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Home Tanning Bed Lamp Buyers Guide

This is a quick guide designed to help people with home tanning beds pick the right lamp and be happy with their selection.  If you are a salon owner, or you are already very familiar with replacement lamps, this isn't for you.  For the rest of us, this should clear up some confusion when you are looking to upgrade your existing tanning bed with new lamps.

We also have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for just about every topic, including replacment lamps.  You can see all our support documents in our Support/FAQ area, or just read the specific Lamps FAQ by clicking on the appropriate link.  For most home tanning bed owners, this page you are viewing is the best place to start.

Step one:
You need to know what size lamps you need.  Most tanning beds use F71 lamps.  These are about 71 inches long and have two metal pins on each end.   All SunQuest, SunVision, Virtual Sun, Alpha Sun, SunMaster (except a few 32 lamp models), Soleil, Supreme, Alisun, ProSun and similar beds use this size lamp.  They are all 100 watts, and they twist into place like common office fluorescent lamps. Below are examples:


This is what bi-pin lamp ends look like, such as the F71 bi-pin.

Many older beds use F72 or F73 inch lamps.  These have a black plastic cap and spring in and out of place.  Many  (but not all) beds from SunDash, Suntana, Montego Bay, SCA, and others use these lamps. Here is an example:<.p>


This is an RDC lamp, such as an F72 or F73 lamp. Call if you have this lamp and are not sure what size it is. Most will say on the lamp, however.

You MUST first determine what size you need by looking on the lamp, or on the label on the bed.  It should say F71, F72 or F73.  If your tanning bed has one or more high pressure facial lamps (the blue plate over your face) then you may also need F59 lamps in front of those.  The key is to count your lamps, make sure what size they are, and have this ready when it comes time to order lamps.  If you order the wrong size, you will end up paying for shipping back, and the replacement set to you again, which triples your shipping costs. 

Some people have older salon beds that use 160 watt lamps, or different combinations than listed.  The best thing to do is call instead, but this is a very rare situation. 1-800-274-1744.  95% of all customers should be able to buy online, which is faster and helps us keep prices down.

Step two:
Determine your needs.  Unlike other distributors, we offer dozens of choices so you can upgrade your lamps and add some extra features.  Most people will need 16 or 24 lamps in the F71 size.  We have many kits that contain just the right amount and types of lamps for your tanning bed so you can add face tanning or leg tanning.   Below we outline the benefits of each one.

We want to stress one important factor here:  Price.  We understand that price is important, and we work hard to make sure we have the lowest prices, but price alone should not be your deciding factor.  You will have these lamps for the next 4 or 5 years, so you should make sure you get what you want, not just what is cheapest.  Over 5 years, a $300 set of lamps is about 16 cents per day.   A $400 set is less than 22 cents per day, so the cost per day is trivial.   Don't get more than you need, but don't settle less than you want either.

Step three:
Pick a kit or individual lamps that fits those needs.  Here is a generalized breakdown of the choices you have when you purchase from us.
Regular lamp kit.  All the lamps are the same and provides an even tan.  This is how most tanning beds come standard.   This is fine for most people who do not need or want extra features.   You can buy these in a variety of brands and strengths, depending upon your needs.
Regular lamp kit with hotter lamps.   We have a few kits to choose from that offer stronger lamps, typically in the 6.5% to 8.5% UVB range.  These are typically for 15 minute tanning beds, but can be used in any home tanning bed.  Keep in mind that the higher the UVB, the faster the tan, but the less deep you tan, so it will fade faster.  If you want a base to moderate tan only, but want the extra speed, this is an excellent choice. 
Face tanning kits.  We have several kits that feature face tanning.  Basically, the lamp has two phosphor blends.   The blue is a normal lamp, the pink has about 18-20% higher UVB content and goes over your face area.  If you have difficulty tanning in the face, this is your best investment.  On a 24 lamp bed, you can choose 4, 6, 8 or 12 face lamps, depending on the boost you want. 
Leg tanning kits.  This is a TanningBeds4Less exclusive and is based on our best selling Custom tanning beds.The lamp is half blue and half pink.  The pink area has about 20% more UVB for more melanin stimulation, which can give you a faster tan.  You install the lamps with the blue over your upper body, and the pink over your legs.  Your legs get tan faster this way.   Many women have problems tanning their legs because of shaving and other reasons, and this is the perfect kit for them.
Face / Side / Arm kit. This adds a combination of the different Dual Zone style lamps to provide maximum tanning power over the face PLUS extra tanning power for under your arms and on your sides.  If you have problems tanning your sides and under your arms, plus you want face tanning, this is the kit for you.

Step four:
Recondition your tanning bed.  This is the most commonly overlooked task when people change their lamps, but it is fast, easy, cheap and can boost your tanning bed by 20% to 40%.  This means you should clean the inside of your tanning bed, clean each lamp before installing, make sure all your cooling fans are working and scrub your acrylics on BOTH sides, when you change your lamps.  The easiest way to do this is with our SunMaster Tanning Bed Rebuild Kit, which costs less than $30 and has enough product to clean your bed many times.

Even if you keep your acrylics perfectly clean, the UV in the lamps causes the surface to break down.  You can't see it, but this broken down layer BLOCKS UV and can't be removed with regular cleaners.  The Novus products in the rebuild kit are slightly gritty, and are designed specifically to strip away this layer, so ALL the UV can get to you.  It takes about 30 minutes to use the kit, and is best if you use it every year or two.  The rebuild kit should last you up to 5 years, so it is very inexpensive to keep your bed in tip top shape.
SunMaster Tanning Bed Rebuild Kit. Acrylic cleaner concentrate, Novus 1, Novus 2, Novus 3, eyewear and instructions are included.  You don't HAVE to buy it, but it is the smartest investment you will make since it saves you money the first time you use it.  These are the exact same products that salon owners use, but we put them in a kit and reduce the price to make it easier to get everything you need to recondition your tanning bed.

Step five:
Determine if you need lamp starters.  Many tanning beds with 24 or more lamps use S12 lamp starters.  This includes SunQuest, SunVision, Alpha Sun and most other.   Beds that use newer technology, such as SunMaster do not need lamp starters.   The lamp starter, shown below, is a small cylinder at the end of the lamp.  You do not need to change them every time you change your lamps.  If you have some lamps that are slow to start, or it has been 10 years since they were replaced, it is a very good idea to consider replacing them when you change your lamps, since you already have the bed disassembled.
S12 lamp starter. Most will be either Cosmedico or Philips brand, but other brands are also in use.   They are basically the same (we sell both).  The purpose is to create a full circuit when the lamp first ignites, to make it light up properly.  If you have some lamps that are slow to start and it has been a while since you replaced your starters, then it is a good idea to replace them when you replace your lamps.  Most, but not all, 24 lamp beds use these.  Look toward the ends of your lamps and see if your tanning bed uses these.  Sometimes, it will be just UNDER the lamp, toward the ends.

Step six:
Buy your products, recondition your bed, and install your lamps (and starters if needed).  Afterwards, be sure to keep your tanning bed clean.  The kit has acrylic cleaner with it (a concentrate that makes MANY gallons of solution).  You won't need to buy anything else.  It also has eyewear in the kit, and an instruction manual.  The key is to clean the tanning bed AFTER each use, before any tanning lotion has a chance to dry and cake on.
We do everything we can to make buying your lamps online easy and to insure you don't make any mistakes, because this saves us money and helps keep prices low, but you can always call us at 1-800-274-1744 any time during regular business hours if you have any questions or prefer to order over the phone.   Our number one goal is to help you get the most out of your existing tanning bed, and reach new levels of performance.

Thanks again for choosing TanningBeds4Less for your lamp replacement needs.  We know you will love the way your new and upgraded replacement lamps will perform!


Did you know that we started in 1985, and went online in 1997, several years before any current reseller? No one has more experience or more products than TanningBeds4Less.com.

We still have the ONLY Money Back Guarantee in the industry, and our SunMaster beds are 100% built right here in America. Trust us for all your tanning bed, lotion and tanning lamp needs. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.