Don’t we all want that all-over golden Kardashian tan? Well, if neither genetics nor climate would cooperate, that color we want can be achievable with a high-quality tanning bed.
Since we don’t have the Kardashian fortune either, we should ask – how much do tanning beds cost? How much would we save if we get one instead of making regular appointments at a tanning salon?
And it’s not just the cost of the tanning bed to consider, we also have to think about maintenance costs and the prices of lamps and acrylics and other replacement parts.
Here is a complete breakdown of what determines the cost of tanning beds so you get an idea how much one would set you back by.
What is a Tanning Bed?
You have probably used several tanning beds in different salons. But do you know what a tanning bed is and how it works?
A tanning bed or a sunbed is a device that is innovatively engineered to emit ultraviolet radiation to deliver a cosmetic tan. Each sunbed you will come across on the market is put together differently.
Some models have higher outputs of UVB rays, which can be considered to be stimulant tan devices. Other beds have a higher output of UVA rays, making them more of browning beds. Browning sunbeds can be good to start with if you wish to burn easier at first. Sunbeds with a higher emission of UVB rays are good to start with if your skin absorbs UV light very easily. Smaller models come equipped with twelve to twenty-eight one-hundred-watt lamps.
Bigger designs found in professional salons come fitted with twenty-four to sixty one-hundred-watt to two-hundred-watt lamps. Each lamp features a ballast, which tells the bulb how much output to give off inside the bed. This is what creates the UVA beds or the UVB beds. When getting into a sunbed, you are going to come inside and pull it down. Some models may have facial tanners over the top or shoulder tanners near your facial tanners.
Each bed is different, but about five minutes in a sunbed is equivalent to an hour out in the sun.
How Much Do Tanning Beds Cost? The Features That Factor In
The prices of tanning beds differ from one model to another, and that’s because of the unique features each model comes with.
Types of Tanning Beds
There are two types of tanning beds you have to be familiar with when inquiring about the cost of sunbeds.
Commercial Tanning Beds
These sunbeds are usually large and equipped with twenty-four to sixty one-hundred-watt to two-hundred-watt bulbs. Salons and spas buy these types of sunbeds to give their clients the biggest bang for the money.
A commercial tanning bed is designed to deliver a jaw-dropping tan experience. You will simply walk into a commercial sunbed and get sunbathed in twenty-four or more bulbs of stunning bronzing UV light. The high output bulbs are both efficient and effective with high gloss reflectors that do a great job of speeding up each tan session. But here is the thing ladies, commercial sunbeds range in price from $2,600 to $7,000. Gasp!
Home Tanning Beds
These are simple tanning machines that are equipped with twelve to twenty-eight one-hundred-watt lamps. One of the best features of residential designs is portability. They have a small footprint that will fit perfectly in your home. The portable designs are also great for transportation. What’s best is that they are compatible with your standard 120-volt electrical system at home.
The Brand
Whether you are considering a commercial or a home sunbed, the brand you buy from determines how much you will incur in terms of initial cost and the cost of replacing parts.
Solar Storm
Experience the ultimate best in tanning with this great brand. You can anticipate a salon-quality tan experience in the comfort and privacy of your home with this brand’s incredible sunbed series. The beds are paired with a thirty percent larger tanning surface that delivers quick and effective tanning results.
The sunbeds from this manufacturer feature solid-quality construction that will deliver long-term serviceability for the money. Unlike conventional brands, Solar Storm is specialized in the production of both home and commercial tanning beds. You’ve got three popular home sunbeds to choose from, ranging in price from $2,400 to $2,600. You’ve also got four popular commercial designs you can buy, ranging in price from $2,600 to $7,000.
What I truly appreciate about this company is the fact that it provides a power consumption chart for all its sunbeds on the website. According to the power use chart, 110V models (both residential and commercial) have a low power consumption and may cost you as little as 2.5 cents per tanning session.
This is a great option for those who want to cut down on electricity charges. Commercial models with a 220 voltage and may have a slightly higher power use that may range from 4.2 to 5.7 cents per tanning session.
You can choose a color upgrade for approximately $99 on top of the current price point. You also have an option of upgrading the bulbs to bronzing lamps for an extra $2 per lamp. Overall, buying from this company isn’t too expensive, especially if you consider a residential unit.
Alpha
This brand is your partner in wellness because it has specialized in providing the best designs and comfort. It is one of the leading companies for new as well as trend-setting innovations in the production of tanning beds.
The products from this brand have highly innovative and ergonomic settings that allow you to choose the type of tan you are looking for at home. The most advanced models come with voice-guided instructions. So, you don’t have to worry about not knowing which buttons to push. They come equipped with shoulder tanners, which tend to even out your tan. You’ve also got fans that can be adjusted. There are some of its models that come equipped with aromatherapy to soothe and relax you during your experience.
This brand specializes in both residential and commercial sunbeds with prices ranging from $2,400 to $7,000. But most of its production is based on commercial tanning beds. You can get the exact price of a given model by requesting a quote.
ESB
If you are looking for a brand that is specialized mainly in the production of residential tanning beds, then look no further than ESB. It provides the largest selection of home sunbeds and light therapy systems.
Products from this manufacturer feature Green Energy as well as a perfect blend of quality, style, and performance. Every sunbed from ESB is engineered to fit your budget and lifestyle. What I appreciate about this brand is that it offers an outstanding low price guarantee, especially for its inexpensive models.
This company believes in pricing transparency. This means it doesn’t inflate its pricing to give the illusion of dramatic savings. The most inexpensive model from this brand costs approximately $1,750, while the most expensive model costs around $4,000. Most of the sunbeds with 16 to 26 lamps range in price from $2,150 to $2,600.
ProSun
ProSun is the brand to look for if you’ve got a bigger budget and you want to invest in a commercial tanning bed. It is one of the leading producers of commercial sunbeds.
The brand is dedicated to providing its customers with premium quality tanning equipment. It has a steadfast reputation for one of the best customer service and support in the industry for the last three and a half decades. The company incorporates cutting-edge design, high-quality engineering, and innovative technology in every sunbed to maximize satisfaction and reliability.
It is one of the few brands on the market that offers used tanning beds at a reasonable price range. It has a large selection of factory reconditioned used sunbeds. Products from this brand range in price from $3,700 to $4,700.
Replacement Parts
You will at some point incur costs of replacement parts when you own a tanning bed (whether you have a commercial or a home model).
The most significant parts of any sunbed are the bulbs or lamps. Tanning lamps are the ones that give you the transformation you seek. But they are not designed to last forever. So, at some point, you will have to change them for the bed to work optimally and continue to give you the best tan results.
You have to take into consideration the cost of replacing tanning bulbs before buying the sunbed you desire. This will help you project the long-term cost of owning the tanning bed. On the front of the bed, there is a description of the tanning lamps contained in the bed.
You can either get the recommended bulb or you can get a compatible lamp from your dealer. You will need to change your lamps in about three to four years. You will be able to tell when to change the lamps because the intensity of your tan will not be as good as it was when the bed was brand new.
The price of tanning lamps usually ranges from approximately $150 to $400 depending on the manufacturer. You can add this cost to the price of the sunbed and know what it will cost you in the next few years.
Other parts that may need a replacement for one reason or the other may include acrylic, acrylic trim, contractor, fan, fan grill, and fan bracket. You may also want to consider the individual approximated prices of these parts.
The Cost of Operating a Tanning Bed at Home
Let’s make a few assumptions. If you buy a twenty-four lamp sunbed for approximately $2,000, you will need to change the bulbs every eight hundred hours. Each tanning session will last about twenty minutes. The average charge of electricity for the twenty minutes would be approximately $0.12. So, in five years, you would have spent an approximated amount of $33.33 every month. According, to these rough estimates, the cost of owning a sunbed is likely to go down with time.
How Much Do You Save Tanning at Home
Owning a high-quality tanning bed at home will most definitely help you save money in the long run.
A basic tanning session in your favorite salon may cost approximately $10 while a deep tan may cost around $16. You may even spend up to $30 per session if you decide to have a high-pressure tan. So, four sessions in a week may cost you as little as $40 and as high as $120. If you factor in fuel charges, the cost may rise to approximately $100 to $200 per week depending on how far you live from your favorite salon.
You can easily cut down on all these costs by buying a residential tanning bed. You will only have to worry about the electricity cost per session, which is usually less than a cent.
Final Thoughts
So now you know how much tanning beds cost. What you do with this information is up to you.
You can use this knowledge to get a headstart on research for your eventual tanning bed purchase. Or maybe you just want to be able to compare the numbers with what you spend at the salon every month in the pursuit of golden skin. Hint: It’s wonderful to be able to tan in the comfort and privacy of your home and at the time of your choosing.
If you didn’t know, the choice of tanning beds is huge on the market. You can search for a sunbed that fits your budget by type. You’ve got two popular types you can choose from, commercial and home/residential designs. Not unless you have a bigger budget and you desire the most luxurious tanning experience at home, a commercial model isn’t the most practical and economical choice if you’ve got high-quality, high-performing home tanning beds on the market at a considerably low price of about $2,000.
Another incredible search criteria when looking at the costs of tanning beds is the brand. Some brands are ridiculously expensive, while others have reasonable price ranges that fit your budget without sacrificing quality and performance. Look for a brand with a good reputation and commitment to providing the safest sunbeds.
In addition to the brand, you have to consider the cost of replacing parts like the tanning lamps. Now that you know you can afford a sunbed, your decision to go to a salon is a matter of preference.
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