Getting Your Bathroom Infrared Lamp Right
Here’s a common mistake: thinking that the highest wattage lamp is always the best choice. It’s not. If you put a powerhouse lamp in a tiny bathroom, you’re not just wasting electricity—you’re risking a burnt ceiling or, worse, a burnt shoulder. Infrared heat travels in a straight line. It’s direct. So, the goal is to find that sweet spot where you feel warm and cozy without feeling like you’re standing too close to a campfire.
Size Matters
Think about your actual “wet area”—the spot where you’re actually standing. If you have a small bathroom (under 4m²), a simple 250W to 400W lamp usually does the trick. It keeps your skin warm without overdoing it. But if your bathroom is bigger (around 6m² to 10m²), you have a choice. You could go for a massive lamp, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, try two 600W lamps. Why? Because it spreads the warmth. You won’t have those annoying “hot spots” where one side of you is roasting while your toes are still freezing.
The Ceiling Height Struggle
Distance is everything here. The further the lamp is from you, the more heat disappears into thin air before it ever reaches your skin. If your ceilings are high—anything over 2.5 meters—you’ll need a bit more wattage just to bridge the gap. Otherwise, you’ll barely feel a thing. But be careful if you have low ceilings. High-wattage lamps in tight spaces can trap heat at the top. If it gets too hot up there, you might warp the housing or trigger the safety shut-off. Not a great look.
Saving a Bit of Cash
The coolest thing about infrared is that it heats you, not the air. You don’t need to turn it on an hour before your shower to “warm up the room.” Just flip the switch when you walk in. Even better? Hook it up to a motion sensor or a timer. It turns on when you need it and kills the power the second you leave. It’s way more efficient than those old-school heaters that try to warm up every cubic inch of air in the room.