The Top CND UV Lamp Bulbs for Your Salon

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In today’s beauty industry, gel, and Shellac manicures are all the rage due to their resistance to chipping and damage, lending them a longer lifespan than traditional manicures. 

However, achieving a flawless gel or Shellac manicure requires more than just the perfect polish. It also calls for high-quality CND UV lamp bulbs to adequately cure the polish.

acrylic nail brush

In this article, we’ll explore the top CND UV lamp bulbs and throw in some handy CND UV lamp instructions for your convenience.

Why Are CND UV Lamp Bulbs Better Than LED Lamp Bulbs?

Gel or Shellac polish will not cure properly unless it is exposed to UV light or LED light. This is because Gel and Shellac polish contains photo-initiators, which need to be exposed to light to cure or harden and dry thoroughly.

If a quality nail lamp isn’t used, then the polish will chip off, peel or easily damage. In order to avoid angry customers, then consider purchasing a high-quality and high-powered CND UV lamp.

So, why are CND UV lamp bulbs better than LED bulbs? Here are the main reasons why:

  • Curing polish under a UV lamp takes two minutes whereas an LED lamp can take longer
  • UV lamps work on all types of gel polishes, whereas LED lamps typically only cure gel polishes formulated for LED. For example, an LED lamp likely will not work with gel or Shellac polishes designed for UV light.
  • UV lamps are often cheaper than LED lamps

The biggest key difference here is that UV and LED formulated gel and Shellac polish will work with both LED and CND UV lamp bulbs, but not all UV formulated gel and Shellac polishes work with an LED lamp.

Why CND UV Lamps Are The Best

CND is a global leader in manufacturing and selling professional salon products and equipment. Therefore, we had to include CND UV lamps and CND UV lamp bulbs on our list of high-quality nail lamps for salon professionals.

CND Shellac Brisa UV lamp is a quality UV lamp that properly cures Shellac nail polishes on both the hands and feet.

The built-in pro-light technology is powerful enough to properly cure polish and effectively build a layer of protection and resistance to chipping, peeling, and damage, protecting customers’ nails. This product is one of the most expensive options available for $149.99.

PROS:

  • Compatible with all gel polish brands
  • Designed with pro-light technology
  • Protects customers’ nails
  • Designed for both manicures and pedicures
  • Equipped with CND UV lamp bulbs

CONS:

  • Smaller than other CND UV lamp models
  • Can take longer to dry and cure than advertised
  • Can wear out quickly for commercial use

What to Consider Before Purchasing a UV Lamp

There are clearly some vast differences between using a UV lamp and an LED lamp, such as curing time, cost, and usability with different nail polish formulas and brands. Although your customers’ needs and budgets may differ.

The primary reason why manicurists and salons purchase a UV lamp over an LED lamp is because they don’t have to wipe out their existing gel and Shellac nail polish inventory.

CND UV Lamps Features and Benefits and CND UV Lamp Instructions

In addition to being a high-quality model and brand, CND UV lamps also come with a wide range of features, including multiple timer controls, an interior fan for faster curing, and a high wattage output.

The CND UV lamp unit is the only product guaranteed to cure Shellac in the recommended amount of time when compared to other brands and models.

So what other features and benefits does the CND Shellac UV lamp come with to make it one of the best UV lamps available?

CND UV Lamp Controls: When you first turn on your CND UV lamp, you will see three LED lights. This tells you that your CND UV lamp has power. Press the power button to turn on and use the CND UV lamp. Once the CND UV lamp is active, you can select options from the Timer Control.

The option are A, B, C and D. Timer Control option A is 10 seconds and option C is 120 seconds.

The CND UV lamp clearly tells you which option is selected and the amount of time the lamp is programmed to. Timer Control options A and C are best for sufficient curing time for Gel and Shellac treatments.

Above the Timer Control “A” button is the “Start” button. Once you have selected the desired timer option, press the “Start” button to enable the interior fans and the UV light.

If more or less time is needed, you can easily select the “+” or “-” buttons on the right-hand side. These buttons will add or reduce time by five-second increments.

The “Reset” Button: You will also notice that the CND UV lamp comes with a “Reset” button along with the other controls. This button will show you how many hours are left in the current CND UV lamp bulbs.

If you notice that your CND UV lamp bulbs have run out, or are close to running out, then changing your CND UV lamp bulbs is easy. Simply remove the top cover of the CND UV lamp to replace the bulbs. Watch the video above for complete CND UV lamp instructions.

Once you have successfully changed the CND UV lamp bulbs, press and hold the “Reset” button so the lamp resets back to 100 hours. If you press the “Reset” button before replacing the bulbs, then this will still reset your lamp back to 100 hours, and your lamp will think that you have changed the bulbs.

Therefore, it is recommended to ONLY hit the “Reset” button to 1) check for the remaining hours left in the bulbs, or 2) after you have successfully replaced the CND UV lamp bulbs.

Social Proof

We have scoured the Internet for customer reviews, customer feedback, and testimonials on the CND Shellac UV lamp.

All in all, the results are positive, and salon professionals love the CND Shellac UV lamp, and rely on it to help give their customers a quality, beautiful gel or Shellac manicure.

Here are some of the reviews we have found from professionals who have purchased and used the CND Shellac UV lamp:

Other UV Nail Lamp Options

1. MelodySusie Pro60W Nail Lamp

MelodySusie is another manufacturer and supplier of UV nail lamps and UV lamp bulbs for salon professionals. The MelodySusie Pro60W Nail Lamp actually comes equipped with both LED and UV lamp settings, making it compatible with various gel nail polish brands.

Its LED and UV lamp bulbs allow for quick-drying action, leaving customers with beautiful nails. This quality, quick-drying, and flexible UV lamp is one of the cheapest options we will look at for only $99.

PROS:

  • Compatible with all gel polish brands
  • Designed with an automatic sensor and four present time control options
  • Cures nails but does not overheat
  • Designed for both manicures and pedicures
  • Equipped with both LED and UV bulbs

CONS:

  • The power cord is too short and has proven to be faulty in some models
  • Equipping the system with both LED and UV bulbs can require purchasing multiple packages of bulbs
  • Curing can take longer than advertised

2. MelodySusie® 36W UV Nail Dryer

The MelodySusie 36W UV Nail lamp is another top-rated UV lamp product. This model comes with similar features as the Pro60W nail lamp, but with less wattage. With only 36 watts, this nail lamp is only designed for UV lamp bulbs, and the curing process can take longer since it isn’t as powerful as the 60-watt model.

All in all, this UV nail lamp still provides customers with a beautiful, quality, and properly cured gel or Shellac manicure. A salon quality product, but without the hefty price tag.

PROS:

  • Exclusively UV lamp bulbs are used, lasting up to 100 hours
  • Slider tray available
  • Comes with an extra UV lamp bulb with purchase
  • 12-mth warranty

CONS:

  • Less powerful at only 36 watts
  • Curing process can take longer
  • Control buttons on model can be difficult to press
  • Lower quality product

Choosing the Right CND UV Lamp Bulbs for Your Salon

All in all, choosing the best CND UV lamp bulbs for your salon is an important decision. 

You want to ensure that you purchase a quality product that quickly dries and cures gel nail polish, that doesn’t overheat, and that protects customers’ nails and hands.

We hope that you have found this review and the CND UV lamp instructions helpful in making a decision regarding the best nail lamps and lamp bulbs as well as how to properly operate your CND UV lamp.

Do you currently use a CND UV nail lamp? If so, please share your experiences! Leave your thoughts and comments below.

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AUTHOR

I'm Lynda Le, a licensed nail technician with over 20 years of experience in the nail and beauty industry. Passionate about sharing my knowledge, I took up blogging in 2016 to connect with others who love beauty as much as I do. For the latest tips and insights, follow me on Twitter at @polishperfectt.