Getting a good tan requires staying out in the sun, which may not be possible sometimes, and it comes with a lot of dangers because of exposure to UV rays. But that should not stop you from rocking a bronze look.
A spray tan machine can help you achieve that glowing tan in a matter of hours. You can have a professional spray you at the salon or have a technician doing home visits. Alternatively, you can spray tan yourself with the help of a family member or friend!
What is spray tanning?
Spray tanning is a technique in which you evenly apply self-tanning lotion to your skin using a spray gun and a unique machine.
Below, find some of the best tan machines that you can find in the market.
The 5 Best Spray Tan Machines:
1. Belloccio Pro Plus T200-11 Spray Tanning System
Best high power tan machine
Belliccio Spray Tan machine is a game-changer in tanning systems. The powerful machine features a two-stage HVLP turbine air pump for spray tanning and a metal gun that eliminates fine mist quickly and covers your body evenly. With minimal spraying, you get the perfect golden tan despite your skin type.
Turbine air pump unit with a 10 foot slim, flexible and durable air hose
Plus, it comes with accessories, spare parts, and a high-quality DHA tanning solution. Apart from being durable, It’s excellent for both home and salon use because it can handle volumes of applications in a day.
2. Existing Beauty Bronze Tan Spray Machine
Best easy to use tan machine
Bronze Tan professional tan spraying machine by Existing Manufacturer is one of the best airbrush tan machines.
The kit features an HVLP Airbrush Tan Machine, the most powerful spray tan machine system. It also comprises a spray gun and a hose pipe.
It’s lightweight and easy to carry around. Plus, it’s easy to use, it doesn’t require expert knowledge. You can get someone at home to assist you.
It doesn’t clog during use and is easy to clean. With the help of the manual, you can quickly assemble the equipment, mix the solution and learn how to turn and stand in different positions for easy application. But it makes some noise.
3. MaxiMist Lite Plus Tanning KIT
Best tan machine with spray tent
Powered by a 300watts single-stage turbine, MaxiMist Tan Machine is excellent for beginners. The set comes with a spray gun, spray gun cups, hose pipe, turbine compressor, and a package bag. As a bonus, the bag acts like a spray tent.
The spray is extra big; you’ll still fit even if you’re tall. It has a clear top that lets in light, and the material is thick and durable.
The spray gun turns easily, so you can adjust it vertically or horizontally to spray all parts of your body. It can accommodate 10 users a day and 60 applications a week, making it ideal for home and salon use.
4. Belloccio Premium T75 Tanning System
Best affordable tan machine
Belliccio T75 Sunless spray tanning system is affordable and of very high quality: a rare combination because it’s hard to find a quality machine at an affordable price. If you were skeptical about spray tan machines because of their cost, you could try this one at $109.99.
650-watt turbine-powered, this professional HPLV machine has excellent performance delivering the perfect sunkissed tan. The set includes a turbine air pump unit, application gun, DHA opulence tanning solution, and a nine-foot flexible hose pipe. It has an adjustable nozzle and is easy to use.
The citrus-scented tan solution works with all skin types to provide a glowing sunless tan for 7-10days.
5. Sun Laboratories Spray Tan Machine
Best tan machine with replacement accessories
This spray tan machine by sun laboratories is a powerful performance machine for a sunless bronze look. It features a 640-watt power rated HPLV spray tan machine which is dual voltage. You can use it when you travel.
It comes with a gun, a 1.5m hose pipe for easy application, stick pads for feet, and a gallon of spray tan solution.
Blended from natural ingredients, the tan solution nourishes, moisturizes, and makes your skin glowing. Plus, it’s paraben-free and kind to your skin. However, you need to pick the right color to match your complexion.
The machine is easy to use, clean and is portable because it’s lightweight.
How to Choose the Best Spray Tan Machine
AirBrush Tanning vs Spray Gun
A spray gun is designed to cover a large area of your body at a go. It sprays a tiny amount in mist form covering all parts evenly while reducing wastage. The results? Even blending.
An airbrush does not cover a bigger area at a go; it takes quite some time to cover the whole body. It works best when used to do final touches.
Unlike a hairbrush, a spray gun reduces overspray because it doesn’t eliminate a lot of tan solutions at the same time. However, both can achieve the same results.
Spray Pattern
The time you take to cover the whole body depends on the spray pattern of the machine and gun. If you buy a machine with a less than 2″ spray pattern; then, you’ll spend a lot of time which is not sensible if you’re doing business. On the other hand, a bigger than 6″ spray pattern will result in wastage.
Some guns have adjustable nozzles, so you can change the spray pattern from vertical to horizontal or use a pen nozzle for touch-ups.
Feed Design
Some machines use siphon feed while others take the tan solution through gravity. The gravity feed method has the tan solution attached at the top, while a siphon feed has a cup attachment at the bottom. You might need an extra pair of hands if you opt for the gravity feed tan machine.
Size of Cup for Tan Solution
A cup of about 100-150ml will be adequate to hold the tanning solution for one person. An average-sized person needs back 60ml of tanning solution to cover the body; this appropriate cup size will help you portion control and avoid wastage.
Noise
Spray guns can make a lot of horrible noise, which can disturb peace around your salon, home, or for your neighbors.
Application Capacity
Are you hoping to purchase the machine for individual home use, or will it be a professional heavy use machine? Some devices can handle ten or fewer applications a day which is ideal for home use or mobile technicians. For professional service at a spa, you might need a heavy use machine that makes several applications in a row every day.
Weight
A heavy machine will work best in a spa where it is fixed in a stationary position. For home use or mobile technicians, consider a lightweight device that is portable and easy to assemble.
Cost
Getting a machine that’s within your budget and high quality at the same time will save you a lot. There are machines for different price ranges, so take your time to compare the prices against the specifications of a device.
You get what you pay for at times, but some quality tan machines are reasonably priced.
Components of Spray Tan Machines
A spray tan machine features a turbine or compressor, spray gun, and hose pipe.
Compressor
The actual tan machine operates the spray gun by pushing air and solution through the spray gun. A compressor can be LVLP, HVLP, airbrush, or air pump compressor.
LVLP: low volume and low pressure. It produces a gentle mist because it operates under low pressure and releases a little solution. It has little wastage but takes ages to cover an entire body.
HVLP: high volume, low pressure. It releases a fine mist and works fast because it removes a high volume of tan solution. It minimizes overspray and results in even tanning. Plus, they can handle heavy use. But, they are noisy and heavy.
Airbrush: a small compressor that uses
a small air pump. It creates fine details, but it’s messy if used to cover the whole body and is slow.
Air pump compressor: it uses a customized gun and is of professional standard. But it’s expensive and needs technical knowledge. A beginner might not be able to operate.
Spray Gun
A spray gun for a tan machine could be plastic or metallic. A plastic gun is lightweight thus ideal for technicians who make several applications a day. While a plastic gun may be cheap to buy, it’s expensive in the long run because of numerous replacements, and it’s not easy to clean.
A metal gun is durable and easy to sanitize because you can open it to remove parts for cleaning. It has numerous attachments to help with detailing. But it’s heavy and expensive to buy.
Hose Pipe
Check the length of the hose pipe and where it attaches to the machine. A short tube or a pipe attached to the wrong side of the gun might limit you from maneuvering around as you work on spray tanning. Also, if the pipe is not well connected to the machine, it might leak the tan solution.
FAQs
How do you clean a spray tan gun?
How many days before an event should you do a spray tan?
What is the benefit of a spray tan?
Bottom Line
A spray tan machine is a costly investment that you can’t afford to make the wrong choice. It should be of high quality, easy to clean, easy to use, and reduces wastage.
This article was last updated on February 4, 2022 .