10 Best Professional Tattoo Guns 2020 [Buying Guide]

Your Authors and Guides

Heather
Patton

Jennifer
Trimbee

Samantha
Dewitt

How to Choose the Best Tattoo Guns

When you’re trying to find the professional tattoo gun, it can be hard to determine which ones are worth your time. Between the different kinds of guns and the range of prices, you might not know where to begin. That’s why we did our research to find you the top brands and best rated products to put together our professional tattoo gun reviews. Before we get started, let’s check out some of the features you need to know.

Material: This is generally the material of the out frame. It’s almost always metal, but it varies from brass to steel to aluminum. Note that the material has big impact on the overall weight of the gun.

Voltage: Voltage varies depending on what the gun is used for. Liners typically use a little less power than shaders. If your tattoo gun is capable of both lining and shading, the voltage will vary a lot.

Wrap Coil: Coil tattoo guns use electromagnetic power to get the needle to move fast enough to propel the needle and ink into the skin. Our top coil guns don’t vary much and all have 8 or 10 coils.

Type: There are 2 types of tattoo guns, liners and shaders. What they do it pretty obvious; liners do the outline of the design, shaders fill it in. Some tattoo guns are made to switch between both lining and shading.

Weight: Our top picks weigh between 3.2 and 13 oz. As you can see, that’s quite a range! Some people like a heavier gun that feels more substantial. Others like lighter guns that are easier for long stretches.

Rotary: Another style of gun is a rotary gun, which was the style of the very first tattoo guns ever made and is still popular today. All of our picks are either coil or rotary, never both.

Top 10 Products

Now that you know a little more about what to look for in a professional tattoo gun, let’s get right into our reviews. Here’s the deal: the first two items are our top and budget pick. If you’re in a hurry, this is the best place to start. They give you a good idea of what’s out there. After that, stick around to read about the other awesome products that make up the rest of our list. All right, let’s go!

Danny Robinson's Tattoo Machine

Our top pick is actually a tattoo gun set designed by a popular tattoo artist in Blackpool, England. In this kit, you get 2 machines: a liner and a shader. We loved the heavy feel of each gun. They’re both made entirely of copper and have a bit of weight to them. Both the liner and the shader are coil guns. The liner runs best on 5 volts and gives a good it without getting bogged down. The shader uses 7 volts and is a really solid, reliable gun. The guns in this set look really awesome. They perform just as well as other more expensive brands and are a great way to get started in the business. And get this: each one also comes with a lifetime warranty.

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Pro Tattooing DM-8 Gun

If you’re looking for professional tattoo guns for sale but are trying to find the best bargain around, our budget pick from Pro Tattooing might be just what you’re looking for. This is a coil gun that uses the latest technology and can be used as both a liner and a shader. It’s handmade out of cast iron and just looks really cool. The bounce is stable while the body stays steady and the vibration is smooth. What does that mean for you? Nice, silky lines that make you work look more professional. It runs on 6 - 8 volts depending how you’re using it and the magnetic performance is pretty impressive. Plus, the spring is made of a composite material that will keep its elasticity for a long time to come.

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Dragonhawk Tattoo Gun

When it comes to professional rotary tattoo machines, this one from Dragonhawk was our favorite. Rotary tattoo machines were the first style ever invented. They’re still used today because they’re really effective and have continued to improve with the times. We really like that it can be used for both lining and shading. Not only that, but it’s made out of space aluminum and is super lightweight and durable. It’s also really lightweight and easy to maneuver. Operating voltage is 7-10, lower when lining and higher when shading. Regardless of what kind of work you’re doing, this is a pretty quiet machine. It works with standard needles and doesn’t require any assembly. It’s available in a few different colors, too: black, gold, green, and blue. And one more thing: they offer a money back, satisfaction guarantee.

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Yosoo Dragonfly Tattoo Machine

From Yosoo comes another top of the line pick if you’re looking for a rotary tattoo gun that’s lightweight and easy to use. One of the things we like most about it is that it uses a screw to fix the tattoo needle and not a rubber band. Plus, it lets you make fine adjustments as necessary. This gun works fast and can be used as either a liner or shader. Switching from one to the other is easy. Simply flip the power supply switch and adjust the voltage and speed. That’s it! This gun has low vibration, too, which means a cleaner, crisper tattoo. Low vibration also means this is a really quiet gun. And get this: it comes in 6 different colors: black, red, green, blue, purple, and white.

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BIGWASP Tattoo Gun

This coil tattoo gun from BIGWASP is just a really good looking machine. It’s handmade from a carved brass frame and the finish has a really cool aged, weathered look to it. It performs well, too. This is a strong, professional tattoo gun that’s comfortable to use. This gun was made for lining. It has some weight to it, too, so you feel like you’re using something that’s fairly substantial. It has a nice hit to it and minimal vibration. Something else we really loved about this one is that you can get as both a liner and a shader. This isn’t one gun that can do both, but if you love it as a liner, you can get it as a shader. And here’s the kicker. This tattoo gun comes complete with a lifetime warranty.

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Yilong Coil Tattoo Machine

For a compact and exceptionally lightweight pro tattoo gun, check out this one from Yilong. It’s smaller than the palm of your hand and weighs only 3.2 ounces. It’s made of high-end, low-carbon steel and is a pretty cool looking machine. The frame has been painted a dark aqua color and the coils are accented with a brighter blue-green. Want to know something really great? Its ability to get rid of heat is so effective that you can easily work with this gun for 8 hours at a time without worrying about it getting too hot. You also get a set of various tools that you’ll need to maintain it, including 3 different sized Allen wrenches, caps, and rubber bands. And get this, it’s available as either a liner or a shader.

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Hommii Tattoo Machine

If you’re looking for a rotary tattoo gun that’s versatile enough to be used for lining and shading, look no further. The Hommii 2 in 1 Tattoo Machine is just what you need. One of the things that put this machine over the edge is the space aluminum alloy frame. Why do we say that? Because it’s really durable without adding any weight. Every part is precisely made so there’s accuracy throughout each component but it’s put together by hand to make sure everything is adjusted perfectly. This machine is a great performer. It maintains an even speed and produces smooth lines for less skin irritation. There’s more. It does all this while staying relatively quiet. Plus, it uses very little energy and can work for up to 5 hours without getting hot.

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Bolayu Tattoo Gun

If you want a tattoo gun that’s ultra-lightweight and can be used as a liner or a shader, this is a great one for you. It’s a rotary style gun that was designed with professionals in mind. Why do we say that? For one thing, it’s ergonomically designed to be comfortable to use, even during long stretches of tattooing. It’s also really quiet when it’s running. The slider adjusting system lets you change from hard to soft quickly and easily. Another great thing is it can be used with most standard supplies, including grips, tubes, and even needles. Something else we really love about this gun is how many colors it’s available in. Get this: you can choose from 10 different colors! They offer everything from gold and red to hot pink and purple!

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Shark Complete Pro Tattoo Kit

This is one of the best tattoo kits we came across in our research. It comes with almost everything you need to get started right away. One of the things that stands out about this set it that it comes with a power supply system. You get 8 guns total in this set, each is designed to move fast while delivering high quality performance. This set also includes tattoo needles, a foot pedal, transfer paper, and even practice skin. Shark has been making tattoo supplies since 2005. Something we really like was that they put all their products through strict testing before they're sent out to you. Plus, it all comes in a professional looking case for easy transport or storage. That’s not all, everything in the kit is also covered by a one year warranty.

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INKSTAR Halo Tattoo Machine

This INKSTAR is a newly designed coil tattoo gun that’s very lightweight and compact but still performs really well. It’s actually the 3rd generation of the design so you can be sure any kinks have been worked out. Why? It’s really just a solid performer. INKSTAR uses compact coils and short, thin liner springs that let it stay small and lightweight while maintaining a high level of performance. It also runs on really low voltage, around 6 V which is pretty good for a lining gun like this one. Another thing we really like about it is it looks really funky. The frame itself is covered in a really shiny gold finish. The coils have a black and yellow checkerboard covering that compliments the metal of the frame and really makes this gun stand out as something special.

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About the Author

Heather Patton

Expert Researcher and Writer

Heather Patton is a lead researcher and writer at GeekWrapped. She has been creating high-quality content for over a decade and covers home, lifestyle, beauty, fashion products and more.

Best Professional Tattoo Guns

Top 10 Buying Guide

Our Recommendations

Danny Robinson's Tattoo Machine

Pro Tattooing DM-8 Gun

How to Choose the Best Tattoo Guns

Top 10 Products

Danny Robinson's Tattoo Machine

Pro Tattooing DM-8 Gun

Dragonhawk Tattoo Gun

Yosoo Dragonfly Tattoo Machine

BIGWASP Tattoo Gun

Yilong Coil Tattoo Machine

Hommii Tattoo Machine

Bolayu Tattoo Gun

Shark Complete Pro Tattoo Kit

INKSTAR Halo Tattoo Machine

About the Author

TOP PICK

Danny Robinson's Tattoo Machine