8 Best Tattoo Needles Of 2022 Reviews And Buying Guide

8 Best Tattoo Needles

1. Best Precision:Pirate Face Tattoo Premium Needles

From professional tattoo artists to newbies, everybody loves the medical-grade stainless steel needles from Pirate Face Tattoo. These tattoo needles are packed individually in a sterile blister pack with an expiration date stamped on the back. In this premium pack, you get ten pieces of magnum shader, round shader, and round liner, each in a different needle configuration. Pros

Professional grade Precise Controlled ink flow Individually packed in sterile blister pack Made from medical-grade stainless steel

Cons

Fragile needles

2. Best Stability:Dragonhawk Cartridges Extreme Needle Standard 5 Round Liner

You will experience stability and a fast rebound rate with these Extreme Cartridges from Dragonhawk. It comes with smooth edges that reduce the chances of skin trauma and infection. They also have a membrane mechanism that prevents ink spit-back or spillage, making your tattoos cleaner and precise. The needles go through ethylene oxide gas sterilization, making them safe for use. In this pack, you get twenty pieces of Standard 5 Round Liner needles attached to plunger overmolds. These tattoo needle cartridges by Dragonhawk are compatible with pen-style and coiled tattoo machines. Pros

No spit back Better ink flow Gas sterilized Precise control High toughness Budget-friendly Beginner-friendly Can be used for microneedling

Cons

Does not hold the ink properly

3. Best Pre-Sterilized:Bigswap Professional Tattoo Equipment

The Bigswasp disposable tattoo needles cartridges are known for their quality. With these needles you get sharp, burr-free, and detailed tattoos thanks to its unmatched ink flow. You can create clean and straight lines with the standard round liner needles. They come pre-sterilized and are skin-friendly. Plus, they are compatible with rotaries, coiled, or Hawk tattoo machines. In this pack, you get 50 needles in multiple needle configurations. Pros

Medical-grade steel Smooth transfer of color No-spill back Beginner-friendly Individually packed Pre-sterilized Compatible with rotaries and coiled machines

Cons None

4. Best Versatile:Autdor Mixed Tattoo Needles Set

The Autdor tattoo needles are made of 316-grade stainless steel that is safe for tattooing. The needles have clean soldering and provide great control. The set contains 50 pieces of tattoo needles of three types – round shader, round liner, and magnum shader. Each type of needle set has five pieces that come individually packed in blister packs. The needles are pre-sterilized with 100% EO gas for instant use. In addition, the tips are incredibly sharp. These tattoo needles by Autdor are compatible with most tattoo machines and provide a premium tattooing experience. Pros

Clean soldering Optimal control Pre-sterilized Can be used for microneedling Good for coloring and shading Individually stamped with the expiry date Standard-length

Cons None

5. Best Beginner-Friendly:ATOMUS Mixed Tattoo Needles And Tips

Professional tattoo artists trust Atomus due to its quality. This set contain needles in different configurations. They are packed in a pre-sterilized blister pack to maintain hygiene. The needles are made of 304L stainless steel, which is safe for use. They are most preferred by tattoo artists and estheticians for permanent eyebrow tattoo. Pros

Made of high-grade stainless steel Value for money Pre-sterilized Sturdy needles Beginner-friendly Great for practice Optimal control

Cons None

6. Best Ink-Flow:Fashion Zone Disposable 5RL Tattoo Needles

The Disposable 5RL Tattoo Needles are made of high-quality stainless steel in a clean design. The needles are of standard length and easily fit in any tattoo kit. they are good for coloring and shading with optimal control. This pack contains 10 needles. Pros

No bend in tips Fits all tattoo kit Clean soldering Extremely sharp Excellent welding Effective ink flow

Cons None

7. Best Disposable:Pirate Face Assorted Disposable Tattoo Needle Cartridge

The Pirate Face Tattoo Needles Cartridges are easy to replace while working. These disposable cartridges offer greater control and precision while tattooing. They let you create finer, detailed designed tattoos on the skin without cuts or tears. In this set, you get some round liner, round shader, and magnum shader needles in different configurations. Pros

Compatible with all rotary and coil machines Individually packed in a blister packet Pre-sterilized Affordable

Cons

Needles swing freely inside the tubes

8. Best Intricate Design:Dragonhawk Assorted Liners and Shaders Tattoo Needles

The needles of Dragonhawk Assorted Liners and Shaders Tattoo Needles are made of high-grade stainless steel and have clean soldering. They are appropriately sharp that reduces the chances of skin damage Artists prefer to use these assorted liners and shaders, especially for fine craft and intricate designs. These needles are pre-sterilized with ethylene oxide. Pros

Neat tip arrangement Good for fine tattoo designs Ethylene Oxide sterilized Very sharp

Cons None It can be quite confusing to choose the ideal tattoo needle for your use when so many top-selling brands are available in the market today. The correct configuration for you will be based on your overall preference and style. But, before making a choice, you have to understand all the different tattoo needle types and what they can perform. Therefore, to ensure that you buy the best tattoo needles for your distinctive style, we have listed some features to keep in mind.

How To Select The Best Tattoo Needles

Diameter

The diameter or gauge of your tattoo needle is the measurement of the needle’s thickest point.This is denoted by a numerical value on your tattoo needle box. The diameter of a tattoo needle will affect its ink flow, which means that the narrower the needle diameter, the more controlled the ink stream will flow out of it. Additionally, narrower tattoo needles will have finer ink flow, allowing you to perform any line-based work. Alternatively, tattoo needles having larger diameters will have more ink flow, which means they are great for coloring or shading.

Needle Count

The needle count refers to the number of needles or sharps present together in a group. The higher your needle count, the larger will be your grouping. Additionally, the needle count will also dictate how much space you are covering per tattoo session.This too is denoted by a numerical value on your tattoo needle box.

Type Or Configuration

Denoted by two alphabet letters on your tattoo needle box, the configuration or type of a needle is defined by the overall arrangement of needles present in the needle bar. For instance, if your needle box says ‘RL’, it means that the needles have a ‘Round Liner’ configuration. Round liner needles are great for doing fine line work, dot work, and geometry work. Thus, different needle configurations will provide different effects on your skin. So, choose the type wisely when opting to ink a particular style of tattoo.

Taper

Taper refers to the length of the point at the end of each needle. For instance, if the box is mentioned ‘ST’, then it means that the needles are ‘Short Taper’. A short taper needle will have a shorter point at its end (1.5 mm) while a long taper will have a longer point (2.0 mm). To create a masterpiece on the skin you will need the right needles in the right configuration. In the section below, we talk about needles, their configurations, and much more.

What Needles Do Tattoo Artists Use?

The size of the needle depends on the size, shape, and details in the tattoo. Mostly, needle selection depends on three things - the tapper or the pointed end of the needle, its diameter, and configuration. Tapper: The tapper of a needle determines the quality of ink flow into the skin. Lower the taper; better is the ink flow into the skin and vice versa. Therefore, choosing the right taper size is crucial. Taper sizes range between 1.5 millimeters to 7 millimeters. You will need all kinds of tapper. The higher taper will help you work with black and gray colors. The low tapers are for other colors. Diameter: Diameter is measured when all needles in counting are aligned together along the central bar. At present, there are 4 diameters available in the market. Those are size 6 (.2 mm), size 8 (.25mm), size 10 (.30mm) and size 12 (.35mm). You can use the higher diameter for area fill. Smaller diameter needles are good for faster shading and drawing tight lines. Commonly tattoo artists use size 10 (.30mm) needles. Configuration: It determines the number of needles grouped together for creating the desired patterns. The most common configuration of needles is– round, flat, and magnum. Now, the experience of selecting the best tattoo needles will come with time and exposure in the industry. As you become a seasonal tattoo artist, you will understand the needles better.

What’s The Best Needle For Shading?

Shaders: Generally, these needles are a cluster of several loosely or tightly grouped needles. The configurations of shaders come in various sets, including 3, 5, 7, 9, and 30 needles per set. Magnum Shader: Magnum shader is for filling bigger areas with a single color. It distributes the color evenly. Popular abbreviations used for this shader are Mag, M1, M2, and M1C. Round Shader: The round shader has loose needles and is mainly used for circle forming. Flats: A flat needle helps in distributing color and performs beautifully with single tone color. In flats, needles are arranged side-by-side in a row. Liners: Liner needles are tightly grouped to make sharp details and crisp lines. Its popular abbreviations are RLXP, RLXT, and RL.

Why Trust StyleCraze?

Baishali Bhattacharya is a certified Style and Image Consultant. Her purpose of researching and analyzing thousands of products each day is to give her readers a holistic and seamless shopping experience that helps them find what they need. In this article, she highlights the best tattoo needles that will make your job as a tattoo artist a whole lot easier. She picked the products after going through multiple online reviews that highlight the efficiency and safety of the needles. Do tattoo needles expire? Yes. The expiry date of a tattoo needle is the date after which the sterilization for that specific needle no longer holds. Are tattoo needles reusable? No. Tattoo needles are not reusable, as reusing the needles may spread illness or cause infection. Can tattoo needles cause nerve damage? No. Even though the tattoo needle comes in touch with nerve terminals, nerve injury during tattooing is infrequent. What are 1rl tattoo needles used for? 1rl tattoo needles are used for lines, precise shading, and fill-ins. Does boiling tattoo needles sterilize them? No, boiling tattoo needles does not sterilize them.