The Best New Vanity Lights for 2024

LED lighting comes in a range of options to suit any application in the bathroom — the key is to select the right solutions and use them effectively. To make the correct interior design lighting choices, you must know LED lighting options and how to use them effectively. Two key concepts in LED bathroom lighting design include creating layers of light and selecting suitable fixture types. Here’s how to make the proper selections for your bathroom, with our tips and picks for the best new vanity lights for 2024.

What Is Modern LED Lighting?

LED is an abbreviation for “light-emitting diode.” LEDs work differently from other types of technologies. When an LED fixture is switched on, an electrical current travels through a microchip, causing the tiny diodes to create visible illumination.
Familiar examples of LEDs include the indicator lights found on TV screens or computers, often emitting colors like green, red, or blue. To create the type of white light associated with daylight or indoor illumination, the LED is mixed with or covered by phosphor, whose yellow hue helps to produce white light.
Unlike other types of light, LEDs produce much less heat, which can damage and shorten the lifespan of standard lamps. Effective thermal management is vital for ensuring prolonged durability of lighting fixtures. Thus, LED luminaires incorporate heat sinks to absorb and dissipate excess warmth, safeguarding against premature failure.

Light Layering for Bathrooms

One of the core concepts behind LED bathroom lighting design is the idea of layering. A single fixture is rarely adequate for a given space, so different styles must be combined to achieve aesthetic and functional goals in a space. These design layers are defined below, along with common examples of bathroom luminaires that fulfill the intent.

Ambient lighting: Also called general lighting, it’s a diffuse illumination that fills a room and provides a basic level of visibility, allowing occupants to move around safely. It includes natural light from windows and skylights and the fixtures we use in our spaces to mimic that light artificially. Examples for the bath include recessed designs and flush or semi-flush lights.
Task lighting highlights a designated space. It helps improve visibility in a bathroom to help with a specific task, such as shaving or applying makeup. Position bath luminaires for excellent cross-illumination and provide even light to the face. Common examples of LED bath designs include vanity lights over a mirror or wall sconces installed on either side of a mirror to improve visibility and make it easier to perform daily tasks.
Accent lighting adds visual interest and highlights specific features or areas in the bathroom. This layer enhances the aesthetic appeal of the space. Examples include wall sconces or pendants installed in places other than over a vanity.

Lighting Design Tips for Bathrooms

Bathrooms need lighting for functionality but pose unique challenges. One common mistake is to use only a single source. Although it may provide adequate illumination for the room’s square footage, using just one fixture can make a room feel smaller and will not deliver the amount of task light necessary to complete morning and evening routines.

This challenge can be very easy to resolve, especially with LED lighting. A few solutions include the following:

Add dimension with multiple light sources. Instead of focusing all the wattage on a single source, layer different types of fixtures to make the space feel larger. Even a bit of layering can go a long way to add dimension to a small space.
Recessed fixtures are one of the most common choices for to avoid glare. Augment ambient fixtures with task luminaires around mirrors and above sinks.
Natural light is often at a premium in bathrooms, so choosing efficient sources is especially important. For functional and flattering illumination, position vanity fixtures so they illuminate your face evenly without casting shadows.
Good choices for effectively illuminating this space include bathroom sconces on either side of a mirror. For a double vanity, use a trio of sconces, one on either outside edge of the mirror and a third one in between the two mirrors. Or, for a more contemporary look, trade traditional sconces for ceiling-mounted pendants hung near the wall and at eye level.

Best New Vanity Lights from dweLED by WAC Lighting

In small bathrooms, scale down your vanity lighting to match the size of the space and the proportions of the vanity. Jedi is a small-scale wall sconce that delivers a seamless tube of illumination from its high-tech LED filament light source.
Increase the brightness of your bathroom with multiple illumination sources, like Interlok whose three-light, thick walled shade cast beautiful illumination. For a balanced look, ensure the fixture’s length does not measure longer than 3/4 of the mirror’s width.
Another way to adjust the illumination level is to choose fixtures with color-selectable technology. They have a concealed switch to change the color temperature at the time of installation from warm, 2700K, to 3000K, 3500K or 4000K to match the design intent of your bathroom or to deliver brighter light to a dark bath. Peekaboo is a layered design featuring a sleek, color-selectable illuminated rectangle punctuated by an opaque square, bringing substance to style.
Light bars like Jagger give off even brightness without visual interruption. This idea works well in contemporary spaces to achieve a sleek, simple look.
Many vanity lights can be mounted vertically or horizontally. This offers the option to install them either above or on either side of the vanity mirror, for increased versatility. The Melody vanity light and sconce is offered in two sizes of 22 and 32 inches for the ultimate in design flexibility.
Finally, your vanity lighting should reflect the overall style of your bathroom. dweLED offers the latest in contemporary bathroom lighting designs. Serving both practical and decorative purposes, these fixtures create beautiful light that functions well from morning into night.

Lighting Design Tips for Bathrooms

If you’re looking for a ceiling light that will increase the “Wow” factor in your bath, WAC offers a wide range of styles under its dweLED brand. Our LED lighting fixtures can elevate the style of any bathroom while also providing the right amount and appropriate type of illumination for various applications.

Shopping for Vanity Lighting? Find a location to explore dweLED by WAC today.