Have you ever tried getting an embossed effect on a greeting card without a heat gun? It’s pretty tricky. You either have to use decoupage, which is no good if you want to go for a really delicate image.
Or you don’t get the glitzy effects you can get with pretty embossing powders.
And there are some craft projects that can’t be done at all without a heat gun, such as shrink wrap, which is a much loved favorite of crafters, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’ll be amazed with what you can make.
The solution, then, is to get yourself a heat gun. And lucky for you, there are some really great heat guns on the market at the moment, and I’m going to review some of them for you here today.
But we know what it’s like, when you’re into arts and crafts, you can end up spending so much money on bits and pieces that it can cause rifts with your partner. So I’ve also included some budget options here too.
And to help you to decide which is the right heat gun for you, I’ve also written a little buying guide that you can use as a quick checklist to ensure that you have in fact thought of everything before you buy.
So, without further ado, let’s get straight to it!
If you’re in a hurry, here’s my Number 1 pick!
Best Heat Gun
Chandler Dual Temp Hot Air Gun for Crafts
No products found.When I look at different tools for my crafts, I always look into how well a tool has gone down with those who’ve tried it. And this heat gun has seen some phenomenal customer ratings…
After well over 9,700 individual customer ratings on Amazon, the average customer rating still comes out a whopping full 5 stars out of 5.
It’s also the winner of the title of Amazon’s Choice in the category of heat tools, which is a title only given to products that are both of excellent quality and are also available at a good price. So, let’s look at what’s so good about it…
One of the most notable features of this particular heat gun is that it offers a choice of two different temperatures. You can use a temperature of 200 degrees Centigrade for delicate detailed work, or at 300 degrees Centigrade for bigger jobs.
It comes with a very long cord, coming in at 6 feet long, so this is great if you like to twist and turn around your craft projects to dry them. You won’t have to worry about the plug pulling out the socket.
These two features together make it an excellent choice for crafters, because of how much versatility it offers, you can use it for working with epoxy resin, shrink wrap, vinyl, embossing, phone repair and soldering, DIY, and more.
It’s also very comfortable to use for extended periods, thanks to its being so ergonomic and lightweight. And it’s also pretty quiet to boot. But if you don’t want to have to hold it for extended periods, that’s fine too, because there’s also a handy little stand included in the box as well.
I’m also impressed with the safety features. First off, it is UL safety certified. And one of the reasons it’s so safe to use, besides the insulated heat gun body, is the nozzle safety shield, for an extra measure of protection against burns.
Pros:
- Phenomenal customer ratings!
- Can be used for multiple crafts
- Has dual temperature settings
- Comes with a long 6 foot cord
- Features a nozzle safety shield
Cons:
- Noticeably more expensive than most other heat guns for crafts
No products found.
Mlife Mini Dual Temperature Heat Gun
No products found.Now, this is a great little heat gun, too. It’s been flying off the shelves at Amazon, and, better yet, more than three quarters of customers gave it a full 5 stars out of 5.
Like the Chandler Dual Temp heat gun, we showed you earlier, it offers a choice of two different temperatures. You can use a temperature of 200 degrees Centigrade for delicate detailed work, or at 300 degrees Centigrade for bigger jobs.
And that means there’s a very wide range of crafts that you can use it for, including the likes of epoxy glitter tumblers, shrink wrap, paint and lacquer drying, stamp embossing, and even electronic projects, thanks to its soldering capabilities.
It also comes with a very long cord, coming in at a whopping 6 and a half feet, so you can twist and turn around your projects with comfort and ease, and without worrying about the plug getting pulled out from the socket.
It’s designed to fit comfortably in your hand as you work away, and if you ever need to give your hands a rest, you can make the most of the retractable bracket that will allow for hands-free operation.
It has great safety features, too. It is UL safety certified, has a well-insulated body, has a nozzle safety shield, and also features protection from overheating, thanks to the automatic switch-off when it starts to get a little too hot.
I was also pleased to discover that this heat gun comes backed by a warranty, which is reassuring.
I also love how this heat gun is available in a range of different colors, which makes it a great gift for a crafter if they have the gun in the crafter’s favorite color.
It’s also very well priced, cheaper than my top pick, but not so cheap that the quality of the product suffers.
Pros:
- Excellent customer ratings
- Can be used for multiple crafts
- Has dual temperature settings
- Comes with a long 6.5 feet cord
- Features overheating protection
Cons:
- Customers advise being careful not to touch the nozzle against whatever you’re using it for as this can melt the nozzle
No products found.
Abunro DIY Heat Gun
No products found.Now, this is a great little heat gun for the budget conscious amongst you, one of the cheapest in my shortlist, in fact. But the affordable price is not all it’s got going for it…
It also happens to offer dual temperature control. You can use a temperature of 200 degrees Centigrade for delicate detailed work, or at 300 degrees Centigrade for bigger jobs.
And this really opens up the range of different crafts that you can use it for. You can use it for making epoxy glitter tumblers, drying out paint or clay, shrink wrapping PVC, rubber stamp embossing, and more.
It comes with an extra long cable, coming in at a whopping 6 feet and 6 inches, which means that you can twist and turn around your project as much as you like without worrying that you’ll accidentally pull it out of its socket.
It’s quite comfortable to hold in your hands while you work, but if you do need to rest your hand for a moment, you can take advantage of the stainless steel bracket that will hold the heat gun up without fear of damaging your furniture as it rests.
It has great safety features, too. It is UL safety certified, has a well-insulated body, and also features protection from overheating, thanks to the automatic switch-off when it starts to get a little too hot.
I love that it comes backed by 100% money-back guarantee, because this means that you have nothing to lose by buying it. If you’re not happy with it, you get your money back. And there’s a 12 month warranty, too.
And if that’s not enough, it’s also received great customer ratings, too.
Pros:
- Bargain, affordable price point
- Features a stainless steel bracket
- Great customer ratings & reviews
- Offers protection against overheating
- Backed by 100% money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Some customers have commented that it takes a little time to heat up
No products found.
Mofa Mini Heat Gun for Crafts
No products found.If perhaps you’re a little scared of your heat gun throwing out too much heat, then maybe this heat gun will reassure you. Whereas some heat guns offer dual temperature control, this one stops at 200 degrees centigrade.
But despite this single temperature control offering, there’s a very wide range of crafts it can be used for. These include working with epoxy resin, shrink wrapping, embossing powders, candle making, and even electronic soldering and cell phone repair.
It’s available in 4 different color schemes, namely pink, purple, white, and black. I think the black one looks awesome, but maybe that’s just me.
It’s quite comfortable to hold in your hands while you work, but if you do need to rest your hand for a moment or two, you can take advantage of the stainless steel bracket that will hold the heat gun up without fear of damaging your furniture as it rests.
There are some great safety features there too. It has a built-in heat sink to stabilize the internal temperature, and also features protection from overheating, thanks to the automatic switch-off when it starts to get a little too hot.
It has some great customer ratings and reviews, coming in with an average Amazon customer rating of 4 and a half stars out of 5 – even after having received over 3,000 individual ratings. And it’s a bestseller across 3 different categories with the leading online retailers.
It also happens to be available at an excellent price and is great value for money.
The main drawback to this one would have to be the short cable length. It’s not so short that you can’t work with it, but it’s significantly shorter than other heat guns in its class.
Pros:
- Bargain, affordable price point
- Features a stainless steel bracket
- Great customer ratings & reviews
- Offers protection against overheating
- Built-in heat sink to stabilize temperature
Cons:
- Temperature goes up to 200 degrees Centigrade, not 300
- The cable length is relatively short at just 3.28 feet
No products found.
ZeopoCase Mini Heat Gun
No products found.Here’s another great heat gun – it’s been selling in high numbers and has earned a lot of praise from those who’ve tried it out, earning an average Amazon rating of 4 and a half stars out of 5, even after well over 4,800 individual customer ratings. It’s a bestseller with the online retailers in the category of soldering heat guns.
With this heat gun, there’s just one heat setting, which is 200 degrees Centigrade. But that’s not such a bad thing – there’s still a wide range of crafting activities you can do with it. These include shrink wrapping, rubber stamp embossing, and drying out paint, varnish, and clay.
Although it’s not really designed for soldering with (it’s more of a craft utensil) some customers have tried it for soldering, but with mixed results.
It’s comfortable to hold and to use, and is very lightweight, coming in at just 8 ounces. And it has a non-slip grip, which is very good to know.
But if you did want to set it down for a while, you can do so safely without worrying about damaging the furniture, thanks to the stainless steel bracket that will keep the heat from any table surface.
And despite the affordable price point, it’s made of good quality materials such as stainless steel outside housed in top quality ABS plastic on the outside.
Its safety features include vents which are located on both the left and the right side of the heat gun.
The main drawback to this one would have to be the short cable length. It’s not so short that you can’t work with it, but it’s significantly shorter than other heat guns in its class.
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular heat gun, simply click on “Check price” to see if there’s a deal on now. But even if you don’t manage to catch a deal it’s still set at a very reasonable price.
Pros:
- Available at a reasonable price
- Very lightweight at just 8 ounces
- Features a stainless steel bracket
- Great customer ratings & reviews
- Ventilated on both sides for safety
Cons:
- Temperature goes up to 200 degrees Centigrade, not 300
- The cable length is relatively short at just 3 feet long
- Not particularly recommended for soldering
No products found.
Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide – it makes for a handy checklist before you buy.
Versatility
Many fellow crafters I know like to branch out into as many different crafts as possible, and why not? So, if this describes you, then you’re going to want a heat gun that can be used for all kinds of crafts…
Why stop at just heat embossing for example, when you could be making jewelry through shrink wrapping, or you could even venture into candle making and the like.
Some heat guns can even be used for soldering and cell phone repair, which might come in handy one day.
Adjustable Temperature
One of the aspects of heat guns that lends itself well to versatility is being able to work at two different temperatures. And this is why I decided to make the Chandler Dual Temperature heat gun my number one pick. You can use a temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit for delicate detailed work, or at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for bigger jobs.
A Long Cord
I like my heat gun to have a long cord, that way you can twist and turn around your craft work as much as you like without worry of the plug coming out of the socket.
Ergonomic
Whatever project you are using the heat gun for, you are likely to be required to hold the heat gun in position for at least a minute or two, if not much longer, especially if you are using one at a lower temperature.
In which case, you’re going to need a heat gun that’s comfortable to hold for the duration…
It must be both narrow enough to comfortably hold, and sufficiently lightweight to hold. It should also feature a non-slip grip.
Meets Safety Standards
If you are anything like me, you hold safety standards to be one of your most important features when buying anything new.
There are some heat guns on the market that don’t live up to North American safety standards, so please be sure that the one you decide to buy does.
Customer Reviews
Shopping online is a great way to check out customer ratings and reviews. Rather than just going off claims by the manufacturer, you have the opportunity to hear straight from those who’ve actually used the product.
We recommend going for products that earn a customer rating of at least 4 stars out of 5.
Moreover, customer reviews often provide some great tips for using the product, too.
Value for Money
Now, heat guns can really vary in price, with some costing over $40, while at the other end of the spectrum, you can get one for as little as $10 or so. But as you might imagine, the higher priced heat guns tend to have more features and are generally of much better quality.
So, if you have a budget to work with, as many of us do, then I would recommend checking the prices as you go along.
