A very popular choice for an upgrade for today's homeowners is the bathroom vanity. Vanities will improve the value of a home and make it much more enjoyable to live in. Not all vanities are built the same however, and there are a variety of different materials they are constructed with.
Since there are so many different materials that vanities are made out of, we've assembled a review of some of them here. Before we take a look at the different materials that you can find in a vanity, we will briefly discuss what a vanity is and what you can expect to get with one.
About Bathroom Vanities
A bathroom vanity is designed to go into a bathroom, and is comprised of a cabinet of sorts, along with a counter top in which a sink (or sinks) is usually fixed. The sink usually has a faucet where hot and cold running water can be used for various hygiene functions.
There are all kinds of different features that come with a vanity, including faucets, mirrors, lamps, drawers with soft-close slides, and much more. Vanity counter tops are usually made with a variety of different materials some of which can be expensive to produce.
The counter top of a vanity is one of its most important features. See examples of Best Marble Top Vanities. The materials that go into vanities other than the counter tops can range from chrome, brushed brass, brushed nickel, glass, solid wood or wood products, and many other types.
Let's take a look at the various materials that go into the counter tops of a vanity here below:
Best Material for Bathroom Vanities
A bathroom vanity is a common fixture in many homes, and daily life would not be complete without being able to wash up, get ready for work, or even get a drink of water late at night.
Vanities provide all of these different functions, and for the modern household, it would be different difficult to get along without one. Getting a modern vanity for your bathroom can be a challenge for some people, but we should know what kind of materials vanities are made of to help us make our purchase decision.
While the different materials in vanities are numerous, the counter tops that are affixed to the vanity itself also come in different types. We are going to take a look at five different types of materials that are used commonly in counter tops in the construction of vanities here:
Marble Bathroom Vanities
There's a lot to be said about the material known as marble. In times past, marble was only used in households that were wealthy or could afford this expensive material. Over the years, marble has been used in many other settings besides just the homes of the wealthy.
Indeed, for centuries, marble has been seen as a symbol of good taste and luxury and comes in a wide choice of color variations. Marble is a hard crystalline form of the stone known as limestone and is most commonly found as being solid white with streaks of gray intermixed into the stone.
This is a strong long-lasting material that can be extensively polished to a bright shine or honed to a more casual finish with a matte appearance. Marble is somewhat still expensive at $125 to $150 per square foot, and it also needs to be periodically resealed as its porous nature makes it prone to staining, etching, and scratching.
The timeless beauty of marble is one of the most enduring and classic materials that are used in bathroom vanities. If you use marble, you are going to have a bathroom that will be suitable to impress any guest.
Quartz Bathroom Vanities
Quartz is another familiar material to many households. And while many years ago granite was the most popular choice for countertops for designers and homeowners alike, these days the most popular material is stunningly beautiful quartz.
Since quartz has replaced granite is the number one choice, you will find it in many different vanities available in the marketplace today. The properties of quartz make it one of nature's most abundant and hardest minerals on the planet.
Countertops fashioned with quartz are usually found as man-made materials that use about 95% natural quartz dust and chips that are carefully bonded together using resins and other materials, with pigments added to create color throughout the stone fabrication.
Quartz can be kind of pricey at $50 to $100 per square foot, yet it is less expensive than marble or granite, respectively. One drawback to quartz is that textured or honed surfaces can show fingerprints, so they will need to be wiped down and cleaned more frequently.
Quartz also does not scratch very easily so you will not have to worry about damage to your bathroom vanity from daily use.
See vanities such as the Best Quartz Vanities.
Quartzite Bathroom Vanities
The process of creating quartzite is quite elaborate and heat and pressurization and time are used. Quartzite starts as a metamorphic rock that through this process is transformed into a strong beautiful natural stone.
When the process is underway, the heated individual quartz pieces recrystallize, which create a extremely strong, beautiful, and durable natural stone material that has a sparkling decorative pattern.
This is an ideal countertop material thanks to the long-lasting composition of the materials, and it is very strong. Other advantages of Quartzite is that it does not have to be periodically sealed to prevent staining and damage. It also is not easily damaged through scratching and will remain intact for many years of reliable use.
This is also a material that does not cost a lot of money, and it is more affordable than quartz marble or granite. The use of quartzite in most homes as a material for bathroom vanities has been found to be an affordable option.
Quartzite is a good material for families, or those homes that have a less formal and playful type of atmosphere. Quartzite is both affordable and long-lasting and is a great value for any bathroom vanity that may feature it.
Recycled or Composite Material Bathroom Vanities
There are some vanities that are fabricated with the use of reused or recycled materials. Materials like glass and paper can be combined with forms of resins or cement and fashioned into slabs and sheets which can be cut and shaped into high quality table tops for bathroom vanities.
The overall appearance of a surface made with reused or recycled or composite materials is usually smooth, hard, and attractive. It's also a great material for those who are eco-conscious. The use of recycled materials is appealing to many young people who have a desire to help the environment in any way they can.
There are similar benefits to engineered or solid surface materials and a recycled or composite counter top. The recycled glass countertops usually come in a wide range of color selection types. One of the drawbacks is that due to the cement base, these materials require periodic sealing to make sure that they don't stain.
It is also difficult to assure the availability of the product in your area or online as the manufacture of these materials is often sporadic.
Granite Bathroom Vanities
Many bathroom vanities are made out of some form of stone, and granite is one of the best natural stones for this purpose. Granite costs about $50-$100 per square foot typically, so it can be kind of expensive to use this material.
Suitable for classic looks, vanities that choose this stone will have a dramatic aura and timeless look to their bathroom upgrade. This material does not scratch or dent which means it is impervious and you will have an easy time when you are cleaning the surface.
It also has various flecks, colorations, and veins that are very attractive aesthetically. Granite is a naturally porous material, so you will need to have sealing maintenance performed annually to seal in its pores.
This process will enhance its antimicrobial and anti-staining features but it has to be performed, otherwise you will experience issues when using. The resale value of your home will be increased by 90 to 100% of the overall cost of the material when installed in your home.
When you want a vibrant or spacious feel to your home, you will want to install white granite countertops.
Choosing the Best Vanity Material
You may want to review the different types of materials and see which ones you think would be best for you before you choose a vanity. There are many factors that go into choosing a vanity, and counter top material is usually one of the main ones.
Many people enjoy a marble material for their vanity for the classic look and the luxurious appearance that will impress friends and family alike. Marble is a great material but it is also somewhat costly.
Other materials such as Granite or Quartz are more affordable and offer just as good of a bathroom vanity experience, really. It all depends on the taste that you have and what you can afford.
Other factors that may impact your choice include that some materials may require periodic sealing to make sure that they don't stain during their use. If you cannot afford to have periodic sealing performed on these materials, then you may want to choose something else instead.
Some materials such as Quartz never scratch and don't need to be sealed which make them ideal for many households. If you want a low maintenance material for use with your bathroom vanity, Quartz is a good material.
Other materials, such as recycled or composite materials, can be hard to find but are also desirable for some people. You will have to weigh the pros and the cons of each material carefully to decide what you want.
Making a list of your needs and the features that you want in your material and comparing them to the available materials in the bathroom vanities that you are selecting from is a good step to take.
Once you have your vanity installed, you will be able to enjoy the benefits that come from ownership in comfort and style for a lifetime.
To learn more, see our Bathroom Vanities Guide.