Mirrors are already a detail of the home gym many people forget. How big mirrors should be and how high to mount them is certainly a detail many people overlook.
Gym mirrors are ideally 5’ to 6’+ tall and at least 36” wide. A gym mirror should be mounted 2′ from the floor which means the top of the mirror is 7′ to 8′ from the floor. This is perfect for weightlifting and most other workouts. For Yoga and similar exercises, mirrors should go down to the floor.
That’s not all that can be said about the size of gym mirrors. There are a couple more details you should really know before you run to the shop and buy a random shiny piece of glass.
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Ideal Garage/Home Gym Mirror Height
To be able to do everything a gym mirror has to do (more on that later), you want the mirror to be at least 5 feet tall. This is important because you want to see your whole body and everything you’re holding, even when your arms are above your head.
Don’t want to worry about choosing the right mirror for your gym? Click here to find my favorite workout mirror.
You might think that 5 feet isn’t tall enough to do that. Well, it wouldn’t be if you stood against the mirror. You don’t do that though. Most people tend to stand at least 4’-5’ away from the mirror. 6 feet tall workout mirrors will fit you comfortably especially if you’re tall.
Another point is that you want the top mirror to be mounted at a height of 7”. Why is that necessary? Because there are plenty of things you do above your head. Overhead pressing and pull-ups, just to name two big ones. You still want to be able to see what you’re doing above your head so you want to make sure that the mirror covers it and 7′ does.
If you’ve got ceilings that are taller than 7 feet, it’s not necessary to have the mirrors go all the way up, although there is no downside to doing so. Having mirrors in a gym going all the way to the ceiling is an aesthetic choice.
While height is important for workout mirrors, it’s not the only thing you should look at when choosing one. There are 6 more factors that are crucial for choosing the right gym mirror.
How High To Mount Gym Mirrors From The Floor?
I can hear you thinking: “Hang on, the 5′-6′ mirror height you recommend doesn’t match the 7′ height.”
It’s fine and actually recommended to have a gap at the bottom so the top of the workout mirror ends up at 7′ from the floor.
Since most mirrors aren’t 7’ tall, you’ll have a gap without mirror at the bottom. When you drop a pair of dumbbells or a barbell, it tends to roll away. If a weight rolls into a mirror, there is a good chance it will break. Having a gap at the bottom prevents this.
A 2 feet gap at the bottom is perfectly fine and you’ll see your whole body. If you stand very close to the mirror (less than +-3′), you might want to hang it a bit lower but then you’ll need a mirror that’s at least 6′ tall.
There is an exception though: If you’re doing a lot of floor exercises, like yoga or pilates, you want your mirrors to be further down. How low depends on how close you are to the mirror when doing your workout. Especially for poses where your head is close to the floor, the mirror has to go down to the floor for good visibility. However, the bottom few inches can still be off the floor.
Yoga and Pilatus don’t use any weights, the risk of damaging the mirrors is much lower so there is no drawback to having a mirror all the way to the floor. Of course, if you do both Yoga and weightlifting, you might have to make a compromise.
Workout Mirror Width
We’ve covered the height, but what about the width? It’s quite simple; it has to fit the width of the person looking at him/herself. It’s quite irritating to be standing In the middle of a seam between two mirrors. It’s like you’re being cut in half and you’ll have a funny shape.
That’s fun at the fair but at the gym, it’s a distraction you don’t need. 36” is the minimum mirror size that will contain most people without being spread out over two mirrors. If you want more information about workout mirror width, here is an article that goes in-depth.
FAQ
Are glassless mirrors good for gyms?
Yes, glassless mirrors are great for gyms. They’re made from acrylic sheets and have a tough coating. They have some great benefits over traditional mirrors. Glassless mirrors are;
–Lightweight
–Strong
–Shatterproof
This makes them perfect for gyms.
Do gym mirrors make you look bigger?
In some gyms, the top of the mirror is pointing slightly downward. This makes your upper body look bigger and your belly smaller. However, in 99.9% of gyms, it’s just the lighting making you look different.
