Unless you are lucky enough to have a villa in St. Tropez, maintaining a year-round tan is something of a fantasy. Thus, many have turned to the option of buying tanning beds or purchasing a tanning session at a local salon.

For those who are tanning for the first time, the prospect is a little scary. Is it safe? Will it work? Is it worth the expense? But for the many who have already learned how to use tanning beds and are in the thick of their addiction, a session in the tanning bed is as important a part of grooming as hair cuts, manicures and pedicures, and facials.

If it’s the dead of winter in upper-bumble New York, and you see a perfectly bronzed friend, chances are she took part in tanning. Tanning comes in many options; the ones you partake in are very much due to personal preference. There are traditional tanning beds, stand-up booths and spray/airbrush tanning. In both beds and stand-up booths, tanning bulbs bronze the skin using UV rays. The deepness of your tan is due to many factors, including whether the bed is high or low pressure, the bulbs being used, and the length of time you spend in the bed or booth. There are two common types: the horizontal bed, in which you climb and lie down, and stand-up tanning booths, in which you stands up to receive rays. This choice is also largely due to personal preference.

Tanning bed safety is a major concern, as it should be. UV overexposure in tanning beds can lead to permanent skin damage and many ailments, including skin cancer. The goal in researching where to buy tanning beds and scouring tanning bed reviews is to select vendors or salons you are comfortable with and can trust. If you are buying a bed for your home, ensure that it is high-quality, has a warrantee, and is both comfortable and easy to use. If visiting a salon—or purchasing a tanning bed for a salon—make sure the design features are optimum to your business and your clients’ needs. Details such as session time, positioning, and accessories like face or shoulder tanners are all components to be worked out before any sales are made.

Most importantly, buy from a vendor you can trust. MasterTanning.com has many of top-of-the-line home and commercial beds in stock, as well as lamps and bulbs, making it easier to be guided through a quick and painless shopping experience. When buying your beds, consider the issues that will come up in your personal or business purchases, and your long-term needs and plans. Then, consider the buying season—buy when the best deals are offered, which is often in the busy pre- and post-spring season. There are often great deals in the off-season too. Be a smart shopper and you’ll not only be ahead of the golden-hue curve, you’ll have money left in your pocket for tanning lotion.