The Tanning Salon Purchasing Guide

Most tanning salon owners will need the following equipment and materials to get started:

You should expect to budget anywhere from $4,000 to $18,000 in initial purchasing costs, depending on the size of your salon.

A tanning salon can begin with one tanning bed and one tanning booth, but remember that more tanning beds means more revenue. It is a good idea to start off with only a few tanning beds, and consider buying more as your customer traffic begins to increase. Offering other personal care and skin products can be a good way to make additional revenue.

Picking the right tanning beds and booths is arguably the most important buying decision you’ll make when starting a tanning salon. We outline the key considerations you’ll need to keep in mind when making this purchase and provide some popular options.

Tanning beds and booths

The difference between tanning beds and booths is that beds are horizontal, allowing customers to lay down, and booths are vertical, meaning they must stand.

When choosing a model, consider what the atmosphere of your tanning salon is. Will it be a quick stop for frequent customers? If so, consider a more basic model. If you want your salon to have more of a luxurious and expensive atmosphere, consider investing in more high-end equipment, as your customers will be expecting top of the line tanning beds.

In general, more deluxe models of beds and booths will have more powerful lights, allowing your customers to tan more quickly. They also may come equipped with features like facial tanning lamps that may not be found on lower models.

Tanning Beds

Usually cheaper than booths, tanning beds are often considered to be more relaxing than booths, because customers can lie down. However, they are not as efficient and may take longer to produce the desired level of tan.

• Basic model
• Deluxe model

Tanning Booths

Although more expensive than tanning beds, tanning booths are also more efficient. They can quickly tan a customer’s whole body and also provide a more even tan. Booths are also a great option for customers who might feel claustrophobic lying inside a tanning bed.

• Basic model
• Deluxe model

Alibaba

Alibaba offers some of the most affordable tanning beds and booths. Since this site has multiple sellers, you will also find a lot of variety in their products from more basic tanning equipment to more deluxe options. This company operates strictly online, so you would not be able to examine a product before purchasing it.

Wolff Tanning Bed

This site offers free shipping on fairly affordable equipment. It also offers financing plans that allow you to pay off the equipment on a monthly basis. However, it only sells one brand of commercial tanning beds.

Family Leisure

Family Leisure sells a variety of brands of tanning beds. Most of their equipment is slightly more expensive than Alibaba or Wolff, but this is an ideal source for higher-end equipment.