Almost all bathrooms have medicine cabinets. Many people use one to store not just their medications but also some toiletries and makeup. However, a medicine cabinet can come in different sizes and styles. So, choosing the ideal one for you and your bathroom can take time and effort.
You can use this guide for that. This guide will provide the seven key factors to consider when choosing the right medicine cabinet. It will also emphasize the importance of paying careful attention when selecting. Above all, learn helpful advice for choosing from your many options.
How to Choose the Best Bathroom Medicine Cabinet
For a more effortless shopping experience, follow these steps and tips:
Determine Your Storage Needs
It’s advisable to ensure everything you need is ready before anything else. Consider all the potential items you’ll be storing in the cabinet and how much space you’ll need for them. With this information, it would be easier to determine what cabinet features and specifications to look for. For example, will you need adjustable shelves for large items, or would smaller compartments be ideal? Remember, you should choose a cabinet that meets these specific needs.
Decide on the Cabinet Type
Decide on which of these you think would suit best your preferences and needs:
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Mirrored Cabinet: This offers the perfect combination of a cabinet for storage and a mirror. This is an excellent type when you want more storage space.
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Frameless Cabinet: It’s a standard for any cabinet to have a frame. However, there are also frameless medicine cabinets on the market. They have smaller footprints than framed types.
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Framed Cabinet: This cabinet is durable and long-lasting. It has an easy door to open and keeps things safe inside. The frame hides rough edges around the wall opening, making the cabinet look tidy and finished.
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Recessed Cabinet: This cabinet is built into your bathroom wall. Since you’ll cut into your wall, you can save space when adding the cabinet.
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Corner Cabinet: This type is placed in the corner of the room, using unused corners and allowing you to save wall space.
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Wall-Mounted Cabinet: This is an on-the-wall cabinet and is the most common type. It’s directly installed and attached to the bathroom wall.
Consider Your Bathroom Size
The size of the cabinet is an important factor you need to check. The right cabinet should fit without a problem in your bathroom, whether the space is big or small. For example, if you want to use it in a small bathroom, you should get a small and space-saving cabinet.
To determine the right cabinet size, measure your bathroom. Measure the dimensions of the wall where you plan to place the cabinet. This includes measuring your bathroom height, width, and depth. It’s also best to consider assessing the distance between the light and the faucet.
Your cabinet should be the same width or narrower if placed over a vanity. But don’t forget to add enough clearance to accommodate the space you need when opening the cabinet doors.
Choose the Cabinet Material
Medicine cabinets are made using different materials. Ultimately, the choice of material depends on your aesthetics, durability, and texture preferences. The most common materials include:
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Wood
This is popular because of its durability and versatility. Wood offers a classic cabinet beauty that’s easy to repair if scratched. You can also stain the wood in your preferred shade. Since it’s a durable material, wooden medicine cabinets will not sag and can hold some weight.
Most manufacturers use oak, but you can also find other wood species. Most wooden cabinets also have coatings for extra protection, especially against moisture. However, you must also note that wood can warp or split when exposed to humidity. If you want a wooden cabinet, ensure your bathroom is well-ventilated.
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Aluminum
Aluminum is another popular material because of its lightness and resistance to corrosion. When treated with an oxidized finish, they can last longer. In addition, aluminum medicine cabinets are known for being waterproof.
Unlike wooden cabinets, aluminum medicine cabinets would be suitable for humid bathrooms. Plus, the material will not be infested by pests and will offer a clean and sleek appearance of the metal surface.
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Plastic
Plastic is an affordable material. This makes it one of the most commonly used materials for medicine cabinets. It’s also moisture and heat-resistant. Plastic cabinets are more lightweight and are easier to install.
They’re available in a wide variety of casual designs. You can also clean them easily, and they can maintain their appearance for years. Remember that low-quality plastic may become fragile and change color after a few years.
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Stainless Steel
Like aluminum, stainless steel is durable, especially against moisture and rust. It will also give the cabinet a minimalist or monochromatic look. Even when placed in a humid and hot bathroom, it can maintain its qualities for a long time.
Use a soft cloth and stainless steel cleaner to keep the metal shiny and clean. But be careful because the cabinet's surface could get damaged. If it does, sand out the scratches and polish it with stainless steel to make it shiny again.
Pick the Design You Want
You can get medicine cabinets in different designs. You can get them in various frames, builds, shapes, colors, door styles, and other design elements. Depending on your preferences, you can choose whatever design you like, especially in terms of the door style and shape of the cabinet.
You can choose from shapes such as:
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Rectangular: This shape gives a clean-lined look to the bathroom and can complement any type of bathroom vanity or sink. Rectangular cabinets are positioned vertically so you get a full view of yourself.
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Arched: This shape has similar interior storage and is elongated to a rectangular cabinet. But, this has a decorative arch at the top or bottom for a touch of flair.
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Square: This is similar to a rectangular shape, especially in how square cabinets add sleekness to the bathroom and offer good storage space.
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On the other hand, you can choose from these door styles:
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Swing: This is the most common style where the cabinet doors open from one side. One side of the door is attached to one side of the cabinet with hinges, allowing full movement. Doors in this style can either be left-facing or right-facing.
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Tri-View: This wider style features three mirrored doors that open to a full-size interior. The interior can be either a single cabinet accessible using the three doors or three separate cabinets you can access using each door.
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Slide:
This uses a sliding movement rather than a swinging mechanism to open the cabinet door. Most cabinets with sliding doors have two doors that slide from one side to the other to open and close the cabinet. But, there are some with only one sliding door.
Think About Lighting
Many medicine cabinets come with lighting that makes it easier to use the cabinet for your daily routine. It can even add ambiance to the bathroom. However, note that the lighting can affect the price of the cabinet.
Here are some lighting options that can come in medicine cabinets:
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Interior Lighting: This style is where the light strips are inside the cabinet. It can help you see the items inside better.
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Set-in LEDs: This shines out from the mirror of the cabinet itself. This style is more common in modern-style cabinets; some even have colored lights for extra style.
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Bar LED Lighting: This usually extends from the top of the cabinet and shines downward towards a mirror, making it a good option for extra lighting.
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Bulb Lighting: Bulbs are usually set on the top of the cabinet, making them useful when applying makeup. This is somewhat similar to the lighting you find in Hollywood-style vanities.
Check the Offered Features
Aside from the lights, more features can come in medicine cabinets. These additional features make the cabinets more convenient to use for different purposes. Some of the most common additional features you should look for include:
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Electrical Outlets: These will be useful for using and charging different electronic devices, like your shaver, electric toothbrushes, and even your phone.
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Adjustable Shelves: These will be ideal for storing larger, odd-shaped items when needed and are common in many cabinets. This is a good feature if customized organization is your priority.
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Mirror Defogger: This helps prevent fog build-up on the cabinet’s mirror while you shower. If you usually take very hot showers, a defogger will ensure that the cabinet’s mirror isn’t fogged up so you can use it right after going out of the shower.
Conclusion
Medicine cabinets are available in different styles, sizes, and designs. They also offer other features aside from storage, like lighting. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can get a wooden mirrored cabinet, a plastic one, or one with electrical outlets.
So, think about what you want and need in your bathroom. For some product options, you can check out our medicine cabinet collection.
