This article will help you understand the differences between a sink or a vanity unit option for your bathroom, going through the main advantages/disadvantages for both options.
There are three types of sinks you could have in your bathroom:
1. Classic ceramic sink (pedestal sink unit)
This is what most old bathrooms have, but including newly built houses use these.
An example of this is the photo, where we fitted a Victorian-style pedestal sink.
There are also options for wall-hung units.
2. Pre-built Vanity unit
This tends to be the the ‘new standard’. You can have them in different shapes/colours/sizes.
In the photo attached, this is a wall-hung storage unit that we fitted with two soft-close drawers.
3.Custom built units
These tend to be used where you want to maximise the space or create a seamless look.
In the photo attached there’s an example of this. You can basically customise everything in this case: the sink, worktop, unit colour, drawers/no drawers, height and so on.
All of them have advantages/disadvantages, the table below tries to compare the most important ones:
| Pedestal sink | Vanity basin unit | |
|---|---|---|
| Prices | The most affordable option, some of them less than £100. | Some of them are relatively inexpensive starting around £100, but things like a custom built solution can easily increase the price |
| Waterproofing capabilities | Yes, completely waterproof. | No, they’re at best slightly moisture resistant, so you’d need very good ventilation in your bathroom and care not to leave water on it for prolonged periods. |
| Labour charge | Around half the time of a simple vanity unit basin | It can take a long time, especially if it’s part of other custom built units that need fitted as well (for example between two walls) |
| Variety | You have some options, but you’re limited to what you can get in terms of design. You can also get wall hung ones. | Virtually unlimited. You can combine units/basins/worktops until you get something truly personalised for your bathroom. You can get wall hung options as well. |
| Materials | They generally come in white ceramic, but don’t expect this to match the rest of the bathroom suite perfectly. Also, if you really look for it there are going to be slight imperfections in ceramic. Every white bathroom item is going to be slightly different. | The bathroom basins can come in different shapes and materials, including some from composite resin/stone. This allow for some fancy design, something you see in catalogues on the internet. |
| Others | You can’t get storage with this. | Extremely helpful if storage is a priority in your bathroom, this makes worth the disadvantages. Also, it looks much more modern and you can get a perfect fit with custom built solutions. |