Getting the Heat Right: Picking the Best Infrared Lamp for Your Bathroom
If you pick the wrong wattage for your bathroom heater, you’re heading for a headache. You’ll either kill the lamp by pushing it too hard, or you’ll watch your electricity bill climb while you’re still shivering in the shower. It really comes down to how much space you’re trying to warm up and how fast you want to feel it.
Sizing it up
If you’ve got a tiny bathroom—something under 5m²—you don’t need a powerhouse. A 400W to 600W short-wave lamp is usually plenty. These things are great because they warm your skin and the surfaces around you instantly, rather than trying to heat up all the air in the room. Just be careful. If you throw a 1000W lamp into a small stall, it’ll feel like standing under a heat gun. Not exactly the relaxing vibe you’re going for. For the bigger rooms, maybe 6m² to 12m², you’ll want to bump it up to 800W or 1200W. Here’s the thing: radiant heat fades as it travels. Since you’re likely further away from the lamp in a larger room, you need that extra kick to actually feel the warmth when you step out of the tub.
The power struggle
More power isn’t always the answer. A 1500W lamp pulls a lot of juice. Before you buy one, double-check your wiring and your breaker box. There’s nothing worse than the lights going black the second you turn on the heat because you tripped a circuit. I’d also suggest adding a timer or a thermostat. Short-wave lamps hit their peak temperature almost instantly, and if you leave them running, the air can get bone-dry pretty quickly.
Where to hang it
Placement is everything. If you mount a high-wattage lamp too low, you’re risking a burn. Too high? The heat disappears before it even reaches the floor. For most standard ceilings, try to keep it between 2.2m and 2.5m. That’s the sweet spot. You get a nice, even spread of warmth across the room without any scary hot spots.