Sunbed or tanning bed

A sunbed (also see sun lounger) is a special type of bed used to get an artificial sun tan. In reality it does not conform to the general description of a bed, but since those using the sunbed lie down on it this is a popular name for it. The other name is a “tanning bed” – a reference to the fact that it is used to gain an artificial, but natural looking, sun tan.

How a sunbed works

A sun bed uses special ultra violet light tubes that have the effect of darkening the skin tones to simulate a natural tan. Some of these tanning beds only have the tubes in a panel that is suspended above the bed, whilst others also have the tubes in the bed box on to which the person wanting to obtain the tan lies.

Tanning beds will normally have a timer that can be (or is) preset to a predetermined time. This is deemed to be the safe time under which someone can remain subjected to the ultra violet light tubes. When the time is up the timer should turn the lights off. Some older timers may sound a warning.

Sun beds are found in numerous places ranging from tanning studios to people’s homes. In most countries of the world tanning studios are controlled by regulations intended to ensure the safety of customers and users of the beds. Anyone using a tanning bed at home will need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and apply common sense.

Safety and tanning beds

Subjecting the skin to rays that cause visible changes to the skin can be dangerous. This is the case for both natural tanning and artificial tanning. For this reason care and vigilance need to be adopted when using the sun beds either at home or at a suntan studio.

Cost

The price of sunbeds or tanning beds varies greatly. Many companies now sell them online and when this is the case it is important to make sure that they comply with all of the necessary safety regulations for your country.

As an example, in the United Kingdom there are British Standard codes of practice, kite marks and EU regulations that govern many different products. When buying online you need to make sure that any appropriate standards or regulations have been satisfied by the product that you are considering buying. It can also be worthwhile trying to find out if there are any reviews or if there is any customer feedback relating to the tanning bed that you are interested in.