Get a Sun-Kissed Glow
Buffalo NY Tanning Salon
Buffalo is a city of distinct neighborhoods and fierce local pride — the tree-lined boutiques of the Elmwood Village, the bars and Victorian streets of Allentown, the tight-knit blocks of South Buffalo, the parkways of North Buffalo and a reborn waterfront on the edge of Lake Erie. It is a place built on chicken wings, Bills and Sabres loyalty and some of the finest historic architecture in the country. It is also, for a good chunk of the year, one of the grayest and snowiest cities in America, where lake-effect squalls can bury a street and hide the sun for days on end.
That mix of big-city energy and brutal winter is exactly why so many Buffalonians make Extreme Sun Capsule part of their routine. We are not downtown, but both of our salons sit just east of the city on Buffalo's east side, an easy 15-minute hop for most neighborhoods. For more than 20 years we have helped the City of Good Neighbors hold onto a little warmth, color and summertime feeling, no matter how thick the snow is piling up outside.
A Quick Trip East from Every Buffalo Neighborhood
One of the quiet advantages of living in Buffalo is that nothing in this compact, walkable city is far from the close-in suburbs that border it. Our flagship salon at 3637 Union Rd in Cheektowaga sits right on the city's eastern edge, and for most neighborhoods it is roughly a 15-minute drive. From the Elmwood Village, Allentown or downtown the Kensington Expressway and Route 33 carry you out toward Union Road in no time, while North Buffalo drivers can take Main Street straight across. The salon is open every single day from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, so it fits whether you are an early riser or a night owl.
South Buffalo residents often find our second salon at 1402 French Rd in Depew just as convenient, an easy run down the I-90 and French Road, with hours of Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM and weekends from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Having two locations flanking the east side means there is almost always a bed open near you when your schedule clears — and since UV tanning is walk-in, you never have to plan a single thing in advance.
Beating the Lake-Effect Gray
If you have lived through even one Buffalo winter, you know what the sky does here. From the first flurries of November well into spring, lake-effect cloud cover settles over the region and the sun becomes a rumor. The shoveling is relentless, the bronze you earned at the beach last August fades to pale, and that endless gray ceiling has a way of dragging on your spirits. It is one of the genuine trade-offs of calling this beautiful city home.
A warm tanning session in the dead of a January squall is a real antidote. The heat, the quiet and the soft glow feel like stepping out of the storm and into a slice of summer, and a great many of our Buffalo guests tell us their visits are about lifting their mood as much as keeping their color. A maintained base tan also means you are never caught ghostly pale when a surprise mild weekend arrives or a midwinter flight to somewhere sunny suddenly lands on the calendar. For a city that earns its summers the hard way, that little reset goes a long way.
The Full Tan & Wellness Menu
Over more than two decades, Extreme Sun Capsule has grown well beyond a simple row of beds into a complete tan-and-wellness destination. Buffalo guests get the run of the entire lineup:
- UV Tanning Beds & Booths: Equipment from gentle starter levels all the way up to our top-tier Level 5 KBL P95 bed, which pairs UVA/UVB lamps with red light therapy, full-body misters and aromatherapy for a deep, even, luxurious tan.
- Custom Spray Tanning: A flawless, UV-free glow applied in minutes — ideal when you want instant color with zero sun exposure.
- Hydromassage with Red Light Therapy: Recline on a warm water-massage bed while rejuvenating red light works on your skin's tone and texture.
- Infrared Sauna: Detoxifying, deeply relaxing infrared heat that soothes tired muscles and warms you from the inside out — a treat after a brutal Buffalo cold snap.
- LED Lipo Body Contouring: A non-invasive, light-based treatment that targets stubborn areas with no downtime.
- Slim Pod Wellness Cocoon: A private cocoon combining infrared sauna heat with whole-body vibration massage.
- Revita Skin Treatment: LED light facials and red light skin wellness to brighten and refresh your complexion.
Not sure where to begin? Our staff will walk you through every option and help you build a routine around your skin type and your goals, whether that is a deep dark tan, a soft natural glow or a relaxing wellness ritual to break up a long Buffalo week.
Game Days, Nights Out and the City's Big Moments
Few cities show up for their teams and their celebrations the way Buffalo does. When the Bills are playing in the cold or the Sabres are downtown on a Saturday night, a fresh glow is a small way to look and feel your best heading into the tailgate or the after-party. Spray tanning is the go-to here because it delivers instant, photo-ready color with no UV and no waiting — perfect when game day or a night out in Allentown or on Chippewa sneaks up on you.
The same is true for the moments that matter most. Brides and bridal parties book spray tans ahead of summer weddings at venues across the city and the waterfront, prom-bound students stop in for a confidence boost before the big night, and families heading somewhere warm over winter break come in for a base tan that helps guard against that first painful day of sunburn. Whatever the occasion — a reunion, a milestone birthday, a portrait session on Elmwood — we will help you walk in pale and walk out glowing, right on schedule.
Two Decades of Buffalo Trust
There is no shortage of places to find a tanning bed around the city, so why do so many Buffalonians make the short drive east to Extreme Sun Capsule? It comes down to track record. We were one of the very first tanning salons to open anywhere in Western New York, and after more than 20 years we still treat cleanliness, safety and honest customer care as the things that matter most. Every location is licensed by the New York State Department of Health, and our beds, booths and rooms are sanitized between every guest.
Value matters in a city that knows the worth of a dollar, too. We carry premium lotions from Australian Gold and Designer Skin at price points for every budget, our $19.99 per month Unlimited Tanning Package is among the best deals anywhere in the region, and we will gladly honor a competitor's coupon so there is never a reason to overpay for great color. Add a friendly staff who learn your name and your skin type, and it is easy to see why so many city tanners settle in with us for the long haul.
How to Start Tanning in Buffalo
Getting started could not be simpler. New to indoor tanning? Stop in and our team will assess your skin type, set a safe starting time and pick the right bed so you build color gradually and evenly — never a burn. Ready to commit? The $19.99 monthly unlimited membership is the regulars' favorite, especially for getting through a Buffalo winter, but single sessions and prepaid packages are there for occasional tanners and event-only visits alike.
Because walk-ins are always welcome, you tan entirely on your own schedule — before work downtown, on a lunch break in the Elmwood Village or after the gym. Prefer to plan ahead? A quick phone call to your closest salon is all it takes. However it suits you, the team at Extreme Sun Capsule is ready to help Buffalo look and feel its best, all 365 days of the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both of our salons sit just east of the city on Buffalo's east side, roughly 15 minutes out depending on your neighborhood. From the Elmwood Village, Allentown or downtown you can take the Kensington or Route 33 toward Cheektowaga and our salon at 3637 Union Rd, while South Buffalo drivers often find the Depew salon at 1402 French Rd an easy run down the 90 and French Road. North Buffalo residents reach either location quickly along Main Street and Union Road.
Buffalo's lake-effect winters bring weeks of heavy cloud cover and very little direct sun, and that long gray stretch wears on both your tan and your mood. A warm tanning session is a quick reset between snow squalls, helping the city's residents keep a healthy-looking glow, a bit of warmth and a brighter outlook from the first flurries through a late spring thaw.
UV tanning beds and booths are always walk-in at both locations, so you can stop in before work downtown, after a Sabres game or on a quiet Sunday with no appointment at all. For custom spray tanning and certain wellness services we recommend a quick phone call so a room and technician are ready when you arrive.
You have the full menu: UV tanning beds and booths at several intensity levels including the Level 5 KBL P95 bed with red light therapy, misters and aromatherapy, plus custom UV-free spray tanning, hydromassage with red light therapy, an infrared sauna, LED lipo body contouring, the Slim Pod wellness cocoon and Revita LED skin treatments.
Single sessions, prepaid packages and monthly memberships are all available. The crowd favorite is our $19.99 per month Unlimited Tanning Package, which lets Buffalo members tan as often as they like through the long winter. We also accept competitors' coupons, so it is easy to compare prices and save.
Yes. Our custom spray tanning is completely UV-free and delivers an even, natural-looking glow in just a few minutes, which makes it popular before a game day, a wedding, a downtown night out or a winter trip somewhere warm. You get instant, photo-ready color with no sun exposure and no waiting.
They are. Extreme Sun Capsule is licensed by the New York State Department of Health, and every bed, booth and room is sanitized between guests. As one of the first tanning salons to open in Western New York more than 20 years ago, we have held those standards from the beginning.
Our Cheektowaga / Buffalo salon at 3637 Union Rd, (716) 685-2002, is open Monday–Sunday from 8:00 AM–10:00 PM and is usually the closest for most city neighborhoods. Our Depew salon at 1402 French Rd, (716) 656-9950, is open Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–10:00 PM and Saturday–Sunday 8:00 AM–9:00 PM, and is often handy for South Buffalo drivers.
Ready to glow? Visit Extreme Sun Capsule in Cheektowaga or Depew — your closest Buffalo-area tanning salon — or contact us today.
