I wouldn't really call myself someone who sticks to a single brand. Honestly, I get a thrill out of experimenting with fresh finds — probably the very reason I ended up writing about beauty in the first place. I could land on a product I adore, and within days I'm already eyeing the next thing to test. That said, when a company does manage to win me over, it says something significant. For lighted mirrors and waste bins (yes, waste bins — bear with me), my allegiance goes to SimpleHuman.
Quick transparency note: nobody paid me to write this or compensated me in any form. I picked up a large SimpleHuman kitchen bin around four or five years back on my own dime. The brand later shipped me the Wide View Pro mirror to test, probably a year or so ago, and that's what kicked off my whole fascination. Most recently, they passed along the 8 Inch Round Pro mirror plus a small step can so I could share my thoughts with all of you.
I've tested plenty of illuminated makeup mirrors over the years, yet none hold a candle to what SimpleHuman offers. I'll be upfront — these beauties carry a hefty price tag, but they're absolutely worth squirreling away money for. The factory lighting setting beats every other mirror I've encountered at replicating natural daylight. It glows intensely without skewing too warm or too glaring, unlike much of the competition. The specs list 600 lux and a color rendering index of 90. Honestly, those numbers mean nothing to me, but the result speaks for itself — flawless illumination! A sensor detects your face and switches the light on automatically, then powers it down when you step away (the companion app lets you set a timer to keep it lit for a chosen duration).
About that app — it's honestly not something I bother with much. The out-of-the-box brightness works beautifully for my needs. However, if you want to get creative, the app can simulate overcast skies, dim restaurant glow, or even the flicker of candles. Several presets exist, plus you can design custom scenes just by snapping a picture. The software analyzes the lighting wherever you aim it — your workspace, that corner café, wherever — and locks it in. So you can preview exactly how your finished face will appear in those surroundings.
A rechargeable cable means you can position your SimpleHuman mirror on a vanity or bathroom counter without any dangling wires. A single charge holds up for roughly three to four weeks, depending on usage.
The SimpleHuman Sensor Mirror Wide View Pro has become my prized possession. It's absolutely massive! My vanity sits in the living room because the natural light is better there (our apartment isn't huge). Visitors frequently mistake it for a computer screen until they draw nearer and spot the illumination switch on. It looks seriously sleek. Anyone who drops by is wowed — including the male friends! When it first arrived (back in 2016), I lacked a vanity setup, so I had no proper spot for it. Now that I do, it feels like it was made for this exact purpose.
Before, I was doing my face under extremely yellow bathroom bulbs. One afternoon a friend stopped by to prep for an outing and exclaimed, "How on earth can you tell what your makeup actually looks like in here?" It hit me — she was spot on, and my foundation was nowhere near my actual skin tone. How had I functioned as a beauty writer for so long without noticing? I felt mortified! So I invested in a vanity and pulled my SimpleHuman mirror out of storage. My makeup skills skyrocketed from that point, and I could never return to that sickly yellow bathroom glow. I can even apply my products after dark and still get beautiful, neutral-toned light.
It offers 1x magnification (essentially no magnification at all) but includes a small magnetic 10x spot mirror you can snap onto the glass. Here's my lone gripe with the unit — the 10x only works for hyper-detailed tasks like brow tweezing, and it only adheres to limited zones on the surface. It would be brilliant if you could flip it for a 5x view, or if the side panels offered 5x power.
The warranty is also fantastic. I've owned mine for a while, and at one juncture it simply died on me. Refusing to charge or fire up. I reached out to support, and they mailed a replacement cable to troubleshoot. When that didn't resolve it, they emailed a prepaid shipping label, took the mirror back, and shipped out a fresh unit — zero hassle!
Not long ago, I snagged the SimpleHuman 8 Inch Mirror Pro. The primary surface delivers 5x magnification while the detachable magnetic attachment offers 10x. Why bother with a second mirror, you might ask? I required something for precision tasks. The years aren't exactly kind to my eyesight. Even though the Wide View Pro is fantastic, it lacks 5x power and doesn't tilt as much as I'd prefer. I figured a mirror I could peer down into would make crafting winged liner or applying falsies a breeze. And I was absolutely correct! Up until then, I'd been swiping on liquid liner blind, barely seeing what I was working with, and just crossing my fingers! These days, I can actually watch every stroke.
Beyond that, since the stronger zoom on this model is far more user-friendly, I came to terms with the fact that I really should stay on top of plucking stray facial fuzz! Goodness — the revelations I've had! Given that I snap close-up shots of my face constantly as a beauty writer (which exaggerates every tiny hair), this mirror has been a game-changer. So if precision detailing is your goal, this is hands down the one to grab. Just a heads-up though — there's no standard 1x setting, meaning you'll still want the Wide View Pro (or any standard mirror) to view your entire face at once.
This piece is also more compact and travel-friendly, making it simpler to tote into the bathroom or any other spot. It ships in brushed stainless steel or rose gold. I chose brushed steel to coordinate with my existing mirror.
Last but certainly not least, allow me to gush about the SimpleHuman trash cans! My partner, Gregg, and I have been on a mission to elevate our living space as much as possible this year. Nothing is off-limits. If it makes our home more attractive or streamlines daily life, it's in.
As I noted earlier, we already owned a large SimpleHuman bin in the kitchen, so snagging a compact one for the bathroom felt like a no-brainer. You might find it odd to get worked up over garbage bins, but once you've lived with a quality one, daily life gets noticeably smoother! Both bins I own are step-style, though SimpleHuman also produces motion-sensor models that open with voice commands or a hand wave (a future upgrade is tempting).
I selected the 10L Profile Step Can for the bathroom, since space is extremely tight and I needed a slim profile to slot between the wall and the toilet. The SimpleHuman bin features a lid that descends gradually and in total silence after opening, so no more jarring CLANGS in the dead of night when Gregg or I make a midnight bathroom run! It includes a removable inner liner so the trash bag stays hidden. You can repurpose a grocery bag or grab SimpleHuman's R Custom Fit Liners for a tailored fit. It looks dramatically more polished than our previous one, and the brushed steel finish resists fingerprints, so no visible smudges.
Every SimpleHuman product I've encountered has impressed me, so I'm eager to explore more of their catalog. Anything stylish that simplifies my routine is a massive victory in my book!
SimpleHuman Mirrors Elevated My Entire Beauty Routine
Show Some Love
Like Loading…
