Top 6 compared
The best electric nail drills
Acrylics filed down, gel buffed off and nails shaped at home, in a fraction of the time it takes by hand.
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The top 6 at a glance
An electric nail drill, or e-file, spins small bits and sanding bands to shape and buff nails, take down acrylics and gel, and tidy dry skin around the cuticles. Most are pens, light enough to hold like one; others keep the controls in a separate box, clipped to a waistband or standing on the desk, with just a handpiece on a lead.
Start slow and go gently. COSLUS suggests low speeds for natural nails and higher ones for acrylics and thick nails. MelodySusie says to keep the pressure light so the nail bed isn’t damaged and, unless you’re a trained manicurist, to take gel polish off natural nails with remover pads rather than a drill.
What matters
- Forward and reverse, for left-handers as well as right-handers.
- A USB lead never runs flat; a battery goes anywhere but needs charging.
- Bits on the standard 3/32in (2.35mm) shank, so spares are easy to find.
- A UK three-pin plug on anything that charges or runs from the mains.
#1Denabuty Cordless Nail Drill (DN-2402)
£20–£30
A cordless pen that covers a whole home manicure and pedicure: five speeds up to 35,000rpm, forward and reverse, a screen showing speed, direction and battery, and 12 bits and 36 sanding bands for everything from acrylics to dead skin.
What owners say: Owners say the battery lasts and lasts, and find it strong enough for acrylics as well as gel and natural nails; one gets a full gel removal done in under half an hour.
A closer look: Start on the lowest speed for natural nails and keep the bit moving, saving the faster settings for acrylics, poly gel or thick toenails. A cleaning brush comes in the box for clearing dust out of the bits, and the pen charges from the USB lead supplied, from any phone charger.
- Shows speed, direction and battery
- Dust shield included
- Cleaning brush in the box
- Charges from any phone charger
Best for: All-round home manicures
- Top speed
- 35,000rpm
- Power
- Cordless, up to 4.5 hr
- Speed control
- 5 levels
- Forward and reverse
- Yes
- Bits and bands
- 12 bits, 36 bands
- Screen
- LED screen
#2POFIBO Cordless Electric Nail Drill (12-in-1 kit)
£10–£20
At 70g it’s easy to hold through a full set of nails, with five speeds up to 35,000rpm, a screen for speed and battery, and a two-hour charge that gives up to five hours of light use.
What owners say: Owners find it takes gel polish off cleanly without harming the nail underneath, and use it for pedicures as well as manicures.
Heads up: Charge it fully before the first use, as POFIBO advises: it helps the battery last.
A closer look: Light work, such as shaping and buffing natural nails, gets the most from a charge; taking off acrylics at full speed drains it faster, so keep it topped up before a big session. The screen shows which of the five speeds is on, which makes it easy to come back to a setting that worked last time.
- Weighs 70g
- Shows speed and battery
- Includes a ceramic bit
- Two-hour charge
Best for: Taking off gel polish
- Top speed
- 35,000rpm
- Power
- Cordless, up to 5 hr
- Speed control
- 5 levels
- Forward and reverse
- –
- Bits and bands
- 12 bits, 36 bands
- Screen
- LCD
#3Kredioo Nail Drill Machine (A2M021)
£30–£50
A desktop machine with a UK plug and a 30W motor for regular sets of acrylics or builder gel: the stainless steel handpiece runs up to 35,000rpm, touch buttons pause it and switch direction, and the base holds six bits and the handpiece between jobs.
What owners say: Owners find it powerful yet quiet, and like how simple the touch controls are, but a run of them stopped working within weeks, so reliability is the worry.
A closer look: The motor and controls sit in the box on the table, leaving just the handpiece and its lead in the hand. Six bits stand ready in the holders on top, so changing from a coarse bit for acrylic to a fine one for finishing takes seconds. For the odd home manicure, a USB pen is the simpler choice.
- Base holds six bits
- Stainless steel handpiece
- Touch buttons pause and reverse
- Takes 3/32in bits
Best for: Regular acrylic and gel sets
- Top speed
- 35,000rpm
- Power
- Mains, UK plug
- Speed control
- Variable, on the base
- Forward and reverse
- Yes
- Bits and bands
- 11 bits, 10 bands
- Screen
- LCD
#4MelodySusie SC300F Rechargeable Clip-On Nail Drill
£30–£50
A step up from a pen: a small control box that clips to a waistband or sits on the table, with a slim handpiece on a lead and a battery MelodySusie puts at 8 to 12 hours a charge, so a whole evening of nails without a cable to the wall. The screen shows speed, direction and battery, and the speed slides smoothly up to 30,000rpm rather than in steps.
What owners say: Owners call it good quality and easy to use, one finding it right for gel and acrylic extensions, and rate the speed control; noise divides them, and more than one had theirs give up after a while.
Heads up: A MelodySusie kit with the SC320H drill was stopped at the UK border (Product Safety Database report 2512-0211, January 2026) over a two-pin power supply; this is the SC300F, a different model, but check it arrives with a UK three-pin plug.
A closer look: Clip the box to a pocket and the handpiece goes where the hand goes, which suits doing someone else’s nails as much as your own. Charge it fully before the first set (about three hours) and give the handpiece a breather between hands, even though it is built for long sessions.
- Clips to a waistband
- Slim handpiece on a lead
- Charges in about three hours
Best for: Cordless sets without a desktop box
- Top speed
- 30,000rpm
- Power
- Cordless, 8–12 hr
- Speed control
- Stepless
- Forward and reverse
- Yes
- Bits and bands
- 6 bits, 56 bands
- Screen
- LED
#5COSLUS C40 Electric Nail Drill
Under £10
A light, pen-shaped drill that runs from a USB lead, with a dial on the cable for setting the speed anywhere up to 20,000rpm and forward and reverse for either hand: an easy first drill for natural nails and gel.
What owners say: Owners like the long lead and the spread of attachments, and find the speed easy to adjust; for some it did the job, for others it stopped after the first use.
A closer look: Running from USB means it never needs charging: plug it into a USB wall plug or a laptop and it’s ready. Keep to the lower end of the dial for natural nails and work in short passes, letting the bit cool between nails; the top of the range is for acrylics and thick toenails.
- Never needs charging
- Runs from a laptop’s USB
Best for: A simple first drill
- Top speed
- 20,000rpm
- Power
- USB lead
- Speed control
- Dial on the lead
- Forward and reverse
- Yes
- Bits and bands
- 6 bits, 31 bands
- Screen
- No
#6MelodySusie PC120I USB Nail Drill
Under £10
A pen of about 62g, made for gentle prep and shaping, with variable speed up to 20,000rpm and forward and reverse; MelodySusie’s own site has manuals and video tutorials for getting started.
What owners say: Owners find it straightforward for home manicures and a good first drill, and say spare bits are cheap to pick up; several had theirs break after about three months, and not everyone gets on with the speed dial.
Heads up: MelodySusie recommends a 5V 2A USB plug and no more than 20 minutes of continuous use at a time, so let it rest between hands.
A closer look: Sitting in the hand like a pen, it’s easy to steer around the cuticles and side walls on fine work. Because it runs from USB, it can go in a wash bag with its lead and run off a power bank on the move. Start each session at the slow end and build up, as MelodySusie advises.
- Weighs about 62g
- Runs off a power bank
- Manuals and video tutorials online
Best for: Gentle prep, light to hold
- Top speed
- 20,000rpm
- Power
- USB lead
- Speed control
- Variable, on the lead
- Forward and reverse
- Yes
- Bits and bands
- 6 bits, 20 bands
- Screen
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Denabuty DN-2402 | #2POFIBO 12-in-1 | #3Kredioo A2M021 | #4MelodySusie SC300F | #5COSLUS C40 | #6MelodySusie PC120I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best desktop machine | Best cordless clip-on | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Price | £20–£30 | £10–£20 | £30–£50 | £30–£50 | Under £10 | Under £10 |
| Top speed | 35,000rpm | 35,000rpm | 35,000rpm | 30,000rpm | 20,000rpm | 20,000rpm |
| Power | Cordless, up to 4.5 hr | Cordless, up to 5 hr | Mains, UK plug | Cordless, 8–12 hr | USB lead | USB lead |
| Speed control | 5 levels | 5 levels | Variable, on the base | Stepless | Dial on the lead | Variable, on the lead |
| Forward and reverse | Yes | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bits and bands | 12 bits, 36 bands | 12 bits, 36 bands | 11 bits, 10 bands | 6 bits, 56 bands | 6 bits, 31 bands | 6 bits, 20 bands |
| Screen | LED screen | LCD | LCD | LED | No | No |
| Best for | All-round home manicures | Taking off gel polish | Regular acrylic and gel sets | Cordless sets without a desktop box | A simple first drill | Gentle prep, light to hold |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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