Comparison · Updated 22 August 2026

The best polygel and acrygel for UK nail techs

Polygel gives you acrylic-like strength with gel handling: it will not run, it only sets under the lamp, and there is no monomer and no airborne dust. It is the system UK techs reach for when a client wants length without the smell of a liquid and powder service. Five polygels available in the UK, compared on cost per gram and what else you have to buy to use them.

By The Nail Tech Guide editorial team. Prices and stock checked on UK retailers on 22 August 2026, VAT included.

The short answer

Our top pick is the Halo PoliBuild Precision Gel at £10.79 for a 30 g jar. It has been reformulated as HEMA-free and TPO-free, which is rare in this category, and it comes in a jar rather than a tube, so there is no waste at the end. Budget £11.99 for the Liquid Control it needs. The JN Nails HEMA and TPO-free Poly Gel is the runner-up and the pick for colour: 30 shades at one price, with a matching slip solution. Gelish PolyGel is third and the brand that named the category.

Halo PoliBuild Precision Gel product shot

Our number one Halo · PoliBuild Precision Gel £10.79 inc. VAT · £0.36 per g

Check price at Halo Read the full write-up

Product specifications are as published by the brands. Rankings are based on desk research: specifications published by the brands, prices and stock checked on UK retailers, and how the products compare on the criteria set out for each page.

The ranking

The 5 best polygels in the UK, ranked

#1 Best overall

Halo

PoliBuild Precision Gel

A 30 g polygel in a jar rather than a tube, which Halo points out lets you use every last gram instead of fighting the end of a squeeze tube. It has been reformulated as HEMA-free and TPO-free, and it is the cheapest professional option here at £10.79. Budget for the Liquid Control at £11.99 as well: Halo is explicit that without it the gel sticks to the brush and is unworkable.

Why it is here

HEMA-free and TPO-free after reformulation, which is rare in this category
Cheapest professional jar here at £10.79 for 30 g
Jar rather than tube, so there is no waste at the end
Halo runs a one-day PoliBuild course, so there is a formal route to learning it

Watch out for: Liquid Control at £11.99 is not optional. The brand says the gel is unworkable without it · Six shades listed, one of which was out of stock when we checked on 22 August 2026 · Pure Nails shows prices excluding VAT, and free delivery starts at £65 ex VAT

Price (inc. VAT): £10.79 · £0.36 per g
Size: 30 g jar
Level: Professional
Best for: A HEMA-free and TPO-free polygel with UK training behind it
Price checked at: purenails.co.uk (£8.99 ex VAT)

Check price at Halo

#2 Widest HEMA-free range

JN Nails

Poly Gel HEMA/TPO Free

Thirty shades at one price, all stated free of HEMA and TPO, in 30 ml tubes. That is easily the widest hypoallergenic polygel range we found on sale in the UK, and JN Nails sells a 200 ml slip solution at £12.95 to go with it. The brand quotes a fast LED cure and low dust in use.

Why it is here

Thirty shades, all HEMA-free and TPO-free, at one price
Matching 200 ml slip solution at £12.95, so the running cost is knowable up front
Full 30-shade collection sold as a bundle at £379.95
Published step-by-step method on the product page

Watch out for: Dearer per unit than the jar options here · The brand’s method assumes its own dehydrator and acid-free primer underneath · A small brand, with limited independent feedback

Price (inc. VAT): £15.95 · £0.53 per ml
Size: 30 ml tube
Level: Professional
Best for: Sculpting in colour without switching to a HEMA-containing system
Price checked at: jnnails.co.uk

Check price at JN Nails

#3 The original system

Gelish

PolyGel

The product that gave the category its name, and still the system most UK polygel training is built on. It is monomer-free, so there is no liquid to pour and no airborne dust, and it only sets under the lamp, which means unlimited placement time on a dual form. Nail Outlet lists the 60 g tubes at £19.99.

Why it is here

The original system, and the one UK courses are most often built around
Monomer-free: no liquid and no airborne dust
Unlimited placement time, because it only cures under the lamp
60 g tube, the largest here

Watch out for: Gelish restricts PolyGel sales to trained technicians, so you may need to show a certificate · HEMA and TPO status is not stated on the listing we checked · Prices vary widely between UK stockists: we saw the same 60 g tube listed at £6.95 elsewhere, which looks like clearance

Price (inc. VAT): £19.99 · £0.33 per g
Size: 60 g tube
Level: Professional
Best for: Techs trained on PolyGel, and anyone who wants formal training available
Price checked at: nailoutlet.co.uk

Check price at Gelish

#4 Cheapest per gram

Artistic Colour Gloss

Putty PolyGel

A 60 g professional polygel from Artistic Colour Gloss, listed at Nail Polish Direct in Bright White, Soft White and Pink Concealer. At £9.95 for 60 g it is the cheapest per gram on this page by a long way, though that price sits well below the brand’s usual positioning and looks like clearance, so treat the shade range as finite.

Why it is here

Cheapest per gram here at £0.17, in a 60 g tube
A recognised professional brand rather than an import label
The three shades listed cover French tips and natural sculpting

Watch out for: The listed price looks like clearance. Do not build a service around a shade you cannot reorder · Only three shades listed at the stockist we checked · No HEMA or TPO statement and no cure time on the listing

Price (inc. VAT): £9.95 · £0.17 per g
Size: 60 g tube
Level: Professional
Best for: Stocking up on white and nude sculpting shades cheaply
Price checked at: nailpolishdirect.co.uk

Check price at Artistic Colour Gloss

#5 Best budget option

Makartt

PolyGel

Makartt is the polygel most UK home users find first, and PolyGel Nails UK stocks a very large shade list in 30 ml and 50 ml tubes from around £5.95. It is not a professional trade system and the range is not consistently in stock, but as a way to learn the material or to offer a colour you use twice a year, it is hard to beat on price.

Why it is here

Cheapest way into polygel, from £5.95 a tube
Very large shade list, including glitters and effects
Stocked by a UK retailer, so no import wait or customs charges

Watch out for: A consumer import brand, not a professional trade system · Stock is patchy: many shades were unavailable when we checked on 22 August 2026 · Prices vary shade by shade, from £5.95 to £10.95 for the same 30 ml tube

Price (inc. VAT): From £5.95
Size: 30 ml (50 ml also sold)
Level: Home and starter
Best for: Learning the material, and one-off colours
Price checked at: poly-gel.co.uk

Check price at Makartt

At a glance

Polygels side by side

Polygel and acrygel compared · Nail Tech Guide, prices inc. VAT checked 22 August 2026
Rank	Product	Key strengths	Price	Level
#1	Halo · PoliBuild Precision Gel	HEMA-free and TPO-free after reformulation, which is rare in this category · Cheapest professional jar here at £10.79 for 30 g	£10.79	Professional
#2	JN Nails · Poly Gel HEMA/TPO Free	Thirty shades, all HEMA-free and TPO-free, at one price · Matching 200 ml slip solution at £12.95, so the running cost is knowable up front	£15.95	Professional
#3	Gelish · PolyGel	The original system, and the one UK courses are most often built around · Monomer-free: no liquid and no airborne dust	£19.99	Professional
#4	Artistic Colour Gloss · Putty PolyGel	Cheapest per gram here at £0.17, in a 60 g tube · A recognised professional brand rather than an import label	£9.95	Professional
#5	Makartt · PolyGel	Cheapest way into polygel, from £5.95 a tube · Very large shade list, including glitters and effects	From £5.95	Home and starter

#1 Halo · PoliBuild Precision Gel

Key strengths: HEMA-free and TPO-free after reformulation, which is rare in this category · Cheapest professional jar here at £10.79 for 30 g
Price: £10.79
Level: Professional

#2 JN Nails · Poly Gel HEMA/TPO Free

Key strengths: Thirty shades, all HEMA-free and TPO-free, at one price · Matching 200 ml slip solution at £12.95, so the running cost is knowable up front
Price: £15.95
Level: Professional

#3 Gelish · PolyGel

Key strengths: The original system, and the one UK courses are most often built around · Monomer-free: no liquid and no airborne dust
Price: £19.99
Level: Professional

#4 Artistic Colour Gloss · Putty PolyGel

Key strengths: Cheapest per gram here at £0.17, in a 60 g tube · A recognised professional brand rather than an import label
Price: £9.95
Level: Professional

#5 Makartt · PolyGel

Key strengths: Cheapest way into polygel, from £5.95 a tube · Very large shade list, including glitters and effects
Price: From £5.95
Level: Home and starter

Take away

The short version

Halo PoliBuild leads: HEMA-free and TPO-free, £10.79 for a 30 g jar, with a one-day Halo course behind it.
JN Nails has the widest HEMA and TPO-free colour range: 30 shades at one price.
Gelish invented the category and is the system most UK training courses use.
Budget for slip solution. It is a consumable and it is not always included.
Polygel is filed off, not soaked off. Factor removal time into your pricing.

Who it is for

This page is for you if…

Nail techs who want length and strength without a liquid and powder system.
Anyone working in a small or shared space where acrylic odour is a problem.
Techs sculpting on dual forms who want unlimited placement time.

Buying guide

How to choose between polygels

The slip solution is a hidden running cost

Polygel sticks to the brush unless you wet it. Some brands insist on their own slip solution, some accept 99 per cent isopropyl alcohol, and some are quiet about it. It is a genuine consumable, so add it to the price before you compare. Never use acetone as a substitute: it breaks the product down.

Compare on cost per gram, not per tube

Tubes in this category range from 30 g to 60 g, so the shelf price is not comparable. Work out the cost per gram. A 30 g tube is plenty to learn the material on; 60 g only makes sense in a shade you are applying every week, because polygel does not improve with age once air gets to it.

Removal is filing, and clients need telling

Polygel will not soak off like a gel polish. It comes off with an e-file, which means a removal appointment takes real time and needs the right bits and dust extraction. Price the removal properly and tell the client at the consultation, because a client who expected a fifteen-minute soak-off will not enjoy the alternative.

FAQ

Polygels: questions we get asked

What is the difference between polygel and builder gel?

Viscosity. A builder gel is fluid enough to self-level in the bottle or pot. Polygel is a putty: it does not move at all until you push it, which gives you complete control over the apex but means you sculpt it rather than letting it settle.

Is polygel the same as acrygel?

Yes, functionally. Polygel is the name Gelish gave the category and it is what UK techs and clients call it. Acrygel and acrylgel are the same kind of product under different brand names, and you will see those terms more in mainland Europe.

Can I soak polygel off with acetone?

No. It has to be filed off with an e-file, in the same way as a hard gel. Budget for the removal time and make sure you have a carbide bit that can handle the bulk.

How is this ranking put together?

It is desk research, not a lab test. We compare what the brands publish, check the price and stock on UK retailers on a stated date, and apply the same criteria to every product on the page. No brand pays to appear here and none of our links is paid, which we set out in full on our transparency page.

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Our #1 · £10.79 Halo · PoliBuild Precision Gel View