Unbranded vs Branded bathroom furniture.

[VickyBH]

Hi, we are almost at the stage of choosing bathroom furnitures. Can I get some pointers what to look out for, particularly vanity unit and LED mirror cabinet? Is the cheap unbranded ones from eBay or Victorian plumbing site alike to be avoided? Are the branded one like Crosswater, Grohe…etc well worth the money? Thanks. 

[Redbeard]

I am, perhaps, biased, but I have never seen the sense in using, in wet areas, boards which turn into weetabix if moisture gets in. I get it that (theoretically) the laminates are waterproof and so is the glue, but all the 'gone-wrong' examples I have seen suggest that things can 'go wrong. Even waterproof chipboard is only as waterproof as the glue and real-life examples show that water can get in and does 'blow' the board.

 

My vote goes for something joiner-made from 'proper' (even if only soft-) wood. My kitchen is an example. The chipboard became unusable so we had softwood frames made, used the original softwood doors and found an oak tree for the worktops (OK, that was not cheap).

[Kelvin]

I’ve never had a bathroom vanity unit or cabinet fail like that. The only kitchen unit I’ve  had fail was a particularly cheap one in my first flat. I have sealed any cuts we’ve made to the island cabinets. 
 

Our bathroom furniture is from the Roca Ona range. It seems solid and well enough made. 
 

To some extent you do get what you pay for. Our utility room is from DiY kitchens online and while it’s good, especially given the price, it’s nowhere near as good as the main kitchen.