Nail Tips Guide: Plastic Tips vs Soft Gel Tips, Shapes, Sizes and Every Brand Compared
By Edmond Lin, M1 Nail & Beauty Supply, Markham, Ontario. Last updated 12 October 2026. Pack counts, sizes and shapes are taken from the manufacturers' packaging and listings; technique notes are general salon practice.
Nail tips come in two families. Plastic tips are glued to the free edge, blended and covered with acrylic, gel or dip. Soft gel tips cover the whole nail, are bonded with gel and cured under a lamp, and soak off. Plastic tips are the low-cost base for acrylic and dip sets and come in single sizes, 0 to 10. Soft gel tips are faster, need almost no filing, and come in boxes of 14 to 16 sizes. Which one you stock depends on the service you sell, and which brand depends on the shape, curve and pack size you need. This guide sets out every tip M1 carries so you can compare them in one place.
In this guide
Plastic tips vs soft gel tips: what is the difference?
| Plastic tips | Soft gel tips | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Rigid ABS-type plastic tips | Flexible tips made of soft gel |
| Coverage | Mostly half-cover: a well sits on the free edge | Full-cover: the tip covers the whole nail plate |
| How they attach | Nail glue | A gel adhesive, cured under a UV/LED lamp |
| After attaching | Cut, blend the seam, then overlay with acrylic, builder gel or dip | Little or no filing; go straight to colour |
| Removal | File down the overlay, then soak | Soak off |
| Sizing | Usually 11 sizes, 0 to 10; often sold one size per bag | 14 to 16 sizes per box, often with half sizes |
| Best for | Acrylic and dip sets, schools, the lowest cost per nail | Fast gel extensions and clients who want a light, natural feel |
| At M1 | all plastic tips | all soft gel tips |
Plastic nail tips by brand
These are the glue-on tips. All of them need an overlay.
| Brand | Tips | Sizes | Packs | Choose it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USN | Seven shapes, including Natural II, Coffin, Straight Coffin, Stiletto, Straight Square and Round French, in natural or clear | #0 to #10 | 50-tip bag of one size, 10 bags, 100 bags, or a divided box of 540 with every size (USN Straight Square Tip Box) | The widest choice of shapes, and a box that holds every size |
| Lamour | Lamour Natural (normal curve, opaque), Lamour K-Tips (extra-deep curve, semi-transparent), Lamour ToeTips for toenails | 0 to 10 | 50 tips of one size, or a bulk bag of 100 packs; ToeTips 48 per bag | Matching the tip to the curve of the nail; toenail work |
| Omega | Natural: normal curve, thin, half-moon well | 1 to 10 | 50 or 250 tips of one size, or 20 packs of 250 | A classic natural tip bought in larger single-size packs |
| Cre8tion | Cre8tion Natural false tips | 00 to 10 | 50 tips of one size | Topping up single sizes |
| CND | CND Pre-Shaped Stiletto and CND Pre-Shaped Coffin, both with a deep C-curve | Assorted in the box | 100 or 360 tips | Pre-shaped stiletto and coffin sets without filing the shape from square |
| Mr. Nail | Long tip boxes: Mr. Nail W395 Coffin and Mr. Nail W396 Oval | Assorted in the box | 360 tips per box | Long coffin and oval sets |
Soft gel and full-cover tips by brand
These tips cover the whole nail. Each brand designs its tips around its own adhesive gel, so use the system as the brand describes it.
| Brand | Shapes and lengths | Sizes | Packs | Choose it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aprés Gel-X | Two lines, Natural (flatter) and Sculpted (deeper curve, higher apex); almond, round, square, coffin and stiletto; Extra Short to Extra Extra Long | 14, including half sizes | Refill bag of 50 in one size, Mini box of 280, Pro box of 600 | The largest range, and refill bags for the sizes you run out of |
| DND | 25 styles, #01 to #25: coffin, square, stiletto, almond and round, each in X-Short, Short, Medium, Long and X-Long | 15 | 1,000 tips per box | High-volume salons; used with DND Primer #01 and Adhesive #02 |
| OPI GELevate | Round, coffin, square, almond and stiletto; double-sided pre-etched | 16 | 640 tips per box | No etching before application; adhered with OPI GELevate 4-in-1 Builder |
| Cre8tion | Cre8tion Soft Tips Square and Cre8tion Soft Tips Stiletto, Extra Short to XXL | 14 | 602 tips per box (420 in XL and XXL) | A lower-cost full box in the two most-used shapes |
| iGel Pro-X | Soft gel tips shaped to follow the cuticle line | 14, including half sizes | 600 tips per box | Half sizes in a single box |
| Mr. Nail | Mr. Nail Full Cover Builder Tips: a full-cover tip with the apex already built in, in oval, almond and coffin | Assorted in the box | 280 tips per box | Structure without building an apex by hand. The listing describes them as PMMA, not soft gel |
Which nail tips should you use?
- Acrylic or dip sets: plastic tips. Start with a natural tip from USN, Lamour or Omega.
- Fast gel extensions that soak off: soft gel tips from Aprés Gel-X, DND or OPI GELevate.
- Strongly curved nail beds:Lamour K-Tips in plastic, or the Sculpted line of Aprés Gel-X in soft gel.
- Flat or wide nail beds:Lamour Natural or Omega in plastic, or the Natural line of Aprés Gel-X in soft gel.
- Sheer, milky or clear finishes: clear tips from USN, semi-transparent Lamour K-Tips, or any soft gel tip.
- Stiletto and coffin without shaping from scratch:CND pre-shaped tips, or the USN Stiletto and Coffin shapes.
- Toenails:Lamour ToeTips.
- A school kit or a new station: a divided box with every size, such as the USN Straight Square Tip Box, then single-size refills.
Nail tip shapes explained
| Shape | What it looks like | Find it in |
|---|---|---|
| Natural / round | Sides run parallel and the end is softly rounded; the everyday shape | USN Natural II and Round French, Lamour, Omega, Aprés Round, DND Round |
| Square | Straight sides and a flat end | USN Straight Square, Aprés Square, DND Square, Cre8tion Square |
| Coffin | Sides taper to a flat end; also called ballerina | USN Coffin and Straight Coffin, CND, Mr. Nail W395, Aprés and DND Coffin |
| Stiletto | Sides taper to a point | USN Stiletto, CND, Aprés, DND and Cre8tion Stiletto |
| Almond | Sides taper to a rounded point | Aprés, DND and OPI Almond |
| Oval | A longer rounded end | Mr. Nail W396 |
Any square or natural plastic tip can be filed into another shape, which is why many salons stock one natural tip and shape it to order. Pre-shaped tips save that filing time on long sets.
How nail tip sizes work
- The lower the number, the wider the tip. Size 0 fits a wide thumb; the highest number fits a small pinky.
- Plastic tips usually run 0 to 10, eleven sizes. Some listings show size 0 as "00" or "#0", and Omega starts at 1.
- Soft gel tips come 14 to 16 sizes to a box. The extra sizes are often half sizes, such as 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 in Aprés Gel-X, which sit where techs used to file a tip down.
- Sizes are not interchangeable between brands. A size 5 in one brand is not the same width as a size 5 in another, so re-measure when you switch.
- Fit from sidewall to sidewall. Between two sizes, take the larger and file the sides.
- Check the curve as well as the width. A tip that is flatter than the nail lifts at the sides; one that is more curved leaves a gap.
Box or refill bag: how to buy tips
A divided box gives you every size and shows you which ones you actually use. A refill bag holds one size. Most salons empty the middle sizes of a box long before the largest and smallest, so the efficient pattern is one box to start, then refills for the sizes that run out.
| Pack type | What it holds | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Divided box | Every size of one shape | USN tip boxes (540), Aprés Mini (280) and Pro (600), DND (1,000), OPI GELevate (640), Cre8tion Soft Tips (602) |
| Refill bag | One size | USN, Lamour, Omega and Cre8tion bags of 50; Aprés refill bags of 50 |
| Bulk | Many bags of one size | USN 10 or 100 bags; Lamour 100 packs; Omega 20 packs of 250 |
What else you need
| Plastic tips | Soft gel tips | |
|---|---|---|
| Prep | Remove shine, cleanse, dehydrate | Remove shine, cleanse, dehydrate; primer or bonder as the brand directs |
| Adhesive | nail glue | The brand's own extend or builder gel, plus a UV/LED lamp |
| Shaping | tip cutters and nail files | A file for final shaping only |
| Structure | An overlay: acrylic powder, builder gel or dipping powder | None needed for wear; add builder gel if the client wants extra strength |
| Finish | Colour and top coat | Colour and top coat |
Not sure which prep product does what? See Nail Dehydrator vs Primer vs Bonder.
Brand-by-brand guides
- USN Nail Tips Guide: the seven shapes, natural and clear, and the four pack sizes.
- Lamour Nail Tips Guide: Natural vs K-Tips vs ToeTips, and choosing by nail curve.
- Aprés Gel-X Tips Guide: Natural vs Sculpted, half sizes and the full application sequence.
- Cre8tion Soft Gel Tips Guide: shapes, lengths and box counts.
Nail tips questions
What is the difference between plastic nail tips and soft gel tips?
Plastic tips are rigid, glued to the free edge and must be covered with acrylic, gel or dip. Soft gel tips are flexible, cover the whole nail, are bonded with gel under a lamp and soak off.
Which is better, plastic tips or soft gel tips?
Neither is better in general. Plastic tips are the base for acrylic and dip sets and cost the least per nail. Soft gel tips are faster to apply and feel lighter, which suits gel extension services.
Do nail tips need an overlay?
Plastic tips do: without acrylic, gel or dip over the whole nail they crack or come off at the seam. Soft gel tips are worn as they are, under colour and top coat.
What size nail tips do I need?
Measure each nail from sidewall to sidewall and pick the tip that covers it exactly. Low numbers are wide, high numbers are narrow. If you are between sizes, take the larger and file the sides.
Are nail tip sizes the same in every brand?
No. Every brand uses its own moulds, so a size 5 from one brand may not match a size 5 from another. Measure again when you change brands.
What are half sizes in nail tips?
Half sizes, such as 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5, sit between two regular sizes. Aprés Gel-X and iGel Pro-X boxes include them so fewer tips need filing down.
Can you use plastic tips with gel?
Yes. Glue the tip, blend the seam and overlay with builder gel. For a full-cover gel extension without an overlay, use soft gel tips instead.
Which nail tips are best for curved nails?
Use a tip with a deeper C-curve. In plastic, Lamour K-Tips are made for strongly arched nail beds. In soft gel, the Aprés Gel-X Sculpted line has a deeper curve than the Natural line.
How many nail tips are in a box?
It depends on the brand: 540 in a USN divided box, 280 or 600 in Aprés Gel-X Mini and Pro boxes, 640 in OPI GELevate, 602 in Cre8tion Soft Tips and 1,000 in DND. Refill bags usually hold 50 tips of one size.
Where can I buy nail tips in Canada?
M1 Nail & Beauty Supply in Markham, Ontario stocks plastic tips from USN, Lamour, Omega, Cre8tion, CND and Mr. Nail and soft gel tips from Aprés, DND, OPI, Cre8tion and iGel, for pickup or shipping across Canada. See all plastic tips and all soft gel tips.
Plastic tips and soft gel tips from every brand, in stock at M1.
Shop nail tipsPack counts, sizes and shapes are taken from the manufacturers' packaging and product listings as of October 2026 and can change; check the product page before ordering. Technique notes are general salon practice, not manufacturer instructions.
