How to Differentiate Between High-Quality and Low-Quality Mirrors

When shopping for a new mirror, most people choose a product based on colours, frame designs, shapes, sizes, and even the type of material the frame is made of. With visual appeal and the need to match the mirror to a specific decor style, customers tend to overlook the most important part of the mirror – the glass! So let’s discuss exactly how to differentiate between high-quality and low-quality Mirrors.

At a first glance, you might think the glass is perfectly fine while your attention is more focused on the decorative aspect of the piece. Even with frameless mirror designs, customers often analyse the finish of the edging without considering the quality of the actual mirror. Well, when it comes to buying mirrors, we are here to tell you why it is worth taking a second (or even third) look at the glass to spot any inferiorities in the mirror. 

So, in this article, Luxe Mirrors is going to help you learn how to tell the difference between high-quality and low-quality mirrors. Read on!

Four Important Factors to Assess for Mirror Quality

Now that you have been reminded to not overlook the mirror glass quality, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty so that you know exactly what to look out for. This will include doing your own inspection of the glass very carefully and minutely, as well as asking questions related to the materials and manufacturing process involved in the creation of the mirror. It may sound like a lot but really, it’s just a matter of ensuring that the mirror of your choosing ticks all the right boxes as far as glass quality and construction are concerned. 

To simplify this process for customers, we are sharing four important aspects of mirrored glass that collectively make up the overall quality of the piece. 

#1 Glass Purity

Unless there are obvious or visible inconsistencies in the glass, it is hard to spot impurities. In fact, glass purity largely depends on the materials used to form the glass, as well as the techniques applied during the manufacturing process. If there are impurities in the raw materials, there is a good chance that there will be inconsistencies in the glass, and reflection of the same. If you cannot get answers from the manufacturer, you will have to pay extra attention to the other aspects involved in the makeup of mirrors as they also serve as indications of pure or impure glass.

#2 Flatness

The level of flatness is incredibly important where mirror glass is concerned. Even the tiniest of inconsistencies in the flatness of the surface can affect the mirror’s reflection. This implies that the reflection will be inaccurate or even distorted with the slightest curvature. If you have looked in a mirror and found that the reflection of an object appears distorted as you view it while walking by or moving your head, that generally means that the glass is not completely flat. 

The above, of course, is different from when a mirror is tilted forward/backwards, creating the illusion of a skewed/wider reflection. Therefore, if you are trying to judge whether the mirror glass is distorted, make sure that it is flush against the wall, and immobile; then focus on a single object in the mirror, and slowly move from one corner to the other as your eyes remain fixated on the object. If it distorts, this is a clear sign of a low-quality mirror.

#3 Thickness 

It is not always easy to measure the thickness of the glass, especially in the case of framed mirror designs; however, these specifications should actually be provided by the manufacturer. The overall quality of a mirror largely depends on the thickness of the glass because this indicates whether or not the composition of the mirror is up to standard. There are different layers that cover the glass in order to make it reflective and protect the material (we will talk more about this in the next point), thus adding to the thickness.

Typically, the glass of a high-quality mirror will have 1/4 inch thickness – anything thinner than this can cause the mirror to lose shape because after the adhesive in the composition dries up, the glass, overtime, begins to mold into the surface behind it which is generally not entirely flat. This causes the reflection to distort.

#4 Silvering

If you didn’t already know this, a mirror’s reflection is created by a coat of silvering on one side of the glass. This coating can be made up of several different materials, however, a combination of silver nitrate and a few other chemical compounds is the most common of all. It is also the best quality coating of silvering. 

After the coating of the silvering is complete, a layer of red lead covers it to protect the chemicals, specifically the silver nitrate. The composition is completed with a coat of sealant over the red lead that helps preserve the glass and the quality of the reflection for many years ahead. It should be noted that low-quality mirrors are not always sealed along the edges which leads to oxidation of the glass. This appears in the form of rusting and blackish age spots. Therefore, to ensure that you are buying a high-quality mirror, it is advisable to ask whether an edge sealant has been applied to the piece before making a purchase. 

With this information in your back pocket, use it wisely by asking the glass/mirror retailer questions related to the construction, composition, and materials used to make the mirror you are interested in buying. On top of this, inspect the glass yourself to check for inconsistencies as explained in this article. In doing so, you will have no problems in differentiating between high-quality and low-quality mirrors!

Getting to know the technical aspects of mirrors will not only help you make an informed decision but also ensure that you get everything you need out of the piece — aesthetically and functionally. So, before you buy any type of wall mirrors for your home or commercial space, use the information from this buyer’s guide to determine the quality of the mirror, the technical aspects to consider and, of course, the right way to use it!

At Luxe Mirrors Australia, we have strict quality measures in place, ensuring that each piece from our manufacturers and suppliers meet these high standards. We manufacture and carry only the finest quality mirrors in a wide variety of types and styles for your unique residential and commercial spaces. Rest assured that Luxe Mirrors is looking after you to protect your purchase through and through, having already supplied hundreds of high quality mirrors to hotels, resorts, homes, and businesses across Australia.

At Luxe Mirrors, we supply, design and manufacture the highest quality Mirrors and deliver them  daily to our customers in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Every mirror we showcase in our large range is selected and made to the highest standards of quality for your home or project.

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