Here’s our guide to choosing a heat gun to use for your crafts. Our top recommendations are based on the most suitable options, to help you get the results you want for whatever type of craft you are into.
If you are new to embossing, you’re going to find a heat gun is an essential tool to heat the embossing powder to the temperature required to melt it.
The same goes for curing a screen print, and there are other crafts that require higher temperatures to work too, including melting beeswax/soy wax, for candle making, applying HTVs, removing bubbles from epoxy resin, shrink wrapping, and removing decals, etc.
A hairdryer just won’t do, it will blow a much higher volume of air at a much lower temperature not what you want. Especially when you are working with embossing powder – there’s more chance of the powder blowing all over the place than of it actually working.
So safety first! This is obviously a crucial factor when choosing a heat gun, so we just want to point out that all of the heat guns we’ve reviewed here, conform to the highest safety standards.
If you aren’t going to be using a heat gun very often, need one for travel, or need to keep your craft supplies from taking over by taking up much space, the ENGINDOT Mini Heat Gun has the smallest footprint. It’s also our cheapest option.
The advantage of our other choices is that they have dual or multiple heat settings, to give you more control over the temperature you use.
Our top pick is the Wagner HT400. We have featured Wagner’s products here on Comfy Zen before (they also make exceptionally good paint sprayers for furniture).
We were particularly impressed with Wagner’s new heat gun design, not least because you are much less likely to catch your hand and burn it on the hot nozzle. The upright stand means it’s not lying horizontally on your craft desk where you could accidentally knock it with your hand.
If you need a heat gun that is also suitable for a wider range of crafts, can handle larger projects, or that you can emboss with but also use around the home for DIY projects, Wagner’s Spraytech 550 Hot Air Tool is the heat gun that we recommend.
Our Top Pick: Wagner Spraytech Hot Air Tool
Perfect for crafts that require heat to work, Wagner’s new lightweight, ergonomically designed, 3-user positions, heat gun gives you the flexibility to use it in the way that feels most comfortable for whatever you are working on.
Additionally, it has 2 temperature settings to give you control over the heat output.
We love this one, it’s such a simple design and the upright design of the stand means the nozzle is not lying around on your desk surface – so you won’t accidentally touch it and burn your hand while you are working.
Conforms to UL STD 499
Certified to CSA STD C22.2 No. 60335-1 and 60335-2-45
What We Like:
- Suitable for all kinds of crafts – The upright stand design keeps the nozzle away from the surface of your tabletop. This means there’s no risk of accidentally burning your hand on the nozzle while you are working.
- Dual temperature settings – 450°F (230°C) 680°F (360°C).
- Three Usage Positions – palm, pencil, and hands-free.
- Long Cord Length – 6-Foot
Weight: 0.7 lbs.
You can see it in action in the video below.
Runner-Up: Chandler Tool Embossing Heat Gun
This is the perfect tool for embossing by the US company Chandler. We think would also make a great gift for like-minded craft lovers – there’s even a matching glue gun to go with it!
Lightweight and cool to the touch, it features an insulated body, dual heat settings so you can control the amount of heat it puts out, and it also comes with a nozzle safety shield.
As with all the heat guns we have featured here it conforms to all safety standards and this one comes with UL certification.
What We Like:
- Safe and Reliable – this one is perfect for embossing. We think it would make an ideal gift too, you can even get a matching glue gun.
- Dual Temperature Settings: 392°F (200°C) 572°F (300°C).
- Nozzle Safety Shield – You can’t accidentally touch the hot metal.
- Cord Length – 6-Foot is a good length if you aren’t near an outlet.
Weight: 0.8 lbs.
Also Great: ENGINDOT Mini Heat Gun
This is the cheapest option we have featured and it’s also the most compact one too.
It doesn’t have dual heat settings like our other picks, but don’t let its smaller size lull you into thinking it’s not going to put out enough heat. This heat gun reaches a temperature of up to 662°F (350°C).
But as always safety comes first, so it does have thermal protection. This means that if, in the unlikely event that, it overheats, it has short circuit protection so it will just power off automatically.
A spoon reflector tool is also included which is very effective in concentrating and confining the heat output to just the spoon area.
What We Like:
- A Great Budget Option – For its compact size, it’s powerful and efficient.
- Compact Design – It’s one of the smallest models out there.
- A Long Cord Length – At 6.56 Feet this is longer than its competitors.
Buying Factors to Consider:
This one only has one temperature setting: 662°F (350°C).
Weight: 0.6 lbs.
Another Worthy Mention: Wagner Spraytech 503087 Furno 550 Heat Gun
This one is suitable for just about any craft that requires heat.
No fewer than 12 temperature settings (150°F to 1200°F) and two airflow speeds means you can, of course, emboss with it, but you can also do so much more – including acrylic paint pouring, wood-burning with a metal stencil, wax crayon art, shrink wrapping, and candle making, etc.
And if you are DIY-minded, you can also use it for projects around the home (such as for paint stripping or repair, etc).
The Wagner features an easy-to-read LED screen with push-button controls so you can clearly see what temperature you have set.
The heat gun includes a concentrator nozzle, a flare nozzle, a glass protector, and a curved deflector. This one even comes with a carry case to keep everything together.
For well under $40 this one is worth every penny.
What We Like:
- Suitable for a Wider Range of Projects – This one is especially versatile. It’s suitable for stencil wood burning, acrylic paint pouring, wax crayon melting, paint removal, sublimation and candle making, and more.
- 12 Temperature Settings – Ranging from 150°F to 1200°F th
- It Comes With Accessories – Five Nozzles Accessories mean you can customize it according to the project you want to use it for
Cord Length: 5.25 Feet.
Weight: 1.984 lbs.
Other Worthy Mentions
ZHUOEN Mini Hot Air Gun
Its super low price makes this one a very popular choice.
- Temperature: 200°C/390°F
- Material: ABS Plastic, Stainless steel
- Nozzle Safety Shield
Homidic 6.56FT Long Heat Gun, Mini Handheld Hot Air Gun
Another nice little budget option.
- Temperature: 200°C/390°F
- Material: ABS Plastic, Stainless steel
- Nozzle Safety Shield
We hope this review has been helpful.
If there’s anything good that you think we’ve missed, or if you have any questions about anything, just let us know in the comments below.
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