Tanning Bed Bulbs

For centuries, folklore has abounded about deathly pale vampires who avoid the sun, transform into bats at night, suck blood from dainty damsels, and in general make a scary spectacle of themselves. If you, Mulder-like in your acceptance of all things supernatural, were to believe that vampires exist even in this age of global warming, the last place you would encounter one of these sun-fearing palefaces would be the tanning bed, lit in all its glory by tanning bed bulbs.

So many choices

Most people, however, use the powerful tanning bed bulbs, not as a modern equivalent of the garlic or the cross, but to get an attractive tan, a la George Hamilton and Farrah Fawcett. With more and more people opting for a healthy, tanned look as opposed to the anemic pallor deemed fashionable in the Victorian period, most tanning bed bulb manufacturers have mastered the elusive art of combining high-output power with safe tanning techniques.

Our top 6 tanning bed bulb picks:

• Bi Pin is the most common type of bulb end connector. It has two pins that slide, and then rotate into place to make electrical contact.
  
• Recessed Dual Connector (RDC) is a newer style of tanning bulb end connector that features a cap that slides over the bi-pins on the lamp, and springs in and out of the lamp holders in the tanning bed. RDC lamps cost more that Bi-Pin lamps and are only used in more expensive systems.
  
• HO or High Output bulbs are the standard 100 watt or 80 watt tanning lamps found in most tanning beds.
  
• VHO or Very High Output bulbs are either 160 watts or 140 watts and require special electronics to operate.
  
• RUVA (Reflector lamp, UVA) is a high output tanning bed bulb with a built-in reflector. It's more intense than a standard bulb because all the light is focused on the tanner. RUVA is usually found on more expensive tanning beds.
  
• Facial Tanning bed bulbs have a blue cover plate that filters out harsh ultraviolet light to gently tan the soft facial tissues.