SunMaster Tanning Bed Review

by Ellen
(Texas)

SunMaster Tanning Bed Review: I've owned 2 tanning beds. Here is my two cents.

I received a free 1985 professional Suntana 24-bulb 30-minute bed about 10 years ago, very used. I put new bulbs in it and it did a great job till it expired 8 years later!

Spoiled, I decided to buy a new home tanning bed (not a true professional-grade). I did this because I don't like how hot the professional models run, plus it was cheaper in price. Also it didn't require new wiring to install. I went with a SunMaster 24-bulb 20-minute bed. It uses a regular plug, rather than the 120 V set-up (I think that's right - 120V?). It has a body fan as well.

SunMaster Tanning Bed Review Part 2:

It is large, so a bigger person can fit in it better than most 24-bulb beds. It runs cooler than pro-style beds as well. But the weak points are:

The bulbs are kind of far apart. It does the job of tanning, but closer bulbs would make it better. It doesn't stripe me, but that may be due to the bulbs it came with or the reflectors it's built with. At any rate, I will upgrade to Beach Sun bulbs when these run out, if they are compatible w/the manufacturer. Beach Sun bulbs are great - they give a great brown tone that lasts pretty long.

SunMaster Tanning Bed Review Part 3:

Biggest gripe: The tan seems to fade very quickly. I'm certain it is the bulb type and not the bed itself. Again, I think Beach Sun bulbs would be a big upgrade here.

The fit and finish is kind of cheap. I expected that when I bought the bed at the price-point I paid, and it doesn't really detract from the tanning quality. Just a little bit "sloppy" here and there with some plastic parts and such.

No tanning "odometer." This is annoying because users must write down every tanning session length to keep track of tanning bulb hour usage. I highly recommend getting a bed with an "odometer" on it!

I don't regret my purchase - it definitely tans. But I think in the long run, I would recommend a commercial-grade bed if you can afford it. Whatever you chose, pay attention to bulb spacing regardless of number of bulbs. 24 bulbs does the trick for me, but YMMV.