Bevelled, Frameless or Framed: Mirror Edges Explained

Most of the difference in price between two mirrors of the same size is in the edge and the frame. Understanding the three common treatments makes the listings much easier to compare.

Bevelled

A bevel is a shallow angle ground and polished around the perimeter of the glass, typically 15 to 25 mm wide. It catches light at the border and gives a faint prismatic line, which is why bevelled mirrors read as more formal. Bevelling is an extra grinding and polishing operation, so it costs more, and the bevel width is worth checking because a narrow one is much less visible than the photographs suggest.

Frameless with a polished edge

Here the edge is ground flat and polished smooth, with no bevel and no frame. It is the plainest option and it suits contemporary rooms, particularly bathrooms, where a frame is one more thing to trap moisture. A polished edge is safe to handle; an unfinished or seamed edge is not, and reputable mirrors are not sold that way.

Framed

A frame adds protection to the edge, a fixing point for hanging, and most of the character. Metal frames are slim and hold their shape; wood and rattan frames are warmer and heavier; composite frames sit between the two. The frame also adds to the overall dimensions, which is why the listing gives framed size and glass size separately when they differ.

Glass thickness

Most wall mirrors are 4 mm or 5 mm glass. Thicker glass is flatter and distorts less across a large span, and it is noticeably heavier. A large thin mirror in a slim frame can show a slight waviness in the reflection; that is a property of the glass, not damage.

Backing and silvering

The reflective layer sits on the back of the glass under protective coats of paint. Where a mirror is described as copper-free or intended for damp areas, the backing is formulated to resist the black creeping edge that humidity eventually causes. It slows the process; it does not make a mirror immune to a bathroom with no ventilation.

Reading a listing

• Framed dimensions and glass dimensions, where they differ.
• Edge treatment, and bevel width where there is one.
• Glass thickness and total weight.
• Fixings supplied, and whether the piece can hang both ways.

Where a maker does not publish one of those figures, we say so on the page rather than filling the gap with an estimate.