When building a gym you might think that mirrors that go from the floor to the ceiling are necessary but is that actually the case? You might be able to save a lot of money here.
Full-length mirrors that go from ceiling to floor aren’t necessary for a home gym because you won’t use the whole mirror. In a commercial gym, aesthetics and feel are more important which is the most important thing full-length mirrors add.
Below you can find the details of why full-length mirrors are not necessary, what the pros and cons are, and why commercial gyms often DO have full-length mirrors.
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Are Full-Length Mirrors Necessary In a Home Gym?
In a home gym, mirrors that go from the floor to the ceiling are not necessary. Yes, they look great and make your gym feel spacious and bright but, for practical purposes, they’re not necessary or the best choice.
Remember the purpose of gym mirrors. You want to be able to see your whole body during exercise in order to check your form and technique. And keeping track of your progress is a nice bonus.
To start at the top, you don’t need to see higher than you can reach your hands. All the mirror surface above that point. isn’t going to be used.
At the bottom, you want to see your feet. While your feet are on the floor, you don’t actually see your feet in the bottom part of the mirror. That’s because of how the light reflects in your eyes. As long as the eyes are higher than the feet, you’ll see your feet without the bottom part of the mirror.
if you’re wondering how tall gym mirrors should be and how high to mount them for proper visibility, click the respective links to find concrete numbers.
If you’re talking about the length from left to right, that also doesn’t have to be as wide as your wall. Just wide enough to see yourself. How wide the ideal gym mirror for you is can be found in this article.
So while full-length mirrors are not necessary, there is also no reason not to although there are some pros and cons to full-length mirrors to be aware of.
Pros and Cons of Full-Length Gym Mirrors
Full-length mirrors from ceiling to floor have some pros and cons. Some of these don’t really apply to home gyms which is exactly why full-length mirrors are less common in home and garage gyms.
Pros of Full-Length Gym Mirrors
- Comprehensive View: Full-length mirrors provide a complete visual representation of your body, allowing you to assess your form, posture, and overall physique from head to toe. With full-length mirrors it doesn’t matter how tall or short you are. It also doesn’t matter how close or far away you are, everyone can always see themselves.
- Wall Coverage: With full wall mirrors, you don’t have to think about what color to finish the rest of the wall in.
- Aesthetics and Spaciousness: Full-length mirrors can enhance the overall appearance of a gym by creating a sense of spaciousness and brightness. They contribute to an inviting and professional atmosphere. This is by far the most important consideration for most gyms. For home gyms, this isn’t very important. For commercial gyms, it’s very important because it translates into more paying customers, customers that are willing to pay more, or both.
Cons of Full-Length Gym Mirrors
- Cost: Full-length mirrors are significantly more expensive than smaller gym mirrors due to their larger size and higher installation and maintenance requirements.
- Space Constraints: Installing full-length mirrors requires sufficient wall space, which may not be available in all gym setups. Limited space can make it challenging to accommodate large mirrors, especially in home or garage gyms.
- Vulnerability: Mirrors going all the way down to the floor are quite vulnerable. Dropped dumbbells or barbells tend to roll and if they roll into a mirror, it’s pretty easy to crack. That’s why in most gyms that have full-length mirrors, there is still a gap or barrier at the bottom.
- Maintenance: Full-length mirrors require regular cleaning and maintenance to keep them free from smudges, fingerprints, and dust. Cleaning a large mirror can be more time-consuming and labor-intensive compared to smaller mirrors.
- Personal Preference: Some individuals may not find the need for a full-length mirror in their workouts. They may prefer smaller mirrors that focus on specific exercise areas or prioritize other aspects of their training.
At this point, most people will have come to the conclusion that smaller mirrors fit their needs and budget better. Click here to find my recommended gym mirrors that are the right size and high-quality.
Commercial vs. Home Gym Mirror Setups
In a commercial gym, the considerations are a bit different than for a home gym. Home gyms just have to be practical and the mirrors have to show you your reflection, period.
In a commercial gym, aesthetics are often much more important. People want to work out in a gym that looks spacious and bright. Not a dark, cramped hole in the wall. Although some people like that type of gym, the majority do not. The large mirrors might cost more but result in more paying customers so it’s worth it.
Besides that, gyms often cover almost every wall in mirrors, at least in the weights and machines section. That’s because many people want to use the mirrors at the same time. Just covering every surface in mirror is the easiest way to get space for most people. And again, more space in front of the mirror means more paying customers.
On top of that, lots of mirrors help to keep an overview of the gym. If someone is coming up behind you with some heavy barbell on their shoulders, it might be a good idea not to step in front of them. But you have to see that to make that decision. So mirrors help with the traffic flow in busy gyms.
