Tanning Lamps

Indoor Tanning bed lamps and buying at wholesale tanning lamps is one the most important and expensive ongoing maintenance items for your tanning salon. Keeping your tanning beds and tanning booths "hot" is something that can't be understated; since tanning results are essential to a salons success.

When buying wholesale tanning lamps it is important to understand how to buy wholesale tanning supplies.

It also may be wise to consider purchasing through an industry association like Tanning Buyers Group that is not motivated like a commissioned salesperson working for a given brand name, but is motivated by salon profitability and finding the best lamp out of range of lamps from a range of tanning lamp distributors.

Tanning Lamp Basics

Tanning beds come with either Low Pressure tanning lamps (tube), High Pressure tanning lamps (shielded), or a combination of high pressure and low pressure indoor tanning lamps. Finding the compatible tanning lamp for your tanning bed saves you money and excessive tanning bed wear.

High Pressure tanning lamps are commonly used as high pressure facial lamps in mid-range and higher tanning beds. Low Pressure tanning lamps are the most common type of tanning lamp. A wide range of low pressure tanning lamps are used in nearly all tanning beds.

Low Pressure Tanning Lamps

Range of wattages from 10 watts to 250 watts per lamp
Multiple sizes from 21" to 2.0 Meter versions
Reflector style has coated backing to reflect more light output toward tanner
Non-Reflector is used in lower end beds and often are mounted in front of a reflective backing
Lamp ends can be either RDC caps or BiPin

High Pressure Tanning Lamps

Range of wattages from 250 watts to 2000 watts per lamp
Multiple mount options clip-in, blade, plug-in, and wire lead
Always used behind special UV regulated filter glass
Very high output normally used for facial lamps
Used in high pressure tanning beds a a plateau busting tanning bed option

When purchasing tanning lamps for you tanning bed or tanning booth it is essential to verify which lamps are listed as your beds OEM tanning lamp. The original equipment manufacturer has extensively tested the bed using the OEM tanning lamps and they have choosen that exact lamp due to it output capacities.

Refer to your tanning bed owners manual or to the required sticker on the bed itself to get the specifications of the tanning lamp that came with your bed. Using this information along with the tanning bed make, model number, and tantime your tanning lamp supplier will normally be able to find several options for a replacement lamp.

Tanning lamp distributors have a range of tanning lamps they stock in their warehouse. Check with multiple tanning lamp suppliers prior to finalizing your purchase. Tanning lamp distributor "a" may have access to one tanning lamp manufacturer and tanning lamp supplier "b" may have access to a completely different manufacturers tanning lamps.

Tanning Lamp Manufacturers

Currently, indoor tanning lamps are made by a few major manufacturers and are sold under a myriad of brand-names.There are a few manufacturers of wholesale tanning lamps in the United States. Each manufacturers tanning lamps are sold under several brand names chosen by the tanning lamp supplier.

Sylvania Osram
Lighttech
Narva
SLI
Voltarc
Interlectric
Philips (no longer in production)
Radium HP
Hereaus HP
Cosmotech HP

Tanning Lamp Brand-names

There are many brand-name indoor tanning lamps sold to tanning salons, and home users, by tanning lamp suppliers. A tanning bed lamp marked with one tanning lamp distributors brand-name is no different that the same tanning lamps marked with another brand-name. Buying a given tanning bulb is a decision based on which tanning lamp supplier will provide the best price with the best service and lowest freight costs.

Cosmedico - Sylvania Osram
Wolff - Sylvania Osram
Eternal Sun - Sylvania Osram
Spice Sun Capsule - Sylvania Osram
Bermuda Gold - Sylvania Osram
Lightsources - Lighttech
New Technology - Lighttech
AUVL - Lighttech
Rave - Lighttech
KBL - Lighttech
Hereaus - Lighttech
Ultrasun - Lighttech
Rave - Lighttech
Genesis - Lightech
Radiance - Voltarc
Volltarc - Voltarc
Tan America - Voltarc
Supra HP - Radium
AUVL HP - Radium
Hereaus HP - Hereaus
Cosmotech HP - Cosmotech
Iso HP - Radium
Interlectric - Interlectric
M Power - Interlectric
Supra - Interlectric
Desert Sun - Lighttech
Midday Sun - Lighttech
Signature Series - Lighttech
Solar Element HP - Radium

Tanning Lamp Cost Structure

Buying tanning lamps is a factor of CPM along with output results and customer satisfaction. Looking at the chart below you can see that per lamp price may not be a factor in purchasing a tanning lamp.


Lamp	Life Hrs	Price	Lamp (CPM) Cost Per Minute
#1	600	$12.00	0.00033
#2	400	$ 8.00	0.00033

Cost basis analysis of two competing tanning lamp purchase options

You will often hear of a salon buying inferior lamps and paying less for their tanning lamps. Buying an inferior tanning bed lamp to save money can have hidden supply and marketing costs.

Here are the facts

High quality UV tanning lamps will be salon strength for about 600 hours (rated 800-1200 hours)
Low quality UV tanning lamps will be salon strength for about 400 hours (rated 800-1200 hours)
Usable salon strength lifespan is all that matters to a tanning salon
Rated lamp life should not be used as a basis for tanning lamp purchases

Tanning lamps should be replaced when they have passed 80% of original new output levels. No salon can remain viable for long when lamps drop below 70-75% of output due to excessive customer attrition costs.

This means that by running a lamp too long you will cost your tanning salon additional monies because you will lose customers because your tanning beds do not tan them well enough. These customers will never tell you they are unhappy they will simply stop visiting your salon and they will likely tell anyone that will listen that your salons lamps are not good. A very expensive mistake many salons make.

Tanning Lamp Solutions

When you look at the tanning lamp manufacturers and tanning lamp distributors you can get totally confused. Industry associations like Tanning Buyers Group can help you make an impartial decision based on how best to improve your tanning salons bottom line.

Who is selling what tanning lamp and for how much?

Start by knowing exactly what, and how many, tanning lamps your tanning bed uses.

What lamp is listed on your tanning bed or in its manual?
What brand tanning lamp is currently in the bed?
What wattage is the lamp?
What type of lamp high pressure, tube reflector or tube non-reflector?
What length tanning lamp is used?
How many of each do you need?
Is your state regulated?
Are you very happy with the lamps you are replacing?

Now that you know what you need you can go shopping for a tanning lamp supplier.

Purchase Tanning Lamps

Call a few tanning lamp distributors and find out what tanning lamps they sell to salons. Ask them to give you a quote for the exact match tanning lamps and any options they may suggest for your tanning bed. Get a quote from each tanning lamp supplier and then compare the bids and make your choice.

Don't forget that sales people are motivated by sales and not necessarily your salons success. Make an educated selection based on facts not a sales pitch.

Lamp Selection Checklist

Performance
Longevity
Quality
Compatibility
Price

Sourcing the best possible lamp at the best possible price is essential to a salons success. If you are unclear how to determine which tanning lamp will work best for your application you may be well served asking an impartial industry association or trusted industry source.

Tanning Lamp Cost Basis For Tanning Beds and Booths

Tanning lamps are available in a wide range of namebrands. Each lamp has its pro's and con's. One tanning lamp may be inexpensive to purchase and one may have a much higher purchase price. Often salons will choose a tanning lamp based on purchase price.

Members are able to order lamps at a lower cost than is possible to non-members.

Cost structure on a lamp


Lamp	Life Hrs	Price	Lamp (CPM) Cost Per Minute
#1	600	$12.00	0.00033
#2	400	$ 8.00	0.00033

You will often hear of a salon buying inferior lamps and paying less for their tanning lamps. Buying an inferior tanning bed lamp to save money.

Here are the facts

Low End Tanning Lamps DO NOT tan as well
Low End Lamps DO NOT last as long

When you really check the numbers it is completely possible and suggested to use the best available lamp and keep your customers happy.

Member pricing will reduce the actual purchase price of the tanning lamp to wholesale tanning lamp levels and often below wholesale. This means that the actual cost for the higher end lamp will be LOWER than its cheaper competitor. This means more cash upfront. But less cash long-term. Salon conditions vary and this may not be possible but can be a long-term goal and we feel is the better path for their business.

Here are links to information about the various tanning lamp brands available today.

Lamp Replacement and Selection

Lamp Replacement Selection

Re-lamping your indoor tanning units can be one of the most expensive and important regular purchases for your salon. Tanning lamps begin to lose their output within minutes of first use. Over time their output slowly drops through 80% effectiveness. Once this level is reached (using a UV meter) salon owners should plan to shortly replace them.

Some lamp manufacturers claim usable hours that seem to be based more on when the lamp will burn out NOT when there is significant UV drop. Keep your eye on the tracked UV rating and your customer feedback.

One common mistake is to leave lamps in TOO LONG.

While this may seem to save owners money on lamps this results in unhappy customers. Unhappy customers will tell other people and hurt your business over the long-term. The purchase of a UV meter can save your business. Monitor your starting level and track the decline to see when the bulbs have lost their edge. Do not base your decisions on prior experiences or a specific target number of hours. Each batch of lamps and each piece of equipment will lose the UV level at a different rate.

Buyers group membership can help you find the right lamp at the right price for your equipment. Membership gives you access to group pricing on lamps.