Good & Bad Mirrors - Know the Difference

As specialists in custom mirror manufacturing we want to share our knowledge on what separates good mirrors from bad mirrors. We all want to look and feel our best, from doing your hair to getting dressed for the day, investing in a good quality mirror that makes you look and feel great is worth knowing more about. 

Here are a few points to keep in mind next time you’re mirror shopping.

1. Distorted reflection:

A simple rule of thumb is the thicker the glass the better the quality reflection. In cheaper mirrors you could find 2 or 3mm mirror glass and sometimes even plastic. This becomes a problem when it distorts your reflection. At Arkivio we take every measure to guarantee no distortion even at a large viewing distance. To ensure this we use the highest quality 5mm thick mirror glass on all our mirrors.

2. Mounting mirrors and the effect on angle:

A small tilt in a mirror creates what artists call a visual perspective shift. An upwards tilt will make you appear more tall and skinny, while a downwards tilt can make you appear wider from the waist down. Generally mirrors mounted to the wall with hooks tend to lean forward off the wall creating this unwanted wide reflection.

To solve this we’ve fabricated our own slimline cleat system which has our mirrors flush mounted to the wall, eliminating any bad tilt. If you’re looking for that good upwards tilt you can consider using a wall leaning mirror. See our Appo wall leaning mirror range here.

3. Mirror placement & light:

Although this key point is more about placement it's nonetheless a crucial element to achieving your best look and feel. When considering a position for your new mirror keep in mind that a single light source from directly above or below will create areas of darkness on your face, specifically areas around the eyes and amplifying wrinkles.

This can be overcome with the use of multiple light sources nearby, placing the mirror by a big window or even consider buying an Front-lit LED mirror. By increasing the surrounding light from various angles your reflection will shed those unrealistic shadowed areas and smoothen out wrinkles.

4. Longevity of reflection:

We've all seen old mirrors with uneven black edges and ageing spots. If you're trying to achieve an antiqued look this may work for you, however, the oxidising which is taking place is a sign that the mirror film is not sealed around the edges. To ensure this doesn't happen with an Arkivio mirror we've implemented the use of an edge sealant which will protect the cut mirror film from rusting away over time.

We hope you’ve found this helpful and now you’ll notice that not all mirrors are the same.