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Bathroom lighting does two jobs at once: it has to let you see yourself properly, and it has to make a room you relax in. Our bathroom fittings are built to resist moisture and splashes. Free UK delivery on orders over £100.
Why bathroom lighting is a separate problem
A bathroom is the one room where the lighting has a specific task: seeing your own face accurately. Light from directly overhead drops shadow into the eye sockets and under the chin, which is exactly where you are trying to look. A bar above the mirror, spreading light along its length and slightly forwards, fills those shadows in a way a ceiling light cannot.
What width to buy
This is the measurement that decides it. Choose a fitting roughly two thirds to three quarters of the mirror width, mounted centrally above it. As a rough guide: a 45cm to 60cm cloakroom mirror takes the 32cm two-light; a standard 80cm to 100cm mirror takes the 61cm bar or the 65cm four-light; a 140cm mirror or a double basin takes the 104.5cm six-light.
Brightness follows size
The three sizes of the vanity light are not the same light in different lengths. The two-light gives 1040 lumens, the four-light 1596, and the six-light 2340. In a small cloakroom the two-light is plenty; in a large bathroom with dark tiles the six-light is doing real work.
What an IP rating means, and what it does not
IP44 means protection against solid objects larger than 1mm and against splashing water from any direction. That is what allows a fitting to live in bathroom air rather than only in a dry room. It is not a wet rating: do not put an IP44 fitting where it can be sprayed.
UK bathrooms are also divided into zones by proximity to the bath and the shower, and what may be installed in each zone is regulated. We can tell you the rating a fitting carries. Which zone your wall sits in is a question for the qualified electrician doing the installation, and in a UK bathroom it should be a qualified electrician doing the installation.
Cool light, even if it sounds unfriendly
Both our bathroom fittings run at 6000K, a cool white. Warm light is more comfortable to sit in and worse to see by, and at a mirror the job is judging colour accurately. If you want warm light in the same room, put it on a separate ceiling fitting and keep the cool light at the basin.
If you are unsure which size suits your mirror, email us at theteam@modernlight.uk with the width before you order.
Frequently asked questions about bathroom lighting
Which of your fittings are rated for a bathroom?
The black vanity light, which carries an IP44 anti-fog rating, and the bathroom vanity light, whose frame is electroplated and sealed against dust, fog, corrosion and moisture with a waterproof driver. The two-light ceiling flush mount is separately approved for damp locations.
Can I put one directly over a shower?
No. Resistance to bathroom air is not resistance to direct spray, and the shower zone needs a fitting rated for it.
Do you sell recessed spotlights or shower lights?
No. We stock vanity bars and mirror lighting. Recessed and shower fittings are not part of the range.
What width of light do I need for my mirror?
Two thirds to three quarters of the mirror width. Our sizes are 32cm, 61cm, 65cm and 104.5cm.
Can I fit it myself?
Electrical work in a UK bathroom is regulated. Use a qualified electrician.
Are the bathroom lights dimmable?
The bathroom vanity light is described by its maker as dimmable, with a compatible dimmer you supply. The black vanity light has no dimming specified, so treat it as on or off.
Is there a bulb to change?
No. Both bathroom fittings use integrated LEDs rated to around 50,000 hours, so there is nothing to re-lamp.
Can I fit two, one either side of the mirror?
Yes, and a pair either side gives flatter light on a face than a single bar above. Two of the 2-light clear glass bars is the usual way to do it.