Facts About Stand Up Tanning Beds

When most people think of tanning beds, they envision a coffin-like structure lined with bright lights. Some people, however, prefer to tan in a booth-like structure - also lined with bright lights. These stand up tanning beds, while similar in function to the traditional ones, are different in many ways.

Tanning Booths

Many people swear by the stand up tanning beds for a variety of reasons. For many, the beds feel less sanitary because they are shared by scantily-clad strangers. This is usually far from the case. The ultraviolet radiation kills many germs and the rest are eradicated by the required use of FDA approved disinfectant after each use.

More valid reasons for the preferred use of stand up tanning beds include the more even tan afforded by the ability to move and raise the arms in the booths. The stands up tanning beds also use a different type of lamp with a built-in reflector that directs all of the rays out toward the tanner.

Most of the usual tanning beds use lamps in the 100 watt range while lamps made for the stand up tanning beds are in the 160 watt range. Some people don't get an even tan in the area of pressure points. While this isn't true for everyone, tanning while standing allows for a more even tan for these people because there are no pressure points.

Some manufacturers of stand up tanning beds choose a lamp that emits higher amounts of UVB rays. All types of tanning beds use either UVA-only lamps or those that combine UVA and UVB types of ultraviolet light. Although both types of radiation are dangerous, the current belief is that UVB is more dangerous. This may be due to the fact that UVB rays cause visual damage to the upper layer of skin, while any damage caused by UVA rays is beneath the top layer of skin and, therefore, invisible.

Some UVB rays are used since they are the ones that cause the creation of the melanin that results in the tan. FDA regulations limit the time that tanners can be exposed to UVB. Often, the result of higher UVB concentrations and more powerful bulbs is that tanning sessions are shorter for those who use stand up tanning beds. This is not a bad thing because it is easier to become tired in the standing position. Outside of personal preferences and requirements, the stand up tanning beds have very similar benefits and dangers.