Acrylic vs Gel Nail Kits for At-Home Manis (& Why Gel Nail Kits Are the Winner)

Acrylic and gel nails are two of the most popular options for achieving beautiful manis. And while both do offer long-lasting results, there's a reason so many of us choose gel nail kits over acrylic ones for at-home use.

While you might think we're bound to be a little biased, there are plenty of ways in which gel nail kits come out on top.

Other than being much more beginner-friendly than fiddly acrylics, gel nails offer a more natural look and feel. Gel nail kits are more convenient to use at home, too, and don't require as much skill or precision to apply.

If you're debating whether to go for acrylic vs gel nail kits for your next at-home mani, we've got all the info you need to make an informed decision.

Let's break it down…

The biggest difference between acrylic and gel nails is their formulas and what makes them them.

Gel polish is made up of monomers and oligomers that bond together. When cured under an LED or UV light, these monomers and oligomers set in place, which is how they adhere to your nails and stay put for around 3 weeks.

The consistency of gel polish is runny and slightly thin (but not as thin as regular polish), which makes it easy to paint intricate designs with nail art brushes and dotting tools.

By comparison, acrylic nails are made by combining a liquid (monomer) and powder (polymer) together to form a hard, durable layer on your nails. It's a lot thicker than gel polish and requires shaping and filing to create the desired look.

Acrylic really only forms the base of the nail and is used to extend your nail's length or change its shape.

Polish (either gel or regular, but typically gel) is then painted over the top for colour and design.

You can still use gel polish to extend your nails, which is where Builder Gel comes in.

Unlike acrylics, Builder Gel is super easy to use and doesn't require all that sculpting.

Instead, you float the thick gel over a nail paper form and then cure it under a UV or LED light, much like you would a regular gel polish.

There's less faff involved when it comes to shaping, too. While you'll still need to do a bit of filing, it doesn't require as much elbow grease as it does for shaping acrylics.

So, if we were to sum it up in one simple sentence: Builder Gel is a lot more user-friendly than acrylics, particularly when it comes to doing your own nails at home.

We know that one of the biggest deciders in whether to go for acrylic vs gel nail kits is how much damage they can do to your natural nails.

Straight off the bat, we can tell you that gel nails won't damage your natural nails – unless you don't follow the proper application and removal steps.

Regularly wearing gel polish can serve as a positive reinforcement for healthy nails, keeping your natural nails safe and protected underneath from everyday bumps or falling victim to nail-biting habits.

The damage is done when you don't apply or remove the gel polish properly, such as not correctly prepping or peeling off the polish rather than soaking it off.

So as long as you follow the recommended steps for prep, application, and removal, you don't have a single thing to worry about.

The same really goes for acrylics. As long as proper steps are followed when applying and removing the nails, you shouldn't need to worry about any damage.

However, since the process for applying acrylics is a bit thicker, there's more room for error.

As with any type of nails, you can do acrylics at home. But as we've already touched on, they do require more skill and precision than gel polish.

We'd tell all at-home nail newbies to steer well clear of using acrylics because you'll likely spend hours trying to perfect the application without much luck.

Gel polish will give you much better results, and you'll get the hang of it an awful lot quicker.

There's no need for fussing about with powders and liquids, you just apply the polish and cure it under a UV or LED lamp.

Plus, there are lots of fantastic pre-made gel nail kits that contain all the bits and pieces you need to do an at-home gel mani from start to finish.

You've probably drawn up some of your own pros and cons for at-home acrylic vs gel nail kits, but here's why we think gel is the way to go:

One of the similarities between these two options is that they're both long-lasting. After around 3 weeks, you should expect to infill your gels or acrylics or remove them if you want to completely refresh your mani.

Because both gel polish and acrylic nails are 'stuck' to your natural nails, they will move with your natural nails as they grow.

When this happens, a gap will form between your cuticle edge and the start of the gel or acrylic.

This gap will essentially need to be filled in (infilled) and the nail trimmed down. This saves you time removing your nails with acetone, but full removal is still an option.

Since gel polish is a thinner layer, it's much easier to remove than acrylics. Both will need to be soaked in acetone to break down the cured product. But because gel is a liquid-gel formula, it dissolves more easily.

Typically, it only takes one go at soaking the nails in acetone to remove gel polish, while acrylics may need multiple rounds.

Decided that gel nail kits are the way to go for your at-home manicures? Lucky for you, you're also in the right place to find the best kits to get you started.

Here at Mylee, we're pretty famous for our professional-quality nail kits, and they're utterly perfect for at-home manis.

We've already mentioned our Mini Kit and Main Kit, which are great for beginners, but we also have our Massive Kit for those who want the full salon experience at home.

This is the biggest and best kit in our collection containing all the products you need for prep, application, removal, and nail art.

The eight full-size gel colours in this bundle open up a world of possibilities for your manis. From all-over colour to pretty and precise designs, these gels are perfect for creating any look you desire.

These three kits really are the creme de la creme of at-home gel nails, with each curated to make your DIY mani experience as easy and salon-quality as possible.

Take your pick from our entire range today, and never have another bad nail day.