Spray tan guide
Booth or Hand-Sprayed Spray Tan: What Is the Difference?
If you are choosing between a booth and a hand-sprayed tan, the colour is made the same way. The choices that differ are who applies it, who is in the room and how you book. Here is how it works at our booth in Wath upon Dearne.
Our booth at a glance
- Who applies it
- The Mystic booth. Nobody sprays you by hand.
- Where
- A private room. Staff explain the prompts first and are not in the room during the session.
- Session length
- A few minutes in the booth. Allow longer at reception to choose your shade.
- Price
- £26 a session, or £97 for a block of four
- Booking
- None. Walk in: Mon to Fri 8 am to 10 pm, Sat 10 am to 7 pm, Sun 10 am to 5 pm.
- Mobile visits
- None. Spray tans are studio only.
The short answer
Both are sunless tans. A product goes on your skin and darkens it over the following hours, with no UV lamp involved. In a hand-sprayed tan a technician applies it with a spray gun or airbrush, which is why you will also see it called an airbrush tan. In our booth the machine applies it, in a room you have to yourself.
That one change decides most of the rest: whether anyone sees you undressed, whether you need an appointment, and whether the visit can come to your door.
Booth and hand-sprayed side by side
The left column is what happens at Luxe Glow. The right column is how a hand-sprayed tan generally works, and every salon sets its own terms, so ask before you book.
| What you are weighing up | Luxe Glow booth | Hand-sprayed by a technician |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies the tan | The Mystic booth, which mists you evenly in a few minutes | A technician with a spray gun or airbrush |
| Who is in the room | Only you. Staff are not in the room during the session. | You and the technician |
| Booking | Walk in during opening hours, no appointment | Set by the salon or technician, so check when you ask |
| Choosing your shade | At reception, with staff, before you go in | Set by the salon, so ask what is on offer |
| Where it happens | At the studio only, with free parking at the door | In a salon, or at your home if the technician offers mobile visits |
| Price | £26 a session, £97 for four | Set by each salon, so ask for theirs |
Luxe Glow details are from our price list and opening hours, checked 31 October 2026.
What our booth does and does not do
The booth lays down the same fine mist every session, and it tells you by voice when to turn and how to stand. You choose the shade at reception, step in alone and follow the prompts. Most people are out within a few minutes. There is no age limit for the booth, as our age guide explains.
There are limits, and it is better to know them before you drive over. The booth is a machine, so nobody can adjust the spray by hand as you go. We have no mobile service. And a walk-in system means no appointment slot is held for you, so at busy times you may wait.
A spray tan does not protect your skin from the sun. The NHS sun safety guidance applies whether your colour comes from a booth, a technician or the beach.
Which to pick
Start with what matters most to you on the day, then read across.
| If you most want... | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Nobody else in the room | The booth | You are alone from the moment you step in until you are dressed again. |
| To turn up when it suits you | The booth | Walk in any day we are open. Late nights run to 10 pm Monday to Friday. |
| A fixed price you can see first | The booth | £26 a session, £97 for a block of four (£24.25 each), and the same for everyone. |
| A person talking you through it as it happens | A technician | Our booth uses voice prompts, and staff are not in the room. |
| The tan applied at your home | A mobile technician | We do not offer mobile spray tans. |
What the first visit involves
- Arrive with clean, exfoliated skin and skip deodorant and make-up on the day.
- Pick your shade at reception and pay. Staff explain the voice prompts and show you the room.
- Go in alone and follow the prompts. The booth mists you through each position.
- Dress in loose, dark clothes and ask when to take your first rinse. Our aftercare guide explains why the timing matters.
Going for the first time? The first visit checklist covers what to bring and what to ask.
Is a booth worth it?
At £26 a session, a booth spray tan sits inside the roughly £15 to £35 we saw advertised by salons around Rotherham in October 2026. Our block of four brings each session to £24.25, which suits anyone with several events coming up, or a trial tan before a big one. If the event is a wedding or a holiday, our checklist for those sets out the timing.
Whether that is worth it comes down to the room, the walk-in and the price, because the colour itself is a sunless tan either way. If those three matter to you, the booth is built for them. If you want a technician or a visit at home, a hand-sprayed service will suit you better.
See the full price list, or call 01709 212515 before you travel.