How to pick the right infrared lamp for your bathroom
Nobody likes stepping out of a hot shower into a freezing bathroom. It’s a shock to the system. But if you just throw the most powerful heater you can find into a small space, you’re going to end up feeling like you’re standing inside a toaster. The trick is getting the wattage right for your square footage. We use shortwave infrared because it doesn’t waste time trying to warm up all the air in the room—it just heats you and the surfaces around you. It’s instant. Finding your number Here is a good rule of thumb for the wattage you’ll need. If you’ve got a tiny powder room (under 4m²), you’re looking at 400W to 600W. That’s usually plenty to keep the chill away. For those mid-sized bathrooms (around 5-10m²), I’d suggest stepping up to 800W or 1000W. Now, if you’re dealing with a massive master bath or a commercial restroom, one lamp won’t cut it. You’ll either need a few units spread out or something heavy-duty over 1200W so the heat actually reaches the middle of the room. Don’t overdo it (or underdo it) It’s tempting to go for the biggest lamp available, but that can actually backfire. Put a 1200W lamp in a tiny 3m² closet and you’ve got two problems: it’ll be uncomfortably hot, and the lamp might burn out faster because the heat has nowhere to go. On the flip side, if you go too weak in a big room, the lamp has to work at 100% capacity just to try and keep up. It never reaches the goal, and that’s a great way to kill the lifespan of your equipment. A few pro tips for the install If you want to save some money on your electric bill, wire the lamps into a sensor. That way, the heat only kicks in when someone is actually in the room. Simple. And please, don’t skip the waterproofing. Bathrooms are steamy and splashy. Make sure your housing is rated IPX4 or higher so you don’t have to worry about a short circuit ruining your morning. One last thing: use a focused reflector. It lets you point the heat exactly where you’re standing—like right by the towel rack—which means you can use less power while still feeling totally warm.