A Beginner's Guide to the Best Tattoo Kits on the Market (2023) - AuthorityTattoo (2024)

There are lots of tattoo kits around, and it’s difficult to know which to choose. That’s where we come in; we’ve reviewed the best tattoo kits to help make your decision easier. Our choice would be the Grinder Tattoo Kit by Pirate Face Tattoo, as this is affordable and still gives you everything that you need when starting out. We’ll also share with you what you should know before buying a tattoo kit.

The best tattoo kits around right now are:

• Grinder Tattoo Kit by Pirate Face Tattoo—Best Overall
• STIGMA Complete Tattoo Kit Pro—Best Value
• Solong Tattoo Complete Tattoo Kit 4—Best for Vegans
• Rehab Ink Complete Tattoo Set—Best Complete Tattoo Set
• Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit 4—Best Design
• Wormhole Complete Tattoo Kit for Beginners—Best for Beginners
• ITATOO Complete Tattoo Kit for Beginners—Best Basic Kit

Best Tattoo Kits Reviewed

Grinder Tattoo Kit by Pirate Face Tattoo—Best Overall

Specifications

Tattoo Guns: 4 x 10 wrap coil tattoo machines.

Power Supply: Yes.

Ink: 7 Radiant colors tattoo ink.

Needles: 50 sterile needles – Liner and shaders, mixed size.

Suitable for: Beginner, apprentice, and professional

The Grinder tattoo kit is a high-quality kit that has been designed for both beginners and professionals. The kit is easy to assemble and includes four tattoo machines that are made from durable stainless steel and are lightweight and easy to use. The tattoo machines have been specifically for both lining and shading.

The ink included in the kit is the USA-made tattoo ink by Radiant colors, which are great for any style or size of tattoo. It’s made with a pure uncut homogenized pigment that gives you a solid, bright, long-lasting color.

The kit is a great all round kit that includes everything that you need to progress your career as a tattoo artist. This includes sterile needles, grips, disposable and stainless steel tips, and so much more.

It has its own power supply that can run on any standard voltage current, and a foot pedal to work efficiently with your machine. It all comes in its own carry case, which is ideal if you’re a tattoo artist on the go. The tattoo kit comes with a 6-month warranty on the power supply and the tattoo machines.

Pros

• Great all round kit that gives you everything you need in one place.
• Includes an instructional book and DVD for beginners.
• Four Tattoo machines that are made from durable steel and have a resilient copper coil core.
• Good value for money, with many high-quality components included.
• Six months warranty on power supply and tattoo machines.

Cons

• Some users reported that the power supply is unreliable.
• The tattoo machine can be quite noisy with some users saying that it sounds like a hive of bees.

STIGMA Complete Tattoo Kit Pro—Best Value

Specifications

Tattoo Guns: 1 Rotary machine.

Power Supply: Yes.

Ink: 5 Colored inks – Advised for practice only.

Needles: 5 needles.

Suitable for: Beginner, intermediate, and professional.

The STIGMA tattoo kit comes with a single rotary tattoo machine that’s perfect for both linework and shading. It’s powerful with its 10W motor and is easy to control. The tattoo kit is great value for money and gives you 20 pieces that can be carried in its own branded carry case.

The tattoo machine is made from CNC machined aircraft aluminum for a strong, durable frame that’s difficult to scratch so looks like new for a long time. The unique slider technology within the tattoo machine makes the needle movement smoother than other tattoo guns. The tattoo machine is lightweight and is comfortable and easy to grip with it’s large size needle.

The needles with the rotary tattoo machine give you smooth, delicate lines that are full of color or great shading. It gives a good finish with minimal damage to your skin.

You will receive five high-quality tattoo inks in popular colors. However, it’s advised that you only use these inks for practicing your tattoo skills. You should invest in professional inks to complete your tattoos on human skin to make sure that the tattoo ink lasts as long as it should, and that the colors don’t fade.

The tattoo kit comes with a one year warranty on the rotary machine and the power supply. You should keep the machine working at under 12V to protect the rotary system and the motor.

Pros

• Great value for money.
• High quality rotary tattoo machine included for both linework and shading.
• Durable tattoo machine frame made from CNC machined aircraft aluminum.
• The machine is quieter than other brands when working.
• One year warranty on the rotary machine and power supply.

Cons

• An instruction booklet needed to set up the machine.
• Need to purchase professional ink before tattooing for real.

Solong Tattoo Complete Tattoo Kit 4—Best for Vegans

Specifications

Tattoo Guns: 4 x 10 wrap coil tattoo machines.

Power Supply: Yes.

Ink: 54 colored inks – Vegan friendly.

Needles: 50 sterile needles – Liner and shaders, mixed size.

Suitable for: Beginner, intermediate, and professional.

This Solong tattoo kit gives you everything that you need to start your career as a tattoo artist or to be the envy of your friends. It includes four 10 wrap coil tattoo machines that are ideal for linework and shading.

It also gives you a great choice of color tattoo inks with 54 different shades to try plus one bottle of true black tattoo ink. The kit comes in its own carry case for easy transportation.

The tattoo inks are micro-dispersed to make them much easier to use and they are sterilized by gamma ray so are reliable to use. The inks don’t contain any animal products or harmful substances, so they are ideal for vegans. They also heal faster with less scabbing, which means that the skin will retain more of the pigment and it won’t fade quickly.

The tattoo machines are handmade from carbon steel and are designed for lines and shading, giving you great results. They are lightweight and come in four different colors to easily distinguish between them.

You will get a digital power supply included in your tattoo kit with foot pedal and clips cord, giving you a stable and strong power supply.

The tattoo machines are relatively easy to set up but if you have any issues you can check out the online guide for how to set up the tattoo kit. This also gives you a free tattoo teaching video and a number of tattoo designs.

Pros

• Suitable for vegan tattooists with inks that don’t contain any animal products.
• Offers a great choice of ink color options.
• Handmade machines from durable carbon steel.
• The LCD power supply allows you to keep tabs on the amount of power remaining.

Cons

• The ink has been known to dry easily.
• Some users reported the power supply can be unreliable.

Rehab Ink Complete Tattoo Set—Best Complete Tattoo Kit

Specifications

Tattoo Guns: 2 x 10 wrap coil tattoo machines.

Power Supply: Yes.

Ink: 7 MOMs Millennium tattoo inks.

Needles: 50 sterile needles – Liner and shaders, mixed size.

Suitable for: Beginner, intermediate, and professional.

The Rehab Ink tattoo kit gives you a great start into the popular world of tattooing, with all that you need to get you started. The great quality products are also popular with professionals.

Included in the tattoo kit are two coil tattoo machines that are designed for both linework and shading. The frame is low vibration and has brass contacts to give you a smooth performance and is comfortable to use. The power supply included gives you a digital display and foot-pedal power control for a professional quality and a reliable supply of power.

You’ll get seven bottles of half-ounce MOMs Millennium tattoo ink included in the kit. These include popular colors as well as black ink. You’ll also get a resin skull ink cap holder and 150 clear caps.

There are lots of accessories included in the tattoo kit, such as grips, sterilized tubes and needles, heat and UV-resistant rubber bands and o-rings, and five cleaning brushes. It also includes a bottle of green soap and anti-scar ointment to help with the cleaning of the tattoo and the aftercare process.

The tattoo kit doesn’t include an instructional booklet to help with the set up. However, there’s an e-book available online that gives you this information along with lots more useful hints and tips.

Pros

• Kit includes everything you need to start tattooing.
• Low vibration frame for a smooth performance.
• Resin skull ink cap holder included.
• Green soap and aftercare ointment included.

Cons

• Some users reported the power supply isn’t very powerful.
• Need to go online to get set up instructions.

Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit 4—Best Design

Specifications

Tattoo Guns: 4 x coil tattoo machines.

Power Supply: Yes.

Ink: 10 colored Immortal inks – Vegan friendly.

Needles: 50 sterile needles – Liner and shaders, mixed size.

Suitable for: Beginner, intermediate, and professional.

The Dragonhawk complete tattoo kit certainly looks the part as well as offering you everything you need to start tattooing. It comes with four coil tattoo machines that are all designed differently to allow you to find the one you want easily. The tattoo machines are a conventional liner, power liner, soft shader, and a color packer machine.

You will get ten bottles of Immortal inks that are made in the USA. These inks are vibrant in color and are formulated for consistency, going in easily and resisting fading. They’re also vegan friendly and don’t contain any animal products.

Dragonhawk is a reputable brand when it comes to tattoo supplies and this shows in its complete tattoo starter kit. It has all the accessories that are needed to do the perfect tattoo and these all fit into the lockable travel case to be easily transported.

Pros

• Four tattoo machines included, each with great designs.
• Each tattoo machine is checked by hand before being sold.
• 10 bottles of Immortal ink included – great colors and suitable for vegans.
• Large travel case allows you to carry the kit around with you.

Cons

• Some users reported that the grips were not tightening correctly.
• Reports of the power supply being unreliable.

Wormhole Complete Tattoo Kit for Beginners—Best for Beginners

Specifications

Tattoo Guns: 2 x 8 wrap coil tattoo machines.

Power Supply: Yes.

Ink: 10 colored 5ml inks.

Needles: 30 sterile needles – Liner and shaders, mixed size.

Suitable for: Beginner and intermediate.

This tattoo kit is ideal for beginners who are first starting out in the world of tattooing. The kit comes with two coil tattoo machines, one for linework and one for shading and you can adjust the voltage from 5.5V-8V to make it suitable for the liner or shader.

The frames of the machines are made from magnesium alloy and iron. This is then given a special treatment to give it a great aesthetic look as well as being durable and resistant to scratches. It comes with a power supply with a stainless steel foot pedal for easy access.

The tattoo kit comes with 10 different colors of ink, along with a black ink to allow you to practice your designs completely. It also comes with needles, tubes, and aluminum grips, as well as all accessories required to get your tattooing started properly.

This all comes packaged in a branded box so you’ll need to purchase your own carry case if it’s required.

Pros

• Great kit for beginners.
• Durable, easy to use tattoo machines.
• Power supply gives strong reliable power.
• Offers value for money.

Cons

• The foot pedal could be better quality.
• No carry case included.

ITATOO Complete Tattoo Kit for Beginners—Best Basic Kit

Specifications

Tattoo Guns: 1x 8 wrap coil tattoo machine.

Power Supply: Yes.

Ink: No ink included.

Needles: 5 sterile needles

Suitable for: Beginners.

This tattoo kit gives you the basic tools to start tattooing. It includes a coil tattoo machine that can be used for both linework and shading and the voltage can be adjusted from 5.5V-8V to suit the job at hand.

The frame of the tattoo machine is made from a high quality iron construction, giving you a durable machine that’s lightweight and comfortable to use. The tattoo kit comes with a power supply, foot pedal, and clip cord.

The kit doesn’t include any inks but it does give you five sterile needles, a nylon grip, and stainless steel tips, along with o-rings, grommets, and rubber bands.

The tattoo machine is relatively easy to set up but if you’re struggling there’s a full guide available online.

Pros

• Affordable tattoo kit, and good value for money.
• Easy to set up.
• Tattoo machine performs well.
• Online guide available if needed to set up the machine.

Cons

• Doesn’t include any ink.
• The small tattoo gun overheats easily.

What To Look For in a Tattoo Kit

A tattoo kit is a great place to start when first learning how to tattoo and it includes everything you need to get you started. However, there are lots of things that you should look for when choosing a tattoo kit, especially if it’s your first one. You need to make sure that you get the best tattoo kit for you and it’s suitable for your requirements.

We’ll let you know what types of tattoo kits are out there and what you should be looking for before splashing the cash.

What’s Included?

You need to make sure that the tattoo kit that you choose has everything in it that you’ll need. The items included will change depending on the manufacturer, and will also be different if it’s a beginner, intermediate, or professional tattoo kit.

Most beginner tattoo kits will include the following:

• A tattoo gun – the quality of the gun will vary depending on price.
• Power supply unit to operate the tattoo machine – including a foot operation switch and clip cord.
• A set of tattoo inks – different colors.
• Disposable tubing.
• Sterile tattoo needles.
• Practice “skin”.
• Antiseptic wash – most tattoo artists use Green soap.
• Instruction booklet.

An intermediate tattoo kit will include all of this but in larger quantities, plus stencil paper for transferring tattoo designs to the skin, and an aftercare kit.

If it’s a professional tattoo kit that you’re looking for, you’ll receive many of the above items. Your professional kit should also include an autoclave with sterilization pouches and an ultrasonic unit. An autoclave is needed to make sure that everything is sterilized and that your tattoo equipment and supplies are as hygienic as possible.

Types of Tattoo Guns

There are a number of different types of guns that can be used to tattoo. The three main ones are below:

Coil Tattoo Gun

A coil tattoo gun is the most commonly used tattoo gun, both with beginners and professionals. It has electromagnetic coils that allow the needle to move up and down, completing the tattoo. The good thing is that it’s possible to regulate the speed and power of the gun when needed.

Coil tattoo guns can be used for either drawing lines or filling in the tattoo, and sometimes they come in a pack of two. This means that you can use one gun for line work and the other for filling. They’re customizable tattoo guns that are popular with many tattoo artists.

Rotary Tattoo Gun

The rotary tattoo gun was the original tattoo gun, and is still popular today. It’s built with a rotary mechanism that has an electric motor to allow the needle to move in the way it needs to complete the tattoo.

Many beginner tattoo artists find a rotary tattoo gun difficult to handle so this is better to be used by professional tattoo artists. A rotary gun is quieter than a coil tattoo gun, which is good if you’re in a tattoo studio. They are also known to move the needles more evenly and smoothly than a coil tattoo gun.

Pneumatic Tattoo Gun

Pneumatic tattoo guns were invented and patented in 2000 by Carson Hill. The tattoo gun uses pressurized air from air compressors to move the needle up and down. The gun is lightweight and is easy to use. This makes it perfect for use in a tattoo studio where you will be tattooing all day.

The pneumatic tattoo gun can be easily cleaned and sterilized without the need to disassemble the gun. This is an advantage over other tattoo guns that need to be taken apart to be cleaned. However, the pneumatic tattoo gun is very expensive compared to other types so think carefully before spending all your money on this type of tattoo gun.

Material

The components of your tattoo kit should be made from high quality, durable materials. The best option for your tattoo gun would be stainless steel or brass, as these are strong materials that can withstand lots of heavy use. They also clean up well when sterilizing throughout the day and can last for years.

You want all of the equipment to be comfortable to use as you may be using it for many hours of the day. Grips can be disposable or reusable, and can be made from plastic, rubber or metal. Be aware that metal grips don’t dampen the vibration from the gun like rubber grips would and they need to be fully cleaned and sterilized.

Ink

You will get a supply of ink with your tattoo kit and this is an important element of the kit, allowing you to complete the tattoo. Some kits offer a small amount of ink in limited colors so you should check this before buying.

You also should check how much ink your tattoo gun will hold as you may need to have enough ink to complete the tattoo session. You should choose a tattoo gun that can hold plenty of ink to save you having to refill it throughout the tattoo process.

Power Supply

Your tattoo machine can work fine on it’s own but to keep it running well it needs to be connected to a power supply. This will give you enough power to complete the tattoo. This is especially important if you’re visiting your clients in their homes or if you have a large piece of art to complete.

Your power supply options include digital, analog, and wireless power supplies. By connecting your tattoo gun to the power supply it will help you to tattoo at a steder and faster rate.

Size

The size of your tattoo kit and it’s components can be important if you’re looking to travel to your clients. You don’t want to be carrying heavy components around with you all day, they may also get damaged this way. Therefore, if you’re going to be visiting your clients at their home or outside a tattoo studio, a smaller, lighter option is the best choice for you.

If you’re based at one location, size isn’t a major issue, as long as you have the space available. Just be careful that you don’t get the heaviest machinery if you can’t lift it or work with it easily. It can be tiring tattooing all day without having to contend with heavy machinery that will add to your fatigue.

Price

As tattoo kits are available in lots of sizes, with lots of different equipment, machinery, and supplies, the pricing can differ hugely. You should check out what’s included before buying and not just buy the first tattoo kit that you see.

Prices of tattoo kits can vary from as little as 50 dollars to a whopping 2,000 dollars for a professional kit. You need to look at your tattoo kit as an investment, especially if this is going to be your chosen career. It’s important that you get the right tattoo kit for you, and don’t just go for the cheapest option.

A high-quality tattoo kit will help to give you high-quality-looking tattoos. This will then improve your reputation as a tattoo artist and will build your customer base.

However, if you’re just using the tattoo kits to produce tattoos for yourself and your friends and family, there’s no need to splash out. As long as your tattoo kit has everything that you need, you’ll be fine with a less expensive option.

Be Careful

It may be the current trend and a cool thing to do but tattooing can be dangerous. You can cause injuries by not using the equipment correctly, and you can also increase the risk of blood-borne pathogens for you and the person that you’re tattooing.

You need to make sure that you are properly trained in how to tattoo and also that you’re doing this safely, with health and safety as a priority.

You are responsible for the health and safety of the person that you’re tattooing. You also don’t want to give them a horrible tattoo that they have to live with forever.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to start tattooing or are currently learning how to tattoo, a complete tattoo kit could be ideal for you. They include everything that you need to start tattooing and you can add to them when needed.

There is a tattoo kit out there suitable for everyone from beginners, to the intermediate or those currently completing an apprenticeship,right up to the professional tattoo artist. The hard part is finding the right tattoo kit for you.

That’s where we hope that our reviews and our buying guide helped to make your choice a little easier.

Our favorite tattoo kit would be the Grinder Tattoo Kit by Pirate Face Tattoo. This is a great all-round tattoo kit that gives you everything that you need in one carry case. It includes four coil-wrapped tattoo machines and also gives you an instructional book and DVD to help those just starting out.

Our runner-up would be the STIGMA Complete Tattoo Kit Pro. This tattoo kit offers you great value for money with a high-quality rotary tattoo machine. The machine is reported as being quieter than other models and brands and comes with a one-year guarantee.

We hope that you found our guide useful and that you’re now looking forward to getting your own tattoo kit and starting your tattoo journey.