The full length mirror for apartment living

Three slim floor mirrors made to lean

In a small bedroom or a narrow hall, width is what a mirror asks of the room. Each of these three stands 1700 mm high, enough to show you head to toe, and none is wider than 670 mm, so it fits the strip of wall beside a wardrobe or a door.

The Sienna Framed Arch is the narrowest at 610 mm wide, with a slim frame in Antique Copper, Brushed Gold or Matte Black, and its curved top softens a boxy room. The Felicia Frameless is 630 mm wide, straight across the top and the bottom with gentle waves down both sides. The Allira Frameless is 670 mm wide, with long curved sides that give it the softest outline of the three.

What makes all three the leaning picks is on the back: a safety top bracket, already fitted, with a slot to anchor through. You can see it as the small diamond at the top of each drawing below.

Sienna Framed Arch 1700 mm high x 610 mm wide x 28 mm deep View Felicia Frameless 1700 mm high x 630 mm wide x 25 mm deep View Allira Frameless 1700 mm high x 670 mm wide x 25 mm deep View

Leaning still means one screw in the wall

A tall mirror leaned against a wall needs to be anchored, even in a room where nobody seems likely to bump it. There's no such thing as a leaning full length mirror that needs no fixing at all, and we'd rather say so before you buy.

The safety top bracket keeps that job small. It's stuck to the back of the mirror beside the hanging brackets, with a slot in it. Hold the mirror at the lean you want and mark the wall through the slot. Then fix a screw rated for the mirror's weight into the mark, and sit the slot on it.

Choose a fixing that suits your wall. If you're not sure the wall will hold it, a qualified tradesperson can check before you start. And once it's in place, keep it anchored: never leave a leaning mirror loose against the wall, even for a night.

Renting? Check what you can fix first

Anchoring or hanging a mirror means a small hole, so in a rental it's worth a quick check first. In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria lists two changes a renter can make without asking: wall anchors to secure furniture, and picture hooks or screws for wall mounts, shelves or brackets. Neither applies to exposed brick or concrete walls or to a home on the Victorian Heritage Register, and you must not screw, hammer or drill into anything that may contain asbestos.

When you move out, you may need to fill the hole or cover the reasonable cost of doing it, unless your rental provider agrees otherwise. If you're unsure the list covers your mirror, a short note to your rental provider or agent settles it, so keep the reply. If your building has an owners corporation, its rules may apply as well. Outside Victoria, renting rules are set by each state and territory, so check with your own renting authority.

Measure the wall, then the space in front

Start with the clear strip of wall between the door frame and the wardrobe, or whatever sits either side of the spot you have in mind. The mirror needs its full width there, plus a little breathing room so it doesn't look squeezed in.

Then look at the floor in front of it. A comfortable metre or so to step back makes getting ready easier, and a wardrobe door shouldn't swing through that space. A leaning mirror's base also sits a little out from the wall, so allow for it where the spot runs beside a walkway.

Want light as well? Hang an LED

If the corner you dress in is a dim one, the LED versions of the Felicia and the Allira bring light from behind the glass. The Felicia LED is 1700 mm high and 630 mm wide, and the Allira LED is 1700 mm high and 670 mm wide, the same outlines as the frameless pair. Both are backlit in three tones, 3000K, 4500K and 6500K: tap to switch on, tap to change the tone, hold to dim.

These two hang on the wall and never lean. They don't have the safety top bracket, so there's no point on the back to anchor a lean from. They plug into a standard power point with an Australian plug already fitted, so choose a wall with a power point nearby and plan where the lead will run before you drill. Hardwiring is an optional extra, and it's the only part of the job for a licensed electrician. Hanging brackets need screws in the wall too, so the renting check above applies here as well.

Felicia LED 1700 mm high x 630 mm wide x 25 mm deep, hangs on the wall View Allira LED 1700 mm high x 670 mm wide x 25 mm deep, hangs on the wall View

Moving day, and the next place

The Sienna, the Felicia Frameless and the Allira Frameless each weigh 14 kg, and the LED pair weigh 15 kg and 15.2 kg. A second pair of hands makes a stairwell easier, and a tall mirror is best carried upright. The frameless mirrors use 5 mm glass and the framed Sienna 4 mm, all with a vinyl safety backing.

Leases end, and a good mirror should move with you. The three leaning picks carry hanging brackets as well as the safety top bracket, so a mirror that leans in this flat can hang on the wall in the next one.

Every mirror in this guide, in millimetres

• Sienna Framed Arch, leans or hangs1700 H x 610 W x 28 D, 14 kg
• Felicia Frameless, leans or hangs1700 H x 630 W x 25 D, 14 kg
• Allira Frameless, leans or hangs1700 H x 670 W x 25 D, 14 kg
• Felicia LED, hangs only1700 H x 630 W x 25 D, 15 kg
• Allira LED, hangs only1700 H x 670 W x 25 D, 15.2 kg

Questions renters ask

What is the best leaning mirror for an apartment?
A slim full length mirror about 1700 mm high and no wider than 670 mm, with a safety top bracket so it can be anchored. Ours are the Sienna Framed Arch at 610 mm wide, the Felicia Frameless at 630 mm and the Allira Frameless at 670 mm.

Can I lean a full length mirror without fixing it to the wall?
No. A leaning mirror should always be anchored to the wall. On our leaning mirrors that's one screw through the slot in the safety top bracket, rated for the mirror's weight.

Can renters anchor a mirror in Victoria?
Consumer Affairs Victoria lists wall anchors for furniture, and screws for wall mounts and brackets, among the changes renters can make without asking. Neither applies to exposed brick or concrete walls or to homes on the Victorian Heritage Register, and never drill into anything that may contain asbestos. You may need to restore the wall when you move out, and if you're unsure, a note to your rental provider settles it.

Can I lean an LED full length mirror?
No. The Felicia LED and the Allira LED have no safety top bracket, so they hang on the wall. They plug into a standard power point with an Australian plug fitted, and hardwiring is optional.