Picking the Right Infrared Heater for Your Bathroom
Let’s be honest: nobody likes stepping out of a hot shower into a freezing bathroom. It ruins the whole mood. But if you’re picking out an infrared heater, you can’t just grab the most powerful one on the shelf and call it a day. If you overdo it in a small space, you’ll end up sweating. If you underdo it in a big room, you’re still shivering. It’s all about the balance. Getting the wattage right Think about the size of your room first. If you’ve got a tiny powder room (under 4 square meters), a 400W to 600W lamp is plenty. If you go too high here, the room heats up way too fast. The thermostat will keep clicking on and off every few seconds, which is just annoying. For a medium-sized bathroom—somewhere between 5 and 10 square meters—you’re looking at 800W to 1200W. Then you have the big master baths or rooms with those fancy high ceilings. Those need 1500W or more. Here’s the trap: if you put a weak heater in a huge room, the heat just vanishes before it even hits you. You’ll end up leaving the lamp on forever, which just burns out the bulb without actually making you feel warm. The “Feel” and the Setup Since bathrooms are… well, wet, we use IP-rated housings. It’s just basic safety to keep the electricity and water far apart. I always suggest shortwave infrared lamps. Why? Because they’re instant. You turn them on, and you feel that warmth on your skin immediately. No waiting around. And here is a pro tip: don’t just put one giant 2000W monster in the middle of the ceiling. It’s too intense in one spot and cold everywhere else. Instead, try two 1000W lamps at opposite ends. It spreads the warmth around so you aren’t hunting for the “warm spot” in the room. A quick word on your wiring Before you go all out with high-wattage lamps, check your walls. Especially if you’re living in an older home. High wattage puts a lot of stress on your circuit breakers. If your wiring is thin and you plug in a few 1500W heaters, you’re asking for a tripped breaker—or worse. If you’re worried about the load, just use a few lower-wattage lamps spread out. You get the same warmth, but your electrical panel won’t be screaming for mercy.