By Beverly Gene, Design Consultant, Claris Company. Every product detail in this guide is checked against the specifications of the mirrors Claris builds.
Published October 2026.
A hardwired LED mirror connects to a junction box in the wall behind it, with no cord in sight, and needs an electrician, ideally before the walls close. A plug-in LED mirror runs a cord to a receptacle and can go up any time. For a bathroom under renovation, hardwired is the cleaner install. Plug-in is the easier one.
Most Claris LED mirrors are built as 110V hardwired mirrors, with a plug option chosen at order. VIANO is the exception: plug-in only, so it hangs where a hardwire would not reach.
Key takeaways
- Hardwired means a junction box behind the mirror, no visible cord, and a licensed electrician.
- Plug-in means a cord to a receptacle and no rough-in. Plan where the cord goes.
- A power cord may not run through or inside a wall under the US National Electrical Code; in Canada, your electrician applies the Canadian Electrical Code.
- A mirror hardwired to a plain wall switch has no buttons. Light and anti-fog come on together.
- A standard hardwired mirror does not dim from a wall dimmer. Many sensor builds dim at the glass; wall dimming is a factory build.
Hardwired vs plug-in LED mirror: the comparison
| Hardwired | Plug-in | |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Mirror leads joined in a junction box behind the mirror | A cord to a receptacle |
| Visible cord | None | Yes, unless the receptacle sits behind the mirror |
| Who installs | A licensed electrician makes the connection | Anyone can hang it; a new receptacle is an electrician's job |
| When | Best at rough-in, before drywall and tile | Any time |
| Controls | A wall switch, or a wave motion sensor on the glass | The control on the glass |
| Anti-fog | Runs from the same box behind the mirror | Ask before ordering |
| Wall dimming | Only as a factory dimmer build | No |
| Best for | New builds, full renovations, finished walls with no cord | Rentals, quick updates, walls that will not be opened |
What does a hardwired LED mirror need?
The rough-in
Before drywall or tile, the electrician runs a circuit to a junction box at the mirror's location. Set the box inside the mirror's footprint, so the glass covers it. Fix the mirror's position first: its width from our vanity mirror sizing guide, its height from how high to hang a mirror over a vanity. Then place the box against the model's drawing.
In Ontario, nearly all electrical work needs a notification filed with the Electrical Safety Authority before it starts, and wiring may not be covered until an inspector authorizes it. Outside Ontario, your provincial or local authority sets the rules. Either way, use a licensed electrician for the connection.
The junction box behind the mirror
The mirror's leads join the house wiring inside the box. Claris mirrors hang on keyhole mounts, so the glass lifts off its mounts to reach the connection later. Ask your electrician to confirm the box placement meets your local code for access.
The anti-fog lead
Anti-fog on a Claris mirror is a heated film behind the glass, and it draws power too. On a build with anti-fog, plan the box behind the mirror for both the light and the film. Where the film has its own power lead, as on our wall-dimmer builds, that lead is a cord. It ends in the box behind the mirror and never runs through the wall: NEC Section 400.12 bars flexible cords from running through holes in walls or being concealed in them. In Canada, the Canadian Electrical Code, CSA C22.1, as adopted by each province, sets the rules; use a licensed electrician to apply them to your wall. The anti-fog mirror guide explains how the film works.
Wall switch or sensor: the switch-only rule
Choose the control with the order. There are two routes.
- Wall switch build. The mirror is hardwired to a plain switch, and the switch is the control. There are no buttons on the glass. Light and anti-fog come on together and go off together. It is one or the other, because the mirror runs off a switch. COMO and the Standard build of PEBBLE work this way.
- Sensor build. A wave motion sensor on the glass switches the light, with no fingerprint on the mirror. On STONE, the sensor also dims, and anti-fog comes standard. DIANO, BOCA and ACARI carry the same wave motion control.
Can a hardwired LED mirror dim from a wall dimmer?
Not as standard. A standard hardwired mirror has a slim internal driver, and it does not dim from a wall dimmer. On many product pages this shows as "non-dimmable standard, dimmable driver available."
Wall dimming is a factory build, chosen with the order:
- The mirror is built without an internal driver and with a 12 V wire out of the back.
- An external, dimmable 12 V driver sits between the wall dimmer and the mirror, in an accessible spot your electrician approves, such as the vanity cabinet.
- A build with anti-fog still needs a box behind the mirror for the film's lead. The dimmer turns the light and the anti-fog on together; the factory confirms how the film is fed with the order.
- The driver and its rating are confirmed with the order.
Sensor builds that list dimming, such as STONE, dim at the glass and need none of this. Each product page says whether a model dims; BOCA, for one, does not. Our designer's guide to bathroom mirror lighting covers where dimming earns its place.
When does a plug-in LED mirror make sense?
- The wall is finished and will stay closed. No box behind the mirror, no plan to open the drywall.
- A rental or a short-term update. The mirror leaves with you.
- A dressing room or bedroom. A receptacle is often already close.
VIANO, a round in matte stainless steel, is plug-in only, with a Soft-Touch control on the glass. Many other Claris pieces list a plug option on the product page; choose it at order.
Plan the cord before the mirror goes up. It can drop down the wall to a nearby receptacle. Or an electrician can set a receptacle behind the mirror's footprint, so the cord never shows. Bathroom receptacles need ground-fault (GFCI) protection under NEC 210.8(A), and the cord still may not pass through the wall.
Hardwired or plug-in: which should you choose?
| Your situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| New build or full renovation | Hardwired; place the box at rough-in |
| Finished wall, no box, no plan to open it | Plug-in, with the cord planned |
| You want anti-fog | Hardwired, with the box behind the mirror |
| You want to dim from the wall | Hardwired, as a factory dimmer build |
| You want the wall switch as the only control | Hardwired, wall switch build |
| You rent | Plug-in, such as VIANO |
Explore the LED mirrors and the anti-fog mirrors to compare builds, or start with STONE, COMO and VIANO. More guides live in the Design Journal.
Frequently asked questions
Does a hardwired LED mirror need an electrician?
Yes. A hardwired mirror connects to the house wiring in a junction box, and that connection is a licensed electrician's job. In Ontario, the work also needs a notification filed with the Electrical Safety Authority before it starts.
Can the cord of a plug-in LED mirror run inside the wall?
No. Under NEC Section 400.12, flexible cords may not run through holes in walls or be concealed inside them. To hide the cord, have an electrician place a receptacle behind the mirror's footprint.
Where should the junction box go behind an LED mirror?
Inside the mirror's footprint, so the glass covers it. Fix the mirror's width and height first, then place the box against the model's drawing before the walls close.
Can an LED mirror go on a dimmer switch?
Only as a factory dimmer build, ordered with an external dimmable driver. A standard hardwired mirror does not dim from a wall dimmer. Sensor builds that list dimming, such as STONE, dim at the glass instead.
Does a hardwired LED mirror have buttons?
A mirror hardwired to a plain wall switch has no buttons; the switch is the control, and light and anti-fog come on together. Sensor builds carry a wave motion sensor on the glass, and some models, such as VIANO, have a Soft-Touch control.
Can a Claris LED mirror be ordered as a plug-in?
Many can. Where a plug option exists, the product page lists it, and it is chosen at order. VIANO is plug-in only.
About the author
Beverly Gene is a design consultant with Claris Company, a Toronto architectural mirror studio, and advises designers and homeowners on mirror selection and specification on real projects. This guide answers the wiring questions designers and electricians ask before the walls close, when the junction box can still go in the right place. About us, partner with us, or get in touch.
Claris Company. 50 Carroll Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4M 3G3. +1-855-999-2124. info@clariscompany.com.
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