We ranked the 5 most popular tanning products

This is the one we’d buy again

Sienna

Aug 05, 2026

If you tan regularly, you already know not every tanning product lives up to the hype. They all promise deeper, darker colour in less time, but once you actually use them, the difference is obvious. Some look incredibly bronzed straight away but feel thick and messy. Some work well, but the smell is hard to get past. Others feel great on the skin but do not deliver the level of colour experienced tanners are chasing. We compared five popular tanning products across results, speed, scent, application and value. One clearly stood out.

 

Key features of our winning tanning product

Deep, dark colour in less time

Designed to support the skin’s natural tanning process, helping you develop a visibly deeper tan without spending endless hours in the sun.

 

Made for more than a light holiday glow

A stronger choice for regular tanners chasing obvious tan lines and rich, developed colour, not a subtle result that barely shows.

Warm coconut-and-caramel scent

A premium fragrance that makes the tanning experience more enjoyable, without the savoury, chemical or traditional fake-tan smell associated with some alternatives.

Rich balm, soft skin

The balm spreads smoothly and leaves the skin feeling soft and nourished, rather than excessively sticky, greasy or heavily coated.

But which tanning product should you choose?

With so many tanning oils, gels, lotions and balms flooding the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the options. Let’s be honest: not all tanning products are created equal. Differences in how dark they get you, how quickly they work, how they smell and how they feel on the skin can make a world of difference to both your results and the overall tanning experience.

5 Popular Tanning Products Compared

We evaluated each product using the following five criteria:

Tanning Results

How deep and noticeable the finished tan appeared, whether it created strong tan lines and whether it was suitable for someone seeking more than a subtle base tan.

 

Speed of Results

How quickly users could expect to notice colour and whether the product helped them make better use of a shorter tanning session.

 

Scent

Whether the fragrance was pleasant enough to wear for an extended period or became distracting and overpowering.

 

Application & Wear

How easily the product spread, how oily or sticky it felt and how likely it was to transfer onto hands, towels, bikinis or clothing.

 

Price & Value

We considered the product size, required routine, amount needed per application and whether the overall experience justified the price.

We expected the viral favourites to finish closely together. However, one product delivered a noticeably stronger balance across all five categories.

🏆

#1: Brunae Body

Our top-pick for 2026

(4.9 / 5 )

The Intensive Tanning Balm shows what a premium tanning product can do. It supports the skin’s natural tanning process, helping you develop deeper, darker colour faster without spending endless hours in the sun. The rich balm melts smoothly across the skin, absorbs quickly and leaves it feeling soft and nourished rather than greasy or heavily coated.

 

What makes this balm exceptional is the overall tanning experience. Its warm coconut-and-caramel scent feels more like a luxury body product than a traditional tanning lotion, while the Brunae Complex blends naturally derived oils to support deeper natural tanning. It is made in Australia and backed by a refund promise if customers are not noticeably darker after two or more uses. In short: a fast, dark tanning balm that smells incredible and feels just as good on the skin.

 

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🏆

#1: Brunae Body

Our top-pick for 2026

(4.9 / 5 )

Brunae Body’s Ultra Dark Self-Tanning Foam shows what a well-rounded express tan can do. It develops deep colour in two hours and leaves the skin looking smooth and even after rinsing. The lightweight mousse spreads easily and dries quickly, making it simple to use before plans. 

 

What makes this foam exceptional is its formula. It uses 100% natural DHA with niacinamide, caffeine and native fruit extracts. It also has a white-chocolate scent rather than the usual strong fake-tan smell.

Brunae received a Yuka score of 51/100 — Good, more than double the next-highest score in the comparison. In short: a fast, dark self-tan that performs well across colour, application and formula quality.

 

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🏆

#1: Brunae Body

Our top-pick for 2026

(4.9 / 5 )

Brunae Body’s Ultra Dark Self-Tanning Foam shows what a well-rounded express tan can do. It develops deep colour in two hours and leaves the skin looking smooth and even after rinsing. The lightweight mousse spreads easily and dries quickly, making it simple to use before plans. 

 

What makes this foam exceptional is its formula. It uses 100% natural DHA with niacinamide, caffeine and native fruit extracts. It also has a white-chocolate scent rather than the usual strong fake-tan smell.

Brunae received a Yuka score of 51/100 — Good, more than double the next-highest score in the comparison. In short: a fast, dark self-tan that performs well across colour, application and formula quality.

 

CHECK AVAILABILITY

🏆

#1: Brunae Body

Our top-pick for 2026

(4.9 / 5 )

The Intensive Tanning Balm shows what a premium tanning product can do. It supports the skin’s natural tanning process, helping you develop deeper, darker colour faster without spending endless hours in the sun. The rich balm melts smoothly across the skin, absorbs quickly and leaves it feeling soft and nourished rather than greasy or heavily coated.

 

What makes this balm exceptional is the overall tanning experience. Its warm coconut-and-caramel scent feels more like a luxury body product than a traditional tanning lotion, while the Brunae Complex blends naturally derived oils to support deeper natural tanning. It is made in Australia and backed by a refund promise if customers are not noticeably darker after two or more uses. In short: a fast, dark tanning balm that smells incredible and feels just as good on the skin.

 

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#2: Carroten

(4.4 / 5 )

A viral favourite that creates an extremely dark, glossy look almost immediately. However, much of that initial contrast comes from the gel’s heavy guide colour, so the result can look less dramatic once it is washed away. The thick formula also feels oily and messy, with users frequently mentioning transfer onto bikinis, towels and clothing. It delivers strong colour, but the staining risk and heavy application make it less enjoyable to use regularly.

 

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#2: Loving Tan

(4.4/ 5 )

 

A viral favourite that creates an extremely dark, glossy look almost immediately. However, much of that initial contrast comes from the gel’s heavy guide colour, so the result can look less dramatic once it is washed away. The thick formula also feels oily and messy, with users frequently mentioning transfer onto bikinis, towels and clothing. It delivers strong colour, but the staining risk and heavy application make it less enjoyable to use regularly.

 

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#3: Maui Babe

(4.3 / 5 )

A cult classic that works particularly well for building an initial golden base tan. However, many regular tanners find the results become less noticeable once they are already tanned, making it harder to keep progressing to a deeper colour. The brown lotion can also transfer onto fabrics, and its scent is extremely divisive, often compared to soy sauce or stir-fry. Effective, but not the most pleasant product to wear for an entire tanning session.

 

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#3: St. Tropez

(4.3 / 5 )

 

A cult classic that works particularly well for building an initial golden base tan. However, many regular tanners find the results become less noticeable once they are already tanned, making it harder to keep progressing to a deeper colour. The brown lotion can also transfer onto fabrics, and its scent is extremely divisive, often compared to soy sauce or stir-fry. Effective, but not the most pleasant product to wear for an entire tanning session.

 

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#4:The Fox Tan

(4.2/ 5 )

A popular pre-tan lotion designed to help prepare the skin for deeper colour. However, it requires more planning than the products ranked above, with the brand recommending daily use for three to five days before tanning and a separate accelerator during sun exposure. Results also seem mixed, with some users mentioning little difference, sticky residue or yellow transfer. Effective when used consistently, but less convenient for anyone wanting one product they can apply on tanning day.

 

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#4:Bondi Sands

(4.2 / 5 )

 

A smooth, pleasant-smelling accelerator that feels more polished than many heavily tinted tanning products. However, the brand recommends using it as part of a multi-step routine, including applying a separate elixir for several days before tanning. That means more preparation, more products and a higher overall cost to achieve the strongest results. A good option for committed tanners, but less convenient for anyone wanting one product they can apply and use immediately.

 

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#5: Australian Gold

(4.1 / 5 )

An affordable and easy-to-apply lotion with the familiar Cocoa Dreams scent many tanners love. However, the colour payoff is more suited to someone wanting a light, gradual glow than an experienced tanner chasing their deepest possible result. The formula feels comfortable and offers good value, but it lacks the intensity and speed of the stronger products in the comparison. Pleasant to use, but not the one we would choose for maximum colour.

 

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#5: Bali Body

(4.1 / 5 )

 

An affordable and easy-to-apply lotion with the familiar Cocoa Dreams scent many tanners love. However, the colour payoff is more suited to someone wanting a light, gradual glow than an experienced tanner chasing their deepest possible result. The formula feels comfortable and offers good value, but it lacks the intensity and speed of the stronger products in the comparison. Pleasant to use, but not the one we would choose for maximum colour.

 

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Why Should You Use a Tanning Product?

A good tanning product helps your skin make more of the time you already spend in the sun. The right formula supports the skin’s natural tanning process, helping you develop deeper, more noticeable colour without needing to spend endless hours outside.

 

For people who tan slowly, struggle to get colour on areas like their legs or feel their tan stops progressing after building a base, a high-quality tanning product can help create a darker, more even result while leaving the skin feeling soft and nourished.

 

For anyone chasing stronger tan lines, faster visible colour and a deeper overall tan, choosing the right tanning product can make a noticeable difference.

What to Look For When Choosing a Tanning Product

Deep, developed colour

A good tanning product should help you build a visibly deeper tan, not simply leave temporary colour sitting on top of the skin.

Faster visible results

The right formula should help you make more of each tanning session, so you notice stronger colour without spending endless hours outside.

Smooth, comfortable application

Look for a product that spreads evenly and leaves the skin feeling soft and nourished rather than excessively greasy, sticky or coated.

A scent you actually enjoy

Because even an effective tanning product becomes difficult to use if the smell is overpowering, savoury or similar to traditional fake tan.

What to Avoid in Tanning Products

Temporary colour mistaken for results

Some tinted products make the skin look extremely dark during application, but leave much less developed colour behind once they are washed away.

 

Heavy, messy formulas

An uneven undertone or patchy application can make even a dark tan look poorly applied.

 

Overpowering scents

Strong chemical, fake-tan or food-like fragrances can become difficult to tolerate throughout an entire tanning session.

 

Slow or underwhelming results

A product may feel luxurious on the skin, but that means little if it only produces a subtle glow or stops progressing once you have built a base tan.

The winner is clear...

After reviewing five of the most popular tanning products, it became clear that many still come with a compromise, messy application, overpowering scents, slow results or colour that looks more impressive before showering than afterwards.

 

Brunae Body’s Intensive Tanning Balm stood out by combining deeper, faster natural tanning with a warm coconut-and-caramel scent and a rich balm that leaves the skin feeling soft and nourished. For anyone chasing stronger tan lines and a deeper result without the usual tanning-product drawbacks, Brunae Body is our top pick.

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