A mirror is a popular, necessary piece of furniture, a working tool (make-up artists, cosmetologists). By studying the rating of the best illuminated mirrors for 2024, you can track the popularity of additional functions, fashion trends, and choose a quality product at the best price.
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The first mirror was the reflection of people's faces on the water surface - rivers, lakes, puddles after rain. Until the 13th century, metal products were made - round, oval forms of bronze, copper, gold, rock crystal were polished to a shine.
Products made from obsidian (volcanic glass that forms when lava cools) were popular. Parts of such rock were carefully polished. Hand-made obsidian mirrors are found during excavations in the territory of modern Turkey. It is believed that such items were made in 6.000 BC.
In ancient Rome (beginning of our era) the first reflectors were made of glass, a thin layer of lead, gold, and tin.
The development of the production of glass objects, blowing of various shapes (1240) helped to start the production of surfaces that clearly reflected the image clearly. In 1279, John Peckam, an Italian monk, invented the real glass mirror. The principle of production - it is necessary to pour molten tin into a glass ball through a tube, distribute it evenly along the walls of the vessel. The cooled ball was broken, large fragments were framed, used as mirrors. The main drawback is a distorted image.
At the beginning of the 15th century, Venetian craftsmen invented flat mirrors, mercury amalgam (an alloy of mercury and other metals). The hot glass cylinder was divided into parts, rolled out on a copper surface, and an amalgam layer was applied.
Mirrors began to be produced in large sizes, with beautiful frames. Cost - several ships for one mirror.
The French king Louis 14 (the sun king) lured away several Venetian craftsmen, opened his own production of Saint-Gobain. The cost of mirror products has decreased several times. Mirror paintings began to be installed in royal palaces instead of stained glass windows.
German chemical scientist Justus von Liebig (1835) described the technology of using silver for mirror surfaces. This technique is used in the modern manufacture of reflectors, reflectors.
Mirrors are made of polished, unpolished sheet glass.
The main components - sand, limestone, soda - are checked for impurities of metals, iron (high content - a greenish tint). Mirror glass is brewed in baths, pot ovens of continuous, periodic action.
The glass strip is formed on a rolling mill between metal rollers that are water-cooled. To increase strength, it is fired. Improvement of the surface quality (fire polishing) - passing through a bath of molten metal.
Polishing, grinding - a special conveyor removes 1.25-2.5 mm. Diamond, steel rollers cut the blade to the specified dimensions.
The finished mirror glass is 2-6 mm thick. Light transmission - 84-85%.
Unpolished glass - small items (25-35 cm).
The main stages of production:
Table machines with rough diamonds (a large number of edges) are cut to the desired parameters.
Glass edge grinding, polishing. Facet - an edge cut at a certain angle. Distinguish between a steep, wide facet. Steep facet - processing 4-8 mm wide, at an angle of 40-50⁰. Suitable for small, medium sizes (handheld, pocket). Wide facet - processing 20-25 mm wide, at an angle of 10-15⁰, large products.
There are three stages of bevelling:
The product in an upright position between the rubber rollers is processed with steam, chalk powder (brushes). Rinse with hot air and dry. Degrease from all sides with a solvent (gasoline, industrial alcohol).
Electrically silver plating is the most common technology. The production uses an alkaline solution of silver nitrate (AgNO3). Reducing agent - invert sugar (boiling sugar, sulfuric acid), formaldehyde, tartaric acid salts. The main chemical reaction is reduction, deposition of silver on the surface under the influence of glucose from the reducing agent. The process takes 5-10 minutes, a silver film of 0.15-0.3 microns is obtained. To get more thickness - double, triple pouring (repeated silvering). The disadvantage of this technology is the high cost of the product, darkening of the surface (film of silver sulfide Ag2S) at humidity.
Vacuum aluminizing - glass immersion in vacuum chambers (pressure 0.003 Pa). Aluminum evaporates, forming a film with a thickness of 0.12-0.14 microns. The metallization process takes 15-20 minutes. Products with an aluminum coating are moisture resistant (1.5-2 times more than silver plating), the cost is lower.
Large furniture mirrors - silver dusting technology, everyday small - aluminized products.
Copper layer, paints and varnishes.
A copper film of the same thickness as the silver layer is applied. The second layer is nitro-enamel, nitro-varnish. Applied using liquid filling machines. Protection against high humidity - a layer of nitro enamel with bituminous varnish.
Titanium coating is the most durable, strong and expensive.
There are several types of functionality, place of application, attachment.
Decoration of premises, buildings. They use different forms (wood, tongues of flame), artificially aged (patinated), colors (tinted products).
Are located in bathrooms, dressing rooms, hallways, halls. The main function is to convey a clear, high-quality image of a part of the body, face, full height. Distinguish according to the method of location - floor, wall, desktop (stationary, portable).
Double-sided - one side gives a normal image, the other - magnification (3-10 times).
Swivel - rotate 180-360⁰.
Boudoir (dressing table), 2, 3-wing - bedrooms, with shelves, cabinets for storing cosmetics, jewelry.
Additional functions - heating, touch panel, clock, wardrobe with mirrored doors, car (viewing angle up to 40⁰), stereo.
New in 2019 - smart mirror with light, Bluetooth speaker, wireless charger for your phone.
The use of different light sources helps with cosmetic procedures, makeup application. There are backlight formats:
Make-up application - light sources with color rendering index (CRI) - 80-100, lighting arrangement from 3-4 sides, brightness control.
Modern technologies offer a wide range of mirrors in shape, color, size, and functionality.
The main criteria for choosing a quality product that you should pay attention to.
The main criterion is where the mirror will hang (stand):
The most common parameters are:
Standard shapes, design solutions - different interiors:
Long-term use depends on the quality of the base material:
Moisture resistant materials - plastic, stainless steel. Simple, high-quality fastening - large dimensions, heavy frames.
LED, halogen or incandescent lamps. The inclusion is carried out by a button, sensor, remote control.
Shelves, cabinets, sockets, functions - heating, clock, music via bluetooth.
A large selection of mirrors is offered by online stores, branded salons of famous brands. A purchase can be made directly in the store, or ordered online. When compiling an overview of popular models, we focused on the popularity of products from well-known online platforms, the opinions of buyers.
Many modern models perform several functions at the same time (desktop - magnifying, cosmetic, wall - multifunctional).
Italian brand Boheme. Cosmetic, double-sided, 3x magnification. The shape is round. The design is classic. Bronze color. Material - glass, brass. Parameters: width - 253 mm, height - 320 mm, depth - 450 mm. Installation - wall-mounted, hidden electrical connection.
Manufacturer - Germany. The style is modern minimalism. Frame material laminated chipboard. Rectangular shape. For the bathroom (high humidity). Parameters: height - 55 cm, width - 80 cm, depth - 3 cm. Weight - 5 kg. Installation - suspended, fixed to the wall with two canopies. There is a backlight control. The warranty is 3 years.
German brand AM.RM. Made in Russia. Mirror surface. Material - glass, frame - laminated chipboard. Weight - 4 kg. Suspended mounting. Width 64 cm, height 55 cm, depth 3 cm. There is a backlight control with a switch.
Manufacturer Mixline (Russia). Rectangular shape. Location - walls of rooms with high humidity. Dimensions: height - 60 cm, width - 80 cm. Set - LED strip (terminal connection), fastening - dowel crutch. Moisture protection IP 68. Product without frame, with facet
Manufacturer - Belberg (Germany). The shape is round. Mirror diameter - 17 cm, width - 21 cm. Silver-colored metal frame. Double-sided: one side is normal, the other is 7x magnification. Swivel - 360 ⁰. Set - 4 batteries. The warranty is 12 months.
Manufacturer - German company Beurer. Round shape with chrome-plated leg. Desktop, double-sided. One side - 7x magnification. Diameter - 13 cm, width of the entire product - 20.5 cm. Product height - 31.5 cm. Light sources - 18 LEDs. Powered by 4 AAA batteries (included in the set).
German manufacturer. Round mirror with leg. Material - glass, chrome-plated metal. Dimensions: diameter - 21 cm, width - 25 cm, height - 40 cm. Double sided, one side - 10x magnification. The LED backlight is controlled by a touch button. Swivel 360⁰.
The shape is rectangular. Case material - plastic. Backlight - 16 LEDs. Power supply - 4 AAA batteries. Turn - 180 ⁰. Weight -0.4 kg.
Manufacturer - Xiaomi Amiro (China). Round shape, plastic body. There is a brightness control. Turns, folds. Diameter - 17 cm, height - 32 cm, weight - 0.6 kg. Light source - LEDs, power supply - built-in battery. The set consists of a USB-MicroUSB charging cable, a cleaning cloth.
Manufacturer - Scarlett (Russia-China). Rectangular shape (width - 21 cm, length - 16 cm), plastic case. Rotary, the brightness of the lighting is regulated by a touch button. Weight - 0.39 kg. Light source - 16 LEDs. Power supply - from 5 AA batteries.
Manufacturer - BaByliss (France). Diameter - 12 cm, height - 22 cm, weight - 0.5 kg. Two sides - normal, 8x magnification. Power supply - from the network. Three levels of backlighting (cold, warm, neutral). The switch is mechanical based.
Manufacturer - GESS (Germany). Shape - rectangular, plastic case, three doors. Brightness adjustment, 3x magnification. Width - 19 cm, weight - 1 kg. Light source - 24 LEDs, power supply - 4 AA batteries.
Manufacturer - Xiaomi (China). The product is round, diameter - 18 cm, height - 32 cm. Case material - metal, plastic. Weight - 0.7 kg. Light - LEDs, power supply - built-in battery.
Manufacturer - South Korea. Stylish design, white, made of high quality plastic, glass. Product width - 27 cm, height - 32.5 cm. Product weight, box - 2 kg. The magnification of one side is 7-fold. Brightness levels - 5, lighting modes - 3. Color rendering index (CRI) - 90. There is a USB port. Mains powered.
Country of origin - China. Body finish color - copper nickel. Product diameter - 17.5 cm, images - 13.5 cm. Rotation angle - 360⁰. Base - anti-slip coating. The image is enlarged by 5 times. Power supply of LED backlight - 4 AAA batteries.
Manufacturer - GEZANNE I.T.C. (France). Shape - round, color - chrome. LED backlight, power supply - 4 AAA batteries. One side has a 5x magnification. The width of the product is 13.4 cm.
Manufacturer - Misty (Russia). Wall-mounted mirror sheet (width - 100 cm, height - 80 cm). Case material - white plastic. Built-in LED strip (power 12 W). Edge - facet 10 mm.
Aquaton (Russia). Style - high tech. Rectangular canvas - width 100 cm, height 70 cm. Additionally, a magnifying mirror is built in. Covering - a special film (protection against moisture, damage). Light (top, bottom) - 12 W LED strip. Built-in electronic clock, touch switch.
1st Factory of Mirror Continent (Russia). Suspended, rectangular (90 x 70 cm). There is LED strip, power consumption is 32W. Touch control:
When choosing a suitable illuminated mirror, important criteria must be taken into account - quality, additional functions, price, manufacturer (foreign, domestic). Knowing all the nuances, having familiarized yourself with the popular models of 2024, you can quickly choose a quality product.