The 10 Best Lighted Medicine Cabinets

Editor's Notes

April 21, 2020:

Due to an unusually large amount of issues relating to models no longer being available, during this round of updates our rankings for this category nearly needed to be built back from scratch. The Kohler Verdera 24-Inch K-99007-TL-NA and the Innoci-USA Zeus are the only remaining options from our previous selections. Some of the new models we ranked include the Cozy Castle Makeup Vanity, a smart-looking mirror with an illuminated border, which isn’t truly a medicine cabinet, but remains a budget-friendly option that we thought was worth considering for users shopping in this category; the Kohler Verdera 40-Inch 99011-TLC-NA, a large model with a 1,300-lumen output that can totally eliminate your need for a separate vanity fixture; and the Byecold Horizontal, which connects to 2.4-gigahertz WiFi systems to keep users advised of the time, temperature and humidity – both inside the bathroom and outside your house.

A few things to think about for in this category:

Flush or Surface Mounting: This is an aesthetic consideration, but often it comes down to practicality. For the most part – unless you’re doing a retro install, replacing a similarly sized cabinet – surface mounting tends to be simpler than installing a recessed medicine cabinet, as the latter option typically requires cutting a hole in your wall, and repairing the drywall and framing according to your cabinet's specifications.

In short: recessed cabinets can certainly look slick, but installing them tends to be a pain. Some models – especially ones with oversized mirrors like the Signature Hardware Lucent 338378 – need to be surface mounted, by design – or their doors won’t be able to open. However, other models – like the Kohler Verdera 24-Inch K-99007-TL-NA and Kohler Verdera 40-Inch 99011-TLC-NA – are designed to to be recessed, and will require a separately purchased hardware kit to surface mount them. So, whichever installation method you’re planning on going with, you’ll want to make sure that the cabinet you're considering is compatible with it.

Connection: Battery-powered options appear to be quite rare in this category, which surprised me. I’m not saying that I’d be in a rush to recommend a battery-powered, lighted medicine cabinet to our average user, but it seems like a viable design that would do well in the low-budget home improvement space that’s frequented by so many DIYers. Unfortunately, for those interested in doing their own installation, all the models we ranked require a utility power source – which means most people will need to bring in an electrician to run a 120-volt line to the cabinet.

This doesn’t necessarily need to be a massive expense. In many situations, there’ll be an opportunity to fish a wire in from a GFCI counter plug that sits adjacent to the medicine cabinet. Or, a wire could simply be fished in from the vanity light over top of the medicine cabinet. However, in the latter situation, the medicine cabinet light would not be able to turn on unless the vanity light is also on – although the opposite would be possible, using the medicine cabinet’s integrated power switch.

Some models– like the Byecold Horizontal – are outfitted with a male plug end, so you might be able to save on installation costs by asking your electrician to install a recessed plug, and mounting the cabinet yourself, as opposed to having them handle the whole installation.

Bells and Whistles: Models like the Kohler Verdera 24-Inch K-99007-TL-NA and Kohler Verdera 40-Inch 99011-TLC-NA feature mirrored interiors and double-sided mirrors as doors, as well as vertically adjustable magnifying mirrors that you can set according to your height – so you’ll never be short on reflective options. They also have integrated outlets inside the cabinet, so you can keep your electric razor charging out of sight.

The Byecold Horizontal is another feature-loaded model. In addition to tracking ambient humidity and temperature, and displaying measurements next to the corresponding readings from outside, it also sports a digital clock, an integrated dimmer, and a useful anti-fog function that keeps your mirror clear, even after a steamy shower.