SY1761 Octagon (LED) Wall Mirror: the size to settle first

Start with the discrepancy. The description for the SY1761 Octagon (LED) Wall Mirror gives the octagon as 80 x 80cm. The product code carried against this listing reads 90/90. Those cannot both be the overall size, and a difference of 10cm either way changes whether a mirror clears a basin, a tap or a splashback. Ask us to confirm the measurement before you order. We would rather answer that than have you plan tiling around the wrong figure.

Why an octagon suits a basin wall

An octagon is a square with the corners taken off, and that is exactly the shape a basin wall wants. A square mirror in a small room pushes its corners towards the tiling, the light switch and the edge of the cabinet; cutting them back leaves breathing space on all four diagonals while keeping almost all of the useful glass. It gives you roughly the reflection of a square of the same width without the hard corners, so it reads as softer than a square and more deliberate than a circle.

Three things to measure before you commit, whichever figure is confirmed:

• The height from the top of the basin or cistern to the ceiling, coving or the bottom of a downlight. A tall person's eye line matters more than the centre of the wall.
• The clear width between the cabinet, the shower screen or the window reveal. Leave a margin, because an octagon's widest line is across the middle and it will touch before you expect it to.
• Tap and splashback heights, if a mixer rises behind the basin.

The lighting specification is not on the page

The description says the LEDs are concealed within the frame and give even light suitable for grooming and makeup. It is silent on everything you have to plan around, and in a bathroom those blanks are more than cosmetic:

• Power and wiring. Mains, plug or battery is not stated. In a bathroom this is the first question, because the electrical zone the mirror sits in decides what is permitted and who fits it.
• Protection rating. No IP rating or moisture rating is recorded anywhere on the listing. Do not assume one. Ask us, and if the answer is not clear, keep it out of a shower zone.
• Switching. Touch sensor, inline switch or wall switch is not described, and it changes the electrician's work.
• Colour temperature, output and dimming. None are given. The description mentions makeup, and the light a mirror casts is the whole point for that, so ask.

Weight and fixings are not listed either, so ask what the mirror weighs and what the hanging arrangement is before you drill tile.

Its three relatives

This mirror's description covers a family of four. The heart-shaped 70 x 90cm is the SY1760 (LED) Wall Mirror, and the 55 x 160cm version is the F1761 (LED) Free-Standing Mirror, which is listed as free-standing and so wants floor rather than wall. The 80 x 120cm rectangle in the list is not orderable from this page, so ask us about that one. If you want the crushed diamond border without any wiring, the SY1704 Wall Mirror has it in four plain sizes.

Ordering the SY1761 Octagon

The three photographs on the SY1761 Octagon (LED) Wall Mirror page show how the lit border reads against the crushed diamond edge, and the full Wall Mirrors range sits alongside it. Confirm the size with us first, then order. Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond.