Reflex Technology Explained

Reflex is a technology used in several SunMaster tanning lamps that dramatically increases the total output of the tanning lamp, well beyond the capability of any ordinary lamp. They offer 30% to 50% higher total output and only cost a little more than standard tanning lamps. They are recommended only for tanning beds that have at least 24 lamps, as this kind of intensity can cause striping in 16 lamp tanning beds, due to the distance between the lamps. This page is to help you understand what Reflex technology is, and why you should insist on it when choosing new lamps for your tanning bed. At the bottom of this page is a list of our lamps that use Reflex Technology inside.

What is Reflex® Technology?

Lamps that use Reflex Technology have a built in reflector system that greatly intensifies the total output of the tanning lamp. This makes them focus all the UV tanning power toward you, instead of in all directions. Regular HO (high output) tanning lamps create UV in all directions, and half of that tanning power is directed away from you. The shiny aluminum reflectors in your tanning bed help to bounce some of that UV back to you, but the vast majority of it is simply lost due to "wave cancellation" (two rays hit each other, cancel each other out, and only produce heat instead of tanning power). The image below shows a cutaway of two tanning lamps: Left is an ordinary tanning lamp that produces light in all directions, Right is a Reflex lamp that reflects all the UV and forces it out the front of the tanning lamp, towards you.


Left: Typical lamps emit light in all directions. Some is reflected by aluminum reflectors. 30% to 50% is simply lost for good. Right: The SunMaster Reflex Technology lamps pushes all the light out the front of the lamp. The blue arrows indicate the extra UV that will reflect back to you. 95% of the light reaches the tanner.

What is the advantage?

There are a couple of distinct advantages to using Reflex lamps, outlined below:

Reflex lamps reflect both UVA and UVB, so you get 50% more burning ray AND 50% bronzing ray. This allows you to have the advantages of a "hot" lamp, while having up to twice of the actual UVA deep bronzing power.

You can dramatically reduce your tanning sessions, from 12 to 15 minutes, yet still get more bronzing power than when using a regular bronzer in a 20 minute session. You do not sacrifice quality of tan in any way.

They cost less per session. You pay a little more up front, but a Reflex type lamp gets 4800 x 15 minute sessions in 1200 hours, versus 3600 x 20 minute sessions, when comparing two otherwise similar 1200 hour lamps. This means you change lamps less often, saving you money.

The big $10,000-$20,000 tanning beds ALL use a similar technology for good reason: Results. Increasing the intensity of both the UVA and UVB means deeper, darker tans that don't fade as quickly.

The more lamps that your tanning bed has, the more dramatic the difference when upgrading to Reflex. Having a lot of tanning lamps means the lamps are close together, so the reflector material in the tanning bed is less effective. The UV simply has no way to reflect back. It is perfect for 24 lamp beds, but beds that have 28, 32 or more lamps, the difference between regular lamps and Reflex lamps is beyond amazing.

Upgrading to Reflex technology is the cheapest way to upgrade your bland, 24 lamp tanning bed into something extraordinary. It will tan you significantly better than any regular 32 lamp tanning bed, in less time. The contrast between HO lamps and Reflex is very stark, and you will notice a difference the very first time you use them.

Will they work in my tanning bed?

All Reflex tanning lamps come in size F71, the most common size in the industry. All SunQuest, SunVision, SunMaster, Alpha Sun, Pro Sun, ESB, and most other tanning beds use this size. The Power Bronzer 100 tanning lamp uses Reflex Technology and also comes in size F59, for tanning beds that have high pressure face tanners, such as the SunQuest/Sunvision Pro24RSF and others.

Which Reflex® is right for me?

ClearTech 120R - $18.99 each - This lamp uses both ClearTech and Reflex technology for the darkest, deepest and most sunlike tanning experience known to man. The ClearTech glass is more transparent to UV than regular lamp glass, so you get a broader spectrum of UV that delivers a more natural looking tan. Add the Reflex system, and you have an intense yet natural experience that no ordinary $15,000 tanning bed can beat. Best for medium to dark skin. 1600 hour life.

Power Bronzer 100 - $18.99 $13.99 - The Power Bronzer 100 is our most popular Reflex grade lamp. It has a 6.5% UVB ratio, but the reflector makes it as hot as a 9% lamp. The reflector pushes the UVA bronzing power beyond any regular HO lamp. It also comes in size F59 for tanning beds with face tanners. This is best for people with medium to dark skin, and reduces your tanning sessions to around 12 minutes. 800 hour life. Designed to be a match for our 160W Power Bronzer, for use in both home tanning beds and salon style megabeds.

Reflex Bronzer - $15.99 - Used in our Signature Series Limited Edition tanning beds for year, it is a 5% lamp, but the reflector gives it the UVB output similar to a 7.5% lamp, with even higher bronzing and a longer life than the Power Bronzer, 1200 hours. This is probably the best all purpose Reflex grade lamp and is designed for 15 minute tanning sessions, with significantly higher bronzing than regular 15 minute lamps.

Pro Reflector - $14.99 - An amazing tanning lamp for people who want quality over speed. This is a much lower 2.6% UVB lamp, but the reflector ramps up the UVB to be around 4.2%. This means it has about the same burning power as the original Wolff lamps, but up to twice the bronzing power of UVA. This keeps the tanning sessions at 20 minutes be delivers so much UVA power that your tans will be significantly darker, deeper and much less prone to fading. This lamp is perfect for anyone, but particularly those with lighter skin. 1200 hour life.

Reflex LT - $16.99 - This exceptional tanning lamp also combines two separate technologies into one extraordinary lamp: Dual Zone™ technology and Reflex Technology. Half the lamp is blue with a 5% phosphor, the other half is pink with a 6.5% phosphor, just like our Pro Body tanning lamps, but with the addition of the Reflex reflector. You install with the pink section over your legs for better leg tanning. This reduces the tanning session down to 15 minutes, and is rated for 1200 hours. If you want darker legs and exceptional bronzing, there simply is no better lamp. This image shows what they will look like when installed:
Reflex LT tanning lamps installed



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