{"id":114714,"date":"2026-07-21T15:03:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/teadmiskeskus\/bathroom-lighting\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T22:26:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T19:26:06","slug":"bathroom-lighting","status":"publish","type":"teadmiskeskus","link":"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/teadmiskeskus\/bathroom-lighting\/","title":{"rendered":"Bathroom lighting: IP ratings, zones and safety"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bathroom lighting has two jobs: <strong>staying safe in a wet room and giving proper, shadow-free light at the mirror<\/strong>. Those are exactly the two things that usually go wrong. Here is how to plan it properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moisture zones and IP ratings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A bathroom is divided into zones by how much water can reach the fitting. Each zone has a minimum protection rating (IP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Zone<\/th><th>Where<\/th><th>Minimum IP<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Zone 0<\/td><td>inside the bath or shower<\/td><td>IP67, 12 V<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Zone 1<\/td><td>above bath\/shower up to 2.25 m<\/td><td>IP65<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Zone 2<\/td><td>0.6 m around bath and basin<\/td><td>IP44<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Outside zones<\/td><td>rest of the room<\/td><td>IP20 is enough<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In short:<\/strong> IP65 above the shower and bath, at least IP44 around the basin, and a standard fitting for the rest of the ceiling. When in doubt, go one rating higher \u2014 it never hurts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mirror lighting \u2014 the critical spot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The classic mistake is <strong>a single downlight above the mirror<\/strong>. Light falls from above and casts shadows under the eyes, nose and chin \u2014 useless for shaving or make-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Best solution: light on <strong>both sides of the mirror<\/strong>, roughly at eye level.<\/li><li>Alternative: an <a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/pood\/ribad\/ribad-led\/soft\/led-riba-soft-24vdc-9-6w-m\/\">LED strip SOFT, 24VDC, 9.6W\/m<\/a> around or behind the mirror frame for even, shadow-free light.<\/li><li>Mount the strip in an <a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/pood\/profiilid\/klus-profiilid\/interjoor\/profiil-siler\/\">Profile Siler<\/a> with a diffuser so no dots show.<\/li><li>Choose <strong>CRI 90+<\/strong> \u2014 otherwise skin tone looks wrong in the mirror.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much light does a bathroom need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Area<\/th><th>Recommended level<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Bathroom, ambient light<\/td><td>300\u2013500 lm\/m\u00b2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mirror area<\/td><td>400\u2013600 lm\/m\u00b2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Shower area<\/td><td>300\u2013400 lm\/m\u00b2<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Example:<\/strong> a 6 m\u00b2 bathroom \u00d7 400 lm\/m\u00b2 = ~2400 lumens of ambient light, plus separate mirror lighting. See <a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/teadmiskeskus\/lumens-and-watts\/\">lumens and watts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which colour temperature works?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Neutral white 3500\u20134000 K<\/strong> suits a bathroom \u2014 bright enough for the morning and natural at the mirror. If the bathroom doubles as a place to unwind, consider dimming or an extra <strong>2700\u20133000 K<\/strong> layer. See also: <a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/teadmiskeskus\/how-to-choose-colour-temperature\/\">how to choose colour temperature<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why LEDs dim faster in bathrooms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A bathroom is a hard environment for LEDs: humidity, temperature swings and often enclosed fittings where heat cannot escape. Heat is what shortens LED life most \u2014 see <a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/teadmiskeskus\/led-lifespan\/\">LED lifespan<\/a>. Choose a quality fitting with the right IP rating and never put a lamp that is not enclosed-rated into a sealed housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Only one light above the mirror \u2014 shadows on the face.<\/li><li>Too low an IP rating near the shower or bath.<\/li><li>6000 K cold light across the whole room \u2014 a clinical feel.<\/li><li>Low CRI \u2014 skin tone and make-up look wrong.<\/li><li>An LED strip without a profile in a wet room.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related products<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"tdk-products wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/pood\/ribad\/ribad-led\/soft\/led-riba-soft-24vdc-9-6w-m\/\">LED strip SOFT, 24VDC, 9.6W\/m<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/pood\/profiilid\/klus-profiilid\/interjoor\/profiil-siler\/\">Profile Siler<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/pood\/sisevalgustid\/laevalgustid\/suvistatavad-laevalgustid\/regular-round\/laevalgusti-gu10-11\/\">Ceiling light GU10<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-vv-en-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Which IP rating do I need in a bathroom?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>IP65 above the shower and bath, at least IP44 around the basin, IP20 elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-vv-en-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How do I light a mirror without shadows?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Put light on both sides of the mirror, or run an LED strip around the frame.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-vv-en-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Which colour temperature suits a bathroom?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Neutral white 3500\u20134000 K, with a warmer 2700\u20133000 K layer if you want to unwind there.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-vv-en-4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">How much light does a bathroom need?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>300\u2013500 lm\/m\u00b2 ambient and 400\u2013600 lm\/m\u00b2 at the mirror.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-vv-en-5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why do LEDs dim faster in a bathroom?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Humidity and heat trapped in enclosed fittings shorten their life.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bathroom lighting has two jobs: staying safe in a wet room and giving proper, shadow-free light at the mirror. Those are exactly the two things that usually go wrong. Here&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false},"teadmiskeskus_kategooria":[12178],"class_list":["post-114714","teadmiskeskus","type-teadmiskeskus","status-publish","hentry","teadmiskeskus_kategooria-room-lighting"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/teadmiskeskus\/114714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/teadmiskeskus"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/teadmiskeskus"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"teadmiskeskus_kategooria","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ledekspert.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/teadmiskeskus_kategooria?post=114714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}