How to pick the right wattage for your bathroom infrared heater
When you’re picking out an infrared lamp for the bathroom, it’s tempting to just go for the most powerful one on the shelf. But here’s the thing: more power isn’t always better. If you overdo it, you’re just wasting electricity and turning your bathroom into a sauna. The secret is matching the heat to the actual size of your room. Finding your sweet spot If you’ve got a tiny powder room—anything under 4m²—a 400W to 600W shortwave lamp is plenty. These are great because they warm your skin and the surfaces around you directly. They don’t just bake the air, so the room doesn’t feel stuffy or oppressive. For those medium-sized bathrooms (roughly 4m² to 8m²), you’ll want to look at 800W to 1200W. My advice? Aim the lamps at the “dry zone” where you actually stand. Then you have the big master baths. If you’re over 8m², you can go with a 1500W+ unit, but I actually prefer using a few smaller lamps spread across the ceiling. It’s much nicer. You avoid those annoying “hot spots” where one corner is scorching while your toes are still freezing. The IP65 trade-off You’ll see “IP65” on the box. That basically means the unit is sealed tight against dust and water splashes. You definitely want this for a bathroom—safety first. But there’s a catch. Because it’s airtight, the heat can’t escape the housing as easily as it would in some industrial heater. If you cram a 2000W lamp into a tiny sealed box, you’re asking for trouble. You might fry the internal wiring or trip the thermal cutout before you’ve even finished your shower. A few tips for the install Before you start wiring, double-check that your circuit can handle the load. Shortwave lamps pull a lot of current the second you flip the switch. Also, make sure you’re using cables that can handle the heat. One last thing: look up at your ceiling. If it’s higher than 2.5 meters, you’ll need to bump up the wattage. Infrared intensity drops off fast as you move away from the source, so you’ve got to compensate for that extra distance to actually feel the warmth.