Spa furniture and equipment you need to start your own business

Are you thinking about starting your own spa? Or maybe you have already established your business and now are going through the process of opening it, step-by-step? Whatever the case may be, purchasing the proper spa furniture and equipment is a vital part of the process. It is also a very consequential one - spas can provide a very wide range of services, so it’s the last moment to decide what your speciality is going to be. Let’s take a look at different types of spa equipment and furniture, their prices and services for which they are necessary and find the most optimal solutions for your personal needs.

Treatment tables

They are pretty much a necessity in any spa. However, there are many different kinds of spa treatment tables and their purposes (as well as pricing!) vary depending on their functionalities. Basically, you can purchase:

Universal tables - fully or partially electric, with height adjustment and/or adjustable top.
Massage tables - including flat-top ones.
Medical and aesthetic tables - perfect for services that require absolute precision.
Wet tables - designed to be used alongside water therapy.
Speciality tables - prepared especially for particular services, such as Ayurvedic treatment.

Which services are they necessary for?

Tables are essential for most spa services. Some universal, adjustable ones can act as chairs, making them perfect not only for cosmetic treatments, such as facials or injectables, but also for pedicures and PMU. Flat-tops are absolutely the best for massages, while wet tables are fundamental for hydrotherapy, body wraps, Vichy showers and other treatments requiring water resistance. Finally, if you specialise in exceptional services requiring particular equipment (such as Ayurvedic treatment or Shirodhara massage), you’ll need an appropriate table as well.

How much do they cost?

The price range of treatment tables varies widely and depends on the type and quality of the product in question. The cheapest massage tables, usually portable, start at around £250. However, anything more upscale and solid is at least double the price - and we are talking about plain massage flat-tops. Good quality universal tables start at around £1,000 and can go up to £5,000, while solid medical and aesthetic tables will cost you anything between £1,500 and £7,500. Partially electric tables are usually less expensive than fully electric ones - the cost of the former starts at around £1,700, while it’s rare to find a good fully electric table below £2,300. Wet tables usually start around £2,800. The pricing of a speciality table depends on the kind of treatment it is dedicated to.

Treatment chairs

If you already have a universal or aesthetic table that can be used as a chair, they are not necessary. However, they have to meet certain standards - for example, if you are going to provide pedicures, they need to be either “piped-in” or allow for convenient access to a remote bowl.

Which services are they necessary for?

A treatment chair (or a table working as a chair) will be necessary for most cosmetic services and for pedicures. You can either go for chairs that are multipurpose or purchase a few that are specified for a particular service.

How much do they cost?

The price of a universal chair is usually pretty manageable - they start around £1,500. If you want a universal chair to work as a pedicure one, you will have to buy an additional bowl on a trolley (£150 and up) or portable pedicure spa station (£200 and up). A dedicated pedicure chair can get pretty pricey - a simple one will cost you at least £1,000, and every additional amendment will add to the price.

Additional cosmetic furniture & equipment

For the cosmetic treatments, you will have to purchase:

Aesthetician/therapist stools (£250 and up)
Magnifying lamps (£150 and up)
Hot towel cabinets (£100 and up)
Facial steamers (£350 and up)
Facial vacuum/spray machines (£400 and up)
Rotary brush machines (£400 and up)

Additional manicure and pedicure furniture & equipment

If you want to provide nail services, when it comes to furniture, you are going to need:

Manicure desks (£200 and up)
Customer chairs (£150 and up)
Technician chairs and stools (£100 and up)
Trolleys (£80 and up)
Pedicure ottoman (£120 and up)

As for the equipment, you’ll have to purchase:

Towel warmer
Tool sanitiser
Laundry equipment
Additional lighting (standing or clip-on lamps)
Nail polish display

More advanced spa equipment

If you are planning on going big with your spa, you can invest in:

Steam cabinets (£3,500 and up)
Jacuzzi or whirlpool tubs (£4,000 and up)
Vichy showers (£5,000 and up)
Swiss showers (£7,500 and up)
Hydrotherapy tub (£17,500 and up)

Necessary spa furniture

Finally, to round up the count, you have to choose elements of furniture that will fill your reception area and enrich the interior. The absolute necessities are:

Reception area desk (£800 and up)
Reception desk stool (£100 and up)
Waiting area chairs (£50 and up)

It’s also wise to include at least one retail product display - a standing unit or shelves that may become your spa wall decor if arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Best spa software

Do you know what also is an absolute necessity when it comes to spa equipment? A 24/7 digital receptionist, marketing manager and your most hard-working employee that is Booksy, best spa management software! With features such as detailed customer records, online booking, room availability management or bulk messaging, it will become your number one helper. Give it a try for free and see how much more convenient it is to manage your spa with it!