An IP rating describes the fitting; the zone describes where it may go. Both are needed, and only one of them is printed on the box.
What the two digits mean
The first is protection against solids, the second against water. IP44 — the common bathroom figure — means protected against solid objects over 1 mm and against splashing water from any direction. IP65 and above are for direct jets.
What a zone is
National wiring rules divide a bathroom into zones by distance from the bath and shower, and set a minimum protection for each. The boundaries and the required ratings are defined by your country’s rules, and they differ enough that a general description would be wrong.
What this site does
It reports the IP rating a manufacturer states, and says when one is not stated. It does not tell you which zone your wall is in or whether a given mirror may be installed there — that is answered by those rules and by the electrician who applies them.
The part that is not electrical
Demisting is a heated pad behind the glass. It is either fitted or it is not, and it is the feature most often assumed rather than checked.
Questions people actually ask
Is a plug-in mirror easier than a hard-wired one?
It avoids new wiring, which is the regulated part — but a socket still has to exist in a permitted position. Battery models avoid the question entirely and are dimmer for it.
What colour temperature should a bathroom mirror be?
3000 K is warm, 4000 K neutral, 6500 K cold. Adjustable models cover the range and are worth it if the mirror is used both for shaving and for making a room feel like a bathroom rather than a corridor.
Last reviewed 5 September 2026