Washbasins
The bathroom basin is where hands and faces are washed and teeth are brushed every day, so its shape, dimensions, material and type of installation all matter. Washbasins include oval countertop bowls with a matching waterfall tap, tempered glass basins, ceramic models with a blue pattern, a wall-mounted and a corner basin for small bathrooms and toilets, and portable outdoor basins with a water tank that work without a mains water supply.
Washbasins
Countertop bowls with a tap are oval, low-profile and measure about 41 × 13.5 × 34 cm. Each bowl comes with a tall tap in the same shade with a flat waterfall spout and a single lever for temperature and flow. The tap is 25.5 to 30 cm high, its reach of about 11 cm directs water to the centre of the bowl, and it is fitted in a separate hole next to it. Finishes include gold with a grainy surface, grey and white with marble veining, beige with a black interior, and gloss and matt black. The waste hole in the base is 4.5 cm in diameter.
Tempered glass in blue and black is easy to clean. The glass countertop basins are round with a 420 mm diameter, square with 425 mm sides, oval at 540 × 350 mm and 560 × 355 mm, or rectangular at 540 × 360 mm and 560 × 360 mm. A chrome waste of 50 mm diameter is included, and some sets also come with a black or chrome tap.
Ceramic models with a blue retro floral pattern have a round 400 × 140 mm countertop bowl and are also sold with a bronze tap. The wall-mounted ceramic basin measuring 365 × 180 × 95 mm with a marble look has a tap hole and fits narrow spaces and toilets. The plastic corner basin measuring 27.5 × 27.5 × 34.5 cm comes with a tap and waste pipe and is fixed with adhesive tape without drilling, so it also suits a cabin or caravan.
Without a mains water supply, portable outdoor basins still work. The 103 × 50 × 83 cm model on wheels has a 17-litre clean water tank with a foot pump, a separate waste water tank, a soap dispenser and a towel holder. The second model, 103 × 33.5 × 51 cm with a 17-litre tank, is operated by a foot pedal.
When choosing a washbasin, the space in the bathroom and the type of installation matter most. A countertop bowl needs a flat worktop or a vanity unit with an opening for the waste. Before buying, it is worth measuring the depth of the worktop and checking the diameter of the waste. Wall-mounted and corner models save space in toilets and small bathrooms, while portable basins are useful where there is no running water.