Mirror Guides: Sizing, Hanging, Lighting and Care

Choosing a mirror is only half the job. It still has to be the right size for the vanity, hung at the right height, lit well enough to do your makeup, and kept clean without streaks. These guides answer those questions with measurements, rules of thumb and their sources, so you can get it right the first time. Start with sizing and hanging if you are planning a bathroom, or with lighting and magnification if the mirror is for makeup.

• What Size Should Your Bathroom Mirror Be? Chart and CalculatorWhat size mirror for a 24, 30, 36, 48, 60 or 72 inch vanity? A simple sizing chart, a calculator, and when a mirror can be wider than the vanity or sink.
• Bathroom Mirror Height: How High to Hang Your Vanity MirrorHow high to hang a bathroom mirror: inches above the floor, the counter and the backsplash, the eye-level rule, and what changes with tall ceilings and lights.
• How to Hang a Heavy Mirror SafelyHow to hang a heavy mirror safely: weigh it, find the studs, choose a French cleat, D-rings or Z-bar, and hang it on drywall, with options for hanging without nails.
• How to Hang a Mirror on a DoorHow to hang a mirror on a door: over-the-door hooks, mirror clips or adhesive, what works on hollow core doors, and how to stop rattling and hinge clashes.
• How to Hang a Full Length Mirror, or Keep a Leaning One From SlidingHow to hang a full length mirror at the right height, and how to keep a leaning floor mirror from sliding or tipping over, with anti-slip pads and anti-tip straps.
• The Best Lighting for Makeup: Color Temperature, CRI and Where to Put ItMakeup lighting that tells the truth: even front light, 4000K to 5000K and CRI 90+. What each color temperature does to foundation and which bulbs to buy.
• Are Makeup Mirrors Concave or Convex?Makeup mirrors are concave: the inward curve magnifies your face. How the focal point works, why the image blurs when you lean back, and where convex belongs.
• What Magnification Should a Makeup Mirror Be?5x suits most makeup, 10x is for brows and tweezing, 15x and 20x are for spot checks. Each level, who it suits and how close you have to sit to use it.
• How to Clean a Mirror Without StreaksHow to clean a mirror without streaks: dust first, use warm water on a lint-free cloth, spray the cloth not the glass, and buff dry. Plus the best mirror cleaner and LED mirror care.
• Acrylic vs Glass Mirror: Which One Should You Buy?Acrylic mirrors are light and hard to break but can warp the reflection; glass is crisp but heavy. Which to choose for gyms, dance, kids' rooms and doors.
• Mirror in the Dining Room: Where to Put It and How BigWhere to put a mirror in a dining room, how big it should be next to the table or sideboard, what it should reflect, and when a floor mirror beats a wall mirror.
• Where to Put a Floor Mirror in the Bedroom (and Should It Face the Bed?)Should a mirror face your bed? The practical reasons and the feng shui belief, plus where to put a full-length mirror in a bedroom or a living room.
• Why Are Mirrors So Expensive?Glass grade, silvering, edgework, freight and breakage, LED drivers and anti-fog pads: why mirrors cost what they do, and where paying more is worth it.
• Can You Bring a Mirror on a Plane?Can you bring a mirror on a plane? What TSA and FAA rules mean for glass, acrylic and lighted makeup mirrors in carry-on and checked bags, including batteries.
• Where Is the Best Place to Buy Bathroom Mirrors?Where to buy a bathroom mirror: big-box stores, online, specialty showrooms or a local glass shop, and what to check on size, returns, delivery damage and wiring.