Which Lighted Bathroom Mirror Is Bright Enough for Makeup and Shaving?

Stand at most bathroom mirrors at night and the light comes from the ceiling behind you, which leaves your face in its own shadow. A lighted mirror puts the light where the mirror is. Whether it is bright enough for makeup and shaving depends on where that light sits.

A mirror lit from the front aims light at you, and that is the kind for close work. A backlit mirror sends its light onto the wall behind the glass. It makes a lovely halo and a good night light, but it is for atmosphere, and it needs another light for the face. Some mirrors do both.

After that it is a matter of shape and size. A round or oval mirror softens a tiled room, a wide one suits a double vanity, and a frame, black or gold, ties the mirror to the taps.

All Sum Home Apex LED Heated Mirror, Dual Lighting

A long mirror over a double vanity changes the whole bathroom, and the Apex is lit two ways at once. A band of light inside the glass faces you, for the morning routine, and a glow from behind washes the wall, for the evening. It is wide enough for two people to stand side by side, and the plain, frameless shape suits a modern bathroom with a floating vanity and large tiles. With the wall glow alone, the bathroom has its night light.

All Sum Home Caivell Oval Backlit LED Mirror

The Caivell is an oval with no frame and no visible light on its face. The glow comes from behind and outlines the shape in a halo on the wall, which is a beautiful effect in a powder room or above a pedestal sink. It is light for atmosphere, so we’d pair it with a sconce or a ceiling light for the mirror work. An oval also softens a room of square tile and straight edges.

LOAAO Dual-Lit LED Mirror, UL Listed

A thin black frame gives this mirror a crisp outline, and a band of light set into the glass gives it a second one. It is lit from the front and from behind, and the black edge ties in with black taps, a black shower frame, or dark cabinet handles. The upright shape suits a single vanity. On a white tiled wall it looks graphic and neat.

All Sum Home TriFold LED Mirror With Magnifier

Hair is the reason to choose a three-panel mirror. The side wings angle in so you can see the side and back of your head, the way a hairdresser’s mirror does, and a small magnifying mirror slides along for close work. Lit and open, it has the look of a dressing room, and it wants a wide vanity and a wall to itself. It is a mirror for someone who takes getting ready seriously.

kleankin Square Front-Light LED Mirror

With a fine gold edge and a soft glow around the outside, the small square kleankin looks like a lit picture frame. It is a pretty, simple thing for a powder room, where the light is aimed forward at whoever is washing their hands. The gold would pick up brass taps or a gold-framed print, and the square shape sits well above a small pedestal sink.

kleankin Round LED Mirror, Dimmable

A round mirror is the easy way to soften a bathroom full of rectangles, and this one has a black frame with a ring of light inside it, like a porthole. It plugs into an ordinary outlet, which makes it a good choice for a rental or anywhere without wiring behind the wall. Black taps and a wooden vanity would go well with it, and the black rim looks sharp against white or green tile.

Keonjinn Backlit LED Mirror

With no frame and no lit band on the glass, the Keonjinn is a plain sheet of mirror by day. Switched on, light spreads from behind it onto the wall, a cool white that suits a bathroom of white or grey tile and chrome fittings. It is a minimal look, good for a bathroom where the tile is the feature and the mirror should stay quiet.

All Sum Home Solen Frameless Front-Glow Mirror

The Solen glows around its edge, a warm line of light that faces the room, and nothing else interrupts the glass. Frameless and quiet, it suits a bathroom that already has strong tile or a bold vanity. The same design comes in much wider versions, so it can run the length of a double vanity as one continuous mirror.

Hardwired or Plug-In

A mirror that plugs in needs an outlet nearby and a plan for the cord, but you can hang it yourself and take it with you when you move. That makes it the easier choice for renters. A hardwired mirror connects to a junction box in the wall. It looks cleaner with no visible cord, but it means electrical work, and local rules may require a licensed electrician for it.

In a small powder room, a compact round or square lit mirror may be all the light the sink needs.