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Last updated: 17 Jan 2023

Add More Class and Chic to Your Space with The Vanity Lights

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By Old House Journal Review Team
Published 1:44 pm
Show contents
Here Is the Best Vanity Light of 2023
  • 1 LPHUMEX LED Vanity Lights
  • 2 Brightown LED Vanity Mirror Lights
  • 3 Chende LED Vanity Mirror Lights
  • 4 Waneway Vanity Lights
  • 5 Selfila LED Vanity Mirror Lights

Spaces like bathrooms and makeup rooms are usually closed and have no windows and lighting in such spaces can be a huge concern. Such vanity lights are required to have a special set of features that can cater to different lighting requirements while looking good in the room.

You can convert a dull-looking bedroom or bathroom into a serene, spa-like space with the help of soft and warm lighting at the lowest light mode. Or you can use them at full brightness for makeup sessions, hair styling, shaving, or simply for taking some great pictures.

All in all, vanity lights can lighten up a room in the most affordable manner.

Here’s a comprehensive guide for you to find yourself the best vanity lights in 2023 today!

Here Is the Best Vanity Light of 2023

1

LPHUMEX LED Vanity Lights

– Best Overall
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These vanity mirror lights create a perfect Hollywood-style vanity with a stress-free installation process. You don’t need any holes drilled or nails stuck to the wall. Most of the mirror vanity lights are self-adhesive. This means all you have to do is peel off the back and stick the light onto the mirror. You can stick them on the mirror directly or on the frame around it without worrying about any wiring or assembly issues.

Key Features

Moreover, the mirror lights are waterproof and ideal for bathrooms, living rooms, murals, vanity makeup tables, or art displays. You can easily dim the light according to the mood and need with its touch dimmer. The touch dimmer allows you to adjust the brightness or turn the lights on or off. They can go from very bright to soft, mild light.

Pros
  • 60 LED beads and 1200lm brightness
  • Includes a high-quality adapter and extra adhesive pads
  • Smart touch dimmer
Cons
  • Weak adapter
2

Brightown LED Vanity Mirror Lights

– Runner Up
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One of the best LED vanity lights for mirrors, Brightown brings you plastic and ABS-made vanity lights. These lights are self-adhesive and save you the hassle of wires, drills, and much more. These vanity light bulbs won’t omit a lot of heat like usual ones and give you bright, soft, natural, and mild tones of light as needed. They are durable, lightweight, and very comfortable to work with. Low maintenance and beautiful.

Key Features

Moreover, these lights are dimmable. It means you can adjust the brightness level according to your needs. The LED light bulbs will stick to the mirror and won’t fall off or break. Due to their durability and light weightiness, these vanity mirror lights are largely being used by makeup artists and professional content creators.

Pros
  • Multipurpose, firm, and durable
  • 10 dimmable bulbs
  • Touch dimmer
Cons
  • Adhesives might need replacement after a while
3

Chende LED Vanity Mirror Lights

– Honorable Mention
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Chende brings a pack of ten Hollywood-style LED light bulbs that provide light in different intensities, from fully bright to low, dim, and soft. All the bulbs are 4000K and are perfect for professional makeup artists. These bulbs are very easy to install and take off. You can just peel off the adhesive and stick it directly onto the mirror or frame of the mirror or wall. It has a safe 12V power supply that you can plug and play whenever you want.

Key Features

These vanity light bulbs have a smart on and off touch dimmer that you can use to easily switch the intensity of light according to your needs. Along with the freedom of adjusting the brightness, you can also adjust the 11.53ft length of the lights. You can also cut any extra bulbs off from the string and it won’t cause any damage to the others.

Pros
  • Multiple-use vanity bulbs
  • Self-adhesive
  • Touch dimmer
Cons
  • Widely spaced bulbs
4

Waneway Vanity Lights

– Also Consider
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These vanity lights are very durable, made from plastic that can be mounted anywhere in the house without any worry of any damage. It comes with an adjustable wire that allows the vanity lights to fit on almost all kinds and shapes of mirrors. These vanity mirror lights can give off a maximum of 1200 Lumens lights and a color rendering index (CRI) of 90. The brightness can also be adjusted with the touch dimmer.

Key Features

The bulbs have industrial-grade stickers at the back that are very easy to apply. These bulbs are made from certified electrical components that ensure the quality and longevity of the product. It comes with a 12V constant-current powerful adapter and a sensitive touch dimmer. The length of the wire is 13.5ft that can be adjusted to fit makeup rooms, bedrooms, or bathrooms.

Pros
  • Patented rotate-to-hide design
  • Transparent wires
  • Touch dimmer
Cons
  • Stickers need replacement after some use
5

Selfila LED Vanity Mirror Lights

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Five color temperatures, Hollywood style vanity look, and multiple usages make these lights amongst one of the best LED Vanity lights for mirrors, walls, and decorations. These bulbs come in five different color modes, natural white, warm white, pure white, and warm yellow. All five are perfectly switchable with a simple touch of a finger.

Key Features

These vanity lights are also waterproof and very durable. You can use them in bathrooms, living rooms, makeup spaces, or bedrooms. Moreover, you don’t need to drill any holes into the wall to hang them. They also come with 3M double-sided tape that can directly be stuck onto the mirror, wall, or any surface. The charging cable is a USB cable that supports multiple power supplies. You can use laptops, USB chargers, desktop PCs or power banks to fuel the lights up.

Pros
  • Easy to install
  • Multiple application
  • Five color temperatures
Cons
  • No USB adapter

Best Vanity Lights Buyer’s Guide

There are certain considerations that you should always keep in mind before hunting for the best vanity lights for mirrors or walls. Let’s take a look.

Things To Consider Before Buying a Vanity Light

Following are the things to consider when choosing vanity lights:

Color temperature

The first thing you need to be careful about is the color temperature you want in your room, powder room, or bathroom lights to cast. Most of the vanity lights are capable of casting either a cool or warm glow.

Some even come with multiple temperature options that you can choose from according to the need of the moment. Warm temperatures are flattering and cozier than cool or natural light. You can also consider the energy your vanity bulbs will be consuming. LED vanity bulbs are energy-efficient and are perfect for bathroom lighting.

Safety features

Vanity lights sure look great in bathrooms and powder rooms, but you must consider the possibility of water and electricity mingling and creating havoc. You must consult a professional and certified electrician to take a look and guide you about the whole lighting project.

Products such as bathroom vanity lights or simple mirror vanity lights come with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating. You can see the “IP” is followed by two numbers from 0 to 8 where the first one indicates how resistant the vanity lights are to solids like particles or dust. And the second number shows the vanity light’s resistance to liquids. An IP rating of 15 means low protection from solids but moderate protection from water.

Dimmable features

This is a very useful feature. You can adjust the intensity of light and control how bright or dull your room looks. Tasks like makeup application or recording content require bright light whereas a cozy atmosphere can be created with warm tones and low lights.

Some vanity light dimmers are touch-sensitive and some are controlled by buttons or knobs. Some manufacturers have also introduced remotes that control the lights when integrated with apps.

Types of Vanity Lights

There are five categories we can classify vanity lights into. They are:

Mirror vanity lights

Mirror vanity lights are designed specifically for mirrors. They are mostly LED bulbs or light strips that can easily be stuck onto the mirror or the sides of a mirror.

LED strip vanity lights

LED strips are great for setting up a nice, comfortable space that has subtle and equally spread warm light. They are used for accent backlighting or lighting mostly. These strips are small and look pretty. You can use them inside cabinets or behind the TV or mirrors.

Scones

This type of vanity light is installed on the side or top of a mirror. They mostly come in pairs with multi-bulb fixtures. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Pot vanity lights

Pot vanity lights are also called recessed lights. They are good for bright lighting and with mindful placement, you can achieve a great look for your vanity area.

How Long Does a Vanity Light Last?

Vanity lights are built to endure water and dust. They are known for being an extremely long-lasting product. Most of the LED bulbs or lights you see in bathrooms, makeup rooms or powder rooms have a rated lifespan of up to 50,000 hours.

This means these vanity bulbs or lights can last 50 times longer than incandescent, 20-25 times longer than halogen bulbs, and about 8 to 10 times longer than CFL. If you use these bulbs or lights for around 12 hours a day, it will still last you at least 11 years.

If the usage is less, you can expect your vanity lights to last you much longer than this period. So you can enjoy a beautiful space for a good decade or more if you maintain these bulbs properly and buy from a trusted source.

Should Led Vanity Bulbs Be Used in Enclosed Fixtures?

An enclosed fixture means a space or an area that is airtight and closed from the back and sides and open from the front. For example, a cupboard or track head. Not all LED bulbs and lights are alike, you will have to carefully read the packaging or manufacturer’s recommendation of users about the vanity lights you’re getting.

Most LED vanity lights that are used in enclosed spaces are specially made and labeled as rated for enclosed fixtures. If you decide to go for a simple, typical one in an enclosed fixture, you will most likely come across flickering lights or a dramatically shortened lifespan of the vanity lights altogether.

To put it simply, you should not use LED vanity bulbs in enclosed spaces to be safe. They should only be used in spaces and fixtures that are open in the front and have at least ½” space on the sides of the light.

Conclusion

Vanity lights can add a zing to any boring room or makeup space. Make sure you’re accurately planning the space you’re buying vanity lights for. Your vanity bulbs should be waterproof if they’re for a bathroom and must have dimmable features if you’re planning to put them in a makeup space or bedroom.

With that, it might seem overwhelming to decide which model, kind or brand must you get for the best long-lasting results. This guide entails some of the best vanity lights in 2021 with their features, pros, and cons that you can skim through before deciding.

People Also Asked

Q: Are LED vanity bulbs are better than the usual ones?

A: Yes. There are many advantages of picking LED lights, the biggest being less consumption of electricity. LED Vanity bulbs also have long-rated lives, don’t emit UV rays, and produce less heat.

Q: What is the best wattage of vanity lights?

A: A minimum of 60-watt incandescent bulbs are perfect for vanity lighting which typically gives around 800 lumens.

Q: Are LED vanity lights any good for makeup stations?

A: Yes. LED vanity lights are ideal for makeup rooms, makeup stations, and for bedrooms. They can be used as the closest alternative to natural light and the variety of color temperatures they offer is another plus.

Bathroom Lighting
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By Old House Journal Review Team
The Old House Journal Review Team’s product reviews and in-depth guides are here to help you restore, repair, update, and decorate your home. The content is created by The Old House Journal Review Team. The Old House Journal editorial staff is not involved. Old House Journal is reader-supported: When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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