As a professional makeup/hair artist and amateur YouTube beauty guru, I sure do love my vanity mirrors with lights. To me they are an extremely valuable tool that allow be to bring out the best in myself and my clients.
So after a lot of research, I came across and reviewed 10 of the best vanity mirrors with lights so you too can get the benefits and receive that fantastic vibrant shadowless light we all crave.
Why use a vanity mirror with lights?
To begin, let’s look at why many prefer using a vanity and not standing in front of the bathroom mirror.
For me, one major reason is the comfortable seated posture which allows me to apply makeup or hair products for extended periods. Another reason is that I can lay out all my makeup and products neatly organized being ready to go (however thats not always the case).
While these are great benefits, the biggest reason I use a vanity mirror with lights is that they produce consistent forward facing light. Having light hit my face directly rather than an overhead ceiling light will remove any of those awkward looking shadows that cast down your face.
LED lights vs Incandescent Lights
So I’ve touched on the importance of forward facing lights, but what exactly is the best type of light?
For the equivalent light output, LED bulbs will stay much cooler and use less power than incandescent bulbs. Another thing I like about LED bulbs is the natural quality of the light they produce.
Likewise, incandescent bulbs, especially a whole bank of lights, can have a color cast that is slightly off. Preferably you want skin tones to look natural as you apply the the makeup. Otherwise, you might end up over or under compensating for what you want as the final result.
Top 10 Best Vanity Mirrors with Lights for Makeup, Hair Styling & Videos
1. Chende Frameless Hollywood Lighted Vanity Mirror (Best Tested)
This Chende Frameless Hollywood Vanity Mirror easily makes my number one pick because of its stunning design, functionality and affordable price tag.
The design is a minimalist round look with a very smooth stainless steel finish thats adds a bit of glamour to any room.
What I also love about this product is the heavy mirror finish base which made it ideal for putting on my existing vanity table. Measured up, this vanity mirror is 27.56″ x 25.6″ x 2.4” which would fit most tables or desks.
When it comes to the lights, this unit has the sockets built straight into the mirror with the plug and cable that goes out behind the mirror for a nice seamless look.
Overall this unit was my favourite as it gave me the best results for a wide range of purposes while still fitting into the aesthetic of my room. This is definitely one of the best vanity mirrors with lights. Couldn’t recommend this one highly enough!
2. Chende Tabletop or Wall Mount Vanity Mirror with Dimmable Light Bulbs
From the same maker as above is this smaller, lighter rectangular unit which makes a beautiful centre piece for any room or studio.
The only two major differences between this model and the above is the portrait rectangular shape and the ability to mount it on a wall. When measured, the dimensions were 25.6” x 19.7” x 2.4”.
Just keep in mind that it is quite heavy, so please be careful when mounting!
As for the design, the frame has a stunning stainless steel finish which adds a nice, bright look to many vanities out there. Hiding the cord is also made easy as it exits from the rear for a clean minimal finish.
As with the lights, I also had the same control of dimming the LED’s. This is a nice touch as it allowed me to adjust the brightness whether I was applying makeup in the evening or using it in combination with natural light.
I decided to add this unit in my number 2 spot as it brought everything I loved from the circular version but just in a different form factor. The only hard part know is deciding what style would fit best in your room. Highly recommended!
3. Vanity Girl Hollywood Starlet Lighted Vanity Mirror
Coming in next on my list is the elegant Vanity Girl Hollywood Mirror with lights.
Out of all the models I reviewed, this one would fit best in a professional studio or salon. But in saying that it also fitted perfectly into my bedroom on my silver IKEA table with Andrew drawers. This particular model let me chose from 3 different colours, black, silver and white. I opted for the black version as it would add some nice contrast to my room.
What makes this unit so ideal for a studio or salon is the landscape orientation which allows you to see more of what you’re working on. Measured up, the dimensions were 34 in. W x 28 in. H x 8 in. D which gave me plenty of space to work with!
I actually had to dim the lights a few times as it was too bright!
If you are one for value, you will then be happy to hear that this Vanity Girl Vanity Mirror is a true convertible. Wait what? Depending on your desired layout, you can use it as a tabletop unit or mount it on the wall. A true 2 in 1. Just remember to be careful when mounting to a wall as this weighs over 35 pounds.
Overall this is a fantastic unit that would fit well into a salon, studio, room or any other setting. A great allrounder!
4. Chende Hollywood Lighted Makeup Vanity Mirror Light with Dimmer
Next on my list of the top 10 best vanity mirrors with lights is the beautiful Chende Hollywood Vanity Mirror.
This unit has a whopping twelve 110V LED’s with sockets that are recessed into the stainless steel finish. Having the recessed sockets gives it a very clean and minimal look. (This unit also comes with 2 spare LED bulbs).
Again, thankfully this has a dimmer control because that is a whole lot of light in such a small (comparatively speaking) space.
Being larger (31.5” x 23.62” x 2.64”), this mirror also has the caveat of possibly overwhelming a smaller vanity. I think if you are converting a desk to a vanity, this size mirror would be ideal. Just be sure to measure twice before considering a purchase.
This lighted vanity mirror is a great choice in a salon or at the work station of a performer or make up artist. Of course, if your vanity is big enough, it will be an asset to your make up application routine. This mirror vanity would also be great as video production light. A great choice!
5. Fancii 10X Magnifying Lighted Makeup Mirror
Here’s a nifty idea. What if you could easily mount a vanity mirror to almost any surface while also being portable. Fortunately Fancii has created such a product!
This battery powered vanity mirror uses 3 X AA batteries and has twelve small LED bulbs placed all the way around for great light flow that isn’t too harsh.
What allows this mirror to attached to almost any surface including tiles, marble, porcelain and even other mirrors is the suction cup. Personally I have only tried this model attached to a bathroom mirror which worked fine for me.
What also makes this Fancii vanity mirror with lights stand out is the ten power magnification, which can be good or bad if you know what I mean. Good, because it sometimes helps to have a closer look for some parts of your beauty routine. Bad, because it can be jarring to see yourself that way until you get used to it. Overall still very useful!
Even in conjunction with your own home vanity, this magnifying mirror could be useful for demanding details such as brow tweezing or adding the perfect faux beauty mark. It even comes with its own carry case!
6. Impressions Vanity Hollywood Vanity Mirror with LED Bulbs
Moving onto the next product on my list is the smallish portrait oriented framed mirror with lights. This 10 LED bulb vanity mirror is a great looking piece for anyone with a black theme to their bedroom, make up station, or salon.
While setting up this piece, the mirror size did look slightly smaller than I imagined from the pictures I saw online. In person, I see that the frame takes up a lot of the space of the entire volume of the mirror.
When measured it is 19.5 x 6 x 26.5 inches. While not a major, don’t be surprised if this happen to you as well.
Why not do the same at home!
Another great benefit about this unit is the built in power outlet on the bottom right hand corner of the frame. I mainly used this for my hair dryer and straightener instead of plugging it directly into the wall. There is also an on/off switch located parallel to the socket for control.
Overall this is one of the best vanity mirrors with lights that I have tested. If you are seeking out an industrial style look, this might be the one for you!
7. Easehold Led Lighted Vanity Mirror
No list of best vanity mirrors with lights would be complete without at least one tri-fold setup.
This portable lighted vanity mirror can be powered via a USB cord or with 4 AA batteries. The trifold design provides a wide-angle viewing for clearly seeing your facial features which makes it ideal for makeup application and removal.
It’s a bit small for most permanent make up stations, but it’s perfect for any extended travel plans or for using on location at your next video or portrait session.
Using the 21 built-in Led lights gave me great assistance for using in dark or poorly lit areas. It didn’t say so in description when buying, but in use I found that the touch sensor also works as a dimmer control. Just keep touching it for a while and it will ramp up the power. Same way in reverse. Just touch it to turn off or touch and hold to dim.
This mirror isn’t the tallest out there, it won’t even reach eye level on a desktop. But being tilted, that actually isn’t a problem. This is a great makeup companion that would also be great for YouTubers or Vloggers.
8. SUPRENT Lighted Makeup Mirror
This is another portable trifold mirror but it has an important difference. It includes the basic mirror in the center and the wings have 3 different magnifying mirrors 2x, 3x, 10x.
While helpful for a lot of applications, it can also be a little disconcerting. Besides showing your flaws in huge detail, it’s the multiple views at once that gave me a little bit of vertigo.
Again, the mirror’s lights can be powered by a USB cord or by AA batteries. Important to note that the USB doesn’t charge up anything in the mirror, it merely powers the lights when plugged in instead of using up the batteries. Also the batteries didn’t last very long for this unit, about 8 hours.
9. Easehold Led Lighted Vanity Mirror (Black)
I did say four, right? This is mostly the same product as the previous Easehold reviewed, but in a black plastic finish.
The plastic gives it more of a flat finish than any sort of gloss. Several people who watched me playing around with the portable mirrors said they preferred this black finish model to the white ones.
The reason is because the off white color holds smudges more.
You are going to get smudges on these portable vanity mirrors with lights if you use them a lot. The less expensive plastics just seem to get dirtier more easily.
Overall, this is a great inexpensive vanity mirror with lights.
10. WanEway Hollywood DIY Vanity Lights Strip Kit
Do you already have an existing vanity mirror but don’t want to fork money for a completely brand new setup? Well if you are into a bit of DIY, this light strip skit is a great alternative at about 1/5th the price of a vanity setup.
This kit comes with 14 LED bulbs that can attach to a mirror, mirror frame or wall with the supplied double-sided tape in a few minutes. Power comes from the included 12V power supply, and it is turned on and off or dimmed by the soft touch control.
Its 20 foot length means it can fit around the perimeter of medium and large mirrors. Excess wires can be hidden under the bulbs to keep your mirror neat after installation.
Here is a cool video I came across that might help you in the process.
One thought I had about these is that there is no way to change individual bulbs. If one goes bad, you’re stuck with it. Since the instructions said to cut off the excess bulbs, I will assume these are wired parallel and not in series.
In other words, if one bulb goes bad, I think the others will continue to work, not an old string of Christmas lights where you get frustrated trying to find the one bad bulb. I did not have the chance to follow up on that thought because I couldn’t easily make any single bulb fail. Overall, for the price this has a lot of value for those on a budget.
DIY Ideas For Homemade Light Vanity Mirror Setups
This last string of bulbs got me thinking real hard about do it yourself solutions for the lights.
What would be involved in a DIY lighting project? Well, it you’re not too handy with tools, an option like the light string is an option. If you are handy with tools, it won’t take a lot of skill to do finish a project.
Just be neat and repeatable. You could also combine this project with vanity with Alex drawers. See below
If the mirror has a wood frame of enough width, simply drilling through the wood and fitting the sockets in through the back side should work well. You will really want to use the cooler operating LED bulbs. Regular incandescents could cause a fire hazard inside the wood. Even with the LEDs, look for sockets that are stated to be cool to the touch.
Other options are those stick up bulbs as seen on TV. But those aren’t very bright.
Final Thoughts
Those DIY problems are why I looked at these ready made options of the best vanity mirrors with lights in the first place. Some of them are fairly expensive, but they really are well made and add an air of sophisticated finish to the entire vanity set up.
I know that the first frameless vanity mirror with lights I reviewed really caught her eye, but it will mean removing the mirror that is already on the vanity. We got a classic used vanity that is quite a piece of furniture.
So, we might go the DIY route or for now use the light string solution. I’ll update you. I guarantee you wont make a mistake with any of these quality products.
Hopefully you learned something about vanity mirrors with lights! If you want to learn more about lighting you can check out my other articles below.
- Best ring lights for makeup, videos and photography
- Best lighting techniques for applying makeup
- How to be a YouTube beauty guru
- Great lighting umbrellas for videos and fashion shoots
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