Don’t Overdo It: Picking the Right Infrared Heater for Your Bathroom
Here is a common mistake I see all the time: someone buys the most powerful heater they can find, thinking “more is better,” and shoves a 2000W unit into a tiny powder room. It’s overkill. You end up with a room that feels like a sauna and an electric bill that makes you wince. The trick is actually pretty simple. You just need to match the wattage to the size of the room. Finding your sweet spot If you’re dealing with a small bathroom—anything under 5m²—you really only need about 600W to 800W. It’s plenty. For those medium-sized spaces (5-10m²), 1200W is usually the way to go. If you’ve got a massive master bath or one of those open-concept wet rooms, then yeah, go ahead and jump up to 1500W or 2000W. But be careful. If you go too low, the heater will just run non-stop, trying and failing to hit the temperature you want. That’s a fast track to burning out the heating element and wasting money. The “Wet Room” Problem Bathrooms are tough on electronics. Between the steam from the shower and the occasional splash, a standard heater just won’t cut it. It’ll short out. That’s why we stick with an IP55 rating. In plain English? It means the housing is built to keep dust out and handle water jets hitting it from any angle. Without that protection, moisture sneaks into the wiring and corrosion starts eating away at everything. Not a great look. Heat, Height, and Safety Now, higher wattage does mean the room warms up faster. But there’s a catch. A 2000W lamp creates a very intense “hot zone.” If you mount one of those too low, you’re asking for trouble. You could actually scorch yourself or melt some of the plastic fixtures nearby. Check your ceiling height before you drill any holes. You want the heat to spread out evenly, not feel like a heat lamp at a buffet.