Skip The Salon With The Best Nail Drill

Buying Guide

Spa manicures are a fun way to pamper yourself, and they yield gorgeous results. They’re a nice way to kick back and relax — if you’ve got the cash for regular manicures. Unfortunately, a lot of people who want to keep their nails in tip-top shape can’t swing that price tag every time, leaving them with chipped polish or cracked acrylics. Luckily, you can still get that fresh salon look at home with professional-grade nail drills.

A nail drill is a pro-level handheld tool that creates perfect manicures. It uses an array of replaceable, rotating drill bits to smooth, buff and shape your nails. You can use it on the tips of your nails like an emery board, run it over ridges in your nail to create a smooth surface or use it to trim or remove your cuticles. Nail drills can also remove tough gel polish and help you take off acrylics. 

MORE: How to give yourself a salon-quality manicure at home

Nail drills aren’t the cheapest beauty accessories around, but most models will pay for themselves after two or three uses. The best nail drills are easy to use and come with a variety of drill bits. Better drills will operate at a wide variety of customizable revolutions per minute (RPM), and they’ll have a higher RPM capability.  

We’ve looked across the web for the best nail drills so you don’t have to do the digging yourself. Our Tips & Advice section has plenty of info on choosing your perfect nail drill.

• The best nail drills have a simple yet effective design. If you can’t get a good grip on your drill or struggle to move between settings as you’re buffing your enamel, your manicure might end in disaster. Some models have a foot pedal for hands-free operation, while other models have innovative touch controls for a stress-free home manicure. The MelodySusie electric nail drill is designed for right- or left-hand use, making it suitable for southpaws. 
• More attachments and settings mean you can do more with your nail drill. Several drills also come with drill bits that help remove calluses. These drills are a more versatile and valuable beauty accessory. There are models with 10 attachments and sanding bands, including a pointed sapphire grinder that can help remove ingrown nails. The MelodySusie electric nail drill rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, and its coarse sapphire cone sands down tough calluses. 
• Consider how many RPMs you’ll want before you buy your nail drill. If you need to do a lot of work on calluses, you’ll want a drill with a higher RPM to help you sand away dead skin.  
• In addition, more speed settings help you work on a wider variety of areas. Lower speeds are best for thinner or smaller nails, medium speeds help you shape larger nails and high speeds work well on large areas of dead skin. There are even nail dryers with 10 progressive speed settings to help you work your way up. 
• Think about where you’ll set up your nail drill before you put it in your online shopping cart. If your workspace doesn’t have a power outlet nearby, you’ll need a drill with a long cord. Look for one with a 10-foot power cord. (You can also opt for a battery-powered drill, but those tend to be lower in quality than our recommended corded nail drills).
• If you’re working in a dim room, you may want a drill with a built-in light.
• You’ll want to clean the drill bits regularly to keep them hygienic and in good shape. Remove debris after every use by scrubbing the bits with a small brush and soapy water. Disinfect the drill bits by wiping them down with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. You can also buy special cleaners made specifically for nail tools.
• Use a storage case to protect your nail drill when you’re not using it. Look for one with a travel case with spaces for your drill, the power adapter and your drill bits.