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Nails That Aren't Boring: The NTAB Difference and Customer-Centered Press-Ons
Calling a press-on “salon quality” only makes sense if they meet the same technical standards used in a nail salon. No at-home nail system meets the exact same technical standards of salmon manicures.....until now.
The Problem: Most press-ons do not pass the salon standard test.
The Solution: Nails That Aren’t Boring™ (NTAB) sets pass every salon standard test AND deliver size-inclusive conveniency.
What Makes a Press-On "Salon-Grade" or "Salon-Quality"?
1.) Nail Material (Non-Negotiable)
This is where most press-ons fail to actually deliver a comparable salon manicure at home. ABS plastic is not salon-quality.
The Salon Standard Nail Material
Salon nails are hand-built from acrylic or gel based systems.
Current Press-On Material
Most popular press-ons are made from thin plastics like ABS or recycled materials.
NTAB Nail Material
NTAB nails are made from an acrylic-based structural polymer system that's specifically engineered for strength, comfort, durability, longevity, and a near‑natural feel.
How to tell if a press-on is made of salon-grade material?
If the ingredients include ABS plastic, that means the nails are made from injection-molded plastics, which are not salon-grade materials ❌
If the ingredient or claim is “Recycled Plastic”, that means the nails are made from injection-molded plastics (usually ABS plastic) that was simply recycled. This is a sustainability claim, not a quality claim ❌
If the ingredients include Acrylic, gel, or professional structural systems, those are true salon-grade materials ✅
2.) Nail Structure (Responsible for durability and comfort)
Good nail structure will provide a perfect balance of comfort, durability, and longevity.
The Salon Standard for Nail Structure:
Salon nails are hand-crafted with builder systems and with apex, pressure is intentionally balanced across the nail for comfort and proper fit, and the nail structure mimics a natural nail - thick where strength is needed and thin where comfort matters
Current Press-On Structure:
ABS press-ons have uniform thickness, which looks and feels unnatural. ABS nails are flat or hollow, which can affect how the nail lays on your real nail. ABS nails are also designed for cheap molding and mass production, not for comfort or a realistic nail look.
If there is no information on how the nail is actually structured, or it implies that it is balanced and comfortable but made from a thin plastic (ABS), then it can't provide the perfect structure balance and therefore, cannot deliver salon-level structure.
NTAB Nail Structure
NTAB nails are hand-crafted by professional manicurists using their same salon process. Each nail is intentionally shaped for precision and ideal structure balance to deliver a natural-looking nail that's secured with glue or other press-on application methods.
3.) Craftsmanship
The Salon Standard for Craftsmanship:
Salon Nails are crafted by a professional manicurist and customized to fit your exact nail size and shape. Salon nails are customized to you, shaped to your natural nails, and hand-painted with gel polish.
Current Press-Ons Lack ANY Craftsmanship
Any ABS press-on is mass produced, molded by machine, shaped by machine, and printed, you guessed it, by machine. This is a shortcut designed to cut production cost and maximize profit. It is NOT a process that creates a salon-equivalent nail. Machine-produced ≠ salon quality
NTAB Nail Craftsmanship
Each individual nail is hand-crafted by a professional manicurist and intentionally fitted for flexibility and comfort for a size-inclusive fit that doesn't compromise the durability of the nail. NTAB nails are shaped by hand with extreme precision and hand-painted with gel polish.
4. Fit & Sizing Systems
Salon Nails and Sizing
Salon nails are fully customized to your natural nail shapes and nailbed structure.
Current Press-On Sizes
Most ABS nails offer size-inclusive sets, which include 20-30+ nails in various sizes. This makes sizing easier, but just because they're size-inclusive doesn't mean they're quality. ABS nail sets cannot meet the other standards or requirements of a salon manicure.
Hand-painted press-on sets only shift the work to the customer: They only come with 10 nails per set and customers are required to measure each nail, compare their nail sizes to the brand-customized chart, and then choose one option from rigid size sets of XS, S, M, or L. That is not true size inclusion and one set only includes 10 nails, which rarely includes a full set that fits.
Custom hand-painted nails allow full customization and precise nail measurements, however, these sets take days or weeks to craft, which directly contradicts salon-level convenience.
NTAB Nail Sizing
NTAB nail sets come with 24 size-inclusive nails, all hand-crafted, all hand-painted. No compromise. All salon standards are met.
5. Wear Performance & Longevity
Salon Nails Performance
Salon nails last for weeks and are removed professionally when you go back to the salon for your next set.
ABS Press-Ons Performance
ABS nails chip, crack, or warp quickly and usually lose shape after one longterm wear.
NTAB Nails Performance
NTAB nails last for 3-4+ weeks and can be removed without destroying your natural nails with acetone or glue remover.
Application Parity
A salon-quality press on should rely on prep,
NTAB nails rely on proper prep, just like salons do - proper nail prep leads to natural-looking press-ons and durable wear for weeks.
provide structural durability, and don't require the customer to perform added work.
NTAB nails provide longevity through ideal structure, not just glue strength.
✔Achieve longevity through structure, not just glue strength
✔Are convenient and don't require the customer to perform added work
If longevity depends entirely on “extra strong glue,” that’s compensating for weak construction.
The NTAB Difference
NTAB was built immediately when our team realized that the current press-on nail options were overly advertised as salon quality, but not actually delivering that to the customer.
Salon quality means salon quality. It doesn't mean partial salon quality where you'll have to compromise on something. Our team sought to create a press-on with salon-level standards without compromising on literally anything.
NTAB was born out of necessity - the necessity for a better at-home nail system that provided exactly what was promised: professional quality, high durability, balanced structure, extreme comfort, creative design, realistic look and feel, and hassle-free sizing.
If you've never actually seen or felt what a salon-grade press-on looks like, how could you ever know your current options are far from it?
At NTAB, our nail sets are built with one thing in mind: YOU. Our goal was, and continues to be, to create salon nails with at home application that have ALL the features of a real manicure.
We never ask the customer to compromise on literally anything.
Problems With Current Press-On Nail Options: Empty Promises And Compromise Galore
Whether you notice it or not, your current press-ons are forcing you, the customer, to compromise somewhere. This compromise usually benefits the company, and never you. Current press-on options can never truly claim a salon-level experience at home, as they're secretly asking you to compromise on either quality, design, or fit.
Current press-ons offer 1-2 of these standards, but never all 3:
Quality, Design, Convenient & Consistent Sizing
Bold nail designs often accompany poor-quality nail material “Better" quality press-ons usually come with boring, machine-printed designs. Hand-painted sets provide quality, but come in 10 piece sets, require customers to measure every single nail, and then force customers to choose between a few rigid sizes (XS, S, M,L). This removes the convenience that's associated with press-on nails. Fixed size-sets.
At NTAB, we know you deserve exceptional quality, professionally-painted designs, and convenience associated with size-inclusive sets. We deliver professionally hand-crafted nails, hand-painted designs, and we removed ANY hassle commonly associated with sizing a hand-painted nail. The result? The first REAL salon manicure you can do yourself at-home with press-on application.
Why Choose NTAB and Not Just Purchase Hand-Painted or Custom Nail Sets?
Because there's still a compromise, and it's conveniency.
Here's the process that currently exists if you purchase a hand-painted or custom set:
Required tools for measuring: Flexible measuring tape in millimeters OR transparent tape & straight ruler (millimeter scale), and pen to record numbers
Measuring Processes Required for Current Hand-Painted Options:
- Brand/Company provides you with their specific measuring chart and instructions. (Why this sucks? All brands have different size charts and measuring instructions.) Oh and the tools? It's usually up to the customer to purchase those separately.)
- Measure every nail individually on both hands. Measure the widest part of the natural nail bed from sidewall to sidewall.
- Record numbered measurements in millimeters. Ensure you write down the width and include the finger name and hand associated with that specific measurement. Left and right hand sizes often differ.
- Compare to brand's size chart. Customers must compare each finger width to a customized size chart, and choose one size: XS, S, M, and L. Customers must choose which single size set best fits most of their fingers.
Pros: Hand-Painted nails can have beautiful artistry and dimensional designs.
Cons: Asking the customer to measure immediately removes the conveniency of a press-on nail. Returns are never accepted due to hygiene. Customers often best-guess their size and are expected to know that every nail may not fit exactly as desired. This is the standard practice across all hand-painted nail brands.
When placing a custom nail order, customers can send their exact nail measurement and design requirements to the manicurist, but you'll wait weeks for the sets to be crafted, painted and delivered.