Tanning Buyers Group
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
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
