If you are on your way to becoming a tattoo artist, at some point you will need to upgrade your gear or to get your first one as a fresh starter. Tattoo kits are very convenient for tattoo artists as buying a kit will save you the trouble of finding each item separately. As a beginner, your preferences may not be set yet, and this is also an opportunity to try new products. However you should not rush, there are plenty of kits on the market so it can be quite challenging to decide which one to buy. Therefore I prepared a list of things to consider before choosing your kit.
Contents
Top 10 Tattoo Starter Kits
1.Stigma tattoo kit
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Stigma tattoo kit is a great choice for beginners, especially for females due to its machine size and weight, as it fits better in hand. It contains a rotary machine that is easier to handle compared to a coil machine, therefore this kit would be a great fit for a beginner. Its gear system ensures a quiet and vibration-free experience.
Machine specs:
-Style : Tattoo Pen
-Motor: Japan Motor
-Voltage: DC 12V
-Connector: DC 5.5
-Needle Protrusion: 0 – 4.5 mm
-Stroke Length: 3mm
-Dimension: 117 x 28
-Weight: 112g
Kit content:
-1x Stigma EM125 rotary tattoo machine
-2x 1500 mAh battery 4.5 – 10.5V output
-10x sterilized needles 5RL
-10x sterilized needles 9RM
-2x grip bandages
-1x storage box
Pros:
- Ergonomic and lightweight pen style.
- Comes with a storage box.
- Comes with two batteries (one can be used while the other one is charging).
- Beginner friendly.
- Tattoo gun made of aluminum frame.
- Quiet and vibration-free operation process.
- Fairly low price.
Cons:
- A fully charged battery may not last as much as expected.
2. Dragonhawk Mast Pen Kit
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One of the best choices among freshly starters, Dragonhawk Mast rotary machine is made out of Space Aluminum frame. Its lightweight pen-style makes it perfect for long time usage. Its quiet and vibration-free operation mode helps you boost your focus and achieve astonishing results.
Machine specs:
-Style : Tattoo Pen
-Motor: custom Mast Motor
-Voltage: DC 9V
-Stroke Length: 3.5 mm
-Dimension: 117 mm L
-Weight: 120g
Kit content:
-1x Rotary tattoo machine pen
-1x Power supply
-1x Foot pedal
-1x Grip roll covers
-20x Wjx cartridges
-1x DC cord
-1x Storage box
Pros:
- Lightweight and ergonomic tattoo machine pen.
- Contains foot pedal.
- Comes with a storage box.
- Quiet experience.
- Suitable for beginners.
- Good price-quality balance.
Cons:
- Customers complained about the needles not penetrating properly and not reaching the quality expected.
- Some customers complained about the pedal not working properly.
3. Wormhole Tattoo Kit
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If you are impatient in starting your tattoo practice, then the Wormhole tattoo kit is the perfect choice for you. As it comes with everything you need for tattoo practicing, you can start using it the very next moment after you unpack it. The kit contains everything you need to help you achieve a studio-like experience.
Machine specs:
-Style : Tattoo Pen
-Motor: Mabuchi Motor
-Voltage: DC 10V
-Needle Protrusion: 0 – 4.0 mm
-Stroke Length: 3.5 mm
-Weight: 130g
Kit content:
-1x Wormhole rotary tattoo pen
-1x Power supply with power cord
-1x Tattoo RCA cord
-1x Foot pedal
-50x Tattoo ink caps with base
-20x 5ml tattoo ink bottles
-5x 3RL needles
-5x 5RL needles
-5x 5M1 needles
-5x 7M1 needles
-2x Cover grip rolls
-2x Practice skins
-5x Transfer tattoo paper
-1x Gloves pair
-1x Tattoo tool kit
Pros:
- Quiet experience.
- Contains foot pedal.
- Easy set-up.
- Suitable for beginners.
- Great practice kit, contains everything needed for practice.
- Good price-quality balance.
Cons:
- Ink quality may be lower than expected.
- Practice skins may not be as good as expected.
- Customers complained about power supply and foot pedal quality.
- Does not come with a storage box, therefore storing it may be a bit tricky.
4. ITATOO Tattoo Kit
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ITATOO kit is a beginner-friendly kit that comes with everything you need to start practicing. It is a perfect choice for the ones that prefer coil tattoo machines over rotary ones. The online guide it comes with provides information about setting up the tattoo kit and learning materials for beginners.
Machine specs:
-Style : Coil tattoo machine
-Voltage: DC 8V
-Process: Stamping
-Wrapped coils: 8 wraps
Kit content:
-1x Coil tattoo machine gun
-1x Digital power supply
-1x Clip cord
-1x Power cord (American standard)
-1x Foot pedal
-1x Aluminum grip
-1x Ink cup holder
-5x 3RL needles
-5x 5RL needles
-5x 7RL needles
-5x 5M1 needles
-5x 7M1 needles
-5x 9M1 needles
-10x 5ml tattoo ink bottles
-50x 12mm ink cups.
-50x O-rings
-50x Rubber bands
-50x Grommets
-1x Practice skin
-1x Pair of gloves
-1x 3 sizes key set
-4x Round disposable stainless tip
-6x Flat disposable stainless tip
-1x Tip brush set
-1x User manual
Pros:
- Great practice kit.
- Provides beginner manual and learning materials.
- 6 months warranty.
- Sterilized tattoo needles.
- Set-up support.
- Low price.
Cons:
- Does not provide a storage box.
- Set up may be a bit difficult for beginners.
- Heavier than pen-like machines.
- Customers complained about foot pedal quality.
5. Solong Tattoo Kit
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A beginner-friendly kit, Solong Tattoo Kit is a great choice for new starters, especially for females. The rotary tattoo machine provides an experience with fewer vibrations and less noise. The pen is made out of aircraft aluminum alloy that ensures a pleasant and natural experience due to its lightweight feature.
Machine specs:
-Style : Tattoo Pen
-Motor: 10w Motor (made in Taiwan)
-Voltage: DC 12V
-Needle Protrusion: 0 – 4.0 mm
-Stroke Length: 3 mm
Kit content:
-1x Rotary tattoo machine
-1x Power supply
-1x Power cord
-1x Foot pedal
-20x 5RL needles
-20x 9M1 needles
-1x Disposable grip roll cover
-1x Pair of gloves
-1x 250 ml Green soap spray diffuser bottle
Pros:
- Suitable for beginners, easy to use and set up.
- Great quality – price balance.
- Contains foot pedal.
- Lightweight and quiet rotary tattoo machine gun.
- Reliable power supply.
- Provides green soap spray diffuser.
- One year warranty.
Cons:
- Does not provide ink.
- Does not provide storage box.
6. Hawink Tattoo Kit
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An impressive kit, perfect for beginners, Hawink kit provides everything needed for starting practicing. Due to its coreless Japanese motor, you can have a pleasant and quiet experience which helps you focus on your masterpieces. Its lightweight pen-style build ensures an easy handling process.
Machine specs:
-Style : Tattoo Pen
-Motor: Japan Motor
-Voltage: DC 12V
-Needle Protrusion: 0 – 4.0 mm
-Stroke Length: 3.2 mm
-Size: 96 mm Length x 34 mm Grip
-Weight: 147 g
Kit content:
-1x Rotary tattoo machine
-1x Digital power supply
-1x Power cord
-1x Foot pedal
-5x 3RL needles
-5x 5RL needles
-5x 7RM needles
-5x 9M1 needles
-1x ink bottle
-1x Grip roll
-1x Pair of gloves
-1x Practice leather
-1x Storage box
Pros:
- Beginner friendly kit.
- Quiet operation mode.
- Good quality.
- One year warranty.
- Storage box provided.
- Foot pedal provided.
Cons:
- Heavier than other pen-like tattoo machines.
- Low quantity of ink provided.
- Quite pricey compared to other similar kits.
7. Mast Tour Pro Tattoo Kit
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Mast tour pro kit is a perfect fit for future female tattoo artists due to its machine size and weight. It is a beginner-friendly kit, easy to set up and provides a great experience. The tattoo machine ensures a quiet operation with precise line works. It is powered by a German coreless motor that ensures precise line works with strong power.
Machine specs:
-Style : Tattoo Pen
-Motor: German Motor
-Voltage: DC 9V
-Needle Protrusion: 0 – 4.0 mm
-Stroke Length: 3.6 mm
-Size: 85 mm Length x 32 mm Grip
-Weight: 127 g
Kit content:
-1x Mast Tour Pro rotary tattoo machine
-1x LCD mini power supply
-1x RCA cord
-20x Wjx cartridges (mix sized)
-1x Grip cover roll
-1x Pair of gloves
Pros:
- Beginner-friendly kit.
- Good quality kit.
- Lightweight.
- Small size, suitable for females.
- Quiet operation mode.
Cons:
- No ink provided.
- Storing it may be a bit troublesome as it does not provide a storage case.
- Quite expensive compared to other kits.
8. Yuelong Tattoo Kit
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Yuelong tattoo kit is a suitable kit for the ones that are looking to start practicing with a low budget kit. Due to the coil tattoo machine, it may be a little tricky for a beginner to set it up. The tattoo machine has low vibration and a 22mm grips that makes it good for long time usage.
Machine specs:
-Style: Coil tattoo machine
-Machine frame: Iron
-Wrapped coils: 10 wraps
-Processing: Stamping
Kit content:
-1x Tattoo machine gun
-1x LED digital power supply
-1x Foot pedal
-1x Clip cord
-1x 5ml ink bottle
-5x 5RL needles
-1x Stainless steel tattoo tip 5R
-1x 22mm alloy grip
-10x Ink caps with base
-10x Rubber bands
-10x Mixed colors grommets
-10x Rubber O-rings
-3x Machine gun adjust tool
-1x Pair of gloves
Pros:
- Very cheap.
- Pretty good quality.
- Low vibration while operating.
- Quieter than most coil machines.
Cons:
- Low quantity of ink provided.
- Set up may be tricky for a beginner.
- No instructions included.
9. Dragonhawk Coil Tattoo Kit
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A budget-friendly tattoo kit, Dragonhawk provides two tattoo machine guns, one for lining and one for shading. Dragonhawk Pro coil tattoo machines have a high – elastic spring made of superior composite material. The kit contains everything a beginner needs to start practicing. The Dragonhawk pro coil tattoo machines are suitable for long term usage.
Kit content:
-2x Tattoo machine gun (lining and shading)
-1x Power supply
-1x Foot pedal
-1x Clip cord
-20x Sterilized needles
-1x Practice skin
-4x Ink bottles
-4x Transfer papers
-20x Needles tips grips
-2x Alloy grips
-1x Storage box
Pros:
- Low budget kit
- Provides everything needed for practice
- Suitable for long term usage
- Storage box provided
- Good quality
Cons:
- Different machines for lining and shading.
- Pretty troublesome set up for beginners.
- Customers complained about poor practice skin quality.
10. Dragonhawk Complete Coil Tattoo Kit
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This Dragonhawk complete kit may be a bit tricky for new starters but would be a great fit for the ones that have a bit of experience. It can be used as a practice kit but also it can be used in actual tattooing. The kit contains 4 tattoo coil machines with different purposes such as: Conventional Liner, Power Liner, Soft Shader and Color Packer. The pack contains everything needed to start tattooing.
Kit content:
-1x Conventional Liner coil tattoo machine
-1x Power Liner coil tattoo machine
-1x Soft Shader coil tattoo machine
-1x Color Packer coil tattoo machine
-1x Digital power supply
-1x Clip cord
-1x Foot pedal
-10x Ink bottles
-50x Sterile needles
-1x Adjust tool set (3 pcs)
-2x Alloy Grips
-10x Rubber bands
-10x O-Rings
-10x Needles tip grips
-1x Pair of gloves
-1x Storage case
Pros:
- Storage case provided.
- Easy voltage adjustment due to the pedal.
- A large number of needles.
- Good quality.
- Budget-friendly kit.
Cons:
- Quite a difficult set up for beginners.
- Different machines for different functions.
Questions & Answers
How can I start practicing tattooing?
As you may expect, you won’t start tattooing straight on peoples bodies, you will need to get used to the feeling of tattooing and you have to make the process as natural as possible before doing it on peoples. So, the first step into the tattoo world is getting yourself a tattoo machine, or as a beginner, you may need a kit because its easier to get all the stuff as a kit instead of looking for each item separately, as maybe you may not even know what are you looking for. The second step is to get as much practice as possible, so you need a lot of practice skin, transfer paper and other things that your kit may not include.
Coil or rotary, which one is better?
Both are great, but as a beginner, you should keep in mind that a rotary is easier to handle due to its weight. As for female artists, the rotary machine can be considered a better choice due to its size, making it a better fit for persons with smaller hands.
What is the equipment required in order to start tattooing?
When you are done with practice skins, the equipment required for actual tattooing straight on the body goes to the next level. So, you had enough of practice skin and it’s time for you to start tattooing on the human body. Therefore, you will need equipment as transfer gel and ink cups, you will also need high-end ink as you don’t want to use cheap standard ink on someone’s body. Also, gloves, nitrile paper towels, green soap, medical sheets are must-haves. And you may also need stencil light boards and disposable cord sleeves. That being said, you may now be ready for actual tattooing.
What can you use other than practice skin to practice tattooing?
If you don’t think that practice skins are for you, you can also consider practicing on an orange peel or banana peel. The feeling is slightly similar to the human body’s skin. You can also consider practicing on the pig skin. Also before using the tattoo gun, you should practice your designs on a notebook or you can even practice on yourself with a marker or Henna ink.
Should I buy a tattoo kit or should I buy all equipment separately?
If you are a beginner and you don’t know what are you looking for, then you should buy a kit as in most of the cases it comes with everything you need to start using it. But if you already know what you need, then you should buy them separately as you can choose every product in particular and you have the control over the quality of the products, buying a kit you can end up with poor quality ink or power supply and a high-quality gun or vice versa.
What should you consider before buying a tattoo kit?
As I said before, you can find a lot of tattoo kits on the market, but as you expect, some are worth it and some are not. You may already have experience with tattooing and you are just looking for a budget-friendly kit to continue your practice or to change the machine type you are using or has previously broken down and still don’t know which one to choose. Or you may be a new starter and you may want a practice kit. In this section, I prepared a couple of key features of a kit to consider prior buying. However, not all of the characteristics are to be met as the kit must suit your style.
The tattoo gun.
You don’t want to end up with a machine that frequently breaks down. As the gun is the heart of the kit, it must be reliable and it has to be a perfect match with everything you use during the tattooing process (needles, power supply etc.). You should also consider the weight of the machine as if it is too heavy, not only it will increase the difficulty of using it but also on long term usage it will get your hand tired faster than a lighter one. Don’t forget to consider the grips. Good metal grips will ease the machine handling. The best way to check if the machine meets your needs is by doing a bit of research before buying, check its specs and the reviews. If everything sounds good, then you may be found what you were looking for. But don’t forget to compare with other similar products, it may not be the best decision if is done too hasty.
Power supply.
Mind the machine first as some power supplies work with both rotary and coil operated machines, some works just with one type. The most important thing is that it has to work.
You should also consider the voltage (it vary from 1.5volts to 20volts), the more voltage you get the more power you get. And don’t forget about the type as it can be analog or digital power supply and each of them can be regulated or unregulated. You should do a bit of research to find out what you really need and which one fits your style.
Extra supplies.
You may be tempted to choose a kit just because the amount of the extra supplies you are getting. But unfortunately, most of the times, the large quantity of supplies’ purpose is to take your attention away from other more important things such as a machine or power supply. So be aware that if a large kit catches your eye you should double-check the machine, power supply and power cord at least.
Price.
Usually, a professional tattoo artist use tattoo machines whose price vary between 500$ – 1000$. As a beginner, you should avoid spending a large amount of money on your first kits. As you may not know what your preferences are yet and you may want to try different products there is no point in spending a small fortune on one of your first kits.
Conclusion
If you are a new starter, you should choose a pen-like tattoo machine as it is easier to set up and to handle. If you already experienced pen-like machines and you think that this type of machine is not for you, you can try the coil machines but you have to be really careful with setting up the machine as it can be a bit tricky. Also before starting tattooing on the human body, you must practice a period on practice skin, however, the feeling may be a bit different from the real skin. You can also practice on orange skin or banana skin as it has a slightly similar feeling to the human body’s skin. Anyway, you have to take a practice period as long as possible before starting actual tattooing as mistakes can be made and can lead to harmful situations.
