~ FUSE BEAD BRAND GUIDE ~
Perler vs Hama vs Artkal: Which Fuse Bead Brand Should You Use?
Updated April 2026 · ~7 min read
If you're picking up fuse beads for the first time — or trying to decide whether to switch brands — the three names you'll keep seeing are Perler, Hama, and Artkal. They all make the same basic thing: tiny 5mm plastic beads you arrange on a pegboard and iron flat. But the palette size, price, and availability differ enough to matter. Here's a clear breakdown.
TL;DR — Quick Comparison
| Brand | Colors | Origin | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perler | 103 | USA 🇺🇸 | Beginners, kids, North America |
| Hama | 92 | Denmark 🇩🇰 | Classic European projects, quality-focused |
| Artkal S | 199 | China 🇨🇳 | Photo realism, large gradients, budget |
| Nabbi BioBeads | 30 | Denmark 🇩🇰 | Eco-conscious makers (bioplastic) |
All four brands use 5mm Midi-size beads and are compatible with standard pegboards.
Perler Beads — The North American Standard
Perler is made in the US by Perler Industries and is by far the most common fuse bead brand in North America. If you walk into a Michael's, Joann, Walmart, or Target in the US, Perler is what you'll find. The brand name has become so dominant that "Perler beads" is often used generically in the US the way "Kleenex" is for tissues.
✓ PROS
- • Widely available in US big-box stores
- • Kid-friendly starter kits, cheap pegboards
- • Huge library of free patterns online
- • Consistent melting behavior
✗ CONS
- • Only 103 colors — limiting for photos
- • Colors can be inconsistent between batches
- • Harder to find specific colors outside US
Best for: beginners, kids, and anyone doing character sprites, retro video-game art, or small- to medium-size mosaics where 100 colors is plenty. If you live in North America, start here.
Hama Beads — The European Classic
Hama is made by Malte Haaning Plastic, a Danish company that's been producing fuse beads since the 1970s. Across Europe — the UK, Germany, the Nordics, France, Spain — Hama is the default brand, available in toy stores, craft chains, and online. Hama Midi (5mm) is their flagship product; they also make Hama Mini (2.5mm) for detailed work and Hama Maxi (10mm) for toddlers.
✓ PROS
- • Excellent consistency and build quality
- • Three bead sizes (Mini / Midi / Maxi)
- • Widely available across Europe
- • Long-established brand with strong QC
✗ CONS
- • Smallest palette of the big three (92)
- • Priciest per bead in most markets
- • Limited availability outside Europe
Best for: European crafters, quality-focused makers, and anyone who prefers the Mini (2.5mm) size for super-detailed work. Hama's consistency across batches is genuinely better than competitors if you're buying the same color over many months.
Artkal Beads — The Palette King
Artkal is a Chinese brand that's grown massively since the 2010s, largely because of its extensive palette and sharp pricing. The flagship S-5mm (Midi) series has 199 official colors — nearly double what Perler or Hama offer. Artkal also makes smaller beads: C series (hard mini, 2.6mm), A series (soft mini, 2.6mm), R series (3mm), and T series (big, 8mm). Each series has its own color set, so you can't directly cross-reference.
✓ PROS
- • 199 colors — best for photos & gradients
- • Typically cheapest per bead
- • Five bead-size series to choose from
- • Strong availability via online retailers
✗ CONS
- • Harder to find in physical stores (West)
- • Color consistency varies more by batch
- • Multiple series can be confusing at first
Best for: anyone converting photos into fuse bead mosaics, making large wall-size pieces with gradients or skin tones, or building a hobby budget that stretches further. If you order online anyway, Artkal often wins on value.
Nabbi BioBeads — The Eco Option
Worth a brief mention: Nabbi BioBeads are a smaller Danish brand making fuse beads from sugarcane-based bioplastic instead of conventional polyethylene. They come in 5mm Midi size and fit standard pegboards, but the palette is small (30 colors) — so they're best as a complement to Perler/Hama/Artkal rather than a standalone choice. Pick them if sustainability matters to your project.
How the Big Three Actually Differ
Compatibility
All 5mm Midi beads — Perler, Hama Midi, Artkal S — fit the same pegboards and fuse at similar temperatures. You can mix them in a single project as long as you're happy with the color match. Many advanced crafters deliberately mix Artkal (for rare colors) into a mostly-Perler or mostly-Hama build.
Color Range
This is where the biggest practical difference lies. Artkal's 199 colors shine when you're converting a photo — faces, sunsets, fur textures all need many similar shades that Perler's 103 simply don't have. For character sprites with flat colors (Mario, Pokémon, pixel-art logos), 92 or 103 colors is not a limitation at all.
Price per Bead
Rough order of cost per bead, cheapest first: Artkal < Perler < Hama. The gap widens for specialty colors and bulk bags. A 1,000-bead bag of Artkal can be 40–60% cheaper than the Hama equivalent — meaningful when you're planning a 10,000-bead mosaic.
Melting & Finish
All three melt cleanly with a standard household iron on medium heat through parchment paper. Hama arguably fuses most evenly; Perler is a close second; Artkal can vary more between colors (dark colors sometimes melt faster than pastels). Always test a scrap corner with your specific iron before committing to a big project.
Availability by Region
As a rough guide:
- North America: Perler everywhere, Artkal online, Hama niche
- Europe: Hama everywhere, Perler online, Artkal online
- Asia & online global: Artkal dominant, Hama and Perler available online
Which Should You Pick?
Pick Perler if… you're in North America, you want to start cheaply with kits from a craft store, you're making character sprites or simple patterns, or you're doing this with kids.
Pick Hama if… you're in Europe, you care about batch-to-batch consistency, you want access to Mini (2.5mm) beads for detailed work, or you just want the classic feel.
Pick Artkal if… you're converting photos, doing large gradient mosaics, on a tight budget, outside North America and Europe, or you already order craft supplies online.
Still unsure? Start with a 1,000-bead mixed bag of whichever is most available locally, and see how the craft feels. All three are close enough that your first project will look great regardless.
Preview Your Design in All Three Brands
Not sure which palette best represents your photo? MakeBead's free pattern maker switches between Perler, Hama, Artkal, and Nabbi in one click — same image, real bead colors from each brand.
Try the Free Pattern Maker →Common Questions
Are Perler, Hama, and Artkal beads interchangeable? ▾
Yes — all three make 5mm Midi-size beads that fit the same pegboards and fuse with the same iron-and-parchment-paper technique. You can mix brands in a single project if you're matching colors carefully, though fusing times vary slightly: Hama and Perler fuse similarly, Artkal tends to need a touch less heat.
Which brand has the most colors? ▾
Artkal S-5mm leads by a wide margin with 199 official colors. Perler Midi has 103, Hama Midi has 92. For photo realism and large gradient work the extra Artkal colors matter a lot; for character sprites and kid projects, Perler or Hama is more than enough.
Which brand is the cheapest? ▾
Artkal is typically the most affordable per bead, especially in bulk. Perler is mid-priced and widely discounted at US craft stores. Hama tends to be the most expensive due to European manufacturing and distribution, though quality is excellent.
Which is best for kids? ▾
Perler if you're in North America, Hama if you're in Europe — both are widely available in big retail stores, come in kid-friendly starter kits, and have tons of free patterns online. Artkal is better suited for teen/adult projects where the large palette pays off.
Do they all use the same pegboards? ▾
Yes for the 5mm Midi size. A Perler square pegboard fits Hama Midi beads and Artkal S-5mm beads identically. Artkal also makes smaller series (C/A at 2.6mm, R at 3mm) that need their own pegboards, and a larger T series (8mm).
Do the brands use the same color codes? ▾
No. Each brand has its own code system: Perler uses numbers (e.g., 019 Red), Hama uses H-codes (H22 Red), Artkal uses S-codes (S14 Red). Similar-looking colors often have slightly different RGB values — always match from a reference photo or a tool like MakeBead that handles cross-brand lookup.
Which brand melts best? ▾
All three melt cleanly when ironed through parchment paper at medium heat (around 150°C / 300°F). Hama and Artkal melt at slightly lower temps than Perler. The best practice: iron on medium, check after 10–15 seconds, and press longer only if beads aren't fully fused. Over-ironing flattens the bead holes, which is purely cosmetic.
Can I preview my design in all three brands? ▾
Yes — MakeBead's pattern maker has a Bead Brand selector that re-matches your image to Perler, Hama, Artkal, or Nabbi palettes in one click. Same image, different real-bead colors. Useful for deciding which brand best represents your original before you buy.