Simplehuman Sensor Mirror - Review - The Only Mirror You Need (2025)

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If you’ve read some of my other articles on FlawlessReflexion, you’ll understand why I believe everyone should have 4 (yes that’s FOUR) makeup mirrors in the home.

But we’re not all at that point in our lives. Perhaps limited by space or funds, right now, we’re only looking for one mirror. In my twenties, I shared a single mirror with my housemates. It was second-hand, large and mottled, propped up against the wall under the window. So I get it – hundreds of dollars on multiple mirrors might seem like an extravagance at the moment.

There is a solution.

A freestanding lighted magnifying mirror is all you need right now.

It shouldhave a pin-sharp 5x magnifying mirror, yet be big enough to see your entire face at once. The light should be just the right brightness, and just the right natural daylight color. It should be of great design and workmanship – we’re planning for you to keep it for years. In addition the price should be reasonable for such a quality product.

It should be a simplehuman sensor mirror 😁

My Review – Simplehuman Lighted Sensor Makeup Mirror

My recommendation (Amzn)

Reflection Quality

This mirror will last for years (I’ve had mine for eight, and I don’t see why it won’t keep going for a long time yet). It’s a little alarming to work out how long you’ll be looking into it (Hint: hundreds of hours). So the most important factor to check off is the reflection quality. No concerns there;no ghosting or distortion, perfect clarity.

The internal diameter is 8 inches, enough to see all your face at once (but not head and shoulders).

Lighting

Color rendering index of 95, and 800 lux. What that means is a light of the perfect color for applying makeup (like sunlight), bright enough to see all the details but not so harsh that yousquint when looking into it. I tend to leave it on near-maximum brightness, but you can dial down the settings if you prefer.

It does feel a little cold and clinical, but remember this is for makeup application, not romantic mood lighting. A warmer light could hide subtle blending, skin and color irregularities. #flawless.

The illumination comes from a diffused circular LED, giving an even and shadow-free image. As opposed to traditional bulbs, LEDs should last for years. (There is a 5-year warranty which I didn’t need to use).

Sensor

Before I bought the simplehuman mirror I did wonder whether the automatic sensor feature might be a gimmick. It’s actually surprisingly useful. There’s a lot of thought gone into its design. It detects when you move near, and lights automatically without a switch. It also turns itself off as you walk away, so no more worrying if you’ve left it on as you leave the house.

Most impressively, the sensoradjusts its sensitivity once it has turned on. This means you can briefly move out to the side to reach for something, and the light doesn’t keep flicking on and off as you change your position. Neat!

5x Magnifying Mirror

Teenagers can perhaps manage with a plain mirror for their makeup routine. Anyone older will enjoy low-power magnification, even if you think your eyesight is perfect. Simplehuman have gone for 5x magnification, which I think is the best compromise. Powerful enough for older eyes, but still allows the whole face to be visible.

Build Quality

Man, this thing is tough. I dropped mine onto concrete tiles and expected to hear the sound of breaking glass. Fortunately I got away with a dent on the metal at the back (which you can’t see from the front), and it carried on working as well as ever.

The photos on this page are of the brushed stainless steel surface. I chose this one for its modern appearance, but it turns out to be very resistant to smears and scratches. (Have you got the impression I’m a bit of a klutz 😁 ?). It’s also available in rose gold.

Daily Use

The mirror is rechargeable using a USB cable. Battery life is excellent; it only needs charging once a month, even with my twice daily useage. It takes 33 minutes from red warning light to full charge. I believe the battery can be changed if necessary, although there’s no sign of the battery failing over the years.

The mirror can be positioned in three dimensions however you wish, being fully rotating, tilting from front facing to almost fully upwards, and height adjustable by an extra 3 inches. (Click on the tabs to see the range of positions)

The hinge mechanism is stiff and solid; the mirror stays at the angle you’ve set it. The base looks quite small but is heavy and stable.

• Fully extended
• Shortest

Issues

I struggle to find anything bad to say about this model, and judging by the online reviews many people agree with me.

One suggestion I would make is to set your vanity up away from walkways – it is super annoying having the light turn on automatically everytime someone passes by, or worse when going to the bathroom in the night.

The few bad reviews of the simple human mirror are mostly about failure of the sensor or recharging. These would be covered under the generous warranty, and simplehuman’s customer support has a good reputation. It is also possible to do a “reset” of the mirror software yourself (product support page). I suspect this would have fixed most of the issues but the reviewers seem not to have tried it.

Alternatives

Quality Alternative

Another version from the simplehuman brand is the Sensor Mirror Trio. This is reversible with 5x on one side,the other being plain (1x) with a 10x inset. If you need higher magnification for eyelashes and brows, then this is your best option. It would also be a great choice if you truly have only one mirror, giving you a 1x mirror just about big enough to see head and shoulders, fix your hair etc, as well as all the magnification you could ever need for your skincare routine.

Don’t confuse this one with the “ProSensor” which I would NOT recommend. This is a single-sided 5x mirror, with a removable 10x magnification inset. Unfortunately the small 10x sits right in the center of the larger 5x, preventing use of both mirrors at the same time. You therefore need to keep taking the small one on and off, which is a pain and also causes smears and fingerprints. Great idea in theory, but not so good in real life.

Finally, simplehuman make other great mirrors. A simplehuman wall mount version very similar to the freestanding version discussed (simplehuman wall-mounted makeup mirror – my review), and also the simplehuman travel mirror (my review).

Budget Alternative

The Conair Reflections Double-Sided Lighted Vanity Makeup Mirror (Amzn)is the best of the budget products, but I don’t really recommend it.

My main objection is the lighting – not bright enough and too warm in color temperature. The incandescent bulbs seem to put out more heat than light. It is double-sided with a plain mirror on the reverse which is handy, although it’s small at less than 7×5 inches.

“Better than nothing” is as enthusiastic as I can get about this budget vanity mirror from Conair.