The trap has to fit inside it, and often does not
A vanity unit is furniture wrapped around plumbing, and the plumbing is what goes wrong. Drawer units in particular have to be cut out at the back for the trap and the supply pipes, and how much they are cut out — or whether the drawer is U-shaped — decides whether the drawer closes once the basin is connected. Makers who publish the cut-out say so; the rest leave you with a jigsaw. Take the three outside dimensions against your room, remembering that depth and the projection of the basin on top are not the same number. Then choose the storage honestly: drawers use the space better and cost more, doors are cheaper and swallow the trap without complaint. Finally, wall-hung or floor-standing: hung units make a small floor look bigger and put all the load into the wall, which brings back the fixing question and the manufacturer's instructions with it. We compare width, depth and height, whether a basin is included, drawer or door storage, the cut-out provided for the trap, and mounting method.
Vanity unit · two hinged doors · one tall compartment · trap cut-out with a plastic edge protector — stated · no dimensions published
A cheap two-door vanity unit whose one real specification is that its trap cut-out has a plastic edge protector — the part that chips first.
Best for: Hiding the pipework under an existing basin for the lowest possible price, where the size can be confirmed with the seller first.
≈ 33 €
Vanity unit · 60 W × 59 H × 30 D cm · 16 mm melamine chipboard, some MDF · two doors and a shelf · cut-out for the trap — stated · fittings supplied
A fully dimensioned vanity unit that states its board thickness AND states that it has a cut-out for the trap — the two facts this shelf usually skips.
Best for: A straightforward replacement under an existing basin, where the cabinet must sit flat against the wall.
≈ £105 / 83 €
Vanity unit · 60 × 30 × 60 cm · bamboo · two louvre doors for airflow · shelf adjustable to three heights · magnetic catches
A bamboo vanity unit with louvred doors — the only one here designed to let the cupboard under a basin actually breathe.
Best for: A damp bathroom with no window, where the cupboard under the basin currently smells.
≈ 46 €
Vanity unit · 60 × 30 × 60 cm · FSC-certified coated MDF · drawer with two compartments plus a cupboard · over 50 kg total load stated · magnetic catches
The only vanity unit here with a divided drawer above and a cupboard below — and the only one that publishes what it will carry.
Best for: A shared bathroom where the small things need somewhere that is not a heap on a shelf.
≈ 54 €
Vanity unit · 60 × 56 × 34 cm · wood-based board with scratch-resistant surfaces · two doors and one shelf · flat pack with illustrated instructions
The deepest vanity unit in this hub at 34 cm, with scratch-resistant surfaces stated — and no word about the trap cut-out.
Best for: A basin with plenty of room behind it, where depth for towels matters more than a shallow footprint.
≈ 74 €
