Take a look at Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror

I’ve owned Philips Hue smart lights for over three years. I’ve often thought how great it would be to have these lights plugged into every light fixture I own. After the launch of several indoor and outdoor lights this year, that’s becoming a real possibility.

Philips Hue has even taken smart lights one step further by creating their own lineup of light fixtures, and the Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror is part of that launch. While I love all of their lights, having this bathroom vanity mirror would really be the ultimate step in setting up smart lighting in my home. The only catch? You’ve got to plan ahead to set up this mirror.

I’ve unpacked and taken a good look at the Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror. Here’s what it looks like, how it works, and why I think the bathroom is the perfect place for smart lighting.

Unboxing Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror

The Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror is a decent sized bathroom mirror (about the same size as any vanity mirror). It measures 22 x 22, a perfect circle. For installation purposes it’s not that heavy, coming in at around 12 pounds.

The mirror itself mounts onto a white backing which holds the smart light. The light glows behind the mirror when you turn it on.

The technical specs for this light are:

• Hard-wired with a requirement of 100 V – 240 V, 50-60 Hz
• LED bulb wattage is 40 W
• Total lumen output of 2400, equivalent to a 240 W bulb
• Meets IP standards and is IP44 rated damp so you can splash it
• Offers varieties of white light and is dimmable
• Lifetime use of 30,000 hours
• Includes a dimmer switch

This bathroom light can run the range of very bright white light to cosy glow or dim like candlelight, all with a tap on the switch.

Installing the Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror

There is one major difference between the Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror and other Philips Hue products I’ve tested. While Philips Hue products are either plug-in light bulbs or just plug into a standard outlet, the lighted mirror requires hard wiring to an electrical connection. If you want to use it as a bathroom vanity mirror, you’ll have to plan ahead to install it.

Planning ahead, in this case, means hiring an electrician and placing a spot for connection right above your sink in the bathroom.

Once you have your electrical connection ready, installing this mirror is as easy as installing a light fixture. If you’ve never installed one, you’ll want to ask your electrician to mount the mirror for you.

I couldn’t install this mirror because I don’t have a spot for a light over my bathroom vanity, but I’ve installed many lights in my home. After looking at the light connections, I think it would take about 15 minutes total to get it running. There are specific lines on the top of the mirror to show you which way is up, and the mount and all screws needed are included.

Using the Philips Hue Bathroom Vanity Mirror

Once your mirror is installed and ready to go, you’re ready to enjoy having Philips Hue in the bathroom. There are two ways to turn on and control this mirror: using the included dimmer switch or through the Philips Hue Bridge.

The dimmer switch that’s included in the box is very versatile. You can mount it on the wall, or just pop it out of the mount and use it as a remote control. It’s battery-powered, and you can control up to 10 smart lights at the same time with it.

With the remote, you can dim your lights or cycle through the different levels of bright light. If you’ve ever used Hue lights before, you know there are built-in recipes for the lights. There’s cool, white Energize to wake you in the morning; Concentrate is great for putting on makeup or beard trimming; Read is perfect for reading a book in the bathtub; And there’s also Relax to help you de-stress after a long day.

Your bathroom mirror is even more versatile with the Philips Hue Bridge

When you have the Philips Hue Bridge, you can get even more out of your Philips Bathroom Vanity Light. It lets you connect your smart light to your bridge so you can control it from anywhere you are. If you want to set the tone in your bathroom and you’re not at home, just tap the app.

You can set timers, different routines, and even make your own light recipes within the app. You won’t be able to make recipes beyond those for white light, but I’ve made a few for my white Hue kitchen lights, and I’ve done everything from Frosty Morning to Candlelight.

Alternate spots you can place Philips Hue Lighted Vanity Mirror

Although this mirror is splash resistant and designed for the bathroom, you could also choose to place it in a few other spots. It would be great in a bedroom as a vanity light in front of a sit-down desk, because having a backlight is the perfect way to put on makeup.

You can also mount this mirror/light on the ceiling in your bathroom in place of a traditional light. You wouldn’t be able to really use the mirror, but you’d have access to the different light recipes and remote control.

Overall thoughts on the Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror

If I had planned my bathroom to have a light over the vanity, I would install the Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror in a heartbeat. I’ve stayed in hotels where there was a light surrounding the mirror, and it makes such a huge difference when putting on makeup or relaxing in your room. It gives your face a glow when you’re looking at yourself in it.

Given how the light is set up, the installation would be easy. You could have your electrician set up space for the light and then do it yourself. The included remote is also a huge plus, because you can use it for your other smart lights too.

If you’re ready to install a smart light over your bathroom vanity, you can find the Philips Hue Lighted Bathroom Vanity Mirror at Best Buy right now.