Picking the Right Infrared Lamp for Your Bathroom
Here’s a common mistake: thinking that the most powerful lamp is always the best choice. It’s not. If you put a monster heater in a tiny powder room, you’re just going to bake yourself and waste a ton of money on your electric bill. But go the other way—put a weak lamp in a big master bath—and you’ll still be shivering while you’re drying off. It’s all about finding that sweet spot. Finding your fit If you’ve got a small space (under 5m²), a 400W to 600W shortwave lamp is usually plenty. These don’t really “heat the room” in the traditional sense; they heat you. It’s a direct, cozy warmth that hits you the moment you step in. For mid-sized bathrooms (between 5m² and 12m²), you’ll want to bump that up to 800W or 1200W. Now, if you’re dealing with a huge master suite or a commercial space, don’t just buy one massive 2000W unit. Trust me on this. It’s much better to use three 600W lamps spread out across the ceiling. You avoid those annoying “hot spots” where one part of the room is scorching and the other is freezing. It just feels more natural. The trade-offs More wattage means you get warm faster. Simple. But it also means your power meter is spinning faster, too. A pro tip? Hook them up to a timer or a motion sensor. That way, the heat is waiting for you when you walk in, but it isn’t running all day while the room is empty. Since we’re talking shortwave infrared, the heat penetrates quickly. It feels great, but be careful with where you mount the lamp. If a high-wattage bulb is too low, it can actually burn you. Give yourself some breathing room. A quick heads-up on wiring Before you start drilling holes, take a look at your circuit breakers. Bathrooms are already heavy on power because of the water heaters. If you throw two 1200W lamps on the same circuit, you might find yourself sitting in the dark every time you take a shower. If you’re going for a high-power setup, just run a dedicated line. It’s a bit more work upfront, but it beats tripping the breaker every single morning.