The bathroom vanity light is one of the most important fixtures you will choose for your home. It has to perform a specific job: provide even, flattering light for grooming tasks, without shadows, glare, or colour distortion. Most people get this wrong, and they live with the consequences every morning.
Here is how to get it right.
Side-Mounted vs Top-Mounted Vanity Lights
This is the most important decision you will make, and it depends entirely on your mirror setup.
Side-Mounted (Hollywood-Style) Vanity Lighting
Lights positioned on either side of the mirror at face height produce the most flattering, even light for grooming. This is how professional makeup artists and film studios illuminate faces. Shadows are minimised because light comes from both sides simultaneously. If you have the wall space for side lights, this is the superior option.
Top-Mounted Vanity Lighting
A single bar or row of globes mounted above the mirror is the most common approach in Australian bathrooms. It works well when positioned correctly. The key is to mount the light at eye level or just above, not at the very top of the mirror or at ceiling height, where it will cast downward shadows across your face.
What Height Should a Vanity Light Be?
For a top-mounted bar light: the centre of the fixture should be roughly 1.8m to 1.9m from the floor, which places it just above eye level for most adults. This keeps the light source in the right zone to illuminate faces evenly.
If the mirror dictates a higher or lower position, always err toward lower rather than higher. A light that is too high creates unflattering downward shadows across the eye sockets and under the chin.
How Wide Should a Bathroom Vanity Light Be?
Your vanity light should be at least 75 to 80 percent as wide as your mirror. A narrow light above a wide mirror leaves the edges of the mirror dim and the face unevenly lit. If your mirror is 1200mm wide, aim for a light bar that is at least 900mm wide.
What Colour Temperature for a Bathroom?
Bathroom vanity lighting sits in a tricky zone. You need it warm enough to be flattering, but accurate enough to use for makeup and grooming. The sweet spot is 3000K to 3500K. This is slightly cooler than the 2700K warmth of a living room but warm enough to avoid the harsh, washed-out look of daylight globes.
Avoid anything above 4000K at a bathroom vanity. Cool white light is accurate but unforgiving, and it will make you look worse than you actually do.
IP Ratings for Bathroom Vanity Lights
In Australia, bathroom lighting must comply with the electrical zoning requirements of AS/NZS 3000 (the Wiring Rules). Vanity lights installed directly above or beside a sink or shower zone require a minimum IP44 rating (protected against water splashes from any direction). Lights installed outside the defined wet zones can be standard IP20 rated fittings.
Always check the IP rating of any fitting before installing it in a bathroom, and ensure installation is completed by a licensed electrician.
How Many Globes or Lights Do You Need?
More globes generally means more even light distribution and fewer shadows. A single globe above a wide mirror creates a cone of light in the centre with dimmer edges. A multi-globe bar spreads the light source evenly.
For most single-basin vanities, a 3 to 5 globe bar is sufficient. For double-basin vanities, a longer 5 to 7 globe bar or two separate lights is more effective.
Shop Bathroom Vanity Lights at Sunming Lighting
Sunming Lighting stocks a range of bathroom-rated vanity lights suited to Australian homes, from sleek single-bar fittings to multi-globe Hollywood-style configurations. All bathroom-rated fittings carry the appropriate IP ratings for safe installation.
Visit our showroom at 506 Murray Street, Perth, or browse our wall lights collection online. We ship free Australia-wide with a 12-month warranty on every product. Our team is happy to advise on the right fitting for your specific bathroom layout via email or phone.