A professional spray tan machine can give you or your clients that lovely tan skin without spending hours at the beach. It gives you the confidence you need without risking UV rays or a sunburn.
Spray tans are instant and can last for many days, making them a viable alternative for boosting your looks whenever you need to. But there are so many offers out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to choose.
In this professional spray tan machines review, we look at the market’s top offers and show you the considerations that lead to a perfect choice.
In this post:
- 7 Best Professional Spray Tan Machines – Review
- 1. Best Overall Professional Spray Tan Machine: Norvell Sunless Kit
- 2. Best Budget Professional Spray Tan Machine: Belloccio KIT-T75-SP
- 3. Best Package Professional Spray Tan Machine: MaxiMist Lite Plus
- 4. Best Premium Professional Spray Tan Machine: Fuji Spray 2100 Mini-AU
- 5. Best Compact Professional Spray Tan Machine: Aura Allure
- 6. Minimal Package Spray Tan Machine: Belloccio KIT-1255-MB12
- 7. Exclusive Design Spray Tan Machine: Naked Sun Fascination
- How To Buy the Best Professional Spray Tan Machines
- How To Use A Professional Spray Tan Machine
- Conclusion
7 Best Professional Spray Tan Machines – Review
IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
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1. Norvell Sunless Kit (Best Overall) |
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2. Belloccio KIT-T75-SP (Best Budget) |
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3. MaxiMist Lite Plus (Best Package) |
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4. Fuji Spray 2100 Mini-AU (Best Premium) |
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5. Aura Allure (Best Compact) |
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6. Belloccio KIT-1255-MB12 (Minimal Package) |
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7. Naked Sun Black Fascination (Exclusive Design) |
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PRODUCT |
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1. Norvell Sunless Kit (Best Overall)
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2. Belloccio KIT-T75-SP (Best Budget)
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3. MaxiMist Lite Plus (Best Package)
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4. Fuji Spray 2100 Mini-AU (Best Premium)
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5. Aura Allure (Best Compact)
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6. Belloccio KIT-1255-MB12 (Minimal Package)
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7. Naked Sun Black Fascination (Exclusive Design)
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1. Best Overall Professional Spray Tan Machine: Norvell Sunless Kit
Photo: Norvell
- Type: HVLP
- Weight: 11 pounds
Norvell’s M-1000 is a top sunless tan kit for many reasons: It features plastic and metallic parts, comes with three 8-oz solution bottles, and includes the Norvell University training program booklet. This makes it our overall best choice.
This spray tan machine is designed for the professional on the go. So, it’s lightweight, comes with a shoulder strap for portability, and features an HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) technology for fast spray times, while minimizing over-sprays.
The package also includes three of Norvell’s most popular solutions: Dark, Venetian, and Cosmo Light. Each one comes with allergen-free fragrances and antioxidants to boost your skin’s perception.
Although this offer is the best commercial spray tan machine on this list, it doesn’t come with a pop-up tent, but this doesn’t make it any less attractive.
Pros:
- Top design from top brand
- Includes a shoulder strap
- Comes with 3x 8-oz solutions
- The package includes a 10-ft hose
- Formulas include allergen-free natural fragrances
Cons:
- It doesn’t include a pop-up tent
2. Best Budget Professional Spray Tan Machine: Belloccio KIT-T75-SP
Photo: Belloccio
- Type: HVLP
- Weight: 15 pounds
Bellocio offers a sunless tan kit, but it comes at a low price, which makes it attractive. This package includes the HVLP spray tan machine with a gun and a hose, plus four 4-oz tan solutions to help make it the best professional spray tan machine for budget shoppers.
These four bottles include 8%, 10%, and 12% DHA Bellocio Simple Tan solutions, plus a bottle of the Opulence solution. These allow you to spray the full range of body types, ranging from fair to deep bronze tones.
The package also includes a video guide with five segments and 24 minutes of step by step instructions to help train you in using this spray tan machine professionally.
Some of its issues include parts made mostly from plastic, and this reduces its sturdiness. Else, Bellocio backs it with a 2-year warranty.
Pros:
- Offered at a low & attractive price
- The package comes with 4x solution bottles
- Includes an instruction manual with an e-video link
- Backed by a 2-year warranty
Cons:
- The air hose and most parts are plastic
- It’s relatively heavy
3. Best Package Professional Spray Tan Machine: MaxiMist Lite Plus
Photo: MaxiMist
- Type: HVLP
- Weight: 18 pounds
When it comes to the total package, this MaxiMist Lite Plus package outshines the rest because it includes everything from the turbine motor to the gun, three solution bottles, and a pop-up tent with a carry bag.
It’s also a very popular offer, as it has already sold over 10,000 units. Plus you can get this tent in either brown or black. The spray gun offers vertical and horizontal patters too, as well as flow adjustments, so you can always set the right tone.
Unlike the other offers, it also comes with three conical plastic cups for your convenience. But it’s air hose is shorter than on other offers and it’s relatively pricey too. MaxiMist backs it with a 1-year warranty anyway and it remains one of the best salon spray tan machines out there.
Pros:
- Comes with a tent and carry bag
- Includes 3x bottle and applicator cups
- Offers horizontal and vertical patterns
- 1-year warranty coverage
Cons:
- It has a relatively short hose
- You can find cheaper offers
4. Best Premium Professional Spray Tan Machine: Fuji Spray 2100 Mini-AU
Photo: Fuji Spray
- Type: HVLP
- Weight: 19.8 pounds
If you love only the finest items made from the best materials, then this might be the professional airbrush tanning system that you’re looking for.
Featuring an all-metal and stainless steel construction, this package is guaranteed to outlast most others on this list, plus Fuji Spray backs it with a 2-year coverage.
Everything is metallic and this includes the hose, gun, and turbine motor housing, which secures the 2-stage professional motor that drives this unit to deliver endless hours of reliable service.
It has small downsides anyway and these include its relatively high price and a lack of free solution bottles.
Pros:
- Premium-quality construction
- Features an all-metal & stainless steel construction
- Powered by a 2-stage professional motor
- Backed by a 2-year warranty
Cons:
- It’s a relatively costly machine
- Doesn’t come with accessories
5. Best Compact Professional Spray Tan Machine: Aura Allure
Photo: Aura Allure
- Type: HVLP
- Weight: 10.4 pounds
Aura Allure’s spray tan machine combines a high-quality product with compact dimensions and a stylish exterior to make this one of the best professional spray tan machines in the market.
The package includes this uniquely designed and compact turbine unit, with an 11.5-foot long hose, and three cups for your convenience. It even includes a spare parts kit with a cup gasket, turbine filter, and a solution pickup tube.
Further features include a relatively low-noise turbine, so you can carry on conversations in peace. Then, there’s the lovely flow-rate dial control on top that gives this unit a classy vibe.
In all its elegance, however, it lacks the portability that most of the other features include. But, if you’re not interested in shoulder straps, then its 11.5-ft hose will still give you lots of maneuvering freedom.
Pros:
- A compact system with a sleek design
- Comes with an 11.5-ft long hose
- Includes three spray cups
- Low-noise turbine allows conversations
Cons:
- Doesn’t offer a shoulder strap for portability
6. Minimal Package Spray Tan Machine: Belloccio KIT-1255-MB12
Photo: Belloccio
- Type: Airbrush
- Weight: 2.3 pounds
Minimalists will love this spray tan package. It features an airbrush-style gun, with a 0.4-mm gravity feed cup and a small and quiet compressor to produce the needed air stream.
In addition to being the smallest on this list, it’s also the lightest at just 2.3 pounds, as well as the lowest-priced, when it comes to cost. It runs on 12V DC with the included adapter and comes with a 6-foot hose.
Bellocio also includes a bottle of its Opulence tanning solution in this package and backs the entire offer with a 1-year warranty.
If you are looking for a tan machine to create deep tans, then this isn’t for you. But if you are looking for a professional airbrush spray tan machine for very fine mists and light tans, then check this offer out.
Pros:
- Small airbrush system perfect for minimalists
- Comes with a 6-foot rubber hose
- Works with 12V DC and 110V AC adapters
- The package also includes a 4-oz bottle
- Backed by a 1-year manufacturer warranty
Cons:
- Not as fast as other systems
7. Exclusive Design Spray Tan Machine: Naked Sun Fascination
Photo: Fascination
- Type: Custom
- Weight: 7.5 pounds
Those with a love for style and aesthetics will appreciate this spray tan machine kit. It combines shiny metal and plastic parts with a see-through cup to make it one of the best professional spray tan machines for home use.
The turbine motor is enclosed with a sound-baffling design for low-noise operation, while the gun is designed specifically for spray-tanning, making it better than standard HVLP guns.
You also get a metal needle in the nozzle for reliability and durability. Plus, its one-button control and adjustable spray patterns add to its overall qualities.
But, as you can imagine, it’s relatively expensive and that’s its major drawback. Else, it’s a very beautiful unit.
Pros:
- Uniquely-designed spray tan system
- Simple one-button control
- Beautiful and trendy look
- Super-quiet turbine sound suppression
Cons:
- It’s not cheap
How To Buy the Best Professional Spray Tan Machines
Photo: Youtube.com
1. The Type of Spray Tan Machine
These top-rated professional spray tan machines are divided into sub-types based on their design and how they function. Following is a look at these different types.
HVLP. This acronym means High Volume Lop Pressure, and it’s used to describe the type of spray gun and air-compression system that tan machines such as the Maximist Lite Plus come with. An HVLP system produces a high volume of air, typically about 15-40 cfm, at a low pressure of about 4-10 PSI.The advantage of HVLP spray guns is their ability to produce high-quality finishes using little solutions or paint, as they originated from painting. They also make it easier and faster to spray an entire person than with a typical low-volume gun.
LVLP. LVLP is also an acronym, which stands for Low Volume Low Pressure. Unlike HVLP, however, LVLP is designed especially for tanning and produces about 40-cfm of air volume at a low 1-PSI of gun pressure.
This makes LVLP perfect for tanning because of its high efficiency in maximizing solution-use and its higher precision, given the lower pressure.
Automatic Spray Tanning Booths. As the name suggests, these are large and completely automated systems, where you just need to step inside and follow the instructions. Some even provide voice instructions, warm air, and other impressive features.
Airbrush Spray Gun Machine. Airbrushes come with much lower volume (about 0.5-cfm or less) and this typically means more precision than an LVLP or HVLP system can offer.
These machines, such as the Bellocio Kit-1255-MB12 spray gun, are however, less ideal for full-body spraying because they can take up to an hour per person, while an HVLP system needs just 5 to 10 minutes for the same job.
2. Capacity
If you plan to offer a service with your new tan machine, then you also need to keep in mind that a typical application session will use 2 to 4 ounces per client, so planning can be quite helpful.
You want a gun that can hold two ounces, at least, so you can cover your average customer without needing a refill. You also want to have enough solutions for the different skin shades and enough cups to make your work easier.
3. Versatility
A variable speed setting and adjustable spray nozzle will also improve the versatility of a spray tan machine by increasing or reducing airflow, and allowing the application of thicker or thinner layers to suit every session.
4. Spray Pattern
Spray patterns are important because they help you to work more effectively and efficiently. On most spray guns, you’ll find a setting for horizontal and vertical spray patterns, while certain more advanced models will offer a third option for a spot pattern.
The prongs on the gun’s tip determine its spray pattern. Aligning them vertically creates a horizontal pattern, which is good for up and down spraying strokes while aligning them horizontally, on the other hand, creates a vertical pattern, which is perfect for left to right strokes.
Another factor to keep in mind is the spray-pattern size. A pattern size of 2 to 6 inches often optimal, because larger sizes can quickly lead to lots of solution missing the client because of the excess width, often referred to as over-spray.
5. Extras
Yes, some packages come with extra features and this will either interest you or not. One such feature is a tent, which is often included as a pop-up tent with a carrying bag. It’s important because it helps you to prevent making a mess of the room you are working in.
Another extra feature is warmth for the solution. Some professional spray tan machines offer the ability to spray with heated air, as it’s more comfortable on the skin than cold solutions, especially in winter.
How To Use A Professional Spray Tan Machine
Photo: Getty Images
1. Skin Preparation
The first step is to get your skin ready because that’s what will guarantee a beautiful and natural-looking tan. This preparation involves exfoliating your skin to get rid of dead cells, such as with dry-brushing or a salt body scrub.
After brushing, you’ll need a shower and a leg shave for maximum results, then keep every part of your body hydrated with lightweight body lotion, especially the dry areas.
2. Machine Preparation
You’ll also need to set up the machine, including the room you’ll be using. You want to keep the room well ventilated, with a towel to stand on or a pop-up tent, if available.
For the machine, you need to set its spray direction, as well as its airflow rate and nozzle size, if available. Now, you are ready to begin.
3. The Tanning Process
Whether you’re spraying yourself or someone else is doing it, the goal is to apply an even coat all over the body. Also, a thinner coat is better than a thicker one, as it’s easier to manage.
Use a horizontal pattern for up and down spray strokes, and a vertical pattern for left to right strokes, taking care to minimize over-sprays by using an optimal nozzle size.
After a full-body pass, spread the legs and go one after the other, then do the same with the hands, including the armpits. You’ll also need to close your eyes and hold your breath for the face or use a nose filter plug, if available.
4. Drying & Afterwards
Allow the tan to dry completely before putting your clothes back on. Also keep your body as hydrated as possible, because this will help to maintain its tan and consider a second session after a few days.
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of this professional spray tan machines review and you’ve seen the great offers out there. And now we’ve come to the point where you make your choice.
If you just want a simple but reliable package, we recommend the Norvell M-1000 Sunless Kit, with its plastic and metal parts, including three bottles of tanning solution and shoulder strap.
For those on a budget, the Bellocio KIT-T75-SP tanning machine is worth consideration, because it comes at a low and attractive price while including a 2-year warranty and four solution bottles.
And in case you prefer the most premium offers, then we recommend this Fuji Spray 2100 Mini-AU spray tan machine, with its all-metal design, 2-year warranty, and 2-stage motor.