Choosing the Right Size Bathroom Mirror for Your Vanity

A mirror that's too small or too large for your vanity throws off the whole look of a bathroom. There's no official rule for mirror width, so below we compare the two most common design approaches, show how they work at every standard vanity width, and use the 200 mirror sizes we sell to show what's actually available. For hanging height, we quote the published guidance, including the ADA Standards.

How wide should the mirror be?

Neither the ADA Standards nor NKBA's Bathroom Planning Guidelines set a mirror width, so this is a design choice. Two common approaches:

• A few inches narrower than the vanity. Bob Vila's guide puts it this way: "the mirror for a 36-inch vanity should be between 32 and 34 inches" (Bob Vila). This leaves a little counter showing on each side and works well with side sconces.
• The same width, or noticeably narrower. A Houzz design article notes that "a common approach is to make the mirror exactly as wide as the vanity," and that another is to make it "about 70 to 80 percent as wide as the vanity" (Houzz).

Both sources agree on one thing: the mirror usually shouldn't be wider than the vanity. Here's how each approach works out at standard vanity widths, and how many of the mirror sizes we sell fall in each range:

For a 48" or 60" vanity, we carry no mirrors in the "few inches narrower" range, so the practical choices are a same-width mirror, a noticeably narrower one, or two mirrors (below). Browse bathroom mirrors to compare sizes.

One mirror or two on a double vanity?

With two sinks, you can use one wide mirror or a mirror centered over each sink. For the two-mirror look, Houzz suggests choosing mirrors "closer to 60 to 70 percent of the width of the vanity (divided by the number of mirrors if you have more than one)" when you're leaving room for sconces. On a 60" double vanity, that works out to two mirrors about 18" to 21" wide each; on a 72" vanity, about 22" to 25" each. Center each mirror over its sink. NKBA's guidelines recommend at least 36" between the centerlines of two sinks.

How high to hang it

• Above the faucet. Robern, a mirror and cabinet maker, says "the standard bathroom mirror placement tends to reside between 5 and 10 inches above the highest part of the faucet" (Robern). With a tall vessel faucet, it suggests measuring from the faucet handles instead.
• At eye level. NKBA's Bathroom Planning Guidelines recommend placing the mirror "at a height that takes the user's eye height into consideration."
• For accessibility. The 2010 ADA Standards require that a mirror over a sink or counter have "the bottom edge of the reflecting surface 40 inches (1015 mm) maximum above the finish floor," and an advisory note adds that "the top edge of mirrors should be 74 inches (1880 mm) minimum from the floor" (U.S. Access Board). The ADA covers public places, not private homes, but it's a useful benchmark if someone in your home uses a wheelchair. See our ADA bathroom essentials guide.

Planning lights too? Robern suggests sconces "60 to 70 inches above the floor," and a light bar above the mirror at 75 to 80 inches.

LED or standard?

Nearly half of the mirror sizes we sell are lighted: 95 of 200. Of those 95, 72 list a defogger (anti-fog) feature, which keeps the glass clear after a hot shower. As of September 2026, lighted mirrors have a median price of $388, compared with $285 for standard mirrors. If your bathroom has limited lighting or no window, a lighted mirror can make a big difference; see LED mirrors 101 or browse LED anti-fog mirrors.

Shape and orientation

Rectangles are the most common shape we carry, followed by oval, round and square. For round or oval mirrors, Robern suggests centering "the lowest curve" above the faucet. Twenty-nine of the mirror sizes we sell can hang either vertically or horizontally, which helps if you're fitting around a window, sconces or a medicine cabinet. Need storage too? Consider a medicine cabinet instead of a plain mirror.

Still choosing a vanity? See what bathroom vanities cost at every size, or browse vanities.

How we counted

We included every wall mirror listed in our store on September 27, 2026 (medicine cabinets excluded): 180 products, or 200 sizes when a product is sold in several sizes, from Vinnova Design, Laviva, Moreno Bath, Lexora, Anzzi, Jensen and Magnus. Widths come from each product's stated dimensions, and each size is counted in the table if its width falls in that range. Prices are our regular listed prices and can change.