Getting Your Bathroom Heat Just Right
When you’re picking out an infrared heater for the bathroom, the instinct is usually to go for the biggest wattage available. But here’s the thing: more isn’t always better. Infrared is a bit different from a standard heater. It doesn’t just warm up the air; it warms you and the things around you. Because of that, the distance between the lamp and your skin is what actually matters.
Picking the Right Power
If you’ve got a tiny bathroom—say, under 4m²—you don’t need a powerhouse. A 400W to 600W short-wave lamp usually does the trick. If you go overboard here, you’re basically turning your bathroom into a sauna and wasting a ton of electricity. For those larger rooms, maybe 6m² to 10m², you’ll want to bump it up to 800W or 1200W. And don’t forget to look up. If your ceilings are higher than 2.5 meters, the heat has further to travel, so it loses some of its punch by the time it hits you. In those cases, you’ll need a bit more wattage to keep things cozy at floor level.
Dealing with Steam and Safety
Bathrooms are wet. Steam and water vapor love to mess with electronics, which is why we use IP65-rated housings. They keep the guts of the heater dry and safe. There is a small catch, though. The protective glass or plastic shield that keeps the water out also blocks a tiny bit of that infrared energy. We always keep that in mind when we figure out how much actual heat you’re getting.
Comfort Without the “Hot Spots”
If you want the room to feel balanced, try not to rely on one giant, high-power lamp. It’s much better to split the load between two smaller units. This spreads the warmth around the room instead of creating one scorching “hot spot” while the rest of the room stays chilly. Plus, it gives you options—you can just flick on one unit on those days when you don’t need the full blast. Just a heads-up on the electrical side: high-wattage lamps pull a lot of current. Make sure your wiring and breakers can handle the peak load. There’s nothing worse than stepping out of the shower only to have the breaker trip because you pushed too many 1200W units onto one circuit.