Advice On UV Lamps To See Phosphor Bands

Can someone please advise as to the best, but not necessarily the most expensive, UV lamps for seeing phosphor bands?

Please, specify what phosphor bands you are referring to. Different countries have used different phosphor taggings.

Since your profile mentions you reside in the UK and you mention phosphor 'bands,' I am tempted to assume you are talking about the phosphor bars on moderns UK issues (Wildings, Machins, Jennings; special stamps either have them or not and those that do show them easily).

Until the early 1990s, the phosphor reacted to shortwave uv light. After that, also phosphor was used that reacted to longwave uv light. Leuchtturm (Lighthouse in the UK) produces hand-held shortwave and longwave uv lamps (I would advise against the combined lamp as you need to replace it when only one setting no longer works). These are sold under their own brands by Safe and Lindner as well. Stanley Gibbons also had a lamp, but lately they appear to be switching to rebranded SAFE and Leuchtturm tools.

Keep in mind that the UK has different sockets and may have different voltage. When ordering from abroad, you might need an adapter, or the lamp might not even work at all.

Thank you for your prompt reply!
I am in the UK, and it was mainly to use on the machins!
Any advise is very much appreciated.

I found having shortwave and longwave are useful for Machins. Lighthouse did sell a dual band model. On early pre-decimal especially, the UV response can be weak (aging) or washed on on used Machins.

The good news is with a magnifier you can often see the phosphor carrier even if dead to UV light.

Use them in a very dark room.

In a dark living room, unless you want to see a lightshow on your bathroom floor.

When shopping, also visit those sites that are geared towards rock collectors. They, at least in the States, offer a much larger variety than those found on philatelic sites and often at better prices.