Framed, frameless or LED: how to pick the right mirror type
Mirror types compared
Framed, frameless or LED comes down to one question: should the mirror read as furniture, sit quietly in the wall, or put light where you're standing? We do the same arch three ways, 1800 mm high and 850 mm wide, so you can compare the edge, depth and light at the same height and width. Here's what each one gives you, in millimetres.
Same arch, three different edges
Stand them next to each other and the outline doesn't change. Each one takes the same 1800 mm of wall height and the same 850 mm of width, so the spot you have in mind works for all three. The difference starts at the edge, and the first part of it is glass. The framed Sienna sits inside a metal frame that runs 10 mm around the mirror, so the 1800 x 850 frame holds 1780 x 830 of glass. The frameless and the LED have no frame to give up, so the glass is the full 1800 x 850.
Ten millimetres each side is less than most people expect, and it's not really what you're choosing between. The frame barely costs you any reflection. What it changes is what the edge says about the mirror, and that's a decision about the room, not about the glass. If you haven't settled the size yet, our sizing guide does that part first.
Framed vs frameless vs LED, side by side
| Framed | Frameless | LED | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 1800 x 850 mm | 1800 x 850 mm | 1800 x 850 mm |
| Depth | 28 mm, excluding White Satin | 25 mm | 25 mm |
| Glass | 1780 x 830 mm, 4 mm thick | 1800 x 850 mm, 5 mm thick | 1800 x 850 mm, 5 mm thick |
| Finish | Matte Black, Brushed Gold, Antique Copper or White Satin | Polished glass edge | Polished glass edge, backlit |
| Power | None | None | Plugs into a power point |
Read down the columns and the three separate quickly. The framed one is the one you notice. The frameless one is the one you don't. The LED one is the only one with a job to do when the sun isn't up.
The frame is the styling decision
A frame gives the mirror a line of its own, and that line is what ties it to the rest of the room: the tapware, the handles, a lamp base, the legs of the chair next to it. Ours come in Matte Black, Brushed Gold, Antique Copper and White Satin, and the product page shows what's on the shelf today, so the choice is really which metal your room's already wearing.
The framed Sienna arch is 1800 mm high and 850 mm wide, and is 28 mm deep in finishes other than White Satin. Behind the frame is 4 mm glass, double coated aluminium with a vinyl safety backing. It ships with heavy duty mounting brackets and the safety top bracket, which is bonded to the back and gives you a slot to anchor it when it leans.
Frameless gives you the whole 1800 x 850
Take the frame away and the glass is the whole object. The edge is polished smooth, the reflection runs to the outside of the shape, and the wall behind keeps whatever it already had going on. On a papered wall, next to art, or opposite a window worth looking at twice, it's the one that stays quiet.
The frameless Sienna arch is the same 1800 x 850 in 5 mm glass, 25 mm deep. It hangs on slim aluminium brackets and carries the same safety top bracket as the framed one, so leaning it is the same job. Thicker glass, no frame, and 3 mm less depth than the 28 mm framed finishes.
The LED is the one with light in it
The LED Sienna arch is the same shape again, 1800 x 850 in 5 mm glass at 25 mm deep, with a backlight sitting behind the glass. Tap it on. Tap again to move between 3000K, 4500K and 6500K, warm through to cool. Hold to dim. It has a built-in demister with no separate demister control, and the colour rendering index is above 80. Every LED mirror in the range has a small white standby light that stays on at the touch button when the mirror is off, and that light can't be switched off. The touch-control circle is blue when the backlight is on.
It arrives with an Australian plug for a suitable existing power point. If you prefer hardwiring, use a licensed electrician. The same applies if you need a new or moved power point. In a bathroom it goes on a wall outside the shower screen, and not over a bath. Our LED guide covers the light and the demister in more detail, and the small bathroom guide works through sizes against a vanity.
It hangs on heavy duty mounting brackets and has a removable stand. This LED model hangs on the wall, or stands on the floor and fixes to the wall with its top bracket.
Frame depth, seen from the side
The 28 mm framed finishes are 3 mm deeper than frameless and LED; White Satin is not included in this comparison. What you'll see from the side is the border: the framed one shows a metal return around the face, the frameless one shows a clean edge of glass, and the LED shows that same edge with light coming out behind it. The depth matters most when the mirror sits near a door swing or a walkway. Everywhere else, there's nothing in it.
Which one goes where
A bedroom takes all three, so that one's genuinely down to taste and to what else is on the wall. A living room or an entry is where the frame earns its place, because those rooms already have metal in them and the mirror can answer it. All three suit a ventilated bathroom outside the shower screen. LED adds light and a demister; keep it off the wall directly over a bath. You'll find the rest of the range in the arch collection, and every backlit model in LED mirrors.
What's on the back, and what it weighs
Every product page carries the drawing of its own back, and these three are worth two minutes before you choose a wall. The framed and the frameless both carry the safety top bracket, the small slot at the crown you anchor to. The LED has one too. It has two heavy duty mounting brackets and a lead that leaves the bottom right corner, which is the thing to think about when you're picking which side the power point is on. Its removable stand has a drawing of its own on the product page. This model hangs on the wall, or stands on the floor and fixes to the wall with its top bracket.
Plan enough help to keep the mirror supported and under control, and carry it upright. Use the drawing for your exact model, and choose wall fixings that suit the wall and mounting brackets.
All three, in millimetres
- Sienna Framed Arch1800 H x 850 W x 28 D; depth excludes White Satin
- Framed, glass inside the frame1780 H x 830 W x 4 thick
- Sienna Frameless Arch1800 H x 850 W x 25 D
- Frameless, glass1800 H x 850 W x 5 thick
- Sienna LED Arch1800 H x 850 W x 25 D
- LED, glass1800 H x 850 W x 5 thick
Check availability for your selected size and finish on the product page. In-stock mirrors are dispatched from Melbourne within 2 business days. Delivery is on us for any mirror, anywhere in Australia. Every mirror carries a 2-year warranty. Browse the arch collection or the LED mirrors, with every size listed in millimetres.