For years, my morning routine was a chaotic scavenger hunt. Foundation hiding behind a stack of books on my dresser, eyeshadow palettes precariously balanced on the edge of the bathroom sink, and hair tools tangled in a drawer that refused to close. It was a daily ritual of frustration that started the day on a stressful note. This disorganization wasn’t just messy; it was inefficient. I dreamed of a dedicated, organized, and beautifully lit space—a personal sanctuary where every brush, bottle, and balm had its own home. The problem is, finding a vanity that balances ample storage, modern features like good lighting and power outlets, and a footprint that doesn’t swallow a whole room can feel like searching for a unicorn. That’s what led me to the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights, a piece of furniture that promises to be a comprehensive solution to this exact kind of beauty chaos.
- Perfect Gift Idea: This vanity desk with mirror and lights is a perfect gift for special occasions like birthdays and holidays, making...
- Bright and Adjustable Lighting: Enjoy professional-quality lighting with 3 color temperature modes and adjustable brightness, perfect...
What to Consider Before Buying a Makeup Vanity
A makeup vanity is more than just a piece of furniture; it’s a key solution for creating an organized, efficient, and enjoyable beauty routine. It centralizes your entire collection of cosmetics, skincare, and tools, saving you precious time and reducing the mental clutter of a disorganized space. The integrated mirror and lighting are designed specifically for makeup application, ensuring you see true-to-life color and flawless blending that bathroom lighting simply can’t provide. By establishing a dedicated “glam station,” you transform a daily chore into a moment of self-care and creativity, elevating your entire morning experience.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a constant battle with clutter, whether in a small apartment or a shared bathroom. It’s for the beauty enthusiast whose collection has outgrown a simple makeup bag, or for anyone who craves a functional and stylish corner to prepare for their day. However, it might not be suitable for those who prefer extreme minimalism and have very few products, as the storage capacity might be excessive. Likewise, individuals in temporary living situations may find a large, assembly-required vanity to be impractical. For them, a smaller, more portable solution like a lighted travel mirror and cosmetic organizers might be a better fit.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: Measure your available space meticulously before you even think about clicking “buy.” Consider not just the width and depth of the vanity itself (43″ W x 15.8″ D for this model), but also the room needed to pull out the stool and open drawers fully. The height (54″) is also important to ensure it fits comfortably under any sloped ceilings or window sills.
- Storage Capacity: Assess your collection. Are you a makeup minimalist or a seasoned collector? Nine drawers offer a tremendous amount of space, but as some users noted, the individual drawer size is a key factor. Think about what you need to store—tall foundation bottles, large palettes, bulky hair tools—and consider if the drawer configuration will accommodate them.
- Materials & Durability: Most vanities in this price range, including this one, are made from engineered wood. This material offers a smooth, clean finish and is cost-effective, but it’s not as robust as solid wood. Look for a sturdy frame design and be mindful of the weight capacity. The durability will largely depend on proper assembly and care.
- Features & Functionality: Modern vanities are packed with tech. Key features to look for are adjustable lighting (color temperature and brightness), which is non-negotiable for serious makeup application, and integrated power outlets. The convenience of having USB ports and standard plugs for your phone, flat iron, and hair dryer without running extra extension cords is a game-changing feature that modern models like this one offer.
While the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- Efficient Storage: Stay organized with 6 storage shelves, 2 spacious drawers, and a generous tabletop, ensuring ample space for all...
- Multiple Storage Spaces: 4 large drawers, 3 shelves, and a wide tabletop give you a great styling station! All the open and closed...
- Eco-Friendly and Durable Material : This vanity stool is crafted of high-quality oak wood and processed with exquisite craftsmanship,...
First Impressions: Unboxing the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights
The arrival of the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights was met with a mix of excitement and trepidation. The box is substantial, weighing in at 109 pounds, so we’d recommend having a second person to help move it. Upon opening it, we were greeted by a sea of neatly packed, labeled engineered wood panels, hardware sorted into individual bags, and the large mirror carefully protected. The initial impression of the components was positive; the white finish was smooth and consistent, and nothing arrived damaged. The sheer number of pieces, however, immediately confirmed what some user feedback had hinted at: this was going to be a project. It’s not a simple 30-minute assembly. You need to set aside a few hours, clear a large floor space, and approach it with patience. The clean, modern aesthetic was apparent even in its disassembled state, promising a sleek and functional final product that you can see in more detail online.
What We Like
- Exceptional storage capacity with nine separate drawers for organization.
- Integrated power station with 2 plugs and 2 USB ports is incredibly convenient.
- Large mirror with 3 adjustable color temperatures and dimmable brightness.
- Comes as a complete set, including a matching cushioned stool.
Limitations
- Assembly is very time-consuming and can be complex for beginners.
- Drawer and stool space might feel small for some users and their existing chairs.
A Deep Dive into the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity’s Performance
A vanity’s true worth is revealed not when it’s just built, but when it’s integrated into your daily life. Does it simplify your routine? Does it spark joy? Does it actually work as promised? We spent weeks putting the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights through its paces, from the initial build to daily makeup application, hairstyling, and organization. We evaluated its lighting, storage, and modern conveniences to see if it truly lives up to its claims.
The Assembly Experience: A Test of Patience for a Beautiful Reward
Let’s be direct: the assembly of this vanity is a marathon, not a sprint. This was a consistent theme in user feedback, with comments like “takes a very long time to build” and “un poco complicado de armarlo” (a little complicated to build), and our experience confirmed this. The box contains dozens of panels and a formidable array of screws, cams, and dowels. The instruction manual is entirely pictorial, which can be both a blessing and a curse. While it transcends language barriers, it requires you to pay exceptionally close attention to the orientation of each piece in the diagrams. One wrong turn can have you backtracking several steps later.
We recommend laying out and identifying all your parts before you begin. The pieces are labeled with small stickers that correspond to the manual, which is immensely helpful. Building the nine drawers is the most repetitive and time-consuming part of the process, but once you get a rhythm going for the first one, the rest follow suit. The overall structure comes together logically, but it absolutely requires focus. We clocked the total assembly time at just under four hours with two people working at a steady pace. While challenging, the final result is surprisingly sturdy. The pieces fit together snugly with minimal gaps, creating a solid and stable unit. The satisfaction of seeing the sleek, beautiful desk come to life after all that work is immense. It’s a significant upfront investment of time, but the payoff is a piece of furniture that feels robust and looks fantastic.
Illumination and Ambiance: More Than Just a Lighted Mirror
The centerpiece of any great vanity is its lighting, and this is where the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity truly shines. The large mirror is framed by a built-in LED light strip that is controlled by three simple, touch-sensitive buttons integrated into the mirror’s surface. This is a clean, high-tech design that eliminates cumbersome switches or remotes. The functionality is superb. The first button cycles through three distinct color temperatures: a brilliant, clear cool white; a soft, inviting warm yellow; and a neutral, natural daylight. This versatility is a non-negotiable feature for anyone serious about makeup. The cool white is perfect for precise tasks like applying eyeliner or checking for foundation matching in office-like fluorescent lighting. The warm light provides a flattering, cozy glow ideal for planning an evening look for a restaurant or bar. The natural daylight setting is the go-to for everyday makeup, giving the most accurate color representation.
The second button controls the power, and the third allows for stepless dimming. By simply holding your finger on the button, you can smoothly transition the brightness from a subtle nightlight level to a full-blast, studio-quality illumination. This level of control is a feature that truly elevates the makeup experience. It allows you to tailor the light to the time of day, the specific look you’re creating, or even just your mood. We found the lights to be bright and evenly distributed, casting no awkward shadows on the face, which is critical for seamless blending. It transforms the corner of a room into a professional-feeling beauty station.
Storage and Organization: A Place for Everything
The primary draw of this vanity is its namesake: the nine drawers. In a market saturated with vanities offering two to five drawers, this model stands out for its sheer storage volume. This extensive storage is the main reason to consider this specific model over its competitors. The layout consists of five drawers on the left pedestal, three on the right, and one wide, shallow drawer in the center. This configuration allowed us to create a highly organized system. We dedicated drawers to specific categories: one for base products like foundation and concealer, another for eyeshadow palettes, one for lipsticks, and so on. The smaller side drawers are perfect for items like single shadows, liners, and mascaras.
The spacious 43-inch desktop provides ample surface area for items you want to keep on display, like perfume bottles, brush holders, and daily skincare. We did note, as one user pointed out, that the drawers themselves are “a little small” in depth. You won’t be able to stand up tall bottles of setting spray or hairspray inside them; those items will need to be laid down or kept on the desktop. However, for the vast majority of cosmetics, the drawer size is perfectly adequate. The ability to tuck away almost our entire collection, leaving the desktop clean and uncluttered, was revolutionary. It completely eliminated the morning scramble and created a serene, organized environment.
The Integrated Power Hub: A Modern Necessity
In today’s hyper-connected world, the inclusion of an integrated charging station is less of a luxury and more of a necessity. The SMOOL vanity features a power strip neatly embedded into the desktop, offering two standard electrical sockets and two USB ports. This is, without a doubt, one of its most practical and well-executed features. The convenience cannot be overstated. We were able to plug in a hair dryer and a curling iron directly into the vanity, using them right at the mirror without stretching a cord across the room to a wall outlet. Simultaneously, our phone was charging via a USB port, playing a podcast while we got ready.
This power hub elegantly solves a common problem and eliminates cord clutter, contributing to the vanity’s overall clean and modern aesthetic. It turns the vanity from a simple piece of furniture into a truly functional workstation. It’s a thoughtful addition that demonstrates an understanding of the modern user’s needs. For anyone who styles their hair or likes to keep their devices handy, this built-in power is a practical, everyday benefit that makes the investment in this vanity feel even more worthwhile.
What Other Users Are Saying
The general sentiment from users who have purchased the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights is overwhelmingly positive, often highlighting its beauty and functionality once assembled. Many, like one happy customer, call it the “Best buy ever,” and another states they “love everything about it definitely worth it.” The aesthetic appeal is a major recurring theme, with people describing it as “beautiful” and “precioso.”
However, this praise is almost always paired with a caution about the building process. The most common piece of critical feedback is that it “takes a very long time to build,” a sentiment we wholeheartedly agree with. Another nuanced point comes from a user who found it “Pretty but a little small even the drawers are too.” They also noted they “couldn’t fit my chair between it,” which is an important consideration for anyone planning to use their own chair with armrests. This feedback is crucial because it sets realistic expectations: you are trading a few hours of labor for a beautiful and highly functional piece, but you should double-check the dimensions—especially the legroom opening—to ensure it fits your space and existing furniture perfectly.
How Does the SMOOL Vanity Compare to the Alternatives?
The SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights excels in storage capacity, but it exists in a competitive market. How it stacks up against other popular models depends entirely on your specific needs for space, storage, and style.
1. Vabches Vanity Desk with Lights 2 Drawers Mirror
- If you are looking for an exquisite best-in-class dressing table, you must not miss this elegant classic dressing table set. It comes...
- 3 color temperature LED lights can be switched, you can change the color or brightness according to any scene or makeup needs, which...
The Vabches vanity is geared towards the minimalist who values simplicity and a smaller footprint. With only two large drawers, its storage is significantly less than the SMOOL’s nine. However, this makes for a much quicker assembly and a more open, airy design. It still includes the essential features like a lighted mirror with three color modes and an integrated power strip. This is an excellent alternative for someone with a curated, smaller makeup collection, or for furnishing a guest room or a teenager’s first vanity where massive storage isn’t the primary concern.
2. Tiptiper Makeup Vanity 5-Drawer with Lights
- ADJUSTABLE LIGHTS: This vanity set features 10 Hollywood dimmable LED bulbs around the mirror. with 3 shades of light: warm yellow,...
- MORE STORAGE: With two smaller drawers and three larger drawers to hold varying-sized beauty products, a 36.5"x 16.1" tabletop and a...
The Tiptiper vanity strikes a perfect balance right in the middle of the market. With five drawers, it offers a substantial storage upgrade from the Vabches model without the sheer bulk of the SMOOL’s nine drawers. It maintains all the key modern features: a large lighted mirror with adjustable settings, a clean white finish, and an included stool. This is arguably the best choice for the average user who has a growing collection but doesn’t need a professional-level amount of storage. It provides a great mix of functionality, size, and organizational capacity for most bedrooms.
3. T4TREAM 48″ Fluted Makeup Vanity Desk with Lighted Mirror
- 36" Full-Sized HD Lighted Mirror: The highlight of this vanity desk is the 36" HD Lighted Mirror, which ensures optimal lighting for...
- Sophisticated Glass Top: Crafted with a sleek natural oak finish, this vanity desk exudes elegance and sophistication. The glass top...
The T4TREAM vanity represents a step up in both size and design sophistication. At 48 inches wide, it’s larger than the SMOOL and demands more floor space. Its key differentiators are the trendy fluted wood detailing, a sleek glass top, and open shelving in addition to its five drawers, offering a different kind of organizational style. This model is for the user who prioritizes interior design and has a larger room to accommodate it. The natural oak finish also provides a warmer, more organic aesthetic compared to the classic white of the other models. Choose this if style and a premium look are your top priorities.
The Final Verdict: Is the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity Worth It?
After extensive testing, we can confidently say that the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights is an exceptional choice for anyone looking to conquer clutter and create a dedicated, highly functional beauty station. Its standout feature is, without question, its massive storage capacity. The nine drawers, combined with the generous desktop, provide a home for every last item in your collection. Add to that the superb, fully adjustable LED lighting and the incredibly convenient integrated power station, and you have a product that delivers outstanding value and modern functionality.
The only significant caveat is the assembly. You must be prepared to invest several hours and a good deal of patience to put it together. However, we found the beautiful, sturdy, and life-organizing result to be more than worth the one-time effort. If you are drowning in cosmetic clutter and dream of a bright, organized space to get ready every day, this vanity is a fantastic solution. For those ready to transform their routine and their room, you can check the latest price and get the SMOOL 9-Drawer Vanity with Mirror and Lights here.
Last update on 2025-10-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API