Getting the Heat Right in Your Bathroom
When you’re picking out an infrared heater for the bathroom, the temptation is to just buy the most powerful one on the shelf. But here’s the thing: more isn’t always better. If you go too big, you’re basically paying to turn your bathroom into a sauna and wasting a ton of electricity. Go too small? You’re still shivering when you step out of the shower. It’s all about finding that sweet spot for your specific room size. Finding your fit If you’ve just got a small powder room (under 4m²), a single 400W to 600W short-wave lamp usually does the trick. It hits you with that instant warmth the second you flip the switch, without needing to heat up every inch of air in the room. For medium-sized bathrooms (4m² to 8m²), you’ll want to bump it up to 800W or 1200W. I’d suggest going with a dual-lamp setup here. It spreads the heat around better so you don’t end up with one scorching spot and a freezing corner. Then you’ve got the big master baths (over 8m²). For these, you’re looking at 1500W or more. But don’t just buy one giant lamp and crank it to the max. That’s a recipe for “hot spots.” Instead, spread a few smaller heat sources across the room to keep things cozy everywhere. The trick to efficiency The cool thing about infrared is that it heats you, not the air. That’s why it feels so good even if there’s a draft in the room. But you have to think about your ceiling height. Short-wave heat loses its punch as it travels. If your ceilings are higher than 2.5 meters, a weak lamp is just going to struggle and burn out trying to reach you. A quick warning on wiring More power means the room warms up faster, but it also puts more pressure on your electrical panel. If you’re putting this into an older home, please check your wiring first. A 2000W setup can easily trip a standard 10A circuit if you’ve got other things running. A good workaround? Toss in a timer or a dimmer switch. That way, you can dial back the heat once the room feels just right.