Though similar in function and technical structure, tanning booths differ from tanning beds

by the user's lying position. With tanning booths one stands, and this peculiarity represents the main advantage of such devices. Sanitation is the actual thing for which tanning booths are given better ratings than tanning beds, since they require virtually zero contact between the body and the unit. The preference for such devices also increased because of many false myths about tanning beds: there were people who pretended to have got herpes from prior users, for instance. Though this may not have been the case, negative publicity works too, and tanning booths got prominence over tanning beds.

The truth is that regardless of whether of using tanning beds or tanning booths, cleaning substances are part of the usage routine, not to mention that the high UV environment makes bacterial outgrowth almost impossible. Tanning booths also prove singular by the higher power output in the reflecting UVA lamps. This means that technically speaking, tanning booths rely on 160 watt lamps, which are significantly more powerful than those used by tanning beds. This also explains why the sessions are five or ten minutes shorter too, which could influence the choice of one who cannot afford to waste any time at all.

One of the advantages of tanning booths was only discovered when the presence of the pressure points came under debate. When lying on a bed, a person's body gets areas where the blood slows down in its proper flow because of the position. The consequence of this unevenness is irregular tanning, but the chances for such an accidental appearance are significantly reduced with tanning booths. What users find more annoying is the higher costs for the tanning booths use, as not anyone is willing to pay double or triple several times a week. This is also the reason why tanning beds outnumber tanning booths, as not all salons afford to make improvements.

Generally speaking, tanning booths are included in the same category as other tanning gear: they pose similar health hazards and the national regulations apply similarly. Even if the time spent in tanning booths is shorter, the exposure to ultraviolets is not completely safe, and the potential hazards are amplified by the prior existence of some skin problem left untreated until the tanning session. Therefore, people should pay more attention to their body, as good looks are not worth supporting at the expense of personal health.