In Stock Mirrors

In stock mirrors buying guide

This collection gathers the mirrors that carry the In Stock tag, so you can start from the range that is ready to buy and then choose by shape, finish, light and size. Most of it is the Ingrain range, with a few Radiant, Thermogroup and Remer mirrors. The tag shows the position at the time of the listing, so check the product page for the current availability of the size and finish you want. The practical call: choose the wall and the vanity first, then the frame and the light, because those decide more than the stock position. The sections below take each step, with the source for each rule named in the text.

What is in the range

The Ingrain framed mirrors have an aluminium frame in matte black, brushed nickel or brushed gold. They come as a round in 600mm and 800mm, an arch at 500mm by 900mm, a pill at 460mm by 910mm and a rectangle at 750mm by 900mm. The Ingrain full length arch is 1500mm by 600mm. The Ingrain timber framed mirrors are an arch and a rectangle at 600mm by 1000mm and a round at 800mm. The lit Ingrain mirrors are frontlit, backlit or both, in round, arch, pill and rectangle shapes.

The range also includes the Radiant Olek and Radiant Ark frameless LED mirrors and the Thermogroup Church polished edge arch in 750mm by 1000mm and 500mm by 800mm. It has the Remer Modern Oblong, 460mm wide and 910mm or 1210mm high, in a brushed nickel frame, and a non-lit Thermogroup Ablaze magnifying mirror at 200mm. For magnifying mirrors see magnifying mirrors.

Choosing the wall first

A retailer's guide to choosing a wall mirror says to consider the size of the mirror, its height and the available wall space, and to choose a spot that works for both function and appearance. The hanging steps it gives are short. Measure the height you want and mark the centre point on the wall. Use wall anchors only if you cannot screw into a stud, and hold the mirror level at the mark before fixing it. The guide gives no numbers, so the rules below fill the gap.

Shape by shape

An Australian style guide describes the shapes. Round is a soft circle that contrasts with straight lines, with large rounds working as focal points and smaller ones working in pairs above a double vanity. The pill is an elongated oval that works horizontally or vertically above a vanity. The arch softens hard lines and adds height and depth, and the rectangle is the classic, versatile choice for modern and traditional bathrooms. For the shape groups see round mirrors, arched mirrors, pill shape mirrors and rectangular mirrors.

The Remer Modern Oblong is a tall, narrow rectangle at 460mm wide, hung vertically only. The Thermogroup Church is an arch with a polished edge and 5mm glass. The Radiant Ark is 550mm wide and runs from 1000mm to 1800mm high, so it suits a tall wall without a basin.

Plan the order of the choices

Because the tag lists the mirrors that are ready to buy, it is tempting to start from the product grid. A better order is to measure first. Measure the vanity width, the wall width and height, the distance from the vanity to the ceiling, and the positions of taps, power points and wall lights. Decide the shape and the finish from the tapware and the room, then the width from the Houzz rule, then the height from the centre rule, and only then compare the listings in the range.

Frame and finish

A frame protects the glass edge from knocks, which is why one retailer's guide suggests a framed mirror in a home with children or pets. A UK bathroom retailer's guide says to match the mirror finish to taps and accessories for a cohesive look, or to contrast on purpose, and that black cuts through pale tiles and matches black brassware, while brushed gold matches brass taps. A design guide on mixed finishes says to use one or two finishes in a small room, to choose a dominant finish first, and to avoid very similar shades. For tapware see black taps and brushed brass taps.

The timber frames suit a ventilated room. A glass fabricator's guide says wood and MDF frames can swell, warp or peel in poorly ventilated bathrooms, and that metal frames hold up far better. For the groups see framed mirrors and Ingrain mirrors.

The lit mirrors

The lit Ingrain mirrors have a touch sensor with stepless dimming, a built-in demister, 6500K light and IP44. The Ingrain guide says the touch sensor glows blue when inactive and white when active. A short press turns the light on and a press and hold dims it. The demister heats fully in 3 to 5 minutes and turns off after 60 minutes. The Radiant mirrors offer three light colours and four brightness levels with a defogger.

A guide from a mirror seller says frontlit helps reduce shadows under the brow, nose and chin, and that backlit lights the wall behind the glass. No LED mirror replaces the ceiling light, because mirror light does not reach showers, baths or walk-in areas. The lit mirrors are hardwired and need a licensed electrician. The Ingrain guide says they must be earthed and installed and tested by a qualified electrician. For the lit groups see LED mirrors and Ingrain LED mirrors.

Size against the vanity

Houzz gives the clearest width rule: when the mirror is not the same width as the vanity, make it 70 to 80 per cent as wide, and 60 to 70 per cent when sconces share the wall. On a 600mm vanity that is a mirror about 420mm to 480mm wide. On a 900mm vanity it is about 630mm to 720mm, and on a 1200mm vanity about 840mm to 960mm.

Turn the rule around for the widths in this range. A 460mm pill suits a vanity about 575mm to 655mm wide, and a 500mm arch suits one about 625mm to 715mm. A 600mm round or timber arch suits one about 750mm to 855mm, an 800mm round suits one about 1000mm to 1145mm, and a 900mm wide rectangle suits one about 1125mm to 1285mm. Tape the outline to the wall and look at it from the doorway before you decide.

Height on the wall

Hang the mirror so its centre meets your eyes. An Australian height guide puts the centre at 1500mm to 1650mm from the floor, with 100mm to 200mm between the tap and the base of the mirror and the top edge at least 100mm below the ceiling. Houzz says a mirror needs to reach about 30cm above and below the eye line of its users.

Work it through. A 910mm pill centred at 1600mm covers 1145mm to 2055mm, which clears a tap and leaves 345mm under a 2400mm ceiling. A 750mm tall rectangle hung horizontally and centred at the same height covers 1225mm to 1975mm. The 1000mm timber arch covers 1100mm to 2100mm. The height guide notes that average eye level runs from 1600mm to 1750mm, so measure the people who use the basin.

A worked height example

The Australian height guide gives a worked example. On an 850mm vanity with a 175mm basin mixer, the base of the mirror falls between 1125mm and 1225mm from the floor. With a taller 305mm mixer it falls between 1255mm and 1355mm. A 910mm pill with its base at 1125mm reaches 2035mm, and with its base at 1355mm it reaches 2265mm. Both clear a 2400mm ceiling by more than the 100mm the guide requires. The 1210mm Remer oblong with its base at 1125mm reaches 2335mm, which leaves 65mm and fails the 100mm rule, so tall mirrors need their top edge checked.

Small bathrooms and powder rooms

A humidity guide says a mirror 600mm to 900mm tall suits most single vanities, and suggests keeping 150mm to 200mm clear above a mirror from cabinets or exhaust fans. A 500mm arch or a 600mm round fits a compact vanity without crowding the corners, and Houzz says several tall, skinny mirrors can emphasise the height of a space. Allow for wall lights: when sconces share the wall, the width falls to 60 to 70 per cent of the vanity.

Plain or lit

The sources frame this as a trade-off. A lit mirror gives strong light without a complex lighting system, and a retailer's guide lists adjustable colour temperature and long LED life among the advantages. The disadvantages it lists are the need for a power source and usually a professional installer. A plain mirror with a wall light on each side needs no wiring work on the mirror, though the lights need their own. If the wiring cannot be arranged, a plain mirror is the simpler choice.

The full length arch

The Ingrain full length arch is 1500mm by 600mm, 38mm deep and portrait only, in matte black, brushed nickel or brushed gold. The listing says it can be wall hung or used as a floor standing mirror, with brackets for the floor version, and suggests propping it against a wall at the end of a hallway. A retailer's guide says floor mirrors lean against a wall and give a full-length reflection, and are often used in bedrooms or dressing rooms. For the group see full length mirrors.

Two mirrors over a double vanity

A double vanity gives you the choice between one wide mirror and two. Homes and Gardens says to hang a mirror over each sink on a double vanity for balance, and Houzz says several tall, skinny mirrors give a vertical look. The Australian height guide asks for at least 100mm between two mirrors. The 460mm pill, the 460mm Remer oblong and the 500mm arch are narrow enough to pair. If the mirrors are lit, plan the supply for both before the wall is closed.

Upright or sideways

The listings say which way each mirror hangs. The arches, pills and full length mirrors are portrait only. The round mirrors have no direction. The plain 750mm by 900mm rectangle hangs portrait or horizontal, and so does the timber rectangle. The Remer oblong hangs vertically only. Check the orientation line before you buy, because the fixing points and the touch sensor change with the direction.

Reading a listing

The listings carry the same fields in the same order. Start with the overall width and height, then the depth, which on this range runs from 20mm to 46mm and is 38mm on the Ingrain framed mirrors. Next read the orientation line, then the wall mounting line. For lit mirrors read the wattage, the colour temperature line, the IP rating and the installation line. Finally download the specification sheet and the installation and owner guide, and read both before you choose the fixings.

Wall space around the mirror

Houzz counts sconces as part of the mirror's footprint, which is why its percentage drops from 70 to 80 per cent to 60 to 70 per cent when lights share the wall. The Australian height guide asks for the top edge to sit at least 100mm below the ceiling and the base 100mm to 200mm above the tap. Add a switch, a towel rail or a shelf to the same wall and the usable width shrinks again, so mark every item on the wall before you fix a screw.

Fixing the mirrors

The listings describe the fixing for each mirror: screws and hangers on the Ingrain mirrors, a two-part hanger on the Thermogroup polished edge mirrors, wall brackets on the Radiant and Remer mirrors. The Ingrain guide says to mark two screw positions on the wall aligned with the mounting plate holes, using a tape and a spirit level, then drill, insert wall plugs and screw in the screws. Leave 4 to 5mm exposed to hang the mirror. It says the plugs supplied suit stone or brick walls but not wooden walls, and to screw into studs where possible. A hanging guide adds that cavity anchors suit plasterboard without a stud, and that a mirror over 100cm should be lifted by two people.

Round mirrors by size

The round mirrors give a size for most walls. At 70 to 80 per cent of the vanity width, a 600mm round suits a vanity about 750mm to 855mm wide, a 700mm frameless round suits one about 875mm to 1000mm, and an 800mm round suits one about 1000mm to 1145mm. Houzz says round mirrors suit pedestal basins and bathrooms with many hard surfaces, and the style guide says smaller rounds work in pairs above a double vanity. A pair of 600mm rounds with the 100mm gap the height guide asks for covers 1300mm of wall, which suits a double vanity about 1625mm to 1860mm wide.

Using the lit mirrors safely

The Ingrain guide lists a few more rules for the lit mirrors. They are for indoor use only, at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees. They are not for use by minors, or by people without experience or knowledge, unless supervised or instructed by someone responsible for their safety. The guide also says not to stare at the operating light source for long periods, and that any timer or switch has to sit in the right zone for its IP rating. The plain mirrors need none of this.

Glass and humidity

An architecture publication's humidity guide says moisture gets into a mirror through the edges and through tiny scratches in the protective paint on the back, and that copper-free or edge-sealed glass slows the oxidation that causes black spots. The listings give copper-free glass across the range. The Ingrain guide adds that keeping the edges dry matters, because moisture left on them can cause damage known as black edge. Run the exhaust fan after a shower, as a glass fabricator's guide advises.

Care and cleaning

The Ingrain guide gives the routine: clean, warm water and a soft lint-free cloth, wrung out before wiping, then dry the mirror at once with a dry lint-free cloth. Avoid acid or alkali-based cleaners, never use abrasive cleaners, and do not use commercial mirror cleaners that contain ammonia or vinegar. Do not spray cleaner directly onto the mirror: apply it to the cloth, which keeps it off the edges. Check the fixings once a year, as the humidity guide advises.

Choosing quickly

• Narrow vanity: the 460mm pill, the 500mm arch or a 600mm round.
• Wide vanity: the 800mm round or the 900mm wide rectangle.
• Black or brass tapware: the matching frame, or a deliberate contrast.
• Light at the basin: a lit Ingrain or Radiant mirror, hardwired by an electrician.
• A tall, narrow wall: the Remer oblong, the Church arch or the Radiant Ark.
• A hallway or bedroom: the full length arch.

The final check is the same for every mirror: wall against shape, width against the vanity, height against the eye line, and fixings against the weight. For the general guide see mirrors, and for the wall browse wall mirrors.