Vanity Lighting: A Practical Guide

Choosing vanity lights as well as LED lights for bathrooms will have you looking through a lot of different options which all offer their own performance specifications and features.

If your lighting project entails bathroom or vanity lighting, here are a  few things to keep in mind.

The Importance of Quality Vanity Lighting

Most of us start each day standing in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing teeth, combing hair, washing our faces, applying makeup, and so on and so forth.

Having lighting around or behind the mirror, or vanity, can be every bit as important if not more so than the other task lighting applications in your bathroom.

For one, any bathroom lights that deliver poor color rendering make it difficult if not impossible to apply makeup effectively as they will misrepresent its true color. On top of that, overhead or wall-mounted task lighting can produce undesirable shadows.

So, if you’re rethinking your bathroom or vanity lighting, here are some tips for how, where, and why to mount the lights.

How and Where to Mount Vanity Lighting (Plus Some Extra Considerations)

LED strip lights can be highly effective in closets, bathrooms, and for vanities, please have in consideration the following recommendations.

• Waterproof rating: This is one of the most important items to consider when you’re evaluating LED lights for your vanity. If the vanity is in a studio, backstage, or in a dressing room or a closet, it doesn’t matter so much, but in bathrooms, a high IP rating (that protects not only against moisture but also particulate ingress) helps seal the circuit off to humidity and protect the lights. The higher the IP rating, the wetter the environment the lights will be able to serve; the minimum IP rating recommended for bathroom lighting is IP56.

• High CRI values: Color rendering refers to how well colors appear under a white light source when compared to natural sunlight. This is primarily measured using the CRI, or color rendering index, which is measured on a scale from 0 to 100. The higher the value, the more accurate the colors will appear. Utilizing vanity lights that offer excellent color rendering is critical because it can help you color-coordinate outfits and apply makeup effectively.

• Dimmability/color-tuning: Early and late in the day, our eyes are naturally sensitive to blue light. Utilizing LED lights for your bathroom or vanity that can be dimmed or which are tunable white can allow you to set the color temperature as desired to prevent eye strain and increase your comfort. When winding down at the end of the day, this is even more important, as exposure to blue light suppresses melatonin and delays sleep onset. Cooler whites can help boost your energy levels in the morning and warmer colors can help you relax and wind down, especially at the end of the day.
  
  

• Placement: Overhead and ceiling lighting can be very practical, but it can produce undesirable shadows. There are many other ways to mount LED lights in your bathroom or in your vanity, as detailed below.
  • Around the vanity mirror: Around the vanity mirror: Installing LED strip lights around your mirror can elevate the atmosphere of your bathroom and create a luxurious spa-like atmosphere. These vanity lights can also provide functional indirect lighting that can complement the main lighting source of your bathroom.

• Behind the mirror: Mounting LED strip lights behind the mirror will give you the ability to create a diffuse ambient light that can be as good or better than direct lighting.

• Under the lip: If the top (or even the bottom) of your vanity has a lip, you can install LED strip lights underneath or behind it.

• In the drawers: Vanity lighting doesn’t have to be just task lighting for getting ready. You can also install LED strip lights within the vanity’s drawers, making it easier to find what you’re looking for in the morning or evening.

What Products to Consider for Vanity Lighting

Several of the LED strip lighting options we sell are suitable as LED lights for bathrooms or vanities.

• SlimTM Series: Our UltraBright^TM Slim Series LED strip lights are perfect for mounting in areas where the space is limited - this makes them ideal for mounting on/behind lips and within drawers. At only 4mm, they might even be slim enough to mount around the inside of the frame of your mirror, depending on the size and width. Just make sure you use them in and around vanities that are not in your bathroom as we do not offer an outdoor version of the SlimTM Series.

• ArchitecturalTM Series: The Architectural Series is a good option for vanity and LED bathroom lighting, specifically task lighting. The IP65 version of our Static White lights is suitable for these applications, as is the Dynamic Tunable

• OutlineTM Series: If you’re looking to mount accent lighting behind the mirror, or even around it, the Outline Series is a good option. Check out the waterproof version as well for mounting in humid locations, like in bathrooms. These lights produce a subtle glow that’s perfect for adding soft touches of accent lighting.

• Leona® Smart Light Bulbs: The Leona® Dynamic Tunable Bulbs (and the RGB + Dynamic Tunable White version) are also great LED lights for bathrooms, or for use as vanity lights, particularly in situations with existing vanity lighting They can also produce millions of colors and can be controlled either through the app or via voice commands in conjunction with Alexa or Google Home.
  
  

Getting Started with LED Lights for Bathrooms? Contact Us for Free Design Help!

Not sure where to start with your bathroom or vanity lighting project? Our design specialists are here to help you with your project. Just give us a call at 1-844-353-9347 and we’ll help you get started on the right foot.