Thermogroup mirrors buying guide
Most of the Thermogroup range is plain glass in a choice of edges and shapes, with frames, lighting and demisters as options. The "heated mirror" in many searches is a mirror with a demister pad fixed to its back. The practical call is to decide three things in order: the edge or frame, whether the mirror needs light or a demister, and the size against the vanity. The sections below take each in turn, with the source for each figure named in the text.
What is in the Thermogroup range
The listings fall into five groups. Frameless glass comes with a polished edge, a bevelled edge or a sandblasted border, in rectangle, square, round, oval, pill, arch and D shapes. Framed mirrors come in black, white or gold, in round, arch, rectangular and pill shapes. The Ablaze back-lit mirrors carry LED light behind the glass, and a few lit mirrors carry it at the front. The Thermomirror demister pad is sold on its own, for fitting behind a mirror. A Thermogroup guide to the range describes the same families: frameless mirrors with polished or bevelled edges, slimline framed mirrors, premium LED mirrors and demister pads.
Edges and glass
The edge is the finish on a frameless mirror, so it is the first thing to read. The polished edge mirrors have a smooth ground edge with no extra detail, and the Thermogroup listings describe the look as clean, frame-less and contemporary. The rectangle mirror with a 25mm bevel and the round mirror with an 18mm bevel have an angled edge that catches the light. The rectangle mirror with a sandblasted border has a frosted strip 25mm wide, set 25mm in from the edge.
The glass details repeat across the range. The listings give 5mm silver glass on most mirrors and 14mm on the round bevel and sandblasted border mirrors. They describe a commercial strength vinyl backing, copper-free glass, and edges sealed so the silvering does not creep in from the edge. An architecture publication's humidity guide says moisture gets into a mirror through the edges and through tiny scratches in the paint on the back, and that copper-free or edge-sealed glass slows the oxidation that causes black spots. For a bathroom, that makes sealed edges a practical feature, not a detail.
Shapes and sizes
The rectangles run from 600mm by 750mm to 1500mm by 900mm, with 900mm by 750mm, 600mm by 900mm, 900mm by 900mm and 1200mm by 800mm between them. There is a 750mm square. The round mirrors come in diameters from 500mm to 900mm. The Thermogroup Oval Polished Edge Mirror is 600mm by 800mm or 900mm by 750mm. The pills are 500mm by 700mm, 500mm by 1000mm and 600mm by 1200mm. The Church arch is 750mm by 1000mm or 500mm by 800mm, and the D-shaped Ablaze comes in 900mm by 750mm, 1200mm by 900mm and 1500mm by 1100mm.
For each shape, there is a page of its own: rectangular mirrors, round mirrors, oval mirrors, pill shape mirrors and arched mirrors. For the glass-only group, see frameless mirrors.
Framed mirrors
The framed mirrors are the Thermogroup Round Gold Framed Mirror, the Thermogroup Arch White Framed Mirror, the Thermogroup Rectangular Black Framed Mirror and the Thermogroup Pill Gold Framed Mirror, and each shape comes in black, white or gold. The listings describe a slimline frame that sits the mirror 20mm out from the wall and wraps 7mm around the front of the glass. The mirror hangs on two brackets with the frame sitting against the wall, and the listings say the glass has a safety backing film and is copper-free. They also say the mirrors are made in Europe.
Round framed mirrors come in 600mm and 900mm. The arch and the pill are narrow, and the listings say that makes them suit two mirrors over a double bowl vanity. The rectangular can be hung vertically or horizontally. The Thermogroup Ablaze Round Black Frame Mirror has a black powder-coated steel frame, in 600mm and 900mm diameters, and mounts by screwing to the wall on metal hanger mounts. For more framed mirrors, see framed mirrors.
Framed or frameless
The choice between a frame and plain glass comes down to the edge and the room. A frame protects the glass edges from knocks, which is why one retailer's guide suggests a framed mirror for a home with children or pets. Frameless glass gives a plain, flat look that sits behind the vanity and tapware, and a bathroom retailer notes that it suits modern and minimalist rooms. A framed mirror in black, white or gold can pick up the finish of the tapware or the vanity hardware, and the frame is easy to wipe down. Either way, the sealed edge and copper-free glass matter more than the style in a steamy room.
How the demister works
A mirror fogs because the glass is colder than the air in the bathroom, so steam condenses on it. The Thermogroup listing says the Thermomirror pad warms the glass to reduce that temperature difference. The pad is an ultra-thin heating element, fully self-adhesive, that sticks to the back of the mirror and has a single 240V connection point. The TM5868 pad is 580mm by 680mm and is listed as suitable for mirrors 680mm by 780mm or larger.
The Thermogroup guide gives several fitting rules. The pad must be smaller than the mirror. For a glue-to-wall mirror, leave at least 100mm clear around the pad so the adhesive can grip. For a screw-to-wall mirror, the pad has to sit clear of the screws and brackets. The pad only needs to cover the main viewing area, because the heat spreads a little beyond it. It is hard-wired through the wall to the power supply, so it needs an electrician, and it should not be fitted on a cabinet door, because the wiring is difficult, the cable would show, and the door thickness reduces its effect.
The wiring can follow the lights. The guide says a demister can connect to the bathroom light circuit so it runs when the lights are on, or to a movement sensor linked to the lights. The Thermogroup Backlit Arch Shape LED Mirror has an integrated pad that turns on automatically with the lighting. For the pads and fitting information in one place, see mirror demisters.
Sizing a demister pad: a worked example
The TM5868 pad is 580mm by 680mm and the listing says it suits mirrors of 680mm by 780mm or larger. A 900mm by 750mm rectangle hung horizontally is 750mm high, which is under that 780mm minimum, so this pad is the wrong size for it. For a glue-to-wall mirror the guide adds 100mm of clear space around the pad, which would need a mirror at least 780mm wide and 880mm high for this pad. Check the mirror size against the pad size before ordering, and choose a mirror with a built-in demister where the sizes do not fit.
The D-shaped Ablaze
The D-shaped Ablaze comes in three sizes: 900mm by 750mm, 1200mm by 900mm and 1500mm by 1100mm. The listing says it can be mounted in four orientations, so the straight side can face left, right, up or down. It has a 5mm silver polished edge mirror, a commercial-strength vinyl backing, and metal tongue wall brackets, and it is only 11mm deep with the hangers fitted. A demister version is available, with a demister rated at 100W. The listing also says a glue-to-wall version can be bought where it suits the space better.
Bevel or polished
The two edges suit different rooms. A polished edge is smooth and plain, and it keeps the mirror quiet against tiles and tapware. A bevelled edge is angled, and it catches light along the border, which adds a line without a frame. The bevel rectangles come in 600mm by 750mm, 600mm by 900mm, 750mm by 900mm, 900mm by 900mm, 1200mm by 800mm and 1500mm by 900mm, and the round bevel mirrors in 500mm to 900mm diameters. The sandblasted border mirrors add a frosted strip that frames the glass, and come in four sizes from 600mm by 750mm to 1500mm by 900mm.
Small bathrooms
A humidity guide says a mirror 600mm to 900mm tall suits most single vanities, and suggests keeping 150mm to 200mm clear above a mirror from cabinets or exhaust fans. The 500mm wide pills, arches and ovals fit a compact vanity, and Houzz says several tall, skinny mirrors can emphasise the height of a space. Two narrow framed arches or pills over a double bowl vanity also keep the centre of the wall clear for a light or a shelf.
Back-lit and front-lit mirrors
The Ablaze back-lit mirrors put the light behind the glass, so it washes the wall and gives a soft glow. The Thermogroup Ablaze Premium SO Range Back-Lit Mirror is 1000mm by 500mm and 45mm deep, polished edge, portrait only, in cool white 6400K or warm white 2700K, with a demister included and concealed wiring from the rear centre. The RS range runs from 600mm to 900mm and the SS range from 900mm to 1200mm. The Thermogroup Backlit Arch Shape LED Mirror is 500mm by 800mm, 47W, hardwired with a separate switch, and IP44 rated for bathrooms.
The SR range is front-lit: the lighting strip sits at the front of the mirror, set in from the edge, and the cool light casts a bright white light into the room. The listing gives 51W for the smaller size and 66W for the larger, hardwired to a separate switch, with a demister attached and controlled by the same switch. It can be mounted portrait or horizontal. A Thermogroup guide says warm light is yellowish and mimics natural sunlight, while cool light is brighter and whiter and suits a more functional feel. The same guide notes that back-lit mirrors are not always enough alone, and most bathrooms also need overhead lighting. For the whole lit group, see LED mirrors.
How the lit mirrors are switched
The premium lit mirrors have no switch on the unit. They are designed to be hard-wired to a simple switch, a programmable timer or a motion sensor, according to the Thermogroup guide. The listings say a separate switch is required for operation, and that hardwired installation is by concealed wiring. That means the supply and the switch position have to be planned before the wall is closed, and a licensed electrician fits the mirror. Plan the switch where you can reach it from the basin.
Size against the vanity
Houzz gives the clearest width rule: when the mirror is not the same width as the vanity, make it 70 to 80 per cent as wide, and 60 to 70 per cent when sconces share the wall. On a 600mm vanity that is a mirror about 420mm to 480mm wide. On a 900mm vanity it is about 630mm to 720mm, and on a 1200mm vanity about 840mm to 960mm, or a mirror over each basin.
The Thermogroup widths let you test the rule. A 600mm mirror suits a vanity about 750mm to 855mm wide, a 900mm mirror suits one about 1125mm to 1285mm, and a 1200mm mirror suits one about 1500mm to 1715mm. A 500mm pill or arch suits a vanity about 625mm to 715mm. Treat these as starting points, mark the outline on the wall with masking tape, and look at it from the doorway before you decide.
Height on the wall
Hang the mirror so its centre meets your eyes. An Australian height guide puts the centre at 1500mm to 1650mm from the floor, with 100mm to 200mm between the tap and the base of the mirror and the top edge at least 100mm below the ceiling. Houzz says a mirror needs to reach about 30cm above and below the eye line of its users. The same height guide asks for at least 100mm between two mirrors hung over a double vanity.
Work it through for a common size. A 1000mm tall pill centred at 1600mm covers 1100mm to 2100mm, which clears the tap and leaves 300mm under a 2400mm ceiling. A 750mm tall mirror at the same centre covers 1225mm to 1975mm. The height guide notes that average eye level runs from 1600mm to 1750mm, so measure the people who use the basin.
Upright or sideways
Most of the glass mirrors can hang either way: the listings say portrait or horizontal for the bevel, sandblasted border, oval, pill and round mirrors, and the D-shaped mirror can be mounted in four orientations. The Ablaze SO, the framed arch and the back-lit arch are portrait only. Read the orientation line before you choose, because the fixing and the wiring position depend on the direction.
Reading a Thermogroup listing
The listings carry the same fields in the same order. Start with the overall width and height, then the depth, which runs from 11mm on the D-shaped Ablaze to 45mm on the back-lit mirrors, and the mirror thickness. Next read the orientation line, then the mounting line, which names hangers, brackets or tongue brackets. For lit mirrors read the wattage, the colour temperature, the IP rating and the installation line. Finally download the specification sheet and installation instructions, which most listings offer, and read both before you choose the fixings.
Fixing the mirror
The listings describe each fixing. The frameless mirrors come with a two-part aluminium hanger, the framed mirrors hang on two brackets, the D-shaped mirrors use metal tongue wall brackets, and the Thermogroup guide says frameless mirrors can also be glued to the wall. The fixing carries the whole load, so choose it for the weight of the mirror and the wall behind it. A hanging guide says studs are the most secure fixing and cavity anchors suit plasterboard without a stud, and that a mirror over 100cm should be lifted by two people.
Care and cleaning
The Thermogroup guide gives a care recipe: clean the mirror with 30 per cent methylated spirits and 70 per cent water, and do not use Windex or similar chemical cleaners. It says to avoid getting water on the sides or back of the mirror, because it can damage the silver backing, and in coastal areas to wipe around the edge monthly so salt does not build up and cause silver creep. A stockist's care sheet for an LED demister mirror gives a gentler routine for lit mirrors: a soft microfibre cloth rinsed in warm water and wrung out, then a dry cloth. The humidity guide adds that fixings should be checked once a year.
Choosing quickly
- Plain glass for a clean look: a polished edge mirror, in the shape that suits the vanity.
- Soft light on the wall: an Ablaze back-lit mirror, hardwired to a switch.
- Light on the face for grooming: an SR range front-lit mirror.
- Steamy ensuite: a mirror with a demister pad, or a Thermomirror pad fitted behind a mirror of the right size.
- Frame that matches the tapware: a framed mirror in black, white or gold.
- Double vanity: two narrow arch or pill mirrors, or one wide rectangle.
The final check is the same for every Thermogroup mirror: width against the vanity, height against the eye line, light and wiring against the room, and the fixing against the weight. For the whole range of mirrors, see mirrors, and for the wall, wall mirrors.
