Finding the right replacement lamp or bulb for your tanning bed is essential to the way you want to look and feel after tanning.

There are many different tanning beds manufactured and advertised specifically for residential, home-use tanning. Not all of them are made with the same quality and purpose in mind. Much like people, these machines come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

One thing most of these units do have in common with each other, though, is session time. Chances are the session timer on your tanning bed is 20 minutes. Virtually every one of them was made that way. Fortunately for consumers, there are a variety of tanning lamps on the market that are marketed as 20 minute lamp. Unfortunately most are only marketed as a 20 minute lamp, and chances are those lamps won't or can't give you the tan you want.

There are basically two different levels for 20-minute session, home tanning beds: a 5.0, and a 7.0. These numbers refer to the percentage of UVB that a lamp contains or emits during a session. Actually it gets a little more complicated than that, but for our purposes here, it's a perfect expression. There is a third basic level of tanning lamp, a 9.5, which is considered about a ten minute lamp and is really for experienced tanners. It also will work in residential tanning beds.

The Brilliance Bronzer line of lamps is perfect for all users for two reasons: long-lasting power as a result of quality manufacturing and hardware; and specifically engineered phosphors provide an all around tan, not just a big burn.

The 5.0 Bronzer is perhaps the perfect twenty-minute lamp. It's allowance of UVA and UVB is balanced and blended for optimal exposure at that time length.

The 7.0 Active Bronzer is a bit stronger in a twenty-minute tanning session. It's name says it all. The phosphors in the is lamp become more active during the session. The tanner will experience a hotter tanning session, and more reddening after. Still a great bronzing experience, the 7.0 is for mid-level tanners who want more from their session.

The 9.5 Cheetah is very hot! This is for experienced tanners only. While the bronzer phosphors are still present, they are dwarfed by the powerful UVB exposure in this lamp. While this is a 10-12 minute session lamp, it will be a hot experience, and much more reddening after it.