Tanning Bed Lamps

So you have decided to buy a tanning bed, be it for commercial purposes or for use at home. Whatever the reason may be, a tanning bed may be a great investment for those who find it easy to get a tan using tanning beds than to spend a day at the beach getting a tan. You may choose to buy one because you are unable to get yourself a tan during the winter, when the sun is hardly in sight. With the help of a tanning bed therefore, you can get a tan at any time of the year! If you are looking to get the most out of this experience, the only way would be to get a tanning bed that provides the best facilities.

How does a tanning bed work?

What happens during tanning is that the individual lies on the tanning bed for a few minutes, while it emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation that produces a tan on your skin, by making it produce melanin faster. It's that simple! This has to be continued during several sessions to get the right tan. A session would usually last around 20 minutes. This however depends on the intensity of the tanning bed being used.

A tanning bed will consist of several 'bulbs' or 'lamps', right around the bed, that produce the rays. A typical tanning bed may usually consist of not more than 25 lamps. However this again may vary depending on the type of tanning bed. The rays produced would either be a combination of UVA and UVB rays, or just UVA rays. There are several types of tanning bed lamps.

How long does a lamp typically last?

The life of a tanning bed lamp will depend on what kind of bulb is being used. It would be great if you could replace these bulbs before they burn out. This is because the intensity of the rays being emitted will not be the same, resulting in the tan not being that great. Replacing bulbs often, could however mean higher costs but will no doubt continue to produce really good results.

What are the different types of lamps and bulbs available?

Several top brands offer a range of bulbs that can be used for your tanning bed lamps. You need to know however, which bulbs would go with your lamps. For example you may want to consider the Wolff brand which is known to have a good line! The Wolff dark tan 100W has a life expectance of around 500 hours and uses hot lamps to provide tanning faster.

Similarly the Wolff Bronzing Sun Plus 100W emits a mixture of UVA and UVB rays and has a life expectancy of around 800 hours.

Always consider your options before you purchase the bulbs and lamps for your tanning bed. Do some research as to which will be the best and whether it would fit your needs and requirements, and most importantly your budget!

Many manufacturers today have resorted to using filters in their tanning beds to reduce the effects of the rays, thereby making tanning beds safer.