Mirror Buyers' Guide

Magnification:  Don't make the mistake of automatically opting for the greatest magnification offered.  Most people are surprised to find how strong that might be.  Most cosmetic-counter mirrors have 3x magnification power, but our most popular magnification power is 5x.  Indeed if you have vision problems or you have particularly critical tasks to accomplish, then go for the higher magnification mirrors - we have some up to 10x magnification. (To give you an idea of what 10x is like: a jeweler's loop is 10x power.)

Factors other than the magnification itself affect the quality of the image you see.  The size of the mirror is an important factor. When two mirrors with the same magnification are compared, the larger size mirror always wins - both for image clarity and freedom from distortion.   

Tilt and Swivel:  Every wall mounted mirror we carry both tilts and swivels.  Swivel is usually 360° or close to it.  Tilt is usually 15° up or down - sometimes more.  A double-arm wall-mounted mirror has more capability than a single-arm mirror because in addition to rotating at the mirror pivot, you can also rotate through 360° or almost, at the elbow.

Distortion:  All magnification-mirrors distort the image.  If they didn't, they wouldn't magnify anything.  The reason for this is that the mirrors magnify by using bent glass to form a sort of lens that does the magnification.  The larger the magnification, the greater the bend in the glass and the greater the distortion.  The center portion of the mirror, at any magnification level, always has the least distortion.  In a larger mirror, the relative size of the center section is larger, and therefore the area of least distortion is larger.  This is the main reason a larger mirror is preferable.

Expensive Mirrors:  All of our mirrors are high quality mirrors, usually better quality than those found in big-box stores; both for image and finish.  But some of our mirrors are dramatically more expensive than others.  The reasons are manifold.  The "expensive" mirrors have silver-backed glass forming the image, rather than aluminum-backed glass.  The larger mirror sizes of the more expensive mirrors are much more difficult to produce correctly but once you've seen the difference in the larger image it's hard to go back.  The plating on our Tonjon and Samuel Heath mirrors is thick and perfect, as is the finish itself - tiny imperfections are simply not present.  Lastly, the expensive-mirror frames themselves are solid brass and heavily built - as these mirrors are often used in hotels and need to be able to take abuse.   Although available in a variety of finishes, we can have your Tonjon mirror custom-plated to match a color sample you send us.

Custom-made Mirrors:  Our Tonjon mirrors can be customized in a number of ways.  You can specify telescope-perfect optical glass, 220-volt operation, a 30" vertical extension for a number of vanity mirrors, custom color-matching, and combination finishes.

Fluorescent, Incandescent, or LED :  The long and the short of this is that it's what you prefer that counts.  All of our fluorescent-lighted and LED-lighted mirrors are so noted.

Our mirrors use only color-corrected fluorescent lamps which approximate daylight and many find them pleasing.  They do not have the green tinge of commercial indoor fluorescent lighting - which people find objectionable.  (See full explanation below.)  Even so, daylight is not always preferable.  Light from incandescent lighting or "regular" light bulbs usually used indoors, is often preferred by many.    A feature of modern fluorescent lamps is that greatly reduced wattage produces light output perhaps four times the wattage consumed - and the lamps stay cool.

LED (light emitting diodes) used in our mirrors are color-corrected to approximate daylight.  They run even cooler than fluorescents, consume minescule amounts of electricity, and have exceptionally long lives, even when compared with fluorescents.

Lighting color is measured in degrees Kelvin.  Running through the spectrum, the higher the Kelvin temperature, the closer to pure white light   The light on bright sunny day with blue sky measures 5,600° Kelvin.  A very bright day with a cloud-covered sky weighs in at 6,000° Kelvin. An incandescent (regular) bulb gives off light at approximately 3,200°  Kelvin.  This is quite yellow, as evidenced by photographs taken by lamp-light.  But our eyes are used to the color and in most circumstances it looks normal if not pleasing.  By contract, most fluorescent lighting is a color called "cool white" used because it is the cheapest to produce.  Cool-white is 4,600°  Kelvin and definitely green.  Any photo taken under cool-whites looks green to the viewer.  A color-corrected fluorescent usually runs between 5,000° and 5,400°  Kelvin, and approximates blue-sky daylight.  The closer to daylight color the more expensive the bulb. 

So where does this leave us?  With the exception of cool-white fluorescents, most people find color-corrected fluorescent lamps agreeable, as they do regular incandescent lamps - it's purely a matter of preference.
 

Switch on Base:  Putting a switch on the electrical cord is the cheapest way to include a switch.  None of our mirrors have a switch on the cord - but all have a switch on the base of the mirror.

Hardwired Mirrors:  Hardwired mirrors are intended to be installed by a licensed electrician and connected to the house wiring.  All of our hardwired mirrors are marked "HARDWIRED" on the website.  Also, all of our hardwired mirrors have a switch on the mirror itself, so your electrician need not install a switch. 

Electrician's instructions:

All of our hardwired mirrors have the switch contained within the mirror.  No other switch is required.  Also be aware every one of our mirrors tilts vertically and swings horizontally.

Install a 4" octagon box on a CGFI line, flush with the mounting surface at height determined by the user.  Remember, the center of the mirror is usually higher than the mounting plate center by somewhat more than half the diameter of the mirror frame.  The box should be capable of supporting 15 lbs.  (The mirror doesn't weigh that much, but remember it may be on an arm as long as 20".)

Hardwired mirrors, once connected electrically, are non-refundable.
 

Gifts:  Makeup mirrors make excellent gifts.  Consider the situation at your recipient's home... their style and preferences, and whether or not they'd want a lighted or unlighted mirror; and if lighted and wall-mounted, whether it should be hard-wired or plug-in.  18k Gold or Brass are the best finishes for use in rooms other than bathrooms, while most bathrooms have chrome fixtures, and chrome-framed mirrors should be at the top of the list.      

Bulk Commercial Orders, and Hotels:   Let us know what you need, by going to THIS PAGE.  Fill out the information and send it to us.  We will deliver a quotation to you by the next business day, often sooner.   

Returns:  In accordance with our Refund Policy most mirrors can be returned for a full merchandise refund provided they are returned according to these procedures.  Custom-made mirrors are non-refundable except for defects.  Also non-refundable are hardwired mirrors that have been electrically connected.  A restocking fee of $10 is required for all mirrors with 7x or greater magnification, and for all bronze-framed mirrors.