The 8 Best Tanning Bed Reviews [Safest & Most Effective]

Contents

Tanning Bed Reviews
Most Important Factors to Consider When Choosing Home Tanning Beds
Price
How to Best Use a Tanning Bed?
A Word of Caution

What could be more practical than having a tanning bed in your own home? Below I have compiled a list of the 6 Best Tanning Beds for Sale in 2022.

If you need to know more about how to select the right tanning machine for you, or what to consider when buying a bed check out my buying guide below for help.

You can also find tips on how to best use a tanning bed, and what to think of before you start.

Tanning Bed Reviews

Here are some of the top tanning beds for home use and how these machines compare to each other. We’ll use the technical specifications outlined in the buying guide. These are also some of the safest tanning machines I have come across.

Sunfire 16 Deluxe Tanning Bed

Tanning Lamps

Sunfire 16 Deluxe has a nice looking tunnel design with 16 high efficiency tanning lamps. It comes equipped with Wolff bronzing bulbs. The tanning surface is 81″x 36″. The tanning bed has inbuilt cooling technology and you get a nice flow of air from the included fan.

The Sunfire Deluxe also comes with an Mp3 stereo, where you also can use FM Radio. I am not all that impressed with the quality of the sound though, don´t expect much from that.

The bench has 8 lamps and the canopy has 8 lamps.

Face Tanners

The tanning bed has Wolff Power Window Facial with facial tanning lamps.

Assembly

The Sunfire tanning bed comes 98 percent pre-assembled. 2 people can set it up in around 10 minutes.

Session Time

20 minutes.

Warranty

There is a 12 month warranty on the bed.

I really like this tanning bed since the price is very affordable, and I am happy with the results I get from it. The Mp3 player sound is not that great, but that is not why you buy a tanning machine in the first place.

— See Price on Amazon —

Sunfire 24 Deluxe Tanning Bed

I opted for the first one, but the Sunfire 24 might be a good idea for those with a bigger budget. Instead of 16 it comes equipped with 24 high efficiency lamps, 12 on the bench and 12 on the canopy.

Just like the Sunfire 16 it is 100 watt lamps by Wolff Tanning. The tanning surface is also the same 81″x 36″.

Face Tanners

Yes is comes equipped with facial tanning lamps.

Assembly

The Sunfire 24 tanning machine is 98 percent pre-assembled.

Session Time

15 minutes.

Warranty

There is a 12 month warranty on the bed.

Just like the Sunfire 16 Deluxe this is a high quality tanning bed, with Wolff tanning lamps, and it would be a good choice over the 16 model if you want to get your tan quicker.

— See Price on Amazon —

Solar Storms 24S with Arm and Face Tanners

Tanning Lamps

Solar Storms 24S is equipped with 24 lamps – 12 positioned on top and 12 on the bottom for even distribution of the ultraviolet light. It has a 78 by 34-inch tanning surface.

Face Tanners

The machine is equipped with six high output bulbs that direct light towards the face. Because of these powerful lamps and the relatively big tanning area, the bed makes it possible for tanners to spend less time inside and get high quality results.

Assembly

Solar Storm 24S comes nearly 98 percent pre-assembled.

It measures 83 by 39 by 24 inches and the weight of the assembled bed is 220 pounds.

Warranty

It comes with a standard lifetime frame warranty and a 10-year powertrain and electrical components warranty.

Solar Wave 16 Lamp by Sun Technologies

Tanning Lamps

Sixteen tanning lamps are available on both the top and the bottom of the Solar Wave.

The tanning surface measures 67 by 28 inches, which makes it smaller than the Solar Storm 24S.

Solar Wave 16 features acrylic sheets that aim to concentrate the output of the lamps and give you fast results. Unfortunately, the design lacks a built-in facial tanner.

Assembly

The bed comes almost 98 percent pre-assembled for easier installation.

When fully-assembled, it measures 74 by 33 by 24 inches. It is relatively light and it weighs solely 130 pounds.

Warranty

The bed comes with a two-year construction warranty.

Sun Technologies Solar Storm 24R with Arm and Face Tanners

Tanning Lamps

The second entry by Sun Technologies is about equally effective as the Solar Storm24S. Solar Storm 24R is equipped with 24 high output lamps. Aluminum reflectors and acrylic sheets concentrate the output of the lamps even further. Arm and face tanners included.

The tanning surface measures 78 by 34 inches.

This tanning bed has a cool tunnel design that completely surrounds the user and gives uniform, great tanning results.

Assembly

Solar Storm 24R comes almost 98 percent pre-assembled. It measures 83 by 39 by 24 inches and its weight is 220 pounds.

Warranty

There’s a lifetime warranty on the frame and a 10-year powertrain/electrical components warranty.

Solar Storm 24 Bulb Wolff Systems with Face Lamps

Tanning Lamps

Solar Storm 24 Bulb Wolff Systems Tanning Bed has 24 bulbs , as well as a built-in face tanner.

The design is extra-long, giving the user a tanning surface of 78 by 34 inches.

Manufactured in the US, the tanning machine features a tunnel design that completely surrounds the user and gives them an even tan.

High-glossed aluminum reflectors are also incorporated in the interior to concentrate the ultraviolet light generated by the lamps.

Solar Storm 24 Bulb Wolff Systems has a lightweight and tough aluminum body.

It measures 83 by 39 by 27 inches.

Assembly

Delivered 98 percent preassembled.

Warranty

There’s a standard lifetime frame warranty and a three-year powertrain warranty.

Sunquest Wolff 16RS

With a futuristic and beautiful design, Sunquest Wolff 16RS Tanning Bed is made from extruded aluminum and steel.

The bio-tech funnel design will give you even and consistent tanning results.

Tanning Lamps

The tanning machine is equipped with eight 100-watt lamps on the canopy and eight 100-watt lamps on the bench. Though the tanning machine comes with a wide and curved tanning surface, there’s no information about its specific size.

Aluminum reflectors are incorporated in the design to concentrate the ultraviolet light produced by the lamps.

It is provided with a security timer, digital controls, a quick-clip acrylic removal system and exclusive control key lock.

Sunquest Wolff 16RS measures 75 by 35 by 48 inches and it’s recommended for use in a room that measures at least eight by six feet.

Warranty

It comes with a 12-month “gold medal” warranty.

Solar Storms 32S Wolff Systems Tanning Bed with Face Lamps

The final entry in the list is another Wolff Systems tanning machine intended for home use.

Tanning Lamps

As the name indicates, it comes with 32 tanning bulbs that also include arm and a built-in facial tanner. The tanning surface measures 78 by 34 inches.

Manufactured in the US, the tanning bed features tunnel design for maximum efficiency of the tanning process. High-glossed aluminum reflectors are also available to concentrate the light and minimize ultraviolet ray loss.

The body of the machine is made of lightweight and tough aluminum.

Assembly

Solar Storms 32S is delivered 98 percent pre-assembled. It measures 83 by 39 by 24 inches and its weight is 240 pounds.

Warranty

There’s a standard lifetime frame warranty and a three-year powertrain warranty.

Most Important Factors to Consider When Choosing Home Tanning Beds

Anyone who’s about to buy a tanning bed for the first time may find the task at hand confusing, to say the least. Which characteristics are the most important ones to examine? What does it take to identify a great tanning bed?

When looking for a home tanning machine, you’ll need to pay close attention to these important product specs:

Ease of assembly: this is an obvious and an essential for individuals that don’t have an awful lot of experience with tanning beds. The item should come with detailed instructions that are easy to follow. The quality of the panels and the availability of connective elements like nuts and bolts, for example, will also be important.
Number of lamps: a bed is as good as its lamps. The best tanning machines intended for home use will have anywhere between 16 and 32 bulbs. Taller people (over six feet) need a tanning bed that has at least 28 bulbs. The length of the bed will depend on the number of bulbs. Typically, beds that have 24 lamps or less are six feet long.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the different types of lamps will emit a specific variety of ultraviolet light. A quality tanning system should emit no UVC rays because these are most powerful and they penetrate the deepest layers of the skin. The overwhelming majority of tanning bed bulbs produce large quantities of UVA rays (the ones that make the skin turn brown) and smaller amounts of UVB rays (the ones that stimulate melanin production).
Tanning surface size: there are many options – from the most basic 16 bulb beds to vertical tanning booths that have a much larger tanning surface. Some of the beds are even equipped with reflectors that focus all of the ultraviolet light produced by the bulb on the tanning surface (preventing the light from getting scattered).
Design: as already mentioned, there are both horizontal and vertical tanning beds. When choosing the best tanning machine for your home, you’ll need to have a pretty good idea about the available space and the design that will fit best there.
A built-in facial tanner: some tanning beds are provided with a built-in facial tanner. The face is one of the most difficult parts of the body to tan. The products that have a built-in facial tanner direct a bigger amount of UVA rays to the face, producing a beautiful chocolate tan.
Warranty: Since a tanning machine is a long term investment, and cost a fair amount of money, you need to compare and make sure that the product has a good warranty.

Price

So what about the cost? How much should you spend when you want to buy a tanning bed? You can find cheap beds for around $2000 that are still good. Larger and more advanced machines can cost around $4000.

How to Best Use a Tanning Bed?

Apart from choosing a safe and easy to use home tanning bed, it’s also crucial to use the product correctly. Good tanning machines will give you a beautiful tan without damaging your skin, if you follow a couple of important steps.

For a start, you may want to tan every other day. Most people find that sessions every other day are sufficient to get and keep a beautiful tan. You should never tan outside and use the tanning bed in the same day. If you’ve already tanned using the tanning machine at home, put some sunscreen on before going out.

A Word of Caution

Tanning bed use isn’t recommended for individuals under the age of 16. The bodies of children are still growing and the skin is a lot more sensitive to ultraviolet light than the one of adults. Even if you decide to let your child use the bed, you should supervise the entire session.

Wearing protective goggles is a must every single time. The eyes are very sensitive and UV rays can be damaging. This is the main reason why quality sunglasses filter the ultraviolet light and protect the eyes from it. The goggles are very inexpensive and they aren’t going to give you the cute but funny panda look. Tanning goggles cover solely the eyes , which doesn’t interfere with tanning the rest of your facial skin.

If you don’t want to get tan lines, you can use the machine naked. It all depends on what you feel comfortable with.

One final thing to keep in mind is that tyrosine-based lotions or tanning accelerators aren’t suitable for use inside the home tanning bed. Tyrosine is an amino acid that the human body uses to make melanin. FDA, however, hasn’t approved the use of tyrosine tanning accelerators yet.

A home tanning machine should be sanitized, just like the machines available in beauty studios. Wipe the surface clean after each use, especially if multiple family members are getting in the tanning bed. The reflectors, the lamps and the acrylic sheets should be cleaned thoroughly at least once per year. Clean the interior each time you change the lamps, as well.