Bathroom Lighting Buying Guide

Upgrading your bathroom lighting is an effective way to completely transform the look of your setting. There are numerous styles available to choose from so creating a unique look isn't too hard to achieve. Lighting is not only practical, it's stylish too; you can choose to go big and bold with a new ceiling light, or perhaps you want to highlight a specific area or detail with a subtle wall mounted bathroom lights.

Here we'll run through the different types of lighting for bathrooms that are available as well as explain important information such as IP ratings so you can make a more informed decision when you're ready to buy.

What styles are available?

Ceiling mounted

These lights are attached to the ceiling of your bathroom and are generally much bigger than wall mounted items. They are perfect for giving off a warm glow that will brighten the entire room. There are plenty of options out there to choose from including LED spotlights, chandeliers and many other classic and contemporary designs.

When selecting your ceiling light it's a good idea to remember the size of the room. If you are upgrading a small bathroom then an ornate chandelier is going to completely dominate the surroundings; while a small spot light cluster may look lost in larger settings. You should also make sure that the light complements the room well and doesn't look out of place; modern items will look a little odd in traditional bathrooms and vice versa.

Wall mounted

Lighting to your walls is a great way to create a harmonised look as many wall mounted items are designed to match the style of their ceiling mounted counterparts. As with ceiling lights you're spoilt for choice here as there's something to suit all tastes, from classic mini chandeliers to ultra-modern designs.

There are many different shades available to add an extra bit of flair and also tone the brightness levels down a little. It's probably best not to go too bright with your wall light as it can make the room looked washed out.

What are IP ratings?

Obviously, when you're installing anything electrical in a bathroom precautions need to be taken. To help avoid any mishaps there are a couple of important things you should be aware of, IP ratings and splash zones. Don't know what they are? We'll explain below.

IP ratings

The IP (ingress protection) rating of a product tells you how much protection it has from moisture and also the level of mechanical protection. When one area (mechanical in this case) doesn't necessarily need a protection rating the number is replaced with a letter X.

For example, an IP rating could be IPX2 which means the product isn't suitable for certain bathroom zones while a rating of IPX7 would make it much safer for areas where there is a greater risk of exposure to water.

What are splash zones?

Basically what you need to know is that the higher the number the better protected an item is from exposure to water, either by splashing or in less direct forms such as condensation.

Splash zones

Understanding the different splash zones your bathroom has is essential before you fit anything electrical in order to maintain a high level of safety.

Splash zones are categorised as either zone 0, zone 1 or zone 2 depending on how much exposure to water an area of the bathroom has. Zone 0 requires electrical items to have at least an IPX7 rating, while you'll need a minimum of IPX4 for zones 1 and 2.

We highly recommend that you use a qualified tradesperson to install your bathroom lighting as this will protect you against any accidents.