Bathroom Vanity Height & Mirror Size Calculator

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Enter your height and the vanity’s width. You get the vanity height to buy, standard or comfort height, and the mirror size and where to hang it.

ft
in
The sink
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Vanity to buy

36″ comfort heightsink rim at 36″ · mirror 32″–34″ wide, 35″ tall

Your vanity and mirror from the front, to scale
    Plan the whole bathroom free →

    Quick answer: the standard bathroom vanity height is 30–32″ (76–81 cm). Comfort-height vanities are 34–36″ (86–91 cm), about kitchen-counter height, and suit most adults. The best height for you puts the sink rim about 6″ below your elbow: a 36″ vanity for someone 5′6″. With a vessel sink, take the bowl’s height off the vanity. Hang the mirror 2–4″ narrower than the vanity, its bottom about 8″ above the counter.

    How to use the vanity height calculator

    1. Type your height, or the height of whoever uses the sink most: 5’6″ and 168 cm both work.
    2. Enter the vanity’s width. At 60″ or wider it is a double vanity, and you get a size for one long mirror or two.
    3. Pick the sink. For a vessel sink, which sits on top of the counter, enter the bowl’s height.
    4. Check the ceiling height if it is low; the mirror stays 6″ below it. Copy link keeps the result.

    The rules behind the numbers

    Vanity height: the sink rim below your elbow

    You wash with your forearms angled down into the basin, so the sink rim works best a few inches below your elbow: about 6″ is the rule of thumb for counters. Standing elbow height is about 0.63 of your height, so a 5′6″ person’s elbow is about 41½″ from the floor and the rim belongs at about 35½″. The NKBA bathroom planning guidelines allow a vanity counter anywhere from 32″ to 43″; what you can buy off the shelf is standard height (30–32″) or comfort height (34–36″).

    Vessel sinks: the bowl comes off

    A vessel sink sits on the counter, so your hands meet its rim, not the counter. Take its height off: a 5″ bowl on a 30″ vanity puts the rim at 35″, the same as a sink set into a 35″ counter.

    The mirror: narrower than the vanity, centered at eye level

    Keep the mirror 2–4″ narrower than the vanity; one wider than the vanity looks top-heavy. Hang its bottom edge about 8″ above the counter (10″ above a vessel’s rim), clear of the faucet and a 4″ backsplash, with its middle near your eye level, about 4½″ below the top of your head. Leave at least 6″ between the top and the ceiling.

    Vanity height chart by your height

    Your heightBest counterVanity to buyWith a 5″ vessel sink
    5′0″32″32″ standard30″ standard
    5′4″34½″34″ comfort30″ standard
    5′6″35½″36″ comfort30″ standard
    5′8″37″36″ comfort32″ standard
    6′0″39½″36″ comfort, raised34″ comfort

    From about 5′9″ the best height is taller than any stock vanity: raise a 36″ vanity on legs or a plinth, or use a vessel sink, which adds its own height on top.

    Mirror size for your vanity

    Vanity widthMirror widthTwo mirrors
    24″20–22″—
    30″26–28″—
    36″32–34″—
    48″44–46″—
    60″ double56–58″22–24″ each
    72″ double68–70″28–30″ each

    Three worked examples

    A 36″ vanity, 5′6″. The best counter is about 35½″, so buy a 36″ comfort-height vanity. Hang a mirror 32–34″ wide and 35″ tall, its bottom 44″ from the floor.

    A vessel sink, 5′6″. The 5″ bowl comes off, so the counter goes at about 30½″: a 30″ standard vanity, and the bowl’s rim lands at 35″. The mirror, 26–28″ wide, starts 45″ up, above the taller faucet.

    A 72″ double vanity, 6′0″. The best counter is about 39½″, taller than stock: buy a 36″ comfort-height vanity and raise it, or choose vessel sinks. Hang one 68–70″ mirror, or two 28–30″ mirrors, one centered over each sink.

    Common vanity and mirror mistakes

    • Buying by habit, not by height. The old 30″ standard suits children and shorter adults; most adults find a comfort-height vanity easier on the back.
    • A vessel sink on a comfort-height vanity. A 6″ bowl on a 36″ vanity puts the rim at 42″, too high for most people. Pair vessel sinks with a standard-height vanity.
    • A mirror wider than the vanity. It looks top-heavy and crowds the lights. Stay 2–4″ narrower.
    • Hanging the mirror too high. If you see the ceiling instead of your face, the mirror is too high: center it near eye level.
    • Forgetting the faucet. A tall faucet or a vessel sink needs a higher mirror bottom; measure the faucet before you hang.

    Planning the whole bathroom? Lay it out to scale in the free 2D room planner, and try new wall colors on a photo of it in the room paint visualizer.

    Plan the bathroom free

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    Vanity height questions

    What is the standard bathroom vanity height?

    30–32″ (76–81 cm) from the floor to the top of the counter. That was the norm for decades and still suits children’s bathrooms and shorter adults. Many new vanities are comfort height, 34–36″.

    What is a comfort height bathroom vanity?

    A vanity 34–36″ (86–91 cm) tall, close to kitchen-counter height. It puts the sink closer to an adult’s hands, so you bend less. For most adults it is the better choice.

    What vanity height is best for a vessel sink?

    Take the bowl’s height off the height you would want without it. For most adults that means a standard-height vanity, 30–32″, with a 4–6″ bowl on top, which puts the rim at about 35–37″.

    What size mirror goes over a 36 inch vanity?

    32–34″ wide: 2–4″ narrower than the vanity. For height, 30–36″ tall suits most bathrooms, with the bottom edge about 8″ above the counter and the middle near eye level.

    How high should you hang a bathroom mirror?

    With its bottom edge about 8″ above the counter (10″ above a vessel sink’s rim), clear of the faucet, and its middle near the eye level of the people who use it, about 4½″ below the top of the head. Keep at least 6″ free below the ceiling.

    How big should a bathroom mirror be?

    A little narrower than the vanity, 2–4″ on a single vanity, and tall enough to show you from the top of your head to your chest. Over a double vanity, use one long mirror or two mirrors, each centered over a sink.

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