What to Look for When Buying Mirrors

There are both practical and stylish uses of mirrors. Mirrors can add drama and light to a space, create a focal point, or blend into the background. Whether in the bathroom or the dining room, mirrors create depth and reflect light throughout a room. With so many types of mirrors to choose from, there are a few factors to consider before purchasing. 

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• Glass Quality: A high-quality mirror glass is free from inconsistencies that distort the reflection. Look for glass that has an even and uniform surface.
  
• Glass Thickness: Glass mirrors typically come in 1/4-, 1/8- or 3/16-inch thickness. For home décor, we recommend 1/4-inch-thick glass.
  
• Mirror Silvering: A good mirror should have a thick, high-quality coating of silvering — the silver-nitrate-compound coating on one side of the glass that makes it reflective.
  
• Shape: Which shape works best with the surroundings? Keep in mind the ambience that you want in the room. If you want to add balance to a room with straight lines, opt for a round mirror. If you’re looking for symmetry or want a more modern feel, try geometric shapes. Play with shapes in unexpected spaces to create a unique look.
  
• Size: The right-sized mirror makes all the difference. Look for one that doesn’t overwhelm a room. Also, if mounting it on a wall, consider the wall space.
  
• Style: A mirror’s style gives you the opportunity to put your personal stamp on your space.
  

Types of Mirrors

There are different features to look for when choosing a mirror, including glass type and mount type. When considering glass, there are three types commonly used in mirrors — plane, concave and convex. Different glass types create different light effects.  

Mirrors can be used to brighten things up or provide a decorative focal point in any space around the home — on walls, over a buffet, leaning on a table or above a fireplace. The mirror’s mount type determines, in part, where you can place the mirror, so it’s an important consideration when selecting a mirror. 

Plane Mirrors

Plane mirrors have a flat surface that reflects light. They produce true-to-life images with very little distortion and are the most common type used in bathrooms. They’re the best choice for a reflection of real and accurate proportions.

Concave Mirrors

Concave mirrors are typically used in bathrooms and often in bedrooms. They have a spherical surface that curves and reflects light inward, giving the illusion of largeness.

Convex Mirrors

Convex mirrors also have a spherical surface, but they bulge outward and distort images, making them appear smaller. They’re typically mounted on the exterior of the home.

Full-Length Mirrors

Full-length mirrors — also known as floor-length mirrors or full-body mirrors — are visually dramatic mirrors that you can either mount on the wall, lean against the wall or place on a stand. They allow you to see your entire body while providing decoration and reflecting natural light. Full-length mirrors are at least 48 inches high. If you want to view yourself in a full-length mirror, look for one that’s at least half of your height tall. These are a great choice for mirrors for bedrooms. 

Wall Mirrors

Wall-mounted mirrors are fastened to the wall. When choosing a wall mounted mirror, select one with a frame that complements the wall color and décor.

Over the Door Mirrors

You can hang over-the-door mirrors on the inside of closet or bathroom doors, so you only see them when you need them. But you can hang them on the outside of doors too. They take advantage of the often-unused vertical space a door offers, making them a great space-saving option that still provides a reflective surface.

Vanity Mirrors

Vanity mirrors — also known as makeup mirrors — are sometimes double sided, with one side being a magnifying mirror. Some vanity mirrors also have built-in lighting. Wall mounted versions take up little to no space and come in various finishes to match your décor. They tilt and pivot in a range of directions, and some models extend from the wall. Freestanding or countertop makeup mirrors are portable, so you can move them from room to room.

Mirror Frame Materials and Colors

A mirror frame is the fitting that surrounds a mirror. Available in a variety of materials — including glass, which creates a clean look — the frame sets the aesthetic tone for the entire mirror.  However, frameless mirrors are a popular choice. They’re lighter than framed mirrors and versatile, and you can easily blend them in with any space in your home. Frameless mirrors typically have polished or beveled edges.

Other popular mirror frame material options include:

• Wood, which offers a traditional look
  
• Plastic, which is available in an array of designs, colors and finishes
  
• Metal, which has a regal, polished look

Mirror frames also come in various colors, with black mirror frames and silver mirror frames being some of the most popular choices.

Mirror Styles for Your Space

While a mirror’s size plays an integral role in its style, so does the overall aesthetics of the mirror, which includes the frame. A stylish mirror is a way to bring your personality into a room and create a decorative impact. Do you want the mirror to be the center of attention? Or maybe you need it to blend in with the decor while making a subtle statement. Perhaps you only need the mirror for its functionality. Whatever style you want, there’s a mirror that fits your home.

Traditional

Traditional options include round or square mirrors for walls. These shapes offer a timeless look that blends in with the interior for understated elegance.

Modern and Contemporary

For an updated feel, add a modern and contemporary mirror for a touch of simple sophistication for any space. This style mirror often features sleek lines and little embellishment.

Farmhouse

Farmhouse mirrors — like the one pictured — are striking choices that typically incorporate weathered or distressed finishes to lend a rustic feel to any room. 

Other styles include global-influenced mirrors, which have bold colors and exotic designs that brighten up your space with a bohemian touch, and transitional mirrors, which offer a balanced blend of contemporary and traditional styles.

Different Ways to Use Mirrors

The uses of mirrors go beyond just choosing a style, shape and size. Here are a few ideas for using mirrors in your decorating.

• When placed opposite a window, a mirror reflects natural light, creates the illusion of another window and brings light to dark spaces in the room.
  
• Placing a mirror over a fireplace mantle, console table or other piece of furniture complements and adds symmetry to the room.
  
• A mirror can do double duty by adding a functional or decorative element to a room as well as by hiding imperfections on a wall.
  
• Clustering mirrors of different sizes is a stylish way to create a focal point that enhances a room.
  
• Go eclectic and use mirrors as art pieces. Look for mirrors with high-resolution images printed on tempered glass or mirrored squares arranged in an offset tile pattern. Different shapes of mirrors can create an interesting look, too.
  
• Mirrored accessories, such as mirrored trays and decorative boxes with mirrored fronts, allow you to decorate with mirrors in unexpected ways.
  
• Mirrored furniture can bring sophistication and dimension to a space, though you’ll want to keep your use of mirrored furniture modest.

However you choose to decorate your home with mirrors, finding the right one for your space is key to creating the look you want. From wall mirrors for dining rooms to long mirrors for walls, mirrors are more than just reflective surfaces. Their shapes can add interest, their style can enhance a room’s look, and their size can create the illusion of an open, airier and brighter space. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Mirrors

What Type of Mirror is Best for Bathrooms?

You’ll typically find plane mirrors in bathrooms. You’ll also want a mirror large enough to complement your vanity.

What Are the Three Types of Mirrors?

The three most common types of mirrors used in home decorating include plane mirrors, concave mirrors and convex mirrors.

What Mirrors Are in Style Now?

Mirrors with wood or metal frames are popular choices. Full-length mirrors make great additions to living rooms and bedrooms. Decorative wall mirrors, like sunburst styles or ones with ornate frames can make a statement. Ultimately, you’ll want to choose a style of mirror that suits the aesthetic of the space it’ll be in.

What Is the Most Accurate Mirror Shape?

The shape of a mirror plays into visual interest and style more than the accuracy of the reflection. If you’re looking for a mirror that offers real and accurate proportions, choose a mirror with plane glass.

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Purchasing Advisor for Laser Mirrors

Find all you need for professionally buying laser mirrors: a comprehensive expert-curated directory of suppliers, scientific and technical background information, and an interactive AI-based tool with guidance for a structured decision process.

You appear to be visiting from North America. Many listed suppliers are based in this region, making the RP Photonics Buyer's Guide highly relevant for your needs.

Top-level product category: optical components and devices

More general product categories: mirrors

More specific product categories: chirped mirrors, output couplers

Related product categories: dielectric mirrors, dichroic mirrors, supermirrors, variable reflectivity mirrors, parabolic mirrors, laser line optics

Encyclopedia article: laser mirrors

Laser mirrors are typically dielectric mirrors optimized for laser applications. They feature high reflectivity, low absorption and scattering losses, high surface quality, high damage threshold, and sometimes dichroic properties. These mirrors are critical components in laser systems.

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Use the comprehensive learning resources of RP Photonics:

laser mirrors dielectric mirrors dichroic mirrors laser resonators output couplers supermirrors

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It is essential to fully understand and clearly define your requirements before you purchase.

We recommend that you develop a list of clear specifications according to your specific needs, against which you can later check the suitability of found product offers:

To help you, we have already listed some aspects we recommend you consider when buying laser mirrors. Of course, there may be other aspects that are relevant to your specific case.

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Suppliers for Laser Mirrors

133 suppliers for laser mirrors are listed in the RP Photonics Buyer's Guide, out of which 15 present their product descriptions and images. Both manufacturers and distributors can be registered.

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presenting their product descriptions

Hangzhou Shalom Electro-optics Technology Co., Ltd.
A635, Boke Mansion
No. 9 Xiyuan Road
Xihu District, Hangzhou
China

Hangzhou Shalom EO offers a wide range of laser mirrors, including UVFS dielectric broadband mirrors, UVFS laser line mirrors, BK7/UVFS metallic mirrors, femtoline low-GDD mirrors, high power laser mirrors, chirped mirrors and pairs, ultrafast-enhanced silver mirrors, super polished mirrors and mirror blanks. In addition, we also provide CO2 laser mirrors.

Shalom EO utilizes a set of premium coatings e.g. (dielectric coatings, enhanced Al coatings, protective silver and gold coatings, and low GDD coating technologies for ultrafast applications) to achieve the optimum optical results. The use of leading-edge equipment, such as Zygo interferometers and PerkinElmer Lambda + spectroscopes, allows Shalom EO to maintain rigorous quality standards for our laser mirrors. Our high power laser mirror can achieve a damage threshold of >20 J/cm2 @  nm, 10 ns, 10 Hz pulses.

High precision laser grade mirrors are one of Shalom EO’s special know-how. Those mirrors feature high flatness, high damage threshold, and superior surface quality. Both off-the-shelf and customized laser mirrors are available for our customers.

Product-specific web page Exail (formerly iXblue)
34, Rue de la Croix de Fer
Saint Germain-en-Laye
France

Fiber Bragg grating mirrors are critical components used to realize laser cavities and are ideal for high power fiber lasers. Exail’s mirrors have been customized to address the specific requirements of high efficiency and laser applications.

Exail (formerly iXblue) offers these wavelength-selective mirrors on a complete range of specialty fibers for high power handling and standard applications. An optimized manufacturing process and testing ensure their long-term reliability in fiber lasers.

Exail offers a dissipative package for thermal management of the FBG to ensure stability at high optical power.

Benefits and features:

• single-mode and double-clad versions available, also PM and custom versions
• full passive assembly (dissipative package) available, providing protection of FBG and splices
• good power handling
• specific recoating for pump guidance

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Other Suppliers

3L-Systems, LLC
Korea 3photon
Lithuania 3W Photonics
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United States Acal BFi
Germany AccuCoat, Inc.
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China Alpine Research Optics
United States Altechna UAB
Lithuania AZURE Photonics Co., Ltd.
China Befort Wetzlar
Germany Bluebean Optical Tech Ltd.
China BMV Optical Technologies Inc.
Canada Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH
Germany CASIX Inc.
China CeNing Optics Co., Ltd
China CILAS
France Claser Photonics Inc.
China CLZ Optical Co., Ltd.
China CPG Optics
China Creator Optics, Inc.
China Crylink
China Cryslaser Inc.
P.R. China Crytur, spol. s r.o.
Czech Republic CVI Laser Optics
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China Diverse Optics
United States Egismos Technology Corporation
Taiwan Elliot Scientific Ltd.
United Kingdom Esco Optics
United States Evaporated Coatings, Inc.
United States FICHOU
France Focus Technology Co., Ltd.
China GreenOptics Inc.
South Korea Gurley Precision Instruments
United States HAM Präzision - Hartmetallwerkzeugfabrik Andreas Maier GmbH
Germany HHV Advanced Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
India Hind High Vacuum Company Pvt Ltd.
India Hitronics Technologies
China IL Photonics
Israel IMOS Gubela GmbH
Germany Infrared Optics Supply
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China JG International
China Lahat Technologies Ltd
Israel Lambda Research Optics
United States Lano Photonics Co., Ltd.
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Laser S.O.S. Ltd.
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China Layertec GmbH
Germany LBP Optics Ltd.
United Kingdom LohnStar Optics
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United States MLD Technologies, L.L.C.
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China Sichuan MetalMiracle Industry Corp.
China NANEO Precision IBS Coatings GmbH
Germany New Age Instruments & Materials
India New Source Technology LLC
United States Newlight Photonics Inc.
Canada Newport Thin Film Laboratory
United States Omega Optical, Inc.
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Switzerland Optics and Allied Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
India Optics Balzers AG
Liechtenstein Optimax Systems, Inc
Canada OptoCity
United States Opton Laser International
France Optoprim Germany GmbH
Germany Photonchina
China Pleiger Laseroptik
Germany Changchun Positive Optics Co., Ltd.
China Präzisions Glas & Optik GmbH
Germany PreciSe Hyper-iMage Optics Ltd.
China Princeton Instruments
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Israel R&D Ultrafast Lasers Kft.
Hungary Radiant Dyes Laser & Accessoires GmbH
Germany Reynard Corporation
United States Ross Optical
United States SCANLAB GmbH
Germany Sherlan Optics
China Sichuan MetalMiracle Industry Corp.
China Sinoceramics (USA), LLC
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Germany Solaris Optics S.A.
Poland Fuzhou Solid Photon Inc
China Space Optics Research Labs
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Sweden SPT Laser Technology
China STANDA Ltd.
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China TecOptics
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Canada Tokyo Instruments, Inc.
Japan Topag Lasertechnik GmbH
Germany Torrent Photonics LLC
United States Tydex
Russian Federation ULO Optics Ltd.
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Germany VM-TIM GmbH
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China