Tanning salons in Toronto fall into three groups: UV bed salons, artist-applied spray tan studios, and automated spray tan booths. UV beds build colour over several sessions using the same radiation the World Health Organization classifies as a Group 1 carcinogen. Spray tans give you full colour in one visit with zero UV. The difference between the two spray options is who does the spraying and how private the room is. Here is how to choose a tanning salon in downtown Toronto based on what you actually want.
What Kinds of Tanning Salons Does Toronto Have?
UV salons are the traditional kind, with sunbeds and stand-up booths, often paired with red light and wellness services. You will find them around Yonge and Bloor, St Lawrence Market, the waterfront and the Beach. Artist spray tan studios are the boutique option, mostly in Yorkville, King West and the east end, where an artist sprays you by hand. Automated booths are the newest category. TANNED TO at 71 Duncan Street in the Entertainment District was Toronto’s first: a private room, a voice-guided booth, and a 4-minute session with no one else present.
Are Tanning Beds Legal in Toronto?
Yes for adults, no for minors. Ontario’s Skin Cancer Prevention Act bans tanning bed services for anyone under 18, and salons must ask for ID. There is no equivalent restriction on spray tanning because there is no UV involved. At TANNED TO our services are available from age 16, with parental or guardian consent for anyone under 18. If safety is your main question, spray tan vs tanning bed is the honest comparison.
What Is 10 Minutes in a Tanning Bed Equal To?
There is no reliable conversion, and anyone who gives you one is guessing. The UV output of a tanning bed depends on the bed, the bulbs and how old they are, and many beds emit UV stronger than midday summer sun. What is not in question is the category: UV from tanning beds is a Group 1 carcinogen, the same group as tobacco. A spray tan involves no UV at all, and it also gives you no sun protection, so you still need sunscreen. We explain why in does a spray tan protect you from the sun.
How Much Does Tanning Cost in Toronto?
UV salons usually sell single sessions, minute packages or monthly unlimited plans, and you need repeat visits to build and keep a base tan, so the real cost is the monthly total rather than the per-session price. Hand-applied spray tans in Toronto typically run $75 to $120 or more before tip. At TANNED TO a single automated session is $60 with a complimentary skincare treatment included, and memberships start from $50 a month. No tipping, because there is no artist.
Which Is the Healthiest Way to Tan?
A spray tan, by a wide margin. The colour comes from DHA, a sugar-derived ingredient that reacts with the top layer of your skin and fades as that layer sheds. There is no cumulative damage. UV tanning, whether from a bed or the sun, causes premature aging and raises skin cancer risk with every session. Between the two spray options, health is a tie. The differences are privacy, consistency and price, which we cover in is a spray tan safe and automated vs artist spray tan.
Where Are the Best Places to Tan in Downtown Toronto?
It depends on what you mean by tan. For UV, the long-established salons cluster near Yonge and Bloor and the St Lawrence Market area. For a hand-applied spray tan, King West and Yorkville have the best-known boutiques. For an automated spray tan, TANNED TO is at Queen and Duncan, steps away from St Andrew and Osgoode stations and about 10 minutes from the Financial District. Our downtown Toronto and King West pages have walking times from the landmarks you already know.
What Should You Ask Before You Book?
Ask whether the room is private and whether anyone else is present. Ask how many colour options you get and whether you choose the depth. Ask what the total is with tip, and whether unused credits expire. Ask how long the appointment takes door to door. At TANNED TO the answers are: private room, four intensity levels in Malibu, Regular Clear, or Rapid Clear, $60 plus tax and no tipping required, credits that roll over, and 20 minute slots. If you have never had a spray tan, the first-time spray tan guide walks through the whole visit.
Toronto has plenty of tanning salons. See how the booth works, then book your session at TANNED TO in downtown Toronto.
