Red LED Gel Lamp
I ultimately bought this incredible red LED gel lamp (and a bunch of other stuff ?) from The NaiI Hub. It isn’t clear who the manufacturer of this lamp is; it lacks branding, and I’m not entirely sure if The Nail Hub is claiming this as one of their products. Either way, frankly, I don’t care because it is excellent. My experience has been nothing but positive since I started using it in July.
Curing My Gel Manicures
For years, I’ve been using Sensationail lamps to cure my gel manicures. They’re what I started with! Eventually, I added their newer model lamp to my nail tool collection. After a couple bad cures with good formulas, though, I started to wonder if it was time for a change. I suspect the LEDs weren’t getting enough power, and here could be plenty of reasons for this:
- The micro USB cable I used to supply power to it could be bad.
- The AC adapter could be bad.
- The power relay in the lamp itself could be bad.
Rather than asking my husband to embark on an electronics teardown for diagnostic purposes, I decided to upgrade my lamp game. (I might still ask him for help with that, though – for science, for a backup, for a small travel lamp etc).
Why Red?
The big drawing point for my non-professional self was that red light is simply easier on the eyes to a migraine sufferer than blue wavelengths. At my computer, I wear highly attractive effective, yellow-tinted lenses to filter blue wavelengths; why wouldn’t I try to mitigate exposure to blue elsewhere?
According to the product listing, supposedly red light is also:
…known for it’s ability to promote cell renewal, is gentle on the skin, and helps with whitening and freckle removal.
I know red light is used in various skin therapies, but I don’t know that this particular format is correct or potent enough for all of that. I don’t have the means to test and validate it, either – so I’m excluding it from my consideration as to why this product is great.
Features
The LED placement and interior dimensions are such that you can do a WHOLE HAND all at once – including your thumb because there are some LEDs on either side. This… is incredible. Heart eyes emoji incredible. You can also handily cure gel pedicures if you’re so inclined; like the newer Sensationail lamp I have, the floor easily pops off for placement over toes.
On top, there is a digital timer and a series of timer buttons. With power and without selecting a timer, a motion sensor will detect a hand (or foot) and the display will count up. With a timer selected, it will count down and turn off. Additionally, there are both special high and low power modes to customize your cure and manage heat spikes if you (or a client) are prone to them.
The Bottom Line
At $79, it isn’t a bargain buy – but his red LED gel lamp is a sturdy, professional-grade beast. It isn’t a travel lamp by any stretch, but frankly, I don’t need one. I’ve used this lamp with Sensationail gel polishes, Luminary (omg! <3 – more in another post), OPI Gelcolor, and CND Shellac gels so far with flawless results each time. I’m getting the best cures I’ve ever gotten with a lamp; I love Sensationail’s accessibility, but if you want performance, you need this. I really love the work Liz is doing on Youtube and her team at The Nail Hub has a great selection available for both professionals and hobbyists alike.