8 Best Gyms With Tanning: Costs, Plans, Reviews

Many gyms offer tanning beds that can be used alongside the fitness areas as part of your monthly gym membership.

However, others require additional payments for each use of the tanning beds. 

That's why we sent a writer, Amanda Dvorak, to review the most popular gyms near her home in New Jersey and we also called the gyms to verify the amenties they offer.

Here are the best gyms with tanning beds: 

1. Planet Fitness
2. Gold’s Gym
3. World Gym
4. GoodLife Fitness
5. Anytime Fitness
6. Crunch Fitness
7. Snap Fitness
8. Fit4Less 

In this article, I’m going to cover the best gyms with tanning beds, the important things that you need to know before using gyms with tanning facilities, and the benefits of joining these gyms.

1. Planet Fitness 

Planet Fitness is one of the six largest gym franchises with tanning services, with 732 locations with tanning beds across the US (a total of around 3,736 tanning beds). Most of the 2,000+ Planet Fitness clubs have tanning beds. 

Although Planet Fitness isn’t the best option for advanced lifters because of its gym policies, it has a great range of gym equipment and many additional amenities, including tanning beds. In fact, it is one of the cheapest franchises with the option of tanning services.  

The tanning beds are not accessible to those who are on the basic membership. However, the PF Black Card membership costs $24.99/month plus taxes, and you can use the tanning beds as part of this monthly membership plan.

You can also get a free Planet Fitness day pass to test out their tanning beds. I also compared Planet Fitness against other top gyms, including 24 Hour Fitness, YMCA, and Fit4less.

2. Gold’s Gym 

Despite tanning facilities being removed from a lot of the Gold’s Gym clubs, some Gold’s Gym locations still have tanning beds that are available for members to use.  

With 128 of over 700 locations offering tanning services, Gold’s Gym is another one of the largest gym chains with tanning services. You may need to pay an additional fee to use the tanning services, but the price may vary depending on your location. 

If the Gold’s Gym locations near you don't offer tanning services on-site, they might offer discounts for tanning salons nearby. 

Gold's Gym is one of the best gyms for kids and teens. I also compared Gold's Gym against other top gyms, including 24 Hour Fitness, LA Fitness, and Planet Fitness.

3. World Gym 

World Gym is one of the best gyms with tanning, with most locations offering tanning facilities. 

Depending on the location, tanning may be available as part of your membership, or you might need to pay an extra fee. Make sure to check with your local club to learn about its particular policies. 

The cost of a World Gym membership varies by location, but I see the Fulton, NY location charges $39 for a Monthly Pass and $10 for a Key Tag fee, making it a budget-friendly chain gym. I think it's a bit confusing how they charge memberships, and the website doesn't help you out much.

However, membership costs may be higher depending on which part of the world you live in.

I also compared World Gym against similar gyms, such as Planet Fitness and Gold's Gym.

4. GoodLife Fitness 

GoodLife Fitness is only available in Canada, but most locations have tanning beds, either included as part of your membership or as an add-on. 

As with most gyms, the types of available plans and their prices vary by location. However, at most locations, you’ll need what’s called an Ultimate membership plan if you want to take advantage of the tanning facilities. This plan costs around $39.99 every two weeks, plus a $15 joining fee, depending on the location. 

Goodlife Fitness is one of the best gyms with showers, so check out the details in the full post. I also compared Goodlife Fitness against Anytime Fitness, LA Fitness, and Fit4Less.

5. Anytime Fitness 

Tanning beds won’t be found at every Anytime Fitness location, but a small selection of clubs offer these services.  

A few of the Anytime Fitness clubs have tanning services alongside a range of other amenities. You might need to book a time slot in advance as most clubs only have one or two tanning beds. You’ll be able to book either at the reception desk or through Anytime Fitness’s mobile app. 

The tanning beds may be available as part of your monthly gym membership, which costs an average of $41 per month in the USA, or you may have to pay an extra fee. 

I also compared Anytime Fitness head-to-head against other top gyms, including Planet Fitness, Gold's Gym, and LA Fitness.

6. Crunch Fitness 

Many of the Crunch Fitness gyms offer tanning services available to use on the Peak Results membership. 

Crunch Fitness on E. 34th St in NYC charges $105/month plus taxes and fees for the One Crunch and $114/month plus taxes and fees for Multi Crunch, which gives access to multiple locations.

Some locations may allow you to use the tanning facilities on the lower memberships for an additional fee, but others won’t offer this service at all to members who aren’t on the top plan. Ask at your local gym to see what they offer. 

I also compared Crunch Fitness head-to-head against similar gyms, including Planet Fitness, LA Fitness, and Anytime Fitness.

7. Snap Fitness 

Some, but not all, of the Snap Fitness clubs have tanning beds that are available for members to use as part of their membership plan or for an additional fee. 

Access to the tanning beds at Snap Fitness may be included in your monthly membership, which costs anywhere from $49/month to $129/month, depending on your location and the included amenities. However, some locations will charge an additional monthly fee of $15 to use the tanning beds. 

Since Snap Fitness is open 24 hours, you will easily be able to find a quiet time of the day or night to use the tanning beds. 

Snap Fitness is one of the best beginner-friendly gyms, so be sure to check out other options in the full post. I also compared Snap Fitness against Planet Fitness.

8. Fit4Less 

Most of the Fit4Less gyms have tanning services that are free to use if you’re on the Black Card membership. 

The Fit4Less Black Card starts at $13.99 every two weeks and includes access to tanning services. This membership enables you to access all of the Fit4Less gym locations and even share your membership with your friends and family. 

I also compared Fit4Less against similar gyms, so read the head-to-head comparison with Planet Fitness and GoodLife Fitness.

Things To Know When Looking For A Gym With Tanning 

Here are important things to consider when you’re searching for a gym with tanning facilities:

• Some gyms offer starter packages or initial discounts: Always check a gym's website for a free pass or trial before signing up. 

• The tanning facilities are not always included in your gym membership: Before you sign up to one of the gyms with tanning beds, ask if it’s included in your membership or if you need to pay an extra fee per session. 

• Be wary of the busier times of the day: If you plan on going to the gym to use the tanning facilities between 5 and 8 pm, expect them to be fairly busy.

• You won’t see an advertisement for ‘unlimited’ or ‘free’ tanning in some jurisdictions: It’s illegal to use the terms ‘unlimited’ or ‘free’ when talking about gym tanning facilities. Even if the tanning beds are available as part of your membership, they will not be advertised as ‘free’.  

• Gyms that don’t have tanning may have discounts for nearby tanning salons: Some gyms have discounts or offers for their members to use local tanning salons.

• There may be more gyms with tanning in your area depending on your location: This report indicates that the highest proportion of gyms with tanning beds was in the Midwest region of the United States, with 87% of gyms offering these services. 

Gyms Without Tanning 

The following gyms do not have tanning beds:

• Equinox: Despite not having tanning facilities, Equinox has an extensive selection of free weights, strength machines, and cardio machines.

• LA Fitness: LA Fitness has lots of resistance and cardio equipment, including squat racks, deadlift platforms, treadmills, and bikes.

• Life Time Fitness: You won’t find tanning beds in Life Time Fitness gyms, but you will find a great range of high-quality workout equipment and other amenities. 

• Onelife Fitness: Onelife Fitness doesn’t have tanning services, but it’s a great franchise if you enjoy strength and cardio equipment, plus pools, saunas, and hydro-massage facilities. 

• 24 Hour Fitness: If you’re looking to grow muscle and gain strength, 24 Hour Fitness is perfect for you, but unfortunately, there are no tanning beds. 

• Blink Fitness: Blink Fitness offers affordable memberships and well-maintained clubs, but it doesn’t have tanning services. 

• Youfit: There are no tanning beds at any Youfit locations, but you’ll find basic gym equipment, including free weights and cardio machines. 

• F45: F45 doesn’t have any tanning beds. In fact, most locations don’t have any extra amenities at all, so you’ll also be hard-pressed to find a location with pools, saunas, or luxurious locker rooms.

Benefits of Joining A Gym With Tanning Beds 

There are many benefits to joining one of the gyms with tanning beds, including: 

• Tanning beds in gyms are likely to be cheaper than salons: This is because the tanning beds in gyms aren’t subjected to the 10% tanning tax, which the US government requires from certain businesses that provide tanning services.

• You can save time: If you use the tanning beds at the gym immediately before or after a workout, you can save time traveling to and from the tanning salon every time you want to use the tanning beds. 

• You might be able to bring a friend: Some gyms offer one-off or monthly free trial passes that allow you to bring your friend along to the gym. You may be able to use these passes for the tanning beds in some gyms. 

• More motivation to workout: If you finish a tanning session and you’ve got some free time, you might end up spontaneously using the fitness studio or joining a group class. 

FAQ

What are the risks of tanning?

Tanning beds emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which has been known to cause damage to the DNA in human cells for years. This DNA damage can increase the risk of skin cancer before the age of 35 by 75%. 

Studies also show that indoor tanning facilities are a risk factor for the development of Malignant melanoma (MM), regardless of whether you experience burns. It’s thought that over 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the US are caused by the use of indoor tanning beds. 

Should you add tanning to your workouts for a healthy lifestyle?

There is an increasing concern over the promotion of indoor tanning in fitness centers because it reinforces the idea that tanning is part of living a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Sherry Pagoto stated that ‘gyms are giving tanning beds a health halo’. Researchers have also called out gyms for undermining the negative health effects of using tanning beds.

Why have tanning beds been removed from many gyms?

Many people agree that tanning beds should be removed from gyms and some franchises have begun to remove their tanning facilities in recent years. Alongside this, the self-tanning product market is projected to increase by 5.9% by 2025. This shows that more people are searching for non-harmful alternatives to getting a tan.

Other Gym Resources

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• 10 Best Gyms With Pools, Saunas, & Hot Tubs (2022)
• 5 Best Gyms For College Students (With Student Discounts)
• 9 Best Gyms With Trainers (And, How Not To Get Ripped Off)
• 5 Best Gyms for Seniors (Plus, Are Gyms Free for Seniors?)

About The Author

Athina is a Biochemistry and Genetics graduate, and a qualified personal trainer with a passion for women’s health and fitness. She is passionate about helping women to learn more about the importance of the menstrual cycle and how to balance their hormones. She is the host and producer of Fertility and Freedom podcast, which covers all things women’s health and hormones.