Frequently asked questions

The mirror I have now is 15X magnification but most of your mirrors are 5X magnification….or lower. Why don’t you offer higher magnification?

Answer

Magnification of mirrors is not something that is regulated so a mirror company can say that the magnification is whatever they think will sell. We feel pretty strongly about telling the truth so you can count on us to give you a 5X magnified mirror when we tell you that is the magnification. The “other guys” regularly give you a 5X magnification wrapped up in 15X – or even 20X – packaging.

How can I tell if a mirror really is a 5X or not?

Answer

When a mirror has a higher magnification, you need to be closer to it to be in focus. For example, to see yourself in focus in a 5X mirror, you will need to be within 5″ – 7″ of the lens. To be in focus using one of our 10X mirrors, you will need to be approximately 3″ from the lens.

Can I get one of your contemporary styled square or rectangular mirrors in a 5X? You only seem to carry them in 3X.

Answer

Correct – we only offer our square and rectangular mirrors in 3X.  We want to be sure that there is no distortion in the corners of the mirrors.

Why would there be distortion in the corners of a mirror that isn’t round?

Answer

Mirrors become magnified when you bend the glass into the shape of a shallow bowl.  If you want higher magnification, you make that bend deeper.  Imagine putting a rectangular piece of paper into a bowl.  The corners start to crease so that it fits.  When you do that with glass, the “crease” becomes distortion.  We only sell distortion-free mirrors so we don’t offer mirrors with corners in magnifications that are higher than 3X.

You offer different light colors – warm white and cool white. Which one is better?

Answer

The color that is better is the one that you prefer.  If you like the traditional yellowish color of a conventional incandescent lamp, then you will probably prefer a warm white light.  If your personal taste leans more toward a modern, crisp look, then you will probably prefer the cooler white light color.  That is why we offer most of our LED lighted mirrors with both a warm and cool light color.

What is the difference between warm white light and cool white light color?

Answer

Color “temperature” is based on a scale that measures how the color of metal changes as it is heated, changing from red to yellow to blue.  This same range has become helpful in describing the color tint of white light.  Warm white light is typically found on the red/yellow end of this scale and cool white light is found on the blue end of this scale.

What if I like both warm and cool light color?

Answer

Then mix and match them.  There is no reason why you could not have a mixture of colors in the same room.  For example, you might want a back-lit vanity mirror with a warm white light that helps light the entire bathroom while your magnified make-up mirror has a cool white light to help you with detailed grooming tasks.

How hard is it to install a hardwired mirror?

Answer

We recommend that all of the lighted, hardwired mirrors that we offer be installed by a licensed electrician.  All of these mirrors come with detailed installation instructions that are very easy to follow, but when dealing with electricity, it is best to use a trained and licensed professional.