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mandag den 27. juni 2016

12 clear jelly stampers: test, comparison and review


I have tested 12 different clear jelly stampers from different brands in normal, XL and jumbo sizes, and am showing how easy (or difficult) they are to see through and how well they pick up. I compare them, also according to price.
Why did I buy so many for this test: well, I am a firm believer of testing a lot of things within any field of interest, before I can decide what works best for me.
And I am curious also to test products that are cheaper but look the same as the more expensive ones. 

Before the test, let’s start with some facts about clear jelly stampers – and some trouble shooting!

Facts:
A clear jelly stamper is transparent to see through. You can see what you are doing and more easily place the exact part of the pattern that you want to use.
Clear jelly stampers do not need priming, other than a roll over tape or a lint-roller. Buffing will make them matte and you cannot see through them anymore.
Please only use tape or a lint-roller for cleaning, not acetone nor nail polish remover.
They are delicate, so treat them gently, and always store them upright and without the head touching anything - unless it comes with a protective cap.
The heads are all removable from their holder/can be replaced with a similar sized head.
They are semi-firm and non-sticky = slightly squishy like in neither hard nor really soft. A few in this test are however more either hard or soft, I will describe that in the review of each of them.
To pick up use a gentle rolling motion with no/almost no pressure, they are different to work with than a rubber stamper like Konad or a squishy/soft stamper.
To transfer you also need a light hand, but some clear jelly stampers allows more pressure than others, so experiment...
The heads have here been removed on all types...
This is what my tape looked like after the testing ;)

Trouble shooting:
If you still have problems using your clear jelly stamper/s you can try to wash the head in warm water with dish soap – or give it a quick swipe with pure acetone, preferably use a lint free pad of some kind.
Review you pick up pressure, is it too hard?
Did you scrape too hard?
Is the transfer the problem – did you press too hard?
Remember to test on paper over and over again, it really helps you to getting used to your clear jelly stamper.

Disclaimer: I am NOT an expert, I’m on an everlasting stamping journey, but in the below test/review you will find my observations and thoughts!

For the test I used a black stamping polish polish: MoYou London Black Knight, and the plate is Bundle Monster BM-XL 206, where I chose this part of the plate because it has both thin/fine lines and thicker lines and solid areas.

For the visibility test I held the stampers over my favorite scraper, one of the MoYou London "Your Best Scraper" (comes with different images).

Let's begin. I will do a comparison within each of the 3 group - and at the end I have my final conclusion!

Small/normal size 2.5 cm head – all came with scrapers!
Left to right: No name/Born Pretty Store, No name from Ebay, MoYou London, Picture Polish and square no name from Ebay.
There are many other shops and brands selling stampers like the 4 first - some with and some without a brand name...

No name/Born Pretty Store:
No name/Born Pretty Store without lid, open bottom (came with BPS scraper so I presume it is a BPS) $1.81 including shipping.

No name from Ebay:
No name with lid, closed bottom from Ebay $1.67 including shipping.

Picture Polish Jelly stamper kit:
Picture Polish Jelly stamper kit with lid, closed bottom $12 + shipping.

MoYou London Kaleidoscopic clear:
MoYou London Kaleidoscopic clear with lid, closed bottom, also comes with storage box £7 + shipping (free shipping from £20).

Square no name from Ebay:
Square no name from Ebay with closed bottom $2.18 including shipping 2.8 x 2 cm head.


Normal sized 2.5 cm clear jelly stampers comparison, facts, pros and cons:
Comparison: The Picture Polish and the MoYou London stamper heads are slightly harder, than the rest, and the square head is the softest.
The three stampers with lid have identical holders in size and material.
Facts: If you have very curved nails (like some of mine) a softer stamper works better than a hard.
There is a huge difference in price.
Pros: The visibility is great in all of them, the first one does however feel a bit narrow to look through.
All 5 stamp well.
The 3 middle ones: It is nice to have a lid to protect the stamper head.
The small size make them ideal for small patterns.
ConsThe small size is not ideal for longer nails, but they are OK for my nail length.
A closed bottom is great in the beginning, but over time I imagine it can get dull from wear and tear, and the result is less visibility.

The acrylic holders doesn’t react well to an accidental squirt of acetone or polish remover, the surface instantly melts – so if the bottom is affected, it’s time to buy a new stamper, see photo below.
Fortunately only the side was affected by an accidental squirt of acetone...

XL – all with 3.5 cm heads and protective cap/lid for the top, closed bottom, all came with scrapers.
Left to right: No name from Rainbow Connection, No name from Ebay, Pueen Chunky Transparent soft and no name from Ebay.
There are many other shops and brands selling stampers like the 2 first - some with and some without a brand name...

No name from Rainbow Connection:
No name from Rainbow Connection £7 + shipping.

No name from Ebay:
No name from Ebay $3.49 including shipping.

Pueen Chunky Transparent soft:
Look at that ridged base of the Pueen :(
Pueen Chunky Transparent soft $8.99 + shipping.

No name from Ebay:
No name from Ebay $1.99 including shipping - identical to the Pueen but with a ever so slightly clearer base.

XL sized 3.5 cm clear jelly stampers comparison, facts, pros and cons:
Comparison: The stamper heads feels and looks exactly the same – and all have a closed bottom.
The two first stampers have identical holders in size and material. The two last stampers have identical holders in size and material.
Facts: There is huge difference in price. The Pueen and the similar name actually are only 3.2 cm.
Pros: The visibility is great in the two first.
All 4 stamp well.
Cons: As previously mentioned a closed bottom is great in the beginning, but over time I imagine it can get dull from wear and tear, and the result is less visibility.
The acrylic holders doesn’t react well to an accidental squirt of acetone or polish remover, the surface instantly melts – so if the bottom is affected, it’s time to buy a new stamper, see previously shown photo.
The two last/low stampers have a very poor visibility because of the ridged base – the Pueen is however by far the wort, the $8.99 + shipping is a total waste of money!

Jumbo – 4.4 cm heads, open bottom, not protective cap – all came with scrapers.
Left to right: Marianne Nails clear jelly 4 cm (head here not in holder) in the middle Daschica Jumbo Stamp 4 cm and finally UberChic XL clear stamper head & holder - all heads are the exact same size.
PS: The tiny smiley face in the loose head to the left is accidental, the head stuck to the table and suddenly the smiley face was there LOL - in person/in it's holder, there is no smiley :D

Marianne Nails clear jelly 4 cm:
Marianne Nails clear jelly 4 cm (no name on stamper) €6.50/$7.38 + shipping.

Daschica Jumbo Stamp 4 cm:
Daschica Jumbo Stamp 4 cm – clear jelly €6.95 + shipping.

UberChic XL clear stamper head & holder:
UberChic XL clear stamper head & holder $8.99 + shipping, also available from EdgyPolishwhere I bought mine - and soon from Hypnotic Polish if you prefer to shop within the EU.

Jumbo 4.4 cm clear jelly stampers comparison, facts, pros and cons:
Comparison: The Marianne Nails and the Daschica Jumbo Stamp are the firmest of these 3, the UberChic is a little softer = allows a little harder press for pick up - but most of all it makes it easier for me to stamp my nails without distorting/breaking the pattern, as I can let my nails "sink" into the stamper.
They all have nicely rounded “edges” and are thick (high head compared with the other heads) and they feel sturdy.
The two first have identical holders, the UberChic has a ring that holds it nicely in place, and I love how close I am to the nail when I look through it!
Facts: Even if the Marianne Nails and the Dashica are called 4 cm and the UberChic 4.4 cm – the size is exactly the same.
They are wonderful to work with; I love all 3 of them.
Pros: The visibility is really great in all of them, and the larger size makes it so easy to see through them.
I love that they have an open bottom, that makes them even more easy to see through! 
All 3 stamp really well.
The height of the stamper and the rounded edges makes it so easy to do a rolling motion when using them.
Cons: None that I can think of. 
But I guess a minor con is the missing protective cap, but I store mine in an upright position away from dust and light, so I don't feel it's a problem.


Final conclusion: They all stamp well, no question about it! 

The 3 losers:
The Pueen ($8.99 + shipping) is IMO money out the window!
The similar no name from Ebay ($1.99 including shipping) and the square from Ebay ($2.18 including shipping), are just as/almost as bad, but the price makes it easier to move on and forget!

The 3 winners:
I love everything everything about these three stampers from Marianne Nails, Dashica Beautyshop and UberChic...
- but I do love the UberChick just a little bit more because it's a little softer and because the "see-through" area is bigger and closer to the nail - simple and genius!!!
I do however wholeheartedly recommend all three of them as wonderful clear jelly stampers!


A last thought: Remember the above is based on my personal experience with these stampers and my personal preference. So your winners might be different from mine, but I think we would have the same losers ;) 

I hope you made it all the way through this looong review and found it useful ;)

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36 kommentarer:

  1. Thank you so much! While I do have stamping supplies, I don't stamp much but I do like having the tools for it when I get the occasional desire to do so. I have held off getting a clear stamper so far. I feel they will continue to evolve. I am wondering if eventually they will come out with a head like the shorter UberChic one you like so much, with a removable base and lid (to keep it dust-free), as that makes the most sense. Or make a perfect-fit storage container for what they already have. I realize there are plenty of small plastic containers you can already buy that will fill that need, but it would be nice if one was created for the purpose to contain the stamper.

    SvarSlet
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    1. I'm so happy to hear you found it useful. I agree, I also love perfect-fit storage containers, so that is the only thing I miss for my winners...

      Slet
  2. That is some extensive try-out. Thanks for sharing your finds.
    That Pueen is a serious dud. Like, refund-and-some-more-worthy.
    I have a feeling that I'd like your favourite, but in a longer holder. I'd be too clumsy to manage it as it is.

    SvarSlet
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    1. Thank you so much for liking it - and yes, the Pueen should qualify for a refund...
      I was surprised to experience how easy it is to use the UberChic, the ring gives me a good grip....

      Slet
  3. That's a great review, thank you :)
    I am using a cheap one from Aliexpress and it works like a dream :)

    SvarSlet
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    1. I'm so happy you like it - yes, the price doesn't always means good or bad...

      Slet
  4. Thank you so much for this epic post, I had almost bought the Pueen one, assuming it would be good because it's a company known for stamping.

    SvarSlet
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    1. I'm really happy you found it useful. I also love the two Pueen plates I have and the stamping polishes, really much in fact, so I was super disappointed in this stamper...

      Slet
  5. Wow! :) You've come so far with your stamping journey - I love it!

    LG Lotte

    SvarSlet
  6. Que maximo arrasou, tenha uma semana abençoada.
    Blog: http://arrasandonobatomvermelho.blogspot.com.br/
    Canal:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmO8csZDARM

    SvarSlet
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    1. Thank you so much! - please do not link spam...

      Slet
  7. Thanks for a great post! It's interesting to see that you have the UberChic as your favorite. I can't get mine to work at all the way I want to, but I guess I will give it one more try after reading your review.

    SvarSlet
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    1. Thanks a lot Helena - can you make other clear jelly stampers work?
      The pressure definitely can be a problem, if it's too hard, try almost not touching for pick up - and a rolling motion for the transferal...

      Slet
    2. I can get others to work perfectly, but they are all the kind you need to press pretty hard with, so I will try with less pressure.

      Slet
    3. So if I understand you right, the UC is your only clear jelly stamper?
      For pick up almost don't touch - if that's the problem...

      Slet
  8. Thank you so much for this post, very helpful! If you had to pick one of the other two winners thst wasn't the Uber Chicago, which would you pick? I don't but from UC, but really need a good jumbo clear stamper. :)

    SvarSlet
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    1. The ones from Marianne Nails and from Dashica Beauty Shop are identical, so it is what/from where of those two you prefer to shop :)

      Slet
  9. Fun post!!! And very informative and helpful! Timely for me too as I am just venturing into clear stamper. ;) Made some notes.

    (Finally got a way to comment on your posts from my phone, rather than from my computer which my back dictates when I can sit at...so going forward should be able to keep up. Yay!!)

    SvarSlet
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    1. Oh, thank you so much - I hope you find a perfect clear jelly stamper :)
      Don't worry - I always appreciate your comments, so don't let your back hurt you because of me <3

      Slet
  10. This is very interesting! You did an amazing job!

    SvarSlet
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    1. Thank you so much, I means a lot, that you find it useful!

      Slet
  11. thank you for this very informative review! I have 2 clear stampers, both are from BPS, and 1 regular Konad stamper, and I love the clear ones more. Haven't tried UberChic, but I have a feeling I'd love their stamper too :)

    SvarSlet
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    1. I'm so glad you liked it - and I'm sure you would love the UC stamper...

      Slet
  12. very interesting ^^ I should buy a new clear stamper... obviously I won't get the pueen one home!

    SvarSlet
  13. Great comparison!

    SvarSlet
  14. Hats off to you! and we should thank you a lot for such a great post!It's very useful for all stamping enthusiast, whether beginner or pro! Thank you for sharing! ^_^

    SvarSlet
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    1. I'm really happy you liked it and found it useful - that makes it so worth the work :D

      Slet
  15. Thank you so much for spending so much time for this post, it's awesome! I tried stamping without results, but with this compendium I feel motivated to give it a new try :) .

    SvarSlet
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    1. I'm no expert, but feel free to tell me where you have problems, what stamper you use etc. :)
      Thank you so much for your kind words :)

      Slet
  16. Svar
    1. Thank you so much, I'm so happy you found it useful!

      Slet
  17. That is one extensive test! I was already thinking about ordering the UberChic XL stamper so I did just that after finishing the review :)

    SvarSlet
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    1. Aww, thanks a lot - and I think you will love it just as much as I do!

      Slet

Please do NOT link spam! Comments with links will very likely be removed. If you want me to look at your blog, send me an email!