Guide

Bathroom Downlights Too Harsh? Softer Light at the Mirror

The bathroom is often where downlights bother people most. The ceiling is low, the tiles are shiny, and when you stand at the mirror the light comes from straight above. You get bright points in the corner of your eye, reflections off the tiles and dark shadows under your eyes just when you want to shave or do your make-up.

You don't necessarily need new fixtures to fix it. Here is what is going on, and what helps.

The quickest fix that needs no tools is a shade over the downlight, such as Lumeaglow. It mounts with putty and takes the edge off the harsh light, without replacing the fixture. Below we look at why bathrooms are hit harder, and which other changes also help.

Why downlights glare more in a bathroom

Three things add up in a bathroom:

• A low ceiling in a small room. You stand closer to the light source than in the living room, and you look up into it more often.
• Shiny surfaces. Tiles, glass and mirrors bounce the light around, so you get glare from several directions.
• Light from straight above. A downlight points straight down. Stand under it and the light hits your forehead while the rest of your face falls into shadow.

That last point is why your reflection can look tired even in a bright bathroom. The problem is rarely too little light. It is the direction.

Light your face from the front, not from above

The best light at a mirror comes from the sides or the front, at roughly eye level. It fills in the shadows on your face instead of deepening them. If you can, these are the changes that make the biggest difference:

1. A mirror with built-in lighting, or lights on both sides of the mirror. Your face is lit evenly from two sides.
2. A light above the mirror that shines out towards you, not just down into the sink.
3. Downlights placed slightly in front of the mirror instead of right above the sink. That is one for the next renovation, but worth knowing if you are planning a new bathroom.

New mirror lighting usually needs an electrician. It is worth doing when you renovate, but it is not a quick evening job.

What you can do with the downlights you have

Choose warmer light if you can. If your downlights take replaceable bulbs, 2700K or 3000K gives a calmer light than 4000K. Many fixtures have built-in LEDs that cannot be changed, but some have a small switch for colour temperature. More on that in the guide to colour temperature.

Use a dimmer if you have one. Lower light is pleasant in the evening and at night. But a dimmer only makes the light source weaker, not less sharp. The light still casts shadows on the walls and on your face, and still shines straight into your eyes, which many people find tiring.

Shield the light source. What causes the glare is the bare LED surface. A shade over the fixture turns that small, sharp point into a larger, softer surface of light, and some of the light spreads across the ceiling instead of straight down. That means fewer reflections in the tiles and softer transitions across the room.

Look at the areas under the hair, around the eyes and under the nose. Without a shade, the darkest parts of the face become very dark. With a shade, those same areas become much brighter, because the light is spread more evenly. The forehead and the tip of the nose, which usually get too much light, are not as bright at the same time. The light is more even, both on the face and in the room.

Lumeaglow in the bathroom

Lumeaglow is a plastic shade that fits over your LED downlight with the included putty. Measure the outer rim of the downlight, pick one of four sizes and press the shade into place. It comes off again without tools.

Before you fit it in a bathroom:

• It is for LED downlights only, never halogen or incandescent bulbs.
• Wipe the trim around the downlight first. The putty holds best on a clean, dry surface.

A shade does not replace good mirror lighting, but it takes the edge off the ceiling lights and makes the bathroom calmer to be in, especially in the evening.

In short

• Shadows on your face come from light straight above. Light from the sides or front fixes that best.
• Glare and reflections come from the bare light source and shiny surfaces. Shielding the source helps.
• Warmer light and a dimmer make the room calmer, but neither removes glare on its own.

For more on why downlights glare in the first place, read how to soften harsh LED downlights.

Frequently asked questions