Choosing bathroom light fittings that will actually last

What an IP rating actually tells you

IP stands for Ingress Protection, followed by two digits. The first digit covers protection against solid objects and dust, the second against water. For bathroom fittings, it's the second digit that matters most: a higher number means the fitting can cope with splashes, jets, or even brief submersion, depending on the rating.

You don't need to memorise the whole scale. In practice, bathroom fittings are sold as IP44 or IP65, and each is intended for a specific zone. IP44 tolerates splashing water; IP65 tolerates jets of water and is the safer choice anywhere close to the shower or bath itself.

A fitting rated IP20, common in living rooms and hallways, has no meaningful water protection at all and should never go in a bathroom, however good the price looks.

Why a bathroom is split into zones

Wiring regulations treat a bathroom as several zones, based on distance from the water source, because moisture doesn't affect the whole room evenly. The area directly above a bath or shower tray sees the most water and steam; a wall-mounted light three metres away sees much less.

This is why one bathroom can reasonably hold fittings of two different ratings: an IP65 fitting close to the shower, and an IP44 fitting further off near the mirror or door, where splashing is unlikely but humidity is still higher than in a dry room.

If you're not sure which zone a spot on your ceiling or wall falls into, that's a question worth putting to whoever wires the fitting, rather than guessing from a diagram found online. Getting it wrong isn't just about corrosion, it's a safety issue.

Recessed downlights, mirror cabinets and ceiling lights

Recessed downlights are the most common choice for bathroom ceilings, fitted flush so there's nothing to knock or catch. Directly over a shower or bath they need an IP65 rating; elsewhere in the room, IP44 is usually enough, but check the fitting is rated for the zone it's going into before it's bought.

Mirror cabinets with built-in lighting solve two problems at once: task lighting at the sink and storage in one unit. They're normally installed further from the water source, so IP44 is typical, but the electrical connection still needs to be planned properly, especially if the cabinet also has a shaver socket or USB point.

A single central ceiling light, further from the shower, can sometimes get away with a lower rating than a spot right above the tray, but in a small bathroom where steam fills the whole room, it's worth fitting IP44 as standard rather than assuming the far corner stays dry.

• Directly above shower or bath: IP65 fitting
• Elsewhere in the room, including near the mirror: IP44 as a minimum
• Mirror cabinets: check the light and any socket are both rated for a damp room
• Never install an IP20-rated fitting anywhere in a bathroom
• When unsure of a zone, ask before buying rather than after

Why a cheap fitting corrodes fast in humidity

A bathroom light works in conditions no other room's lighting has to survive: steam from every shower, condensation on cold surfaces, and cleaning products nearby. A fitting genuinely built to its stated rating has sealed gaskets and corrosion-resistant metal inside the housing, not just a badge on the box.

The cheapest fittings on the market sometimes carry an IP44 or IP65 label without the build quality to back it up: a thin seal that perishes within a year, or a driver board that isn't properly protected from moisture. The light still turns on, but the metalwork inside starts rusting and the driver fails long before it should.

This is one of the few places in a bathroom renovation where spending a bit more genuinely pays off. A mid-range fitting from a known supplier, correctly rated for its zone, will usually outlast several cheap replacements bought one after another.

Installation and the electrical connection

Bathroom lighting is one of the jobs where the fitting matters less than how it's wired in. Damp rooms have specific requirements around switches, earthing and how cables are routed, and this is electrical work that should be done by a qualified electrician rather than attempted as a weekend job.

We install light fittings from 40 € per job, and general electrical work from 49 € per hour, with a minimum of one hour and 30-minute steps after that. For a larger rewiring job or several fittings at once, we're happy to give a fixed quote from a description or photos, valid for 30 days.

If you're not certain whether a change you're planning needs a permit or sign-off, the city or the building register is the place to confirm it before work starts, particularly in an apartment building where the wiring is shared with other flats.