The Best Makeup Mirror with Lights of 2020

Let’s start with the obvious: This is a pricey mirror and far above the amount that even I, Reviewed’s beauty writer, would typically spend for the ability to look at my own reflection. But the fact is, the Glamcor Riki Skinny is the most versatile and most intuitive lighted makeup mirror I’ve ever used. Its combination of bright lights, crystal-clear reflection, and compact, portable form elevate it far above the competition, and make it worth its higher-than-most price.

For starters, unlike many mirrors, the Riki is wireless and rechargeable, so I could unbox it and get right to...well, looking at myself. You control the mirror features via six buttons located along the bottom right corner of the frame. The first button has a battery emoticon on it and, when pressed, lights up to indicate how much charge you have left. Next, a Bluetooth button that, when held, allows the mirror to sync to your phone so that you can control the camera function on your phone (yes, stay with me). Next, the camera button, which when pressed, takes a photo on your phone once you sync it with the Bluetooth button. Next is the on/off button for the lights. And, finally, the last two buttons increase and decrease the brightness of the lighting.

Even sitting only a foot away, the placemat-sized Riki is large enough that you can see your whole face and immediate surroundings. I dislike sitting in front of a mirror and feeling like I’m not seeing the full picture of my face, my neck, and my hair as I’m getting ready. The reflective surface (referred to as 1x magnification, in mirror-speak) is large enough that I can see where I need to blend my foundation down my neck and do my hair without adjusting the mirror at all.

If you want to change the angle of the mirror, though, it’s a cinch—the V-shaped stand acts like an easel on which you place the mirror. If you want a different view, you spread the stands’ legs further apart or closer together.

If you were to travel with this mirror, you may collapse the stand down to a flat surface similar in size to a five-by-seven picture frame. The mirror itself is only 1.5 pounds, 9.5 inches by 13 inches in width and height, and less than an inch thick, making it easy to pack in a bag or store in a drawer.

The secret to the Riki’s excellent, even illumination is its 54 lights, each smaller than a pea, that line the rectangular edges of the mirror to illuminate every part of your face equally. There are five light settings, which you can control using the aforementioned brightening and dimming light buttons. Even if you are sitting in natural sunlight from a window and you don’t think you need more light, you may find these settings make a difference in clarity.

When you’re approaching tasks that require you to see close up, there is a circular 3x magnification mirror that attaches onto the rectangular mirror’s face with magnets. It’s smaller than other circular magnifying mirrors we tested, but it’s a secondary product that you may not use all the time anyway—and it’s adequate for precision tasks. The phone holder, which clamps your phone not unlike a selfie stick, attaches in the same way as the magnification mirror. The Riki quickly synced to my iPhone 7 and I was able to take photos using the camera button on the mirror with no problems—in case you’re curious and think that’s a function you’d utilize to, say, share your latest look with your Instagram followers.

In all areas, the Glamcor Riki Skinny exceeded my expectations. Before I began testing, I assumed these mirrors would offer about the same user experience, but I was wrong and this mirror proved that to me. And if it’s good enough to be one of Oprah’s Favorite Things, it may make your list of life-changing products as well.

While the Riki Skinny is a great option, I understand the desire to spend less, especially if you don’t care about the extra features, like the Bluetooth functionality. If you fall into that camp, consider the DeWeisn Tri-Fold Mirror, the Best Overall winner in our previous round of testing, and now our Best Value pick.

The DeWeisn has a tri-fold design, meaning the mirror can fold down into roughly the size of an iPad or expand into a multi-functional mirror with a 9.5-inch-tall, 1x magnification (regular reflection) centerpiece and side panels with 2x and 3x magnification sections. The 2x magnification is something the Riki doesn’t offer, so if you like the idea of having three gradual magnification options instead of just two, the DeWeisn delivers.

And with the lower price, you won’t be forfeiting quality lighting—the DeWeisn mirror features well directed, adjustable lightning and a crisp reflection, albeit smaller in surface area compared to the Riki. This mirror also swivels 180 degrees, meaning you can tilt the mirror far back or forward to capture more angles. A downside to the light settings is that there are only two, dim and bright, and these are controlled by the same touch sensor. Still, these settings were adequate for my needs.

The DeWeisn is powered by a USB cable, but you can also use four AAA batteries, if you prefer it to be wireless. The ability to fold the mirror together to a 10.38- by 6.3- by 4.72-inch size (including the stand the mirror is attached to) makes it more travel-friendly than others on this list. Plus you’re bringing along three mirrors in one with this because of the magnification options.

If you’re looking for a great, affordable lighted makeup mirror, we think you’ll be happy with this choice.

It doesn’t get much simpler than this lighted mirror from Conair. The circular mirror is 7.5 inches in diameter with six of those inches being the reflective portion, or “viewing area.” One side of the circle, which can rotate 360 degrees, is 1x magnification and the other is 10x—quite the boost from the Riki or the DeWeisn’s 3x magnification options, which could be helpful if you want to get very up close and personal with your face, but it may lead you to over pluck hairs or pick at your skin too much. The Conair uses three AA batteries (not included), which insert at the bottom of the stand, and has a simple on-and-off switch (no brightness settings). Beyond the ring of light around the face of the mirror, there are no bells and whistles to this mirror. It is, however, attractive for a vanity with a metallic finish, and a tall and slim appearance that doesn’t take up too much space. As the batteries lose power, though, the light gets dimmer, which is our main critique.

The design of this mirror, which is powered by a USB cord or four AA batteries, is simple yet very effective. It’s vanity-style lights surround the entire mirror and get very bright—they also may be dimmed down more softly than candlelight. The 8.8-inch-tall mirror could stand to be a bit larger as sometimes those lights can get in your eyes. It comes with a small attachable 10x magnification mirror. However, that bonus mirror blocks a big portion of the main mirror, so we preferred to use it separately instead of tacking it onto the glass.

Like the above (and newer model) Conair mirror, this one is attractive and in line with what you may picture when you think of cosmetic mirrors. The 8.5-inch oval mirror rotates a full 360 degrees, with one side that’s regular magnification (1x) and the other that’s 7x enlarged. The oval shape is excellent as it mimics the shape of your face, so you don’t have to twist and turn to see all parts of your face. Its biggest drawback—and it is a big one—is that the lights don’t get bright enough to give a true showing. It’s also only electric with no battery-powered ability, so it’s not as portable as the competition.

The Maker2, which uses four AA batteries and offers 1x and 10x magnification options, is nearly identical to the Absolutely Lush mirror, but there are a few things that bumped it to the bottom half of the list. The vanity-style lights only run up the vertical edges instead of all around the mirror, although it was advertised otherwise. The lights also don’t get nearly as bright as others, despite being adjustable. The Maker2 is also strictly battery-operated with no option to plug it in. If you like the design of this mirror, it’s a no-brainer: Opt for the Absolutely Lush one instead, which is superior and costs around the same price.

The most obvious drawback to this mirror from Zadro is that it is clunky, at 11 by 8 by 17.5 inches. With its larger-than-most size comes a circular face that’s about an inch-and-a-half larger than the also-circular Conair mirror, which means seeing your hair and immediate surroundings is easier from the same distance away. However, the overall structure, including the base that has a very shallow tray designed for storing cosmetics, is too large to want to transport anywhere. The mirror is powered by a standard outlet cord and has only an on-and-off switch, meaning the lights are not adjustable. What is adjustable is where the mirror sits: You may have the mirror standing straight up, like the Conair, or you may tilt the mirror down on its horizontal axis all the way to 90 degrees (though we’re not sure why you’d need to). The mirror is two-sided, with a standard 1x reflective surface and a 10x magnification option on the other side.

This 1x and 5x magnification mirror had a lot of promise, with a three-panel design and a double-sided center mirror. However, it’s just way too bulky and poorly designed to recommend. Its design looks outdated and is difficult to adjust, and the lighting isn't effective or bright enough on any setting. It's more trouble than it's worth: Skip it.