Bathroom Lighting

What IP rating for a bathroom light?

The ingress protection rating, written IP followed by two digits, appears in the specifications of every light. The first digit, from 0 to 6, indicates protection against solid objects and dust. The second, from 0 to 8, indicates protection against water. In a bathroom, it is the second digit that matters: the higher it is, the better the light copes with water.

A general reading of the ratings. The rating required in a specific spot depends on the layout of the room: it should be checked with an electrician.

In the selection, IP44 is by far the most common rating, alongside a few IP65 and IP67 models. Around sixty wall lights are designed for the bathroom and show their rating in their specifications. The steam from a shower reaches the whole room, including the walls far from the water point.

Shower, bath, basin: where can you fit a light?

Electrical installation rules divide the bathroom into zones, defined around the shower and the bath. The principle is simple: the closer you get to water, the more limited the permitted fittings and the higher their protection needs to be.

• Inside the shower or the bath: this is the strictest zone, reserved for fittings designed for that use.
• Just above and around: only lights protected against water are permitted there, subject to conditions.
• The rest of the room, including the basin when it is away from the shower: the choice is wider, but an IP44 light remains the cautious benchmark.

Get into one habit when buying: note the planned position, measure the distance to the nearest water point, then give those two pieces of information to the electrician along with the light's specifications. Replacing an old ceiling light follows the same logic: the wiring is a job for a professional.

Wall light, ceiling light or cordless lamp: which bathroom light to choose?

A well-lit bathroom combines two or three light sources: general light, precise light at the mirror and, if the room allows, a point of mood lighting. Close to half of the selection are wall lights, and four lights in ten are cordless lamps.

Recessed spotlights, not included in this selection, are planned with the electrician at the time of the building work.

The cordless lamp, extra light with no building work

A cordless lamp runs on a battery: no socket and no chasing into the tiles. It sits on a shelf or a unit, out of reach of splashes, and is recharged in a dry room. Check its IP rating in the specifications before using it in a damp room, and never place it on the edge of a full bath.

What lighting around the bathroom mirror?

The mirror is where the light needs to be most accurate. A single light source on the ceiling casts shadows under the eyes. Two wall lights placed on each side light the face from the front.

• Height: the light source sits at face height, between 1.60 and 1.70 m from the floor.
• Spacing: for a mirror 60 to 80 cm wide, fit one wall light on each side. Beyond 120 cm, a long wall light above the mirror completes the set.
• Colour temperature: 2,700 to 3,000 K gives a warm white, pleasant in the evening. 4,000 K gives a neutral white, more accurate for make-up and shaving.
• Colour rendering: choose a bulb with a colour rendering index (CRI) of 90 or more.
• Diffuser: opal or frosted glass softens the light and avoids glare at close range.

Which materials and which brands for a designer bathroom?

Steam and changes in temperature put finishes to the test. Close to half of the lights in the selection are in metal, mostly aluminium, steel and brass. One in five is in glass and one in ten in ceramic: two materials that are not affected by damp and wipe clean with a cloth.

• Opal or ribbed glass: it does not yellow, gives a soft diffused light and suits the area around the mirror.
• Brass and gold finishes: they warm up white floor tiles or green wall tiles. Unlacquered brass develops a patina over time.
• Lacquered aluminium and steel: lightweight and easy to wipe, in black, white or a colour.
• Ceramic: a handcrafted look, matt or glazed, that stands up well to steam.

As for brands, Tala and Ebb & Flow have the most models, ahead of Louis Poulsen, &tradition and Carré Coco. ENOstudio offers IP44 glass wall lights and a ceiling light. The cordless lamps include the Panthella 160 Portable by Louis Poulsen, the Flowerpot VP9 by &tradition, the Gustave by Flos and the Host by HAY. White and gold dominate, followed by green, blue and black. More than nine models in ten are offered at under €500, and around a third at under €200.

A few bathroom lights from the selection

ENOstudio Gold bathroom wall light M Cime IP44 - ENOstudio €217,28 Louis Poulsen Panthella 160 Portable V3 portable lamp in burgundy - Louis Poulsen €160,00 &tradition Ivory cordless table lamp Flowerpot VP9 - &tradition €189,60 Flos Chrome designer portable table lamp Gustave - Flos €290,50

Which lighting for which bathroom?

Small bathroom or shower room

In a room of 3 to 5 m², two light sources are enough: a compact ceiling light, less than 30 cm in diameter, and one or two wall lights at the mirror. Choose wall lights that do not stick out much, 10 to 15 cm deep, so they do not get in the way.

Family bathroom with shower and bath

Plan three separate circuits: general light, the mirror and a point of mood lighting near the bath. A dimmer on the general light lets you go from the morning wash to the evening bath. The position of the lights close to the two water points is decided with the electrician, from the planning stage.

Bathroom in a period flat

Under a ceiling with mouldings, retro wall lights in brass and glass go with the lines of the room and save drilling into the ceiling. Around thirty models in the selection are in this retro style, and as many in contemporary design.

Creating atmosphere with no building work

A cordless lamp placed on a shelf or a console table, away from splashes, adds low, warm light without changing the installation. The sizes in the selection mostly measure between 10 and 30 cm high.