Buying guide for Best smart mirrors
You’re getting ready for the day. You take your bath, fix your hair, and check yourself in the mirror. You then check the weather, temperature, and your schedule in the mirror. You head out, humming the music playing from the mirror. Your virtual assistant tells your mirror to stop playing music and switch to energy-saving mode. That’s your morning with a smart mirror.
A smart mirror is a mirror with integrated technology. It can turn lights on or off and change their warmth and intensity. It can play audio through wireless speakers. It can defog itself. Many of these mirrors include two-way glass to embed a display so you can see the weather, time, and more. Advanced smart mirrors hook up to the internet and work essentially like a computer, including video, phone, and even a camera.
If you’re intrigued by the idea of a smart mirror, a comprehensive shopping guide and recommendations can help get your shopping started.
How to buy the best smart mirror
Location
The bathroom is the most obvious place for a smart mirror, but it isn’t the only one. You can use one in the bedroom, dressing room, living room, or foyer. The mirror just needs to be an appropriate size for the space and have access to a convenient power source, either through concealed wiring or an outlet.
Mounted or freestanding
You can find smart mirrors that hang on the wall, sit on a dressing table or counter, or stand on the floor. Choose the one that best suits your needs and budget. A large hardwired, wall-mounted smart mirror is much more of an investment than a small one that sits on a dressing table.
Power source
Smart mirrors need electricity. The most reliable and best-looking way to power them is with concealed wiring in the wall, but that is semipermanent and more expensive, requiring an electrician to install. On the other hand, a sleek mirror with a power cord plugged into an outlet isn’t exactly the hi-tech centerpiece of your dreams. Some smart mirrors, especially smaller ones, run on batteries or can be recharged using a USB cable.
Size
A small tabletop mirror enables you to examine your face, teeth, and hair, but it won’t be much help when it comes to checking your whole outfit. Think about how you want to use the smart mirror. Also consider that the bigger the size, the higher the cost.
Many smart mirrors with embedded tablet-like displays run the Android OS.
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Features to look for in smart mirrors
Smart mirrors range from basic to extravagant. Built-in lighting and speakers that can be controlled with a touch are fairly basic, as is defogging. Beyond that, there are features that you may find both exciting and useful or just extraneous to your needs.
Lighting
Most smart mirrors of all shapes and sizes come with built-in lighting. Some have rows of bulbs, others have embedded strips, but all the lights are energy-efficient LEDs that can change temperature, brightness, and even color at your command. Some of these mirrors also have a night-light feature that activates via a motion sensor.
Defogging
One of the more useful features of a smart mirror is the ability to clear fog and condensation from the glass. It accomplishes this by gently heating the surface of the mirror until the condensation evaporates. Note that this function usually takes longer to work in colder temperatures.
Display
Most full-size smart mirrors include an integrated display. This display can be as simple as a widget for showing the time, weather, and mirror status, or as complicated as a connection to your smartphone or the internet to show appointments, stock tickers, and emails. Some smart mirrors boast a fully interactive touchscreen embedded in the glass, allowing a tablet-like experience complete with video, streaming TV, apps, on-screen keyboard, and more. When inactive, these displays are essentially invisible.
Speakers
Many smart mirrors have built-in speakers through which you can play music or other audio via either an aux cable or Bluetooth connection. These speakers might not be the best ones you’ve ever heard, but you can’t beat the convenience of speakers that don’t take up any space.
USB charging
Many smart mirrors come with USB ports that allow you to charge your smartphone or other devices. These USB ports are commonly the familiar standard USB-A (wide and flat) ports that offer the basic 5 volts. You can find some models with newer USB-C ports as well.
Smart assistant
Some smart mirrors can connect to popular smart home systems and smart assistants, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Home. When integrated into a smart home system, the mirror can obey voice commands like any other smart device. Some of these mirrors can act as smart home hubs and connect to other smart appliances.
Camera
Some smart mirrors come with an embedded camera so you can take reversed selfies to see how you “really” look, run apps that include health or beauty tips, and even integrate with video calling on mirrors that support internet and wireless telephone connectivity. However, a camera can also cause some privacy concerns, especially if the mirror can connect to the internet.
Sensors
There are smart mirrors that focus on health and wellness, with integrated sensors for analyzing the human face. These can then offer tips and suggestions for better health, from skin care to stress reduction. These mirrors usually pair their sensors with a camera.
Telephone and internet
Some high-end smart mirrors take their functionality even further by offering built-in telephone and internet functionality, allowing you to make audio and even video calls.
Did You Know?
Globe lights, also called Hollywood lights, are the round bulbs that surround a mirror, historically used for applying makeup in dressing rooms. Some smart mirrors come with Hollywood lighting but use LED instead of incandescent bulbs.
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How much do smart mirrors cost?
Inexpensive
The most affordable smart mirrors cost less than $250. These are usually smaller or more basic mirrors from small or unknown brands and without some of the high-end technologies. However, they have touch controls for integrated LED lighting and defogging, usually Bluetooth speakers and USB charging, and possibly some widget displays for time and weather.
Mid-range
These smart mirrors cost between $250 and $1,000. Mirrors in this category may be larger or have more advanced technology and come from well-established brands and well-funded start-ups. In addition to basics like touch controls, lighting, and speakers, these mirrors have some sort of display that can be updated with personalized info, and some have full-fledged touchscreen displays.
Expensive
High-end smart mirrors cost more than $1,000, and sometimes significantly more. In this price range, you should expect quality construction from innovative and luxury brands with sci-fi-level features, such as a complete tablet with internet connectivity and streaming video, and cameras with apps to help you get dressed or put on makeup or even analyze your health. These smart mirrors push the envelope of interactivity and have prices to match.
A DIY smart mirror based on the Raspberry Pi platform and running the MagicMirror OS is another option for the tech-inclined user.
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Tips
- Get a close-up view of your face. If you do a lot of detail work in a mirror, like shaping your eyebrows, look for a smart mirror with a concave mirror component that allows you to get a magnified look.
- Check the mirror’s IP rating. A mirror in a bathroom is going to come into contact with moisture. It’s inevitable. Smart mirrors with their electric-powered tech can be damaged or cause injury if exposed to water. Look for a model with an IP rating that indicates it can resist water.
- Clean the mirror with a microfiber cloth. Put away the paper towels and crumpled newspaper. A microfiber cloth is the best way to clean any glass surface, especially one with embedded electronics.
FAQ
Q. Are smart mirrors worth the cost?
A. Generally speaking, the ability to control built-in lighting, listen to music without extra speakers and defog the glass is worth it for many people. If you spend time in front of the mirror before or after your day, you might also appreciate having features like the weather and time, a datebook and calendar, and even the ability to read emails and watch videos without having to look at a different device.
Q. Do smart mirrors need to be plugged in?
A. Smart mirrors need to be plugged into power in most cases to use their electronic features. They might also need to pair with a smartphone or other device or connect to the internet via WiFi to use more interactive features. But you don’t need power to use a smart mirror as a mirror.
