Who we are

Nail Tech Guide compares professional nail products sold in the UK: builder gel, base and top coats, rubber base, gel polish, HEMA-free ranges, primer, dehydrator, UV LED nail lamps, e-files, drill bits, polygel and dust extraction.

The aim is narrow on purpose. Five products per category, prices in pounds with VAT included, the cost per millilitre or gram worked out, and the criteria we ranked on printed on the page. You should be able to reach a decision on a phone between clients.

We are independent, and we do not sell anything

No brand sponsors this site. No position in a ranking is for sale, no payment is accepted to appear in a comparison, and none of our outbound links is paid. We are not a shop and we take no commission when you buy: the links are there so you can check our prices and specifications for yourself. Our transparency page sets out how that works in detail.

How we work

We do desk research, not lab testing, and we never describe it as anything else. For each category we set the criteria first, compare what the brands publish against them, check prices and stock on UK retailers on a stated date, and rank on that basis. Where a brand does not publish a figure, the page says so instead of guessing. The full method is on how we rank.

Who we write for

Qualified nail techs working in salons, from home or mobile, and anyone trained who is buying professional kit. Where a product is really a consumer one, such as a high-street brand's lamp or top coat, we say so and rank it as what it is rather than pretending it belongs on a salon desk.

Getting something wrong

Prices move, formulas get reformulated and stock runs out. If something on this site is out of date or simply wrong, tell us and we will fix it and re-date the page.