Best Tanning Bed Bulbs

Best Tanning Bed Bulbs Reviews 2020

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Need to replace your tanning bed light bulb with a new one? Check out our choices for the 5 best tanning bed bulbs that you can consider for your tanning bed.

Golden skin has been a trend for the last few years. That is why the tanning bed innovations are created
Golden skin has been a trend for the last few years. That is why the tanning bed innovations are created

When your tanning bed’s light bulb gives way, you know it’s time for a change. Now, we all know that tanning bed bulbs are a little bit different as compared to regular bulbs.

But which brand and product variant should you buy?

Let our reviews and buying guide for the best tanning bed bulbs help you know what’s the best tanning bed bulbs and how to choose the best one.

What Type of Bulbs Are Used in Tanning Beds?

In general, the most top rated tanning bed bulbs are the ones that are high pressure ones that can produce enough heat for quick melanin production.

Generally, bulbs with this kind of strength reach somewhere between 100 to 160 watts, depending on how dark you want to become or how much heat you want your tanning bed to produce.

These types are also usually F71 up to F73 types. Just to give you an idea, the number represents the size of the bulb in inches. So, if you were to buy an F71 bulb, it will be a 71-inch light tub.

Take a Quick Glimpse of Our Top-Rated Tanning Bed Bulbs!

Now that you have a general idea about tanning bed bulbs, let’s introduce our best tanning bed bulbs 2020 with this table below. The table will give you an overview of what these products are about so that you can familiarize yourself with them.

That said, take a look at these 5 best rated tanning bed bulbs:

PreviewProductWattsPrice

Choosing the Right Tanning Bed Bulbs

It’s not enough that you know which tanning bed bulbs are best. You also need to know which of the best tanning bed replacement bulbs is best for your own needs since you’ll most likely need only one of these.

The answer lies in this buying guide.

The buying guide will present you with a set of factors that you need to take into consideration when you buy tanning bulbs. It will help you understand what features need to be noted and how to apply that knowledge to your own needs.

Let’s take a look at the factors below:

Wattage

The first thing that you need to consider is the wattage. When it comes to wattage, you don’t want a bulb that’s too strong if you’re only after bronzing. But if you’re after a real tan, you’ll definitely need something strong.

For the best bronzing tanning bed bulbs, we usually recommend a wattage of 100 watts as that’s enough to give you color. If you want a darker tan though, you’ll probably need something that’s higher than 100. A wattage of around 120 to 140 watts is enough. You can go as high as 160 watts if you really want some color, but we won’t recommend anything beyond that as too much power can be dangerous.

Size

Different bulbs usually come in different sizes, but they will usually either come in F or T size. For the F size, the most common sized bulbs are the F71 and F72. F73 is also pretty common but not as common as the two previously mentioned ones.

As for the T size, these usually follow standard fluorescent light sizes such as T12. In order to know what size your tanning bed needs, simply look at the label and follow what it says.

Shelf Life

When we talk about shelf life, we usually refer to how many hours it can run (continuously or not) until it burns out. Our standard is usually 800 hours. So, when hunting for the best home tanning bed bulbs, make sure that it can last for a minimum of 800 hours. If you find something that can last longer, then all the better for you.

Color

More often than not, tanning bed bulbs come with UV lights, either UVA or UVB lights. The only disadvantage of ultraviolet is that they can cause sunburn. In order to avoid that, some bulbs offer red light therapy with zero ultraviolet. However, these ones don’t really have the power that UV possesses.

In the end, it’s really up to you as to what color you choose. It’ll ultimately be based on what kind of results you want.

Brand and Price

The last thing to take into consideration is the brand of light you’re buying. Take note that if you buy from cheap brands, there will always be that risk of harm if ever the bulb burns out or overheats. But if you buy your bulb from well-known brands, you can ensure your safety while inside the tanning bed.

That’s why our top 5 choices all come from reputable brands that have good reviews from existing customers.

5 Best Tanning Bed Bulbs 2020 Reviews

1. Wolff System Wolff Dark Tan Bulb

Wolff System Wolff Dark Tan Bulb. Via: Amazon.com

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If you’re looking for a quick and dark tan, then this is one of the best bulbs for home tanning bed you can choose. It has a higher UVB level than the standard bulb, allowing you to stay for shorter periods in the tanning bed but with great results.

Best Features:

  • 100 watts of power
  • Stronger UVB level
  • F71 size
  • Bi-pin fitting
  • Easy installation

2. Wolff System Wolff Bronzing Bulb

Wolff System Wolff Bronzing Bulb.
Via: Amazon.com

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This product is good for those who are looking for just the right amount of bronze for their skin. It follows the standard UVA and UVB ratio, giving you a nice bronze coating without too much tan.

Best Features:

  • 100 watts
  • 1000-hour shelf life
  • Ideal UV ratio
  • Lightweight and easy to install

3. Wolff Velocity Plus Tanning Bulb

Wolff Velocity Plus Tanning B. Via: Amazon.com

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If you have used the Wolff Velocity bulb before, then you’ll especially love this new upgrade. This is the Wolff Velocity Plus tanning bulb and is known for its increased strength compared to the Velocity variant. To be specific, it is 10% stronger than its predecessor and has a lot more UVB and UVA too.

Best Features:

  • F71 size
  • 10% power increase from Velocity
  • 100 watts of power
  • 1000-hour shelf life
  • Retains robust UVA amount

4. F73 100-Watt Tanning Bulb

F73 100-Watt Tanning Bulb. Via: Amazon.com

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While most of the bulbs that we’ve already mentioned are F71 size, this one offers you a variety in size. If you happen to have a bigger sized light fitting that only takes in F73 sized bulbs, we can recommend you this product.

Best Features:

  • 1000-hour shelf life
  • 100 watts of power
  • F73 size
  • Efficient tanning power

5. Sunmaster Red Light Therapy Bulb

Sunmaster Red Light Therapy Bulb. Via: Amazon.com

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As there is a risk of sunburn with UV light therapy, a lot of people are choosing red light therapy as an alternative. If this is something that you’d like to do, this is a red light replacement bulb you can buy. It has 0% UV emissions and 50% higher levels of red light therapy compared to most traditional red light bulbs.

Best Features:

  • Red light therapy bulb
  • 50% higher levels compared to most mainstream red light bulbs
  • No UV emissions
  • Does not give sunburn

Frequently Asked Questions About Tanning Bed Bulbs

You may have some concerns or questions at the top of your head about tanning bed bulbs. To address these concerns, we present to you our FAQs section.

Here are some of the most common questions people have about tanning bed bulbs:

Q: Is there a standard UVA and UVB ratio for tanning beds?

A: Generally, tanning bed bulb manufacturers follow the same ratio as natural sunlight. This is 95% UVA and 5% UVB. However, some of the best commercial tanning bed bulbs turn up the UVB rating a little in order to increase strength. They increase it to around 6 or 7%.

Q: How high is the mercury content of tanning bed bulbs?

A: As compared to regular fluorescent lights, the mercury content of tanning beds is much higher. That’s because it needs the vapor to create the light. That’s why you need to be a bit careful when handling tanning bed bulbs, especially if they break.

Q: How long can I stay in my tanning bed?

A: With strong light of up to 160 watts, we don’t recommend that you stay inside more than 20 minutes as that may present some dangers to your skin in the long run.

Conclusion

Those top 5 picks are the best tanning bed bulbs that you can buy in the market. Out of the 5 choices what is the best tanning bed bulb to buy? We will pick the Wolff System Wolff Dark Tan Bulb.

We choose that as the best because it offers more strength than the usual tanning bed bulb. More strength means less time in the tanning bed but still with good results. This kind of feature makes the product have value for money.

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