Best Travel Makeup Mirrors and Compact Mirrors

Hotel bathrooms are where good makeup goes to die: one yellow ceiling light, a mirror across the room, and nowhere to lean in. A good travel makeup mirror fixes that with its own light and a magnified side, and it packs flat. Below are the six I travel with and recommend, from a color-accurate folding mirror to slim lighted compacts that live in a handbag.

Every pick here has its own light and recharges, so there are no spare batteries to pack. If your eyesight is the main issue and you need stronger magnification than 10x, my list of the best magnifying mirrors includes a foldable 15x and a 15x lighted compact that travel well too.

My top picks

1. Editor's choice

   Best Overall

   simplehuman Sensor Mirror Fold 10x

   • $$ Mid-range
   • Folding lighted stand
   • 5 in
   • 10x

   Check price on Amazon
2. 

   Best Value

   Fancii Taylor Lighted Travel Mirror 10x/1x

   • $ Budget
   • Slim lighted compact
   • 5 in wide

   Check price on Amazon
3. 

   Best Portable Vanity

   Glamcor Riki Skinny Smart Vanity Mirror

   • $$ Mid-range
   • Portable vanity mirror
   • About iPad Pro size

   Check price on Amazon

Best Travel Makeup Mirrors Compared

Three folding or stand-up mirrors for doing a full face away from home, and three slim compacts for touch-ups during the day. All six are lighted and rechargeable.

Travel Makeup Mirror Reviews

These are ordered by how well they let me do real makeup in a bad room: the quality of the light first, then magnification, then how they pack and stand. The budget pick comes last.

Editor's choice · Best Overall

simplehuman Sensor Mirror Fold 10x

• $$ Mid-range
• Type Folding lighted stand
• Size 5 in
• Magnification 10x
• Light CRI 95, 600 to 800 lux

Check price on Amazon

When I travel and want my makeup to look the same outside as it did in the room, this is the mirror I reach for. The simplehuman Sensor Mirror Fold is a 5 inch, 10x mirror in brushed stainless steel that folds completely flat into a padded case. Opened up, it stands at one of two heights and the head swivels to whatever angle you need, so it works on a hotel vanity, a bedside table or a bathroom counter.

The light is why it's the best. simplehuman's Tru-Lux light has a CRI of 95, which means skin tones and colors render very close to how they look in daylight, so the blush you blend in a dim hotel room still looks right once you step outside. No other travel mirror I've used gets this close to the light I work in at home. A brightness dial runs continuously from 600 to 800 lux, enough to cope with a dark room or a bright one, and it recharges, so there are no batteries to carry.

The build matches the light: brushed steel, a firm fold and a case that protects the glass in a carry-on. It's 10x only, so you check the whole look in the hotel mirror. If you do a full face on the road and care about color, it's worth every bit of the step up.

What I like

• Tru-Lux light at CRI 95 for true color
• Brightness dial from 600 to 800 lux
• Folds flat into a padded case
• Two heights and a swiveling head

Keep in mind

• 10x only, no flat 1x side

Best Value

Fancii Taylor Lighted Travel Mirror 10x/1x

• $ Budget
• Type Slim lighted compact
• Size 5 in wide
• Magnification 1x, 10x
• Light LED, 3 settings, dimmable

Check price on Amazon

The Fancii Taylor is a slim, two-sided lighted compact: 1x on one side for a full face, 10x on the other for brows, liner and lenses. At 5 inches wide it's large for something that still fits a handbag, and that extra width is what makes it usable for a whole routine rather than just a touch-up.

The light has three dimmable settings, warm, neutral and daylight, so you can match the light you'll be seen in, whether that's an office or a dinner. Fancii says the built-in battery lasts up to 30 days on a full charge, so for most trips I charge it before I leave and forget about it. The maker rates the LEDs at 50,000 hours.

It's the one I suggest to most travelers who want a lit mirror for the bag, the hotel and the office drawer without paying for the simplehuman. For hands-free use in a hotel room, a stand-up mirror is easier.

What I like

• Warm, neutral and daylight settings, dimmable
• 1x and 10x on a 5 inch face
• Up to 30 days per charge
• Slim enough for a handbag

Keep in mind

• No stand: you hold it or prop it up
• Smaller view than a stand-up mirror

Best Portable Vanity

Glamcor Riki Skinny Smart Vanity Mirror

• $$ Mid-range
• Type Portable vanity mirror
• Size About iPad Pro size
• Magnification 1x, attachable magnifier
• Light Backlit HD LEDs

Check price on Amazon

The Riki Skinny is a full vanity mirror you can pack. It's about the size of an iPad Pro, weighs 1.5 pounds and runs on a rechargeable battery, with backlit LEDs behind crystal-clear glass that Glamcor describes as distortion-free. In the box you get the mirror, its stand, an attachable magnifying mirror, a phone holder and the charging cord with its power cube.

On a trip, it turns any desk into a proper makeup station. The large flat mirror shows your whole face in even light, so foundation and contour are as easy as at home, and you clip on the magnifier for liner. The phone holder and the Bluetooth selfie button make it a small lighting kit for video calls and recording, which I found more useful on work trips than I expected.

It belongs in a carry-on or a suitcase, not a purse, and the carry case isn't in the box. If you want one mirror that does a full face anywhere, this is it.

What I like

• Backlit HD LEDs across a large flat mirror
• Attachable magnifying mirror included
• Phone holder and Bluetooth selfie control
• Cordless and only 1.5 pounds

Keep in mind

• Too big for a handbag
• Carry case isn't in the box

Best Compact

Fancii Mila 2 Lighted Compact 10x/1x

• $ Budget
• Type Lighted compact
• Size 4 in
• Magnification 1x, 10x
• Light LED rings, 3 settings

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If you're looking for the best compact mirror for your purse, this is my pick. The Mila 2 is a compact with a 4 inch wide 1x mirror and a 10x side, both ringed with LED light, with three light settings to choose from. The outside is wrapped in vegan leather, which makes it feel more like a good wallet than a gadget.

Light on both sides is what sets it apart from ordinary compacts. In a dim restaurant or a car, you can check lipstick at 1x and then flip to 10x for a stray brow hair without hunting for a window. It recharges, so there are no coin batteries to replace, and it's slim and light enough for a small bag.

What I like

• LED ring lights on both sides
• 3 light settings
• 4 inch 1x mirror plus a 10x side
• Vegan leather finish, rechargeable

Keep in mind

• A 4 inch view is for touch-ups, not a full face
• Needs charging, unlike a plain compact

Best Battery Life

Ilios Lighting LED Compact Mirror 1x/10x

• $ Budget
• Type Folding lighted compact
• Size 5 in round
• Magnification 1x, 10x
• Light LED ring, dimmable

Check price on Amazon

The Ilios is the travel mirror for people who forget to charge things. It's a 5 inch round, foldable 1x and 10x mirror with a dimmable LED ring, and Ilios quotes up to 30 days on a single USB-C charge. A 15 minute auto-off timer means it won't drain itself if it switches on in your bag.

The ring light gives even, shadow-free light, and you press and hold the power button to dim it smoothly. The body is lightweight polycarbonate and it comes in a waffle-pattern protective case, so it can go straight into a carry-on or a makeup bag without wrapping. For a two-week trip, it's the one I'd pack and not think about.

What I like

• Up to 30 days per USB-C charge
• 15 minute auto-off protects the battery
• Dimmable LED ring, 1x and 10x
• Protective case included

Keep in mind

• 5 inches: bigger than a pocket compact
• Bold black waffle look won't suit everyone

Best Budget

LitBear Rechargeable Travel Mirror 10x/1x

• $ Budget
• Type Hand or desk mirror
• Size 5.3 in wide
• Magnification 1x, 10x
• Light 56 LEDs, 3 colors

Check price on Amazon

The LitBear is the lighted travel mirror I recommend when the budget is tight. It's a two-sided mirror, 10x and 1x, ringed with 56 LEDs in three colors (warm, natural and white). A long press dims it anywhere from 10% to 100%, it remembers your last brightness, and it switches itself off after 30 minutes.

The mirror weighs about a pound and is 5.3 inches wide, and its fold-away handle lets you hold it, stand it on a desk or hang it up. A 1500 mAh battery charges over USB-C from a laptop, a power bank or a wall charger, and a flannel bag is included. LitBear pitches it for commutes and two or three day business trips, which matches how I use it.

What I like

• 56 LEDs, 3 colors, dims from 10 to 100%
• Fold-away handle: hold, stand or hang it
• USB-C charging, 1500 mAh battery
• Flannel storage bag included

Keep in mind

• 10x side works at about 4 inches or closer
• Too big for a small purse

How I Chose These Travel Mirrors

A travel mirror has to work in the worst room you'll stay in, so I judged each one against the problems I meet on the road:

• Its own light. Hotel lighting is the reason most people buy a travel mirror. I favored mirrors with adjustable color and brightness, and high color rendering where the maker states it.
• Rechargeable power. No spare batteries, and long enough between charges to cover a trip.
• Two sides. A flat 1x for the whole face and a 10x for detail, or a clear reason to have just one.
• Packability. Thickness, weight, a case or pouch, and whether it stands up on its own.
• Protection. Glass that is protected in transit by a case, a padded fold or a sturdy body.

Travel Makeup Mirror Buying Guide

How much light do you need?

If you'll do a full face in hotel rooms, buy a stand-up lighted mirror. The difference between doing your makeup under one warm ceiling light and under a neutral light in front of your face is the difference between a foundation line on your jaw and none. If you only need touch-ups during the day, a lighted compact is thinner and lighter. My guide to the best lighting for makeup explains why a neutral light with high color rendering matters.

Which magnification for travel?

A 1x and 10x pair covers almost everything: the flat side for foundation and the full look, the 10x for brows, liner and lenses. A small mirror shows less of your face than a big one at the same power, so on a travel mirror the 1x side does more work than you might expect. If you mainly need detail, a single 10x like the simplehuman is fine; if you need more than 10x, see my guide to makeup mirror magnification before you buy.

Battery life and charging

Every mirror on this list recharges. The figures the makers give differ in how they measure: Fancii and Ilios both quote up to 30 days on a charge for the Taylor and the compact, while LitBear gives the battery size, 1500 mAh. USB-C charging, as on the Ilios and the LitBear, means one cable for your phone and your mirror. Charge the mirror fully before you leave and run it at lower brightness in a decent room.

Size, weight and how it stands

Compacts of about 4 inches fit a clutch; 5 inch mirrors fit a handbag or a carry-on; a portable vanity like the Riki Skinny belongs in a carry-on or a suitcase. Check how it stands up: a handle, a folding stand or a phone-style stand lets you work with both hands, which you need for lashes and lenses.

The best compact mirror for your purse

For the purse, thinner and lighter wins. I'd choose the Fancii Mila 2 for a small bag, the slimmer, wider Fancii Taylor if you fix your makeup in dark places and want a bigger view, and the Ilios if you never want to think about charging.

Protecting it in transit

Glass mirrors travel best in a case or pouch, packed in the middle of your bag between soft items. Folding mirrors with padded cases, like the simplehuman, and cased compacts like the Ilios are the safest choices; pack anything lighted in your carry-on, switched fully off.

Related: Can you take a makeup mirror on a plane? · Best lighted makeup mirrors · Cheap lighted makeup mirrors · Best magnifying mirrors