Framed vs frameless vs LED mirrors: which one is right for your room?

Every mirror in our range is one of three types: framed, frameless or LED. It's the first decision you make, before size, before shape, before finish, and it changes how the mirror sits in the room more than any other choice. A framed mirror is furniture. A frameless mirror is architecture. An LED mirror is lighting.

Most guides on this topic are written for American bathroom renovations. This one isn't. Our mirrors live in bedrooms, hallways and living rooms, so this is a comparison for the rooms you actually put a full length or wall mirror in. Here's how the three types differ on looks, cost, care and installation, and how to pick between them.

The three types at a glance

	Framed	Frameless	LED
The look	A defined edge that anchors the wall	Glass and nothing else, blends in	A soft halo of light behind the glass
Best for	Making the mirror a feature	Small rooms, minimal interiors	Dressing areas, dark corners
Care	Occasional dust along the frame	Wipe and done	Wipe, plus a power point nearby
Installation	Hang or lean	Hang or lean	Plug-in, or an electrician if hardwired
Price in our range	From $275	From $300	From $360

Framed mirrors: the ones that anchor a room

A framed mirror puts a deliberate line around the reflection. That border does two jobs: it protects the glass edge, and it ties the mirror to everything else in the room, tapware, handles, lamp bases, curtain rods. Get the finish right and the mirror looks like it was chosen for the house, not bought for a wall.

Ours come in finishes like matte black, brushed gold and antique copper. Copper is the one we're known for; almost nobody else makes it, and it lands somewhere between gold's warmth and black's definition. If you're unsure which suits your room, our finish guide walks through all four, and a swatch kit settles it properly.

Choose framed if:

• You want the mirror to be a feature, not a background.
• Your room already has metal accents worth echoing.
• The mirror will lean rather than hang. A frame reads better meeting the floor, like our Sienna arch does.

Trade-offs: the frame takes a centimetre or two from the reflective surface, and textured finishes collect a little more dust than bare glass. That's about it. Framed is also the most affordable place to start in our range.

Frameless mirrors: glass, edge, nothing else

A frameless mirror is a single sheet of glass with a finished edge, polished smooth, or bevelled so the border catches the light. With no frame to notice, the eye reads the reflection as part of the room, which is why frameless mirrors make small spaces feel genuinely bigger. Edge to edge, you also get the most reflection per centimetre of wall.

Frameless doesn't have to mean plain. The bevel on our Sofia draws a subtle line of light around an asymmetric shape, and the Felicia's wave edge does the decorative work a frame normally would. In an oversized frameless arch, the shape itself is the statement.

Choose frameless if:

• The room is small or the wall is busy. Frameless never fights the wallpaper, the art or the view.
• Your interior leans modern, Japandi or minimal.
• You want maximum reflection from the wall space you have.

Trade-offs: exposed glass edges deserve more care when you move the mirror, and a plain rectangle can look austere in a traditional room. Shaped or bevelled frameless pieces cost more than their framed equivalents because the edge work is the craftsmanship.

LED mirrors: a mirror and a light in one

An LED mirror has a strip of LEDs behind the glass that washes light onto the wall around it. That backlight does something neither of the other types can: it lights your face evenly, without the overhead shadows that make getting ready harder than it should be. At night it doubles as the best ambient lamp in the house.

Two things worth knowing before you buy. First, LED mirrors come framed or frameless. Our Sienna Copper LED pairs the backlight with an antique copper frame, so you don't have to choose between glow and warmth. Second, installation has an honest answer: plug-in models just need a power point nearby, but hardwiring must be done by a licensed electrician. In Australia that's the law, not a suggestion. Our LED mirrors explained guide covers the backlight, the demister and fitting in detail.

Choose LED if:

• You do your hair or makeup at the mirror and the room's light is behind you.
• The spot is naturally dark, a windowless hallway, a bedroom corner.
• You want the demister option, which keeps the glass clear in humid rooms.

Trade-offs: LED is the most expensive of the three, it needs power nearby, and the light is part of the design. Switched off, it's a frameless mirror with a slightly deeper profile. Running costs are small change; the LEDs sip a few watts.

Which mirror type suits your room?

Bedroom. This is where LED earns its keep, soft light for early starts, ambience at night. If the bedroom gets good natural light, a framed full length mirror leaning by the wardrobe is the simpler, cheaper win.

Hallway or entry. The last-check-before-leaving mirror. A framed arch mirror gives a narrow hallway a focal point; frameless keeps a tight space from feeling crowded.

Living room. Go framed and go large. Above a sideboard or leaning behind a sofa, the frame ties into the room's hardware and the scale does the rest. Our wall mirrors are sized for exactly this.

Powder room or vanity. Frameless or LED both work beautifully over a basin. One honest note: our mirrors are made for dry indoor spaces, so a powder room or bedroom vanity is perfect, but a steamy ensuite shower zone isn't the place for them.

Whatever type you choose, weight matters more than most people expect. A 1800 x 850 mirror is a two-person lift. Our guide to hanging heavy mirrors covers brackets, wall types and the one rule for leaning mirrors safely.

FAQ

Are frameless mirrors cheaper than framed mirrors?

Not always. A plain frameless panel is usually the cheapest mirror you can buy, but decorative edge work changes that: bevelled and shaped frameless pieces cost more than a comparable framed mirror because the edge is hand-finished. In our range, framed mirrors actually start lowest, from $275.

Do LED mirrors need an electrician?

Plug-in LED mirrors don't. They run from a normal power point. Hardwired LED mirrors do, and in Australia that work legally requires a licensed electrician. If you're renting or want to avoid the trades, choose a plug-in model.

Which type makes a small room look bigger?

Frameless, by a margin. Without a border, the reflection reads as extra room rather than an object on the wall. Size still matters more than type, though. A large framed mirror will open a room up more than a small frameless one.

How much does an LED mirror cost to run?

Very little. The LED strips in a typical backlit mirror draw about as much power as one or two household light globes, so a few hours a day works out to a handful of dollars a year.

Can I put these mirrors in a bathroom?

In a powder room or above a vanity in a dry area, yes. Our range is made for dry indoor spaces, so we don't recommend them for steamy zones like an ensuite next to the shower. That honesty saves you a warranty conversation later.

The short version

Framed if the mirror should join the furniture. Frameless if it should join the architecture. LED if it should join the lighting. All three arrive the same way: packed padded, corner-protected and upright, then tracked to your door anywhere in Australia, with a 2-year warranty behind the glass. Getting it there in one piece is ours to worry about, not yours.

Browse the full range, or start with what's in stock now. In-stock mirrors are dispatched within 2 business days.