Complete Nail Salon Equipment Checklist for 2023

Opening your own nail salon business requires a lot of planning, including hiring each new nail technician, planning your salon costs, and of course putting together the perfect nail salon equipment list.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure out everything you need to give each client the most amazing manicure and a great experience.

Salon Furniture

Let’s start with the biggest items (and the ones that will make a great first impression on your clients). Having the right furniture is just as important for nail salons as having good nail art skills and a good selection of nail technician supplies. After all, it’s the first thing clients will see.

Take a look at the layout of your nail salon and consider what you can accommodate without making the space seem either too crowded or too empty.

You’ll most likely need:

• A reception desk
• Reception area seating
• A magazine rack
• Manicure tables (make sure that each manicure table and chair is comfortable so that clients don’t shift in their seats)
• Pedicure chairs
• A massage table (if you’re also a spa)
• Overhead lighting
• Moveable LED task lighting
• Carts and moveable storage trolleys
• A nail polish wall rack
• Retail display racks

Electric Equipment for Nail Salons

Next, remember to order the electric equipment to help each nail technician working at your salon give clients the best possible service. Nail technicians will need:

• A nail drill (you should have enough nail drills for each workstation)
• Nail drill bits (make sure that each nail drill bit has a spare- you always want to be able to use the right nail drill bit for the job)
• An LED nail lamp
• A UV lamp to cure gel polish
• An electric nail file
• A nail dryer
• A sterilizer box (UV is often recommended) for tools
• A washer and dryer for salon towels and other supplies

We recommend you to check out our post on Nail Salon Supplies.

Nail Salon Tools and Supplies

The first thing to do here is have a conversation with your nail technicians. Ask them which tools and supplies they will need, and which ones are nonessential, but might need to be purchased later on.

Nail tools are expensive professional equipment and the costs can quickly add up, so you’ll want to get everything you need but not overorder if possible.

Remember that you’ll need to deal with natural nails as well as things like acrylic nail applications and hard gel nail extensions.

Natural nail care can be just as challenging (if not moreso) than attaching acrylic nails or applying even gel nail polish. You may want to invest in manicure and pedicure supplies that are non-toxic, formaldehyde free and cruelty free if your salon caters to eco-conscious clients.

Some of the things that you should consider getting are:

• Nail files
• Nail polishes (order a range of nail polish colors in brands that you’ve already tested and know that you like. Make sure to get regular nail polish and clear polish)
• Nail clippers (make sure to get enough nail clippers that some can be sanitized when others are in use)
• Gel nail polish (again, stick to gel polish brands that you’ve already tried out)
• Acrylic nail supplies, including acrylic nails in various sizes and nail glue
• High quality acrylic powder
• Nail dipping powders (many nail dip powders come in a variety of shades and textures)
• Artificial nail extensions
• Nail tips (these come in a variety of shapes)
• Nail forms (a great alternative to nail tip techniques to help clients achieve nail length)
• A manicure bowl for each workstation
• Nail art supplies, including jewels and nail stickers
• A nail plate
• Nail forms (you may want to order a selection of different nail forms for each nail tech to use)
• Simple nail files (make sure to get a regular nail file for everyone, and have extras on hand. Everyone will need a nail buffer, too)
• Cuticle pusher (with spares for each workstation)
• Cuticle scissors or nippers
• Cuticle oil
• Cuticle remover
• Cotton balls
• Nail polish remover (popular nail polish removers often offer an acetone-based and acetone-free version for chemically sensitive clients. Remember that you’ll need a product for removing regular nail polish and one for gel polishes)
• Pedicure foot soaker
• A pedicure foot file for each workstation (this can help remove dead skin easily)
• Toe separators
• Towels
• A selection of brushes
• Gel brushes
• Sanitizer and PPE for each nail tech

We also recommend you to check out our post Nail Salon Design Ideas.

Nail Salon Manager Equipment

Your nail salon manager may not fix uneven false nails, apply a gel polish manicure or create an amazing nail design (or maybe she does, in which case that’s awesome). Either way, the salon manager’s work is just as essential to keeping everything running.

Make sure that your nail salon manager has everything necessary to schedule each nail technician, help clients with bookings when needed, order salon supplies and keep an eye on the day-to-day running of the business.

Invest in:

• A laptop or PC
• A printer
• A phone
• Appointment booking and scheduling software
• Salon management software (good salon software can save you a lot of time and money)
• A salon POS system
• A cash register

Do not miss our post Nail Salon Price List.

Nail Salon Equipment Checklist

To help you get started, we’ve created a nail salon equipment checklist that you can download and add your own notes to. We’ve tried our best to get all of the nail products, equipment and furniture that you’ll need, but please let us know if we’ve forgotten anything!

Conclusion

Putting together the right nail salon equipment list to help you and your nail techs get ready for the big opening day can be challenging, but it’s also a great opportunity to look closely at your services, brainstorm ideas, and develop a wishlist for future projects.

We wish you the best of luck and hope that our “nail tips” (pardon the pun) will help you make your mark in the nail industry!

Citations

Construction planning, equipment, and methods
https://www.accessengineeringlibrary.com/content/book/9781260108804

Process equipment design: vessel design
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=R2

Equipment leasing
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=PuvLcYU23T4C&oi