Tanning Bed Light Bulbs Tips and Advice

Shopping for replacement tanning bed light bulbs, especially home tanning bed lightbulbs, is far less common then shopping for other forms of lightbulbs. While this might seem like common sense to some, our first word of advice is be sure to look in the tanning bed’s owners manual before making any buying decisions. Some home tanning beds are designed only to work with light bulbs made by specific manufactures. If you do not have the owners manual check the manufactures website to see if an online version exists, if not search ebay to see if one is available for sale, as having the owners manual is helpful for a variety of reasons.
Now that we’ve covered this key point, lets get a bit more into how tanning and tanning beds and tanning bed lightbulbs all work.

How Tanning Works

When ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun or from tanning lamps hits the body, a natural, healthy response takes place to create a protective layer of the skin by darkening the cells in the upper layer. This what we call a tan. As we all know, a tan is healthy and attractive, but we must always be careful of overexposure to UV rays from whatever source. We cannot lay out in the sun for too long a period, nor can we lay in a home or a professional tanning bed for very long. Keep this in mind and follow the instructions with tanning beds and be careful with time spent laying out in the sun.

Tanning Bed Light Bulbs

When shopping for replacement home tanning lamps, it is important to know that these lamps are of a special design. Most are fluorescent with characteristics built into them to replicate the natural effects of the sun. One of the differences between these and regular fluorescent lamps is in how the UV radiation is controlled and applied. There are two types of UV radiation: UVA and UVB, and the typical ratio is 95% UVA and 5% UVB. Another difference is that these lamps have phosphor blends to emit UV in a spectrum similar to that of the sun. When properly used tanning lamps are a fine alternative to sun bathing.

Manufacturers of home replacement tanning lights supply Time Exposure (TE) ratings and every tanning bed is required to have a “Recommended Exposure Schedule” on the tanning bed itself and in the owner’s manual. In addition, it must also list the exact same lamp or one that is certified by the lamp manufacturer to be the legal equivalent. The reason for this is because UV ratios and ratings are not enough, as using the same number of the same lamps in different tanning beds types can give different results. UV flux power is also a factor that should be considered. The best advice on what to look for in a replacement home tanning light is the bed manufacturer’s listed lamp number or it’s certified legal equivalent.

Fluorescent Markings:

All fluorescent lamps are marked with a code on the end of the tube. The numbers and letters give characteristics and dimensions. The information given here will take away some of the confusing numbers and letters.

A standard tube marking is given as an example:

F30T12/CW F – fluorescent
30 – 30 watts Sometimes this first number set is the length of the tube in inches, such as F72 which is 72 inches.
T – shape. In this case Tube
12 – the diameter in eighths of an inch. Here 12/8 = 1.5 inches
CW – color is “Cool White”
In the case of tanning lamps:
HO-R – High output-Reflector
RUVA – 100 Watt Reflector UVA, same as HO-R
VHR-R – 160 Watt Very high Output Reflector

High Pressure Tanning Bed Light Bulbs

High pressure bulbs are often called “quartz” lamps because of the material the element is enclosed in. They contain either mercury or argon and require safe disposal for environmental reason. They come in a range of wattage (250 W to 800W, with 400W the most common).

For these, it is again recommended to get the bulb information from the owner’s manual. When you have the part number, for replacement home tanning bulbs, you can browse catalogs, shop online at wholesale and discount outlets, or on eBay. You can also call stores to get prices to compare.