If you’re on the hunt for the best spray tan machine whether for home or professional use, it’s very important that you stop to consider a few essential things: how much solution it can hold, components, its versatility, portability, and the cost. Bearing these in mind, I reviewed and summarized below the best spray tan machines. If you’re interested in doing your spray tans yourself in the comfort of your home, go on and give this one a read.
If you’re a spray tan or airbrush tan enthusiast, then you know the amazing and beautiful glow it can give any individual. You love the tan and glow, sure, but does your wallet love it too? Let’s be honest here for a second. We all know how much a spray tan costs at a salon, and having it done a couple times a month is sure to get your bills through the roof.
Now being naturally tan myself, I don’t get spray tans. But I definitely see the appeal of it and why so many people get them so often and so regularly. Spray tans are able to give the skin a very natural and healthy glow. Whether you’re going on with your day to day life or you’re looking for a sunless tan for an occasion, a spray tan is definitely a good choice.
How Do Spray Tan Machines Work?
Similar to most sunless tanning products, spray tan machines typically contain the chemical Dihydroxyacetone (also known as DHA). DHA is an effective tanning ingredient as it absorbs into the top layer of your skin making them appear darker, giving you the perfect tan for days!
Spray tan machines are made up of a motor-powered fan that mixes the liquid solution with air and is dispersed in a form of a spray of fine mist. The spray is able to coat your entire body to give you a beautiful, healthy glow. A spray tan can last you for a few weeks, depending on how you shower your body. Exfoliating, of course, will lessen the time your tan stays on your skin.
Technique plays a major role in the results of your spray tan. It might take you a few tries and a lot of reading and watching of tutorial videos to perfect your spray tanning technique, but once you get the hang of it, you are sure to walk out your door with the perfect tan every single time.
Our Top Picks for the Best Spray Tan Machines
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Our Pick  |
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Close Second  |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
Best for Mobile Tanning  |
| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
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| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
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| View On Amazon →Read Our Review |
The Best Professional Spray Tan Machines
1. MaxiMist Lite Plus – Our Pick!
Our pick for the best spray tan machine for both the home and professional setting is the MaxiMist Lite Plus! If you’re looking for spray tan machine that works amazing for a starting business and with a tent included, you might want to check this one out. This is fairly easy to put together to assemble and easy to use too. It’s able to give you a great color outcome for that healthy, natural looking tan and glow you’re aiming for.
This comes with easy to follow and straightforward instructions especially for those with no previous experience with spray tan machines. It’s also very easy to clean and store, without you getting worried about that aspect at all. This machine is able to spray your tanning solution in the form of a very fine mist so it coats your skin perfectly without being blotchy. Its spray control is manageable and pretty quick to pick up on too.
The clear view tent that comes with this spray tan machine is also a great plus for a tanning session either at home or for your small business. The tent is huge and can easily fit taller and bigger people. It’s also easy to fold up the tent so you can easily store it. You may find it a bit challenging at first especially since the tent doesn’t come with instructions, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll be like second nature.
Pros:
- Includes a clear view tent
- Easy to use with straightforward instructions
- Easy to clean and store
- Very fine mist application
- Manageable and easy spray control
- Tent is huge and folds easily for storage
Cons:
- Doesn’t include instructions for tent
2. Norvell M1000 – Close Second!
Coming to a close second for our pick of the best spray tan machine is the Norvell M1000! This spray tan machine is a great starter machine that’s sure to give you an amazing beach glow without the sun damage. This is very easy to work with and very easy to clean. It has very well-made parts but still very lightweight, making it easy to carry around if you need to. It’s also small enough to be stored easily without taking up much space which also makes it great for travel.
This spray tan machine is very beginner-friendly, too, so you won’t have to worry if you have no prior experience with tanning machines before this. It comes with very easy to follow instructions on how to use it, especially for first time users. It sprays the solution evenly on your skin, giving you a natural looking tan and glow.
The company also has amazing customer service. After you purchase a machine from them, a customer service representative will call you to check how things are going with your purchase – if you need assistance in operating it, whether you’re satisfied with your purchase or not, and other related things.
Pros:
- Great starter machine for home or business use
- Beginner-friendly
- Easy to use and to clean
- East to store for travel
- Lightweight and high-quality materials
- Instructions manual
- Amazing customer service
Cons:
- Air pressure cannot be modified
3. MaxiMist Allure Xena – Best for Mobile Tanning!
Our pick for the best spray tan machine for mobile tanning is the MaxiMist Allure Xena! If you’re on the lookout for the perfect spray tan machine not just for your personal home use, but for your mobile spray tanning business, this might just be what you’re waiting for. This one serves as a great mobile tanner as it’s very lightweight and can easily be transported from one place to another.
Unlike other machines that might overheat if you use it multiple times a day, this one doesn’t overheat and you can go from one client to another with no worries at all. It also comes with three different spray guns to freely give you different application options, based on your or your clients’ preferences. It’s also not too loud as compared to other machines, so you won’t have to worry about disturbing neighbors.
This machine is very easy to assemble and set up whenever you need to use it on you or your client. It’s easy to clean too after every use. It has a sleek design and a long tube too, another plus for a mobile tanning business. It also allows for a nice and even application of your tanning solutions. It comes out in a fine mist that dries fast and therefore allows for multiple coats.
Pros:
- Great mobile tanner
- Lightweight and easily transported
- Retractable carry handle
- Doesn’t overheat
- Quiet operation
- Comes with three spray guns
- Easy to assemble and clean
- Sleek design and long tube
Cons:
- May overspray in the first few uses
4. Bronze Tan Professional Spray Tan Machine
The next item on our list of the best spray tan machines for both home and professional settings is the Bronze Tan Professional Spray Tan Machine! This is another great choice for those looking for a spray tan machine for that healthy tan and glow that’s fairly easy to assemble, use, and clean. It’s lightweight enough to be easily carried and small enough to be stored easily without taking up too much space.
Adding on to it being lightweight, this machine also has a comfortable and great grip so your hands are sure not to get tired whenever you self-tan or spray tan someone else. It’s also a lot quieter than most spray tan machines out in the market so you’re sure not to disturb people while you’re operating the machine.
This spray tan machine has an adjustable knob that allows you to easily control and adjust the pressure so you can avoid overspraying. It gives a flawless application of your tanning solution with no streaking at all. It also comes with a free professional spray tanning guide to show beginners and professionals alike how to operate it.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble, use, and clean
- Lightweight and small for easy storage
- Comfortable grip
- Hands don’t get tired from spray tanning
- Quiet operation
- Adjustable knob for spray pressure
- Free professional spray tanning program guide
Cons:
- May get hot fast
5. Fascination Spray Tanning Machine
The Fascination Spray Tanning Machine is the last item on our list of the best spray tan machines thanks to its ergonomic and self-standing design that ensures its ease of use even for beginners in the spray tan machine world. This is extremely easy to use with its simple one button control for turning the machine on and off. It’s also fairly easy to clean leaving you with no worries after every tan session on yourself or on your clients.
Thanks to its adjustable knob, you can easily control and adjust the pressure of the spray to be able to spray it the way you want to and to how dark you’d want your tan to be. It’s able to smoothly spray the tanning solution onto your skin for a streak-free tan and glow. It also operates quietly compared to other spray tanning machines.
Pros:
- Self-standing, ergonomic design
- Extremely easy to use and clean
- Adjustable knob for easy control
- Smooth application
- Quiet operation
Cons:
- None
Spray Tan Machine Components
Spray tan machines come with three main components: spray tan compressor, spray tan gun, and spray tan hose. Though these are the main components, you can still purchase add ons or additional equipment to be able to spray tan with even more ease.
Spray tan compressor
This is the actual machine you get when you purchase a spray tan machine. It’s responsible for pushing air out of the machine to get the tanning solution out in the form of a fine mist onto the skin. There are different varieties of spray tan compressors: airbrush, LVLP, and HVLP.
An airbrush compressor is great for detail work and touch ups but can result in the production of a lot of overspray. LVLP means Low Volume Low Pressure and uses a lower volume of pressure to spray the tanning solution in the form of a mist. And HVLP means High Volume Low Pressure and operates at a higher pressure and is able to lessen overspray. Most professional spray tan machines are advertised as HVLP.
Spray tan gun
The spray tan gun is where your tanning solution is dispersed from in the form of a fine mist. As you hold it with your hands, your spray tan gun should be comfortable to hold and has a nice grip so your hands won’t feel tired after holding it for so long. Spray tan guns can be made out of plastic, metal, or a combination of these materials.
Spray tan guns hold your tanning solution, thus would require cleaning between uses.
Spray tan hose
A spray tan hose is pretty much straightforward. It connects your compressor and your spray tan gun together so you can successfully spray tan yourself or a client. It should allow you to maneuver around the body so you can easily reach places. It’s available in different materials and varying lengths too.
How to Use a Spray Tan Machine
Using a spray tan machine is pretty straight to the point. But it’s still important for you to research and watch a lot of tutorial videos on how to do it right because we don’t want a tan with lots of streaks and blotches, do we?
Prepare your spray tan kit
First thing you need to do is to make sure you got everything you need – your machine and your tanning solutions. Assemble your spray tan machine and make sure it’s ready to get to work. Get your tanning solution of choice ready too before you start.
Plenty of spray tanning space
Make sure you have plenty of space where you will be doing the spray tanning. This could be messy so you could choose to lay down some newspapers or backdrop to catch the mess.
Correct settings and customization
While some spray tan machines have default settings, some allow you to customize the machine however you like. Make sure it’s all in the right settings before you start your spray tan session.
Spray away
After making sure you have everything you need, you can start spray tanning either on yourself or on your client. Make sure you’ve done your research on the right positions to make sure you get an even tan all over.
How to Choose the Best Spray Tan Machine
With so many results with just a single search, it’s understandable that it can get pretty overwhelming. So it’s important more than ever to know how to choose the best spray tan machine for your needs.
How much solution it can hold
You need to consider how much solution the machine can hold. Will it be enough for an entire spray tan session or will you be needing to refill your tanning solution in the middle of the session?
Spray tan machine components
As we’ve talked about spray tan machine components above, it’s important that you stop and think about the kind of components you’d want in your spray tan machine. HVLP or LVLP? Plastic spray tan gun or metal spray tan gun? Long or short spray tan hose? You should ask these questions yourself before making an official purchase.
Versatility
It’s important that you consider the spray tan machine’s versatility. Are you able to adjust the setting to your liking and needs? Does it have an adjustable nozzle? Do you have different heat options?
Portability
If you’re looking for a machine for your mobile spray tan business, it’s very important that you go for something you can easily pack and carry to your next appointment without much trouble.
Cost
It’s very important that you consider the product’s price range. Does it have add-ons along with the machine itself when you purchase it? Is it worth purchasing with the price it’s being sold on? Make sure you get your money’s worth with what you’re getting.
Conclusion
A spray tan machine is a great way to save up on spray tanning costs at the salon. It’s also a great way to go if you’re planning on starting up your own mobile spray tanning business. Results in a single Google search may get overwhelming, sure, but it really doesn’t have to be.
The MaxiMist Lite Plus is our pick for the best spray tan machine thanks to its manageable and easy to control spray options, ease of usage even for beginners, and the included clear view tent. The Norvell M1000 comes to a close second for its beginner-friendly functions and is a great option for a starting business spray tan machine. The MaxiMist Allure Xena is our choice for the best mobile tanning machine thanks to its lightweight materials that’s easy to carry and it doesn’t overheat, allowing multiple uses in a short amount of time.
Everyone who gets regular spray tan sessions at salons knows how much money is spent on them in a month. If you’re looking for a way to cut those expenses, a spray tan machine in your home might just solve that. In reading this article, we hope you found exactly what you’re looking for!