How to Choose a Medicine Cabinet: A Practical Guide

Before anything else, measure the wall where you want the cabinet to go. The width of the cabinet needs to fit the wall, and the height needs to clear whatever is above — a window, a light fixture, or the ceiling itself.

For a cabinet above the sink, most people go with something between 20" and 36" wide. A 20" or 24" cabinet works well above a single sink. A 30" or 36" cabinet gives you more mirror space and storage, and suits wider vanities or bathrooms where two people share the same mirror.

If you're thinking about a recessed cabinet — one that sits inside the wall rather than on the surface — the width also needs to work with your wall's stud spacing. Standard American walls have studs 16" apart on center, with 14.5" of usable space between them. A 15" wide cabinet fits between studs without any modifications. Wider cabinets span one or more studs, which means cutting and reframing the opening. That's not complicated, but it's worth knowing before you buy.

Surface mount and recessed are the two ways to install a medicine cabinet, and the choice affects both the look and the installation process.

Surface mount is simpler. You attach the cabinet directly to the wall surface, and it projects a few inches out from the wall. It's the right choice if your wall has tile, if you're renting, or if you want the cabinet up quickly without cutting into the wall.

Recessed looks cleaner. The cabinet sits flush with the wall surface, as if it was always part of the room. It takes more work to install but gives a more finished, built-in result. Most quality cabinets, including all BrumaBath models, support both options — so you're not locked in by the product itself.

Lighting is where medicine cabinets have changed the most in recent years, and it's worth understanding what your options are before you decide.

A cabinet without lighting is the simplest option. It gives you a mirror and storage, and relies on your existing bathroom lighting. This works fine if your overhead or vanity lighting is already good.

A cabinet with front lighting adds a light source directly on the mirror, which makes a real difference for tasks like makeup, shaving, and skincare where you need to see your face clearly. Look for CRI90+ lighting, which means the light renders colors accurately — important for makeup in particular. Adjustable color temperature (typically 2700K warm, 4500K neutral, and 6000K cool) lets you match the light to the time of day or task.

The Glow Collection uses CRI90+ task lighting set within the inner frame of the mirror, which creates a defined, directional light source. The Infinity Collection uses an acrylic edge light that runs around the full perimeter of the mirror, which creates softer, more diffused illumination from all sides. Both approaches are effective — the right choice depends on whether you prefer a more focused task light or a softer ambient glow.

Modern medicine cabinets can do a lot more than store things behind a mirror. Features worth considering include:

· Built-in electrical outlet and USB charger. Having a power source inside the cabinet keeps chargers and shavers off the countertop and out of sight. This is one of the most practical features available and surprisingly uncommon in standard cabinets.

· Anti-fog. If your bathroom gets steamy, anti-fog is worth having. It keeps the mirror usable immediately after a shower without waiting for it to clear.

· Interior lighting with door sensor. A light that activates when you open the door makes it easy to see what's on the shelves, especially in deeper cabinets or early morning low-light conditions.

· Magnifying mirror. A 3x magnifying mirror on the inner door is useful for detailed grooming tasks — tweezing, skincare, contact lenses — where a full-size mirror isn't close enough.

· Digital clock. Useful for keeping track of time during a morning routine, and available on select models in the Infinity Collection.

Single-door cabinets are a good fit for widths up to 24". Above that, a double-door design makes more sense — it gives you full access to the interior without a wide swing arc, and each door opens independently.

If you want more storage than a single cabinet can offer but don't want to buy a pre-configured set, some cabinets are designed to connect side by side. The BrumaGlow Collection is connectable — any two Glow units can be paired together, or combined with a BrumaSmall 12" module on either side.

If you'd rather skip the planning and just pick a ready-to-install combination, BrumaFusion sets are pre-configured pairings of Glow and BrumaSmall units, factory-aligned and sold as a single product. Sizes range from 32" to 72" wide.

Most medicine cabinets are between 3.5" and 5" deep — enough for standard toiletry bottles but tight for anything taller. If you have a lot of tall bottles or bulky items, look for a cabinet with adjustable shelves so you can reconfigure the interior to fit what you actually store.

Here's a simple way to think through the decision:

How much wall space do you have? That sets your width range.

Do you want it flush with the wall or mounted on the surface? That determines the installation type.

Do you need lighting on the mirror? That determines whether you want a lighted cabinet and which lighting style suits you.

Do you want built-in features like an outlet, anti-fog, or a magnifying mirror? Those are available on most lighted cabinets.

Do you want one cabinet or a connected configuration? That determines whether you look at single units or Fusion sets.

Once you've answered those questions, the right cabinet becomes much easier to find. Browse the full BrumaBath medicine cabinet collection to see all available sizes, styles, and configurations.