Tiny apartment life means no room for a vanity. It also means that the sink and bathroom counter are very small and that the mirror sucks. So I, like many other women, have a foldable lighted makeup mirror. I own the older version of this one from Jerdon that rotates to a magnifying mirror. It has an AC Adapter in the front so you plug in any powered skincare tools or hair tools you’d like to use in front of a mirror. Instagram fodder? Not really – but it gets the job done and that’s what I need.
A Little Chic, A Lot of Cash
Simplehuman, however, makes mirrors for folks who want their makeup mirror to double as a photo prop. This eight-inch lighted mirror of theirs costs $180 and is already enough to make my eyes bulge out of my head like a Looney Toons character. It’s prettier than what I use, for sure – but it is smaller, single-paned, etc. Similar models with a few other bells and whistles (including WiFi – WTF?) run up to $250. A mirror does not need to be network connected!
Simplehuman Wide-Angle Mirror
Imagine how blown my mind was when I saw their latest-and-greatest.
Cost-benefit-ratio be damned, the Simplehuman Wide-Angle Mirror tips the scales at $400. A car payment can get you the same three-paneled viewing pleasure that I got in my $35 option. Okay, cool story, but what else?
Highlights include:
- Cord free/rechargeable
- Motion Sensor (ew, creepy)
- Adjustable Color Settings
- LEDs that, “are rated to last like new even after 40,000 hours- that’s one hour a day, every day for over 100 years.”
Oh thank heavens – an heirloom for the great grandkids!
The Bottom Line
I poked around and checked out reviews on the device. Overall it seems to be netting 3/5 stars with a few people in love with it but most people either not liking it OR saying it’s OK, but definitely not worth $400. Personally, I don’t need a review to tell me a little mirror isn’t worth $400, but hey – it was funny to read a few.
As for the people who did report enjoying it, I can’t help but suspect it is that phenomenon where people convince themselves (and therefore try to convince others) that they do like hefty purchases that they are secretly disappointed in.
Who is their target market? Who are these people who are buying things like this? I mean, I know I asked similar things about the Dyson Blowdryer, but really!