Telbix Gilson vanity wall light buying guide
Gilson is a Telbix vanity wall light built as a compact box-style bar: aluminium and polycarbonate, 6 cm high, projecting 8 cm from the wall, with an integrated LED and an IP44 rating. It comes in 40 cm, 60 cm and 80 cm lengths. Black comes in all three lengths, and chrome and antique gold come in the 60 cm length.
Below you will find how to match a length to a mirror, where to hang the bar, what the three colour temperatures and the lumen figures mean at a vanity, what IP44 allows and what the installation requires. It also covers what Gilson leaves out, which includes dimming.
What the Gilson range holds
All three lengths are indoor fittings that run on 240V and carry the RCM mark. The construction is aluminium with polycarbonate, with an integrated SMD LED, and none is dimmable.
- The 40 cm bar is 41.5 cm wide, weighs 0.82 kg and draws a maximum of 8W for 819 lumens. It comes in black.
- The 60 cm bar is 61.5 cm wide, weighs 1.15 kg and draws a maximum of 12W for 1270 lumens. It comes in black, chrome and antique gold.
- The 80 cm bar is 81.5 cm wide, weighs 1.34 kg and draws a maximum of 20W for 2137 lumens. It comes in black.
The LED offers 3000K, 4000K and 5000K, and the colour temperature is selectable. The LED is integrated, so there is no globe to buy or change.
A box-style bar and what the depth means
A bar that is 6 cm high and 8 cm deep reads as a small solid block on the wall, and not as a thin line of light. That depth matters in two places. Above a mirror it means the light leaves the wall slightly, which pushes the beam a little way toward the face. Beside a mirror it means the fitting stands 8 cm out from the wall, which a narrow wall return or a framed mirror has to allow for.
The same maker offers a slimmer bar, the Telbix Arvin vanity wall light, at 2.5 cm high. Gilson is the deeper of the two. The 60 cm and 80 cm Gilson lengths run close to Arvin on lumens, so the choice between them comes down to how far the fitting stands off the wall and which finish suits the room.
What a vanity light does
A vanity light is task lighting: it lights the face at a mirror and is not meant to light a whole bathroom alone. Ceiling downlights should not be the only source at the mirror either. The Gilson belongs to the task layer, and a ceiling light or similar supplies the room.
Matching the length to the mirror
The sizing is simple: a bar spans about three quarters of the mirror width, so the 40 cm bar suits a mirror about 53 cm wide, the 60 cm bar a mirror about 80 cm wide and the 80 cm bar a mirror about 107 cm wide. A single mirror close to one of the three widths is the easy case. A mirror between two widths is a judgement, so pick the wider bar, which keeps the light wide enough to reach both sides of the face.
Hanging it above a mirror
A bar above the mirror sits at about 190 to 203 cm from the floor, close to the wall and just above the glass, which is the space-saving option.
The Gilson projects 8 cm, so it does not sit as flush as a thin bar. For a tall mirror, check the top edge of the glass against the height range before the fixing point is marked. If the mirror already reaches near 190 cm, a bar above it has little room, and a pair of side lights is the better arrangement.
Hanging it beside a mirror
For side positions, lights sit at eye level, about 150 to 170 cm from the floor, with 70 to 100 cm between them, centred on the mirror.
Why a single bar above the mirror needs help
A bar above the mirror lights the face from above, and this is the weakest option as the only source at a mirror. Light from above casts shadows under the eyes and chin. Placing the light beside the mirror at eye level sends light across the face, while placing it above gives a more even source of light across the mirror. Each position fixes what the other leaves.
Three arrangements follow. One bar above the mirror fits a narrow wall or a small mirror with no room at the sides. A pair of bars beside the mirror fits a wider mirror, where the face needs light from both sides. A bar above plus a pair beside fits a larger vanity. The Gilson can be used in all three, so the wall decides.
Selectable colour temperature
The Gilson offers 3000K, 4000K and 5000K, and the colour temperature is selectable. The best setting depends on the job.
Natural white, about 4000K, is the sweet spot for grooming. Neutral white at about 4000K is the most accurate for makeup, and warm light at 2700K to 3000K is less accurate. 4000K to 5000K suits a mirror, while 2700K to 3000K suits a relaxed bathroom. Cool white is a popular fresh, bright choice and warm white is the more relaxed one.
The three Gilson settings cover that range. Grooming at the mirror points to 4000K, and a softer room points to 3000K. 5000K sits at the top of the range.
How bright 819, 1270 and 2137 lumens are
Lumen targets at a vanity vary. About 700 to 1,000 lumens suits a single mirror and 1,600 or more suits a double vanity. A vanity can take 800 to 2,000 lumens depending on mirror size, and grooming needs 1,200 to 1,600 lumens. The ranges overlap but do not match, so they work as ranges and not as targets.
On those figures the 40 cm Gilson at 819 lumens sits inside the single mirror range. The 60 cm at 1270 lumens sits above that range and inside the grooming range. The 80 cm at 2137 lumens sits above both. A pair of 40 cm bars adds to 1638 lumens, which reaches the double vanity figure. Choose by lumens and not by watts.
What IP44 allows
All three lengths are IP44. IP44 or higher suits a basin and IP65 or higher suits a shower or bath, and when unsure take the higher rating. Zones 1 and 2 need at least IPX4, with IP44 around sinks and higher protection near showers and baths. Zone 2 extends a short distance around the bath, shower and basin, which is where many vanity lights sit.
IP44 therefore meets the figure for a mirror beside a basin. A mirror close to a shower or over a bath may need a higher rating, and the zone is confirmed against AS/NZS 3000 with a licensed electrician. The bathroom lighting page holds the wider range of fittings for those positions.
Indoor use and dry rooms
The Gilson is an indoor fitting. The IP44 rating matters in a bathroom and is not needed in a dry room such as a dressing room, so in those rooms the length, the colour temperature and the finish carry the decision. The centre of a light beside a mirror sits at 152 to 168 cm and a pair 70 to 100 cm apart, which matches the bathroom figures closely.
Installation and who does it
A qualified electrical contractor must install the fitting, in accordance with AS/NZS 3000. Hard-wired fittings are different from plug-in lamps, and a licensed electrician must install the hard-wired kind, including bathroom lighting. The Gilson is a hard-wired fitting.
Plan the lighting before the fit-out begins and consult an electrician early, because zoning rules make later additions difficult. The bars weigh 0.82 kg, 1.15 kg and 1.34 kg, and no fixing limit is given, so the electrician decides how each one is secured to the wall.
Care
The Gilson comes with wiring and electrical details and no care instructions. Turn the power off at the wall switch or the circuit breaker, let the fitting cool and avoid harsh chemicals that can mark a finish. Allow at least 30 minutes after the light is off, use a dry lint-free cloth and keep water off the fixture. Check with the supplier for any instruction on the finish before cleaning a bathroom fitting.
Choosing a finish
Black comes in all three lengths, so a mirror in any size can carry it. Chrome and antique gold come in the 60 cm length only, so a room that wants one of those finishes is a 60 cm decision. Pair one metal with one other finish in a room, so the bar can follow the tapware while the hardware carries the second metal. A black bar suits a room built on black fittings and matte surfaces, and chrome follows chrome tapware.
What Gilson leaves out
Gilson has no dimming and no globe to change. It is an indoor wall light in a fixed set of lengths and finishes. For the wider choice of wall lights, the wall lights page is the place to look, and the lighting collection shows every category in one place.
Choosing the Gilson length
The decision follows the mirror. A 40 cm bar suits a small mirror or a pair at the sides, a 60 cm bar a mid-width mirror and an 80 cm bar a wide one, by the three quarters width. Add side lights where a face needs even light, and check the zone with an electrician where the mirror sits near water.
Before buying, check the mirror width, the position, the colour temperature and the zone. The electrician can confirm the rest on site.
