryer is 12 inches long, 11 inches wide and 7,5 inches high. Perfect for drying both hands or feet at the same time! Also, don’t let the size fool you, but it weighs only 4 pounds. Above all else, this nail dryer has automatic double sensors.
It dries regular nail polish, dip powder, nail primer, nail dehydrate and many more. From the simple yet clever design, to the quick and efficient performance, we loved everything about this one and we’re sure you’ll love it too!
Pros
- Automatic sensors
- Hot and cold wind
Cons
- It’s expensive
- It’s bulky
Things To Consider Before You Buy A Nail Dryer
Since there are so many nail dryers on the market to choose from, finding the right one for your needs might be tricky. There are many factors you should consider before buying one. In this guide we will explain all you need to know – so read on!
1. Type Of Nail Polish
- There are few types of nail polishes that determine which nail dryer will be the best fit for you.
- Technically, LED nail dryers will cure only LED-based nail polishes, whereas UV nail lamps will cure most of the nail polishes. In our opinion, the best option in terms of efficiency and budget are mixed or so called Smart Nail Dryers. Because this type of dryer covers a wide range which enables it to dry different kinds of nail gel polishes.
- On the other hand, if you use regular nail polish that only needs air for it to dry, you can consider buying a Nail Fan Dryer.
2. Price
- While it can be very hard to find ones that are both affordable and with good features, it isn’t impossible. Price range varies for every lamp, even though it doesn’t mean price ensures quality. Make sure to carefully read instructions and find everything about dryer features before you decide to purchase.
- In terms of health, LED nail dryers are safer than UV nail dryers. This is because UV light is known to be harmful for the skin and eyes. Usually, they cure nails more efficiently, but that’s not always the case. For that reason, LED lamps are generally more expensive.
- But you don’t have to worry, because now there are available mixed UV/LED lamps and on top of that, reasonably priced!
- Finally, we recommend buying a mixed UV/LED lamp if you use gel nail polish. As for regular nail polish, you can buy both UV/LED drying lamp or just a Fan Dryer.
- Both are fine, just consider that it doesn’t always work on every nail polish so it is very important to read the product description!
3. Curing Speed
- We assume you don’t want to waste your time sitting around waiting for your nails to dry.
- Curing speed may depend on the type of the lamp and layers applied.
- What you may not know is that LED lamps are much faster than UV lamps. It only takes 30 seconds to cure nail polish under the LED light and up to 90 seconds under UV light.
- However, it can also depend on the brand as some are faster than the others. Therefore, you should always check time presets on your lamp.
4. Durability
- With LED dryers you never have to replace your light bulbs because they have approximately 50.000 hours. So, unless you damage the product, it can last indefinitely.
- Whereas, UV dryers can have up to 100 hours of usage. That’s roughly 1200 manicures. Nevertheless, you can always buy new light bulbs. Have this in mind when making a purchasing decision.
5. Wattage
- Logically, the higher the wattage, the faster the curing time and efficiency. Therefore, before buying a nail dryer always check the wattage as it can often be a good contribution.
- In terms of speed and curing results, you should aim for 12W for a LED lamp and minimum 20W for a UV lamp. Unfortunately for us, as wattage goes higher, prices tend to go higher as well.
6. Portability
- The size can also determine the curing time. For example, if your dryer is small you can’t possibly fit the whole hand or the whole foot. That automatically means you will need much more time for your manicure/pedicure. It’s best if you could find a dryer that can fit both of your hands or even just one hand at a time, because this can be a huge time saver!
- On the other hand, big nail dryers are not convenient for moving around like small ones are. It really depends on your needs and designated space.
Final Thoughts And Recommendations
Now that you’ve come to the end of our buying guide it is time for you to choose your favourite! Regardless, all of them are good choices. Whichever of these you decide to buy, we promise you won’t be disappointed!
We know we have our favourites so here are our recommendations:
Best Choice: Sun UV LED Gel Lamp
- The absolute favourite and also the best seller is SUN UV LED Gel nail dryer. The best one we’ve found so far in terms of price and curing efficiency! Because of its smart features, it cures both UV and GEL nail polishes. LED bulb lights ensure a long life and it’s lightweight, thus easy to carry around.
Our Premium Pick: SUN UV 48W LED Dryer Lamp
- We highly suggest you invest in this SUN UV 48W Dryer Nail Lamp, that is if you are not short on your budget. Besides its pretty looks outside, this dryer has very high wattage, long lifetime and smart interface. It even has low heat mode to ensure comfortable curing!
Best Budget-Friendly Choice: Liangyixian SUN UV Mini LED Nail Dryer
- Amongst a few affordable but efficient nail dryers there is Liangyixian SUN UV Mini LED Nail Dryer. Given its pocket size, flexible drying time and wide range of curing gels, it tends to be very affordable!