How to pick the right infrared heater for your bathroom
When you’re shopping for a waterproof infrared heater, your first instinct might be to just grab the one with the biggest number on the box. But honestly? That’s usually a mistake. It’s more about finding the right balance for your specific space. You want to feel cozy, not like you’re standing inside a toaster, and you definitely don’t want to pay for electricity you aren’t actually feeling. Getting the size right If you’ve just got a tiny powder room (under 4m²), keep it simple. A 250W to 400W lamp is plenty. It hits you with that immediate warmth the second you step in, without turning the room into a sauna. For those mid-sized bathrooms (between 4m² and 8m²), you’ll want to bump that up to 600W or 800W. Any lower and the heat just vanishes into the air before it even reaches you. Then there are the big master baths. If you’re dealing with over 10m², don’t just buy one massive, high-powered lamp. That just creates one “hot spot” right under the light while the rest of the room stays freezing. Instead, spread the warmth around with a few 1000W+ lamps. It feels much more natural. The “wet zone” problem Since this is a bathroom, steam is your biggest enemy. You’ve got to check the IP rating. We use sealed quartz glass and heavy-duty gaskets because if steam leaks into the filament, the whole thing is toast. One more thing: watch out for the housing. High wattage means high heat. If you put a 1200W lamp into a cheap plastic casing, that plastic is going to warp—or worse. Look for aluminum heat sinks. They pull the heat away from the wires and keep everything safe. Stopping the energy leak Here is a pro tip: put these on a timer or a motion sensor. Infrared is fast. Like, really fast. It reaches full temperature almost instantly, so leaving it on for half an hour while you’re not even in the room is just throwing money away. Pick the wattage that fits your square footage, make sure it’s sealed tight, and let a sensor handle the switching. That’s the easiest way to stay warm without seeing your power bill skyrocket.