Nowadays, going to a whole different place to get some exercise is way too much of a hassle. The long drive alone is both physically and mentally exhausting. As a result, people are rather looking to build gyms in the home itself. And for that, gym mirrors are an integral part.
By putting the limelight on whatever you’re doing, gym mirrors help you to focus on the exercise. As a result, you can see what you’re doing and improve on it. And as for their whereabouts, you can get them at any gym equipment shop at a very reasonable price.
However, that’s not all that goes into the matter. There are several factors to consider before investing in a home gym mirror depending on your needs and home structure. So, let’s have a brief overview of the types, sizes, costs, etc. of gym mirrors so you can choose the right mirror for your home gym.
Do Gyms Use Special Mirrors?
In a way, yes, gyms do use special mirrors. But it’s special in the sense that it uses certain subtle tricks to fit the environment better. Other than that, there’s no specific specialty material-wise. Here are the two main types of mirrors that you’ll possibly find in a gym.
Glass Gym Mirrors: In 70-75% of the cases, you’ll find glass gym mirrors in a local gym. Provided that, it’s a considerably well-established and polished gym. So, if you want to give your house that official gym-like look, it’s best to go with glass gym mirrors.
The reason is that they have a comparatively high-quality look than the rest. The material is pretty much industry-grade and it lasts a long time if properly taken care of. They are also much more reflective and look polished which fits right in with the overall vibe of a gym.
Acrylic Gym Mirrors: Acrylic gym mirrors are really starting to take over the gym mirror world by storm in recent times. They are a viable substitute for the original glass gym mirrors and look quite as good. Furthermore, they also cost a little less which is another reason for their sudden surge.
However, it’s not that great of an idea to have a fully furnished acrylic gym mirror. That’s why most users tend to primarily use glass mirrors and then acrylic at some spots alongside. That way, in addition to saving up a little, they can have a more fortified and strong gym mirror.
Now that you know about the types of gym mirrors, what do you think makes them different from home mirrors? Is it because they are shatterproof gym mirrors or something like that? Nope. Here’s why the gym mirrors are a little special than regular ones.
- They Are Comparatively Thicker
Unlike the normal dressing mirrors by your bedside, gym mirrors have a thicker layer. Since they are directly mounted against the full wall, this thickness is highly important. Because without that, the mirror would just shatter into a thousand pieces at minor inconveniences.
Anyway, there’s another great thing about thicker mirrors. They tend to produce a more accurate reflection and so you see yourself better at the gym than at home. The muscles feel plumper and focused. Overall, you get to see a fitter and better version of yourself.
- They Are More Reflective
Well, technically, reflection doesn’t have any more to do with the mirror itself than it’s with lighting. Have you ever noticed a gym that has all soft lights and a gloomy atmosphere? No, right? Precisely. The lighting plays a big role in making the mirrors seem more reflective.
And with such clear reflections on the mirror, you tend to feel more flattering than usual. Plus, paired with the thick mirrors, you look at least ten times more appealing. So, use big and bright lights within the home gym space to give off the same vibes as an actual gym.
- They Are Slightly Distorted
If you’re buying gym mirrors from a reputed source, chances are that they will come a little distorted. And that’s not a bad thing at all. It’s just a little trick that manufacturers use to make everyone look better while exercising.
The effect is more visible under appropriate lighting conditions. For instance – the upper side of the surface is made to slightly lean forward in such mirrors. And due to this slight distortion, your upper body becomes slightly closer to the mirror than your lower body.
While producing a reflection, that is. Your actual body will, of course, stay in the same place. But the distortion in the gym mirrors will put your upper body slightly forward. And that will create the illusion of your upper body looking more buff, muscular, healthy.
Needless to say, all of these are temporary effects. But even so, sometimes, that’s all someone needs to gain a little confidence boost. Especially in gym arenas. People are motivated to work harder when they see themselves looking much better in the mirrors.
Frame Or No Frame: Which Is Best?
Framed mirrors are better for reserved home gyms. While frameless mirrors are better for gyms with a playful vision. Especially if you know how to take care of your surroundings. That way, you can cut down on the costs of the frames too.
Frames are something that people really struggle with while buying gym mirrors. And it’s an endless debate as to whether mirrors with frames are much better or mirrors without frames. Well, here’s an overview of both of them to help you out with the decision.
Framed Mirrors
Normally, all high-grade gyms use framed mirrors for their gym walls. They have a much better quality due to their upstanding durability and reliability. The better the material the frame is made out of, the long the mirror lasts.
And since the frames offer an extra layer of protection, it’s harder for them to get damaged from the wall. In fact, not just the wall, it’s great against any type of friction-related damages.
Furthermore, they are super easy to hang on the wall due to the frames. Your mirror stays safe from all that adhesive action as well. So, that’s a major pro if you were thinking of getting framed mirrors for your home gym.
However, getting framed mirrors means that they will not go beyond the dimensions that they come with. As in, you’ll need to custom-make them according to the dimensions of your gym walls. And after that, you can’t make any visible alterations.
So, that’s kind of a problem with home gym owners. Because, unlike gyms, it’s not a fixed space, and the owners might move or shift the equipment at their will. Thus, unless you’re really focused on the gym arena as a fixed space, it’s best to not get framed mirrors.
Frameless Mirrors
It’s obvious from the previous discussion why frameless mirrors are a better choice for home gyms. Since there is no external frame to take care of, you can decor them however you like. And you get the freedom to change the dimensions at your will.
For instance – if one mirror doesn’t cover the entire wall, you can use two or more. After setting them together side by side, it will create the effect of a single mirror. It’s hard to get that effect from framed mirrors as there will be an obvious partition in the middle.
So, by putting multiple mirrors together, you can decorate your personal gym accordingly. And you can also rearrange or redecorating them as you go since there are no limitations of dimensions.
But the frameless mirrors have their cons as well. Since there is no external frame to protect them, they are more prone to damage. The edges often get chipped and the backside is often cracked due to constant friction with the wall. And you need way more adhesive as well.
What Size Mirror Do I Need?
Size is quite possibly the biggest factor while buying a gym mirror. Like frames, it’s going to determine the whole landscape of your gym space. That’s why it’s really important to get the perfect size when it comes to gym mirrors.
Fortunately, there are several gym mirror sizes available in the market. Furthermore, you can customize them from local mechanical shops to make sure they are the right size. And here’s what you need to ask yourself to find out what size mirror you need for your home gym.
Wall Height
Well, you have seen how gym mirrors are mounted against the wall. If they aren’t covering the whole wall, then you aren’t getting the gym vibe at all, are you? So, for that to happen, you need to get the precise specifications of the walls of your home gym.
Measuring the wall height is of utmost importance as that will determine the height of your mirror. Make sure you are getting the exact height and not one meter more or less.
Getting incorrect measurements, even if it’s a small inaccuracy, might result in other problems. If you end up getting a bigger mirror than the wall height, it won’t fit at all. And even if it does fit barely, the sheer pressure will cause it to crack over time.
On the other hand, if it’s shorter, you might make it work with proper installation methods and adhesives. But, if it’s way too short, it’s going to ruin the looks of the gym. Thus, it’s best to contact a professional to get such accurate measurements.
Wall Width
Like wall height, the wall width is also of great importance. The width of your gym walls will determine whether you should get a single mirror or multiple ones. As a result, it will also influence your decisions on getting framed mirrors or frameless ones.
If your gym studio is comparatively smaller, it’s best to stick with a single mirror. Because since the width of the walls is not much, you can decorate it nicely with just a large mirror. But, if the studio is comparatively more spacious, you might have to get more mirrors than one.
Personal Preference
Even though fully decorating the walls with mirrors is kind of a norm, it’s not written down in stone. So, you don’t always have to adhere to it if you don’t want to. Especially if you have a home gym. Because then you should get to decorate it however you want.
Furthermore, since it’s a home gym, it’s possibly limited to a single-person workout space. And what’s one person going to do with a room full of mirrors? So, you don’t really have to spend a fortune behind some huge mirrors.
Simply browse the marketplaces and get a moderately sized gym mirror for your workout space. As long as it fully captures your reflection, you shouldn’t need anything else. Just use some Gym Mirror Clips & Fasteners to keep the mirror in place and that’s all about it.
General Sizing
Normally, gym mirrors come in 5 to 6 feet tall and 36-inch wide. That bit of dimension is enough to cover the walls of a usual household. You will also find 7-8 feet tall mirrors for those high-rise apartments.
But that’s just the general dimensions as the length should normally cover all of the room. You can get custom-built ones as well that are appropriate for specific walls in your room. Again, you can get small or mid-sized gym mirrors as well if that’s more your style.
Where Can I Buy Gym Mirrors?
Amazon, eBay, Home Depot, Craigslist, garage sales and Facebook market place are some of the best places to buy gym mirrors. And on top of that, at reasonable rates.
Let’s discuss why I think these are the best when it comes to buying home gym mirrors:
Amazon
Amazon will always end up at the top of the list whenever you need to buy something random instantly. And what’s more, is that it’s one of the best places to get the best quality gym mirrors from.
Not only quality, but you might just get a nice deal at Amazon as well if luck favors you. There are thousands of sellers with thousands of products just waiting to make sure you get the perfect product. And with quick shipping enabled, you can get them just in a few days.
Just search ‘gym mirrors amazon’ on Google and the search engine will automatically redirect you to the relevant website. You can then scroll on to find the mirror that you like and place an order for that.
However, do make sure to stay mindful of a few things. First of all, check the overall rating and reviews of the product that you want to purchase. There is no better way to know the accurate product quality and durability. So, only proceed if the reviews are satisfactory.
After that, thoroughly check out the product description and see if it matches your criteria. For instance – check out if they have the right size that you want. Frames, materials, etc. are important factors as well. Only confirm the order when everything fits the bill perfectly.
And that’s how easy it is. And not just in the United States. Like, if you live in Canada, just search ‘gym mirrors Canada’ and you’ll find amazon services available there as well. They are the best way to receive quality products without any extra hassle or bad shady deals.
eBay
Like Amazon, eBay is another great platform where you can get good-quality gym mirrors. So, if you live somewhere where amazon shipping costs seem too much, you can try out eBay instead. Especially, if you are looking to get something at a comparatively lower price.
eBay is practically more of a product exchanging platform. Not that it doesn’t provide original products as well. But there is a huge number of used or semi-used products in circulation over there.
So, if you’re willing to do proper research for a while, you might just score a great deal. And if the seller stays nearby, you can save up on shipping costs as well. That way, both parties are greatly benefited.
Home Depot
What better place to look for some amazing furnishings than local home improvement stores? Granted that Amazon, eBay, etc. are great platforms, but they are also online. There is no way to know for sure whether the product actually is good until you receive it.
So, if you suffer from such anxiety, these stores are the perfect solution. You can stroll for hours and visit multiple stores to get the perfect mirror for your precious home gym. And a little experience in choosing the right mirrors will help you out even more.
Craigslist
Craigslist is like the shady cousin of eBay. You’ll find lots and lots of sales, rent, etc. posts in here and most of them won’t make sense. Second-hand gym mirrors will actually be a sight for sore eyes on such platforms.
So, if you need some cheap mirrors, you can look for them over there. Who knows, maybe you’ll just come across a post that meets your requirements perfectly.
Garage Sales
Now on to my favorite way of scoring great stuff at a super affordable price. Garage sales! These sales are honestly keeping the economy alive single-handedly. Okay, maybe not but you get the sentiment. Anyone who has ever been to a garage sale knows how amazing they are.
As a result, they are a viable way of getting gym mirrors for almost no money at all. But the problem with garage sales is that you don’t know about the products in advance. So, there’s no saying whether you’ll actually find gym mirrors in a sale or not.
Facebook Marketplace
Finally, Facebook Marketplace is a comparatively new platform for buying and exchanging day-to-day products. And since it’s a social platform, everyone can freely post their products up for relevant transactions.
Thus, it’s practically a more social version of eBay and Craigslist in a way. And if you scroll down far enough, you’ll for sure find some precious gems in this loophole.
However, there is a very specific con to the Facebook Marketplace. Since the posters rarely have an actual selling permit, it’s hard to know whether the product is actually good or not. And it’s even harder to confront if the product indeed doesn’t live up to the expectations.
I mean, how would you feel if you received a gym mirror with all chipped and broken edges? Certainly, not good, right? Exactly. So, it’s really important to stay alert at all times before purchasing from such social platforms.
How Much Do Gym Mirrors Cost?
Multiple factors determine the cost of a mirror. Here’s a short list containing some of the important factors:
- Materials
- Mirror length
- Mirror width
- Glass thickness
- Frame material
- Mirror style
- Decorative additions
- Internal adhesion
- Reflective edges
- Decorative LED lighting
Now, some of these factors like the decorative ones aren’t actually needed. They are just there to, well, ‘decorate’ the mirrors as the name itself suggests. So, you don’t have to purposefully get them unless you want to.
Also, simple home gym mirrors devoid of such decorative additions cost a lot less. You can get a nice gym mirror for as low as just 30-50 bucks. And the price will continue to increase as you increase the mirror length and width.
For the 36-inch-wide large mirrors, you may need to pay up to $80-$150. Again, if you are getting LED backlighting strips or other décors with the mirror, it can go up to 200 bucks too.
Best Home Gym Mirrors You Can Consider Buying
By now, you already know how and where to get some reliable gym mirrors at a super reasonable price. To help you out even further, here’s a brief overview of some of the best home gym mirrors that I’ve used.
Gatco 1802 Flush Mount Frameless Rectangle Mirror
The Gatco 1802 is a great choice if you’re looking for a reasonably priced gym mirror with a modern outlook. The sleek frameless design in a rectangle shaped mirror is truly unmatched and timelessly elegant.
Despite being frameless, it comes ready to hang which is undoubtedly a great feature. Furthermore, it comes with a protective silver layer coating on the back of the mirror. As a result, it’s pretty durable and you don’t have to worry about any scratches or damage for years to come.
Pros
- Minimalist Flush Mount Mirror for harmonious reflection
- Smooth bevelled edge for easy hanging
- Doesn’t take up extra space within the frame
- Handcrafted and comes polished for that extra shine that lasts for ages
- Comes with easy to install interlocking brackets made of solid aluminum
Cons
- Additional brackets are necessary to accommodate hyperactive gyms
- Balanced on a V-shaped bracket and doesn’t lay flat against the wall
FANYUSHOW 30 x 36-inch Mirror
If large mirrors are more your style, you should definitely go for this 30 x 36-inch mirror from FANYUSHOW. It’s great for all those people who despise having to buy multiple small mirrors for a single wall. The large surface dimension of 30×36-inch will easily satisfy their needs in such cases.
The bevelled edges come polished with this mirror which is of showroom quality. Furthermore, it has a shatterproof membrane that makes it way more durable and sturdier. And even if the glass indeed breaks, the external membrane will restrict the sharp pieces from spilling out all over.
Pros
- Pre-installed cross hooks make it much easier to mount and hang
- It’s possible to hang the mirror both vertically and horizontally
- Shatterproof membrane offers extra protection against external damage
- Timeless design makes it perfect for versatile usage
- Polished edges offer extra shining and ensures safe handling while mounting
Cons
- The glass is thinner than expected which distorts the reflection a bit
- It’s not possible to hang the mirror without retaining clips
ONXO Full Length Mirror
The ONXO Full Length mirror is perfect for minimalistic home gyms that aren’t looking to cover the whole wall with mirrors. It’s especially perfect for single person workout sessions. Since it’s a full-length mirror, you can see yourself completely while exercising without any extra hassles.
The mirror doesn’t have any large dimensions except for the minimalist 65” ×22” vision space that it takes. So, you will have all that extra unused space to put them to some good use. And don’t worry.
The small size of the mirror doesn’t affect its durability. It comes with shatterproof glass with an anti-rust frame. As a result, the frame not only looks stylish but also keeps the mirror safe from unwanted scratches and damages.
Pros
- The shatterproof glass makes the mirror kid and family-friendly
- The anti-rust aluminum alloy coating prevents corrosion around the edges
- Three different methods available for installation making it easier to hang
- Adjustable standing bracket can support free floor standing
- The mirror gives a complete and realistic full head to toe view
Cons
- The frame can get detached from the wall due to improper adhesion
- The mirror edges are not as smooth due to the sharp alloy coating
Home Gym Mirror Alternatives
The whole point of a gym mirror is to see yourself do the exercises. That means you can try out various alternatives that will allow you to do the same thing. Here are a few examples:
Webcams
You can use webcams to record the session while you exercise your heart out. Then you can later observe the sessions and see if you’re doing anything wrong or not. That way, you can improve upon your techniques later on.
And unlike mirrors, the webcam will capture you from whatever angle you want it to. In gym mirrors, you only get to see the front part of yourself on the reflective surface. Doesn’t matter if the whole room is made of mirrors, you’ll still see just the front part of your body.
Such limitations are revoked with the use of webcams. You can record yourself from the back while doing shoulder exercises to see how your backside is responding to the act. If you see any irregular muscle movement, you can stay aware of that and not do that anymore.
You can also set the camera to appropriate zooming settings to really focus on specific exercising sessions. And that’s something that you cannot achieve from a normal gym mirror. So, considering that aspect, using webcams is a pretty great alternative to gym mirrors.
Phone Camera
Phone cameras do pretty much the same stuff as the webcams of laptops. You get similar benefits and can one-up those gym mirrors by recording and zooming all the sessions. And unlike full laptops, phone cameras are much easier to handle in comparison.
Although, some webcam fans might heavily disagree on that part. But personally, I find that phone cameras are a much better option for recording day-to-day exercising sessions. They are not as bulky and the camera quality is also top-notch if the phone brand is quite good.
Anyway, let’s end this segment with another fascinating thing about using such alternatives. Since you can record the sessions, you can also keep a compilation of them. As a result, you can either create a timelapse or just upload the entire thing on social media platforms.
It will keep a nice memory of all your journeys and keep a record of your progression over the years. And who knows? Maybe your clips will inspire others to take up exercising as well. You might just end up becoming a hot-shot fitness guru too. Wouldn’t that be a dream come true?
Conclusion
By now, you’ve probably learned everything you need to know about buying home gym mirrors. Turns out, it’s not that hard of a task if you know where to look and what you need.
Hopefully, this article managed to provide you with some great insights on those two fronts. Just don’t forget to check the product specifications thoroughly before purchasing, and you’ll be all good. Thanks for stopping by.