Mandy PhillipsUnlike other windows in your home, bathroom windows present unique challenges. For one, bathrooms tend to be the gloomiest room in the house, so bathroom windows need to let in as much sunlight as possible.
Choosing the right type of bathroom window can maximize natural light and improve ventilation while still maintaining your privacy.
Another issue is the constant humidity and excess moisture that bathroom windows are exposed to. Not to mention, they have the job of keeping your privacy.
A window that is a perfect mix of these three – lighting, ventilation, privacy – is the best bathroom window. So, before you buy a new window for your bathroom, take a look at different types of bathroom windows and find one that fits your needs.
Best Window Types for Your Bathroom
To help you pick the best bathroom windows for your home, here’s a list of what your options are.
1. Slider Bathroom Window
Slider windows are pretty common for bathrooms, particularly because they are among the bathroom window options that are more affordable. They can provide ample lighting inside the bathroom, depending on the side, and natural ventilation once opened. Slider bathroom windows are also pretty easy to install. They have a simple design and fit all bathroom styles, suitable for small and large bathrooms alike.
The one drawback about sliders is that you will probably have to add weatherstripping between the sashes or wherever there are noticeable gaps. Otherwise, your bathroom window will be prone to freezing come winter. But when paired with weatherstripping, your slider windows will provide a good amount of energy efficiency when you close them.
2. Transom Bathroom Window
This type of window is typically an accent window. You often see it on top of a door or above or below a larger window, although it can also work as a standalone window in a bathroom. Transom windows are especially great if privacy is at the top of your priority or when you want to increase the amount of light in the bathroom.
This type of bathroom window is also affordable. But make sure that when installing transom windows, you position them high enough to get the privacy you want.
3. Shutter Bathroom Window
Shutter windows, also known as shutter-style blinds or plantation shutters, are a classic bathroom window option for many reasons. One benefit is that they allow you to customize how much natural light you get into the bathroom depending on your privacy needs, a feature that not every window provides. You can let the sunlight in and the air out of the bathroom with just a flick of the shutters, and you can also turn them right back to enjoy your privacy.
Another advantage of shutter windows is that they can elevate the bathroom interior, adding an elegant focal point, depending on the type of material you choose. A popular option for shutter bathroom windows is faux wood, which offers style without costing too much. This material is also moisture resistant, which helps prevent damage in the future.
4. Hopper Bathroom Window
Hopper windows are very similar to transom windows, but unlike transoms, hoppers open downward. This window type is ideal if your bathroom suffers from excess humidity or moisture, especially after taking a hot shower. Opening hopper windows after showering can quickly offer natural ventilation in your bathroom.
Like transom windows, you should position hopper windows higher up to still keep your privacy while in the bathroom.
5. Glass Block Bathroom Window
Glass blocks allow ample sunlight to illuminate the bathroom without giving away your privacy. If your bathroom is a dark room, even with the light on, adding some glass blocks will brighten up the entire space. It also helps that you can install these glass blocks any way you like. You can install standard-sized windows or use glass blocks to cover an entire bathroom wall.
You can get these as pre-formed glass block windows that fit standard window sizes or as single blocks that you can arrange and install to fit your preference. The major disadvantage is that glass blocks don’t provide natural ventilation since you can’t open this window. If your bathroom suffers from excess condensation, you better have a bathroom fan or moisture-absorbing plants, or you can pair glass blocks with another type of window that can offer natural ventilation.
6. Textured Glass Bathroom Window
Like glass blocks, this type of bathroom window gives the room an ample amount of natural light without compromising your privacy. The glass is often designed with heavy textures, so it tends to be very opaque and obscures the view from (or into) the bathroom while still providing excellent lighting.
A textured glass window is particularly suitable for smaller bathrooms. The glass texture and the maximum natural light it allows make a cramped bathroom feel spacious and inviting. Not to mention that a textured glass window makes a fantastic focal point. They can provide a somewhat retro look depending on the style and texture you choose.
But there’s a catch – textured glass bathroom windows don’t come cheap.
7. Skylight Bathroom Window
If you want to pick something luxurious, nothing is better than a skylight bathroom window. It involves cutting through your bathroom ceiling and roof so that the sun can shine overhead during the day, or you get to see the skylight when showering at night.
This window is usually fixed above the shower area, which gives ample natural light in the bathroom and provides a peek of nature so you can take a truly relaxing shower.
The only downside is that installing a skylight bathroom window is not a cheap option – really like anything involving luxury.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Bathroom Window
When buying windows for your bathroom, first, you’ll want to identify which window type or style you want. Besides that, there are other factors you also need to consider ensuring that the window serves a practical purpose, such as:
Privacy
It goes without saying that it is important that a bathroom window is able to provide privacy. You can choose window types that already offer privacy, like textured glass, or you can use curtains or apply exterior window treatments like window tint on a less opaque window.
Ventilation
One of the practical uses of bathroom windows is to provide natural ventilation, especially when you don’t have a bathroom fan or venting system installed. Windows that you can open like shutters, hopper, and transom windows provide proper ventilation to help reduce humidity in the bathroom and prevent mold and mildew buildup.
Lighting
Besides ventilation, the best bathroom window should also offer ample natural light to brighten up the room. Most of the window types mentioned above provide a good amount of sunlight but choose one that doesn’t compromise your privacy.
Frame Material
Choose window frame material that ensures that you’re not going to deal with moisture damage anytime soon or even years down the road. While wood is a classic option for windows, they are not ideal for bathrooms because of the humidity. Wood is highly absorbent, meaning you risk eventual rot.
Instead, pick moisture-resistant materials for bathroom windows like vinyl or aluminum. But if you still want the classic beauty of wood windows, go for faux wood options.
Do You Need a Bathroom Window?
Having a bathroom window provides both advantages and disadvantages. But whether you have a small or a massive bathroom, the room can always benefit from bathroom windows.
Is your bathroom the darkest room in the house, even with the light on? You’ll need a new bathroom window that lets in an abundance of natural light.
Do you enjoy taking hot, steamy showers but not the condensation on the mirror and the moldy smell in the bathroom? The space can benefit from a new window that offers excellent ventilation.
A new bathroom window that allows lots of natural light to enter and keeps the space well-ventilated will help the bathroom feel more comfortable and cleaner.
