[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":4},["ShallowReactive",2],{"post-content-perler-vs-hama-beads-difference":3},"\u003Cp>\n  If you've searched for bead craft supplies, you've seen the same two names at the top of every result: Perler and Hama. Both make the same kind of product, tiny plastic beads that you melt together with an iron, and both have loyal followings that will argue until the sun goes down about which one is better.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  The short version: they're more alike than the internet would have you believe. The long version is worth knowing before you buy a bag, because the difference is mostly about where you live and what you can actually find in a store.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>Where each brand comes from\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  Perler is American. It's made by a company called Plaid and it dominates the North American market, which is why it's the brand you find in US craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. If you grew up doing bead art in the US, you grew up on Perler.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  Hama is Danish, and it dominates Europe. It's been around since the 1970s, which makes it the older of the two, and it's the default brand in most European toy and craft stores. Different sides of the Atlantic, almost the same product.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>Are the beads compatible?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  Yes, for the most part. The standard beads from both brands are about 5mm in diameter, which means the beads themselves and the pegboards they go on are interchangeable. You can fill a Perler board with Hama beads and it works fine, and vice versa. A lot of people do exactly that because it's the cheapest way to expand a color collection.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  There's a wrinkle, though: both brands also sell smaller beads. Perler calls theirs mini, Hama calls theirs mini as well, and they're around 2.6mm. The small size does not mix with the standard size, different boards, different holes. If you're buying online, check the package for the size before you assume compatibility.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>Colors\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  Perler has roughly seventy colors in its standard line. Hama is in the same ballpark, maybe a bit over sixty depending on the year. Both are generous enough that you won't hit a wall on most patterns, and both have been growing their lines with gradient sets and specialty pastels.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  The honest difference is availability, not color count. A rare Perler color is much easier to buy in the US, a rare Hama color much easier in Europe. If you live somewhere in between, the internet handles it, you just pay shipping.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>Feel and finish\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  Melted and ironed, both brands produce a solid, slightly flexible plastic piece with the same signature bead texture. Perler beads are a touch harder after fusing, Hama runs a little softer, and some people swear the Hama finish feels smoother. In practice, side by side, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference without touching them.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  The one thing that genuinely matters is the ironing. Too hot, too long, and either brand turns into a warped puddle. Too cool, and the beads don't fuse and your piece falls apart when you pick it up. No brand saves you from learning that balance.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>So which one should you buy?\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  Whichever one is cheaper where you live. The craft doesn't care about the brand, and neither does your pegboard. Buy the one that's on sale, mix them if you need a specific color, and spend the energy you saved on the actual making.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Ch2>What this means if you play on your phone\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fpixbead\">PixBead\u003C\u002Fa> sidesteps the brand war entirely, which is kind of the point of a digital version. The app uses a single 24-color palette tuned to look like real plastic beads, so you never have to worry about a discontinued color or a missing shade. Every country in its world atlas is built from real geographic data, the same source you'd use to make a physical pattern, and a finished page exports as a true 4K PNG.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\u003Cp>\n  The \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fpixbead\">landing page\u003C\u002Fa> is the place to watch for its release date. In the meantime, if you're starting out with physical beads, don't overthink the brand question. Either one works, and you'll probably end up mixing them anyway.\n\u003C\u002Fp>\n",1787812702775]