The Best Bathroom Sinks Go Beyond Porcelain to Concrete and Even Quartz
Shop eight of our home tour–inspired favorites.
Published Sep 22, 2022 4:30 PM
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Reading up on Domino’s shopping guides is like having your own personal product concierge. We do the tedious part—deep-dive research, hands-on testing, and tapping experts for advice—so all you have to do is hit “add to cart.” That’s why we call them Simply the Best.
While it may not be the most exciting item to shop for when it comes to redesigning or renovating a washroom (we’re definitely guilty of zeroing in on tile finishes), a bathroom sink can certainly make or break a space. In fact, this fixture is likely one of the most used sinks in your home. That’s why Jenna Yankun McRorie, cofounder of Fitzwater Interiors, advises finding one that not only brings you joy but works with your life—in other words, it’s all about balancing form and function. “While it’s easy to be enamored with a sink design,” she says, “it’s important to think through the details of daily life, too.”
So we turned to some of our favorites previously featured in home tours, those that have already been at the center of (and successfully endured) morning face-wash routines and child teeth brushing. This includes a sink in the kids’ room of a fly-fishing cabin on the Soque River in Georgia, as well as one in a designer’s 150-year-old residence in New Orleans. So if you happen to be redoing your own water closet, why not check out our list, below, of the best bathroom sinks. You might just be inspired to re-create the looks for yourself.
Our Favorites
- Best pedestals: Pottery Barn and Kohler
- Best vessels: Nood and Swiss Madison
- Best high-backs: Kohler and Etsy
- Best undermounts: Elkay and American Standard
Best Pedestals: Pottery Barn and Kohler
What we like:
- Generally great value
- Easy to clean
- Ideal for powder rooms or half-baths where space is tight (corner-friendly)
- Typically less work to install compared to a whole vanity setup (DIY-friendly!)
Worth noting:
- Compact counters
- Lack of storage
Why we chose it: A classic—stay simple or splurge on a higher-end look.
When it comes to pedestal sinks—a two-part system that connects the basin to the leg—our first instinct tends to be hiding any exposed drainage pipes or awkward pillars with a skirt. While this sink type definitely gives you back square footage in a small bathroom, it does lack any built-in storage features and often doesn’t provide enough counter space to fit more than a bottle of hand soap. But just take a page from Sara Charlesworth’s Utah home; she hides any unsightly storage situation with an English-inspired textile. We tend to avoid the chunkier silhouettes, preferring rounded edges, which also happen to be a bit easier to clean. Pair with one of our favorite faucets (we’d recommend a vintage-inspired brass, as Marie Flanigan did in this garage-turned-guesthouse) to take the look from budget to luxe in a flash.
Best Vessels: Nood and Swiss Madison
What we like:
- Extra counter space
- Relatively simple to install
- Unique statement maker
Worth noting:
- Stick to tall faucets
- Often pricey if you explore materials beyond porcelain and can be less durable
- Can prove annoying to maintain (buildup quickly occurs between the counter and sink)
Why we chose it: Custom vanities, made easy, with basins designed to sit out on top.
If you don’t feel like waterproofing a vintage bread bowl, a vessel sink is still a great way to get a custom look. Sit it atop whatever vanity you have in mind without having to cut too much into the countertop—a small hole is all you need to get this sink working. And while we love the streamlined look of plain old porcelain, we’ve seen plenty of designers and homeowners get creative with it. When it comes to a range of color options and shapes, from round to rectangular, Nood comes out on top. “We loved the design of this sink: the smooth, circular silhouette, the unexpected concrete material, the moon-crater color,” says McRorie. “As a manufacturer, Nood had the best track record and widest array of color choices. It was also a perfect fit for the minimalist aesthetic of the homeowner, who brought Fitzwater Interiors on to solve some serious space issues in this bathroom and also wanted to add a little color,” she adds of the 27-square-foot Philadelphia renovation she worked on with partner Dan McRorie.
Best High-Backs: Kohler and Etsy
What we like:
- Timeless, vintage vibe
- Multipurpose
- Great for laundry rooms and mudrooms
Worth noting:
- Needs to be wall-mounted
- Lack of storage
Why we chose it: Timeless designs for vintage farmhouse lovers.
For her mudroom–slash–laundry room bathroom, designer Emma Beryl wanted something durable and utilitarian but a standout style-wise. “The deep basin and tall backsplash make it a perfect slop sink, but the brass detail makes it fun and special,” she shares of her Etsy find. High-backs are often synonymous with farmhouse sinks, which aren’t always reserved for the kitchen. Kate Hayes of Hayes Little Studio chose a double farm sink to be the charming focal point of the kids’ bathroom at the Soque River House project, noting that “farm sinks are wider and deeper than most sinks, which makes them very functional and ideal for frequent use. They’re more durable and accessible, which is especially beneficial for small children.” She loves how it can be both a place to wash clothes and bathe her little ones: “I also like how airy and open it keeps the bathroom. Sometimes a traditional vanity can weigh a room down too much.”
Best Undermounts: Elkay and American Standard
What we like:
- Available everywhere
- Budget-friendly
- Extra counter space
- Overflow outlet
Worth noting:
- Can be tricky to install (you want the measurements just right)
Why we chose it: The universal sink solution.
Of all the sink styles, undermount is the most popular and the style that many designers source. “We love that an undermount sink allows the other elements, like a vanity or statement mirror, to become the centerpiece of the bathroom,” points out McRorie. It’s also relatively easy to maintain and blend in with any space—all you’re doing is installing it underneath the counter. Beryl is also a fan of this particular style. And while most are offered in your standard white porcelain, there are a few matte black or copper options out there worth exploring, or if white is your vibe, kick it up a notch with quartz.
How We Chose These Products
When putting together our list of the best bathroom sinks, we first started by focusing on the brands we’ve seen designers use on more than one occasion and then tapped the experts to learn how they source this particular product for clients. And in the instances where there wasn’t a direct shoppable option, as not all sinks are brand-new (don’t overlook marketplace sites; Leanne Ford always seems to find winners on Craigslist!), we took inspiration from what was there, then made sure to offer a range of materials and prices. Though if there is one brand you can rely on for any style, Domino editors have found Kohler to be a safe bet.
Our Shopping Checklist
Types of Bathroom Sinks
There are a number of things to consider when shopping for the best bathroom sinks, but the first step is determining the optimal type for your space and how you plan to utilize it. “The most common sink we tend to install is an undermount sink, since they’re sleek and easy to clean,” says McRorie, though in smaller bathrooms, pedestal or wall-mounted sinks are Fitzwater Interiors’s go-to. “While these styles limit storage options, they save a lot of space—which is key for living in tight quarters,” she adds.
Other options include vessel or bowl sinks, which are designed to sit on top of a counter. And drop-in sinks, while they look similar to undermount sinks, are slightly different. This sink is placed directly into a counter cutout and often features a lip. Finally, some sinks also come built into a vanity setup, but we thought our favorite bathroom vanities deserved their own spotlight.
Popular Materials
“Vitreous china is probably the most popular material to use in a bathroom sink because of its durability and accessibility of cost,” offers Beryl. “While it is very practical for a main bathroom sink that gets a lot of wear and tear, it is not my favorite material to use for powder rooms or other more special bathrooms.” She adds: “I really love making custom sinks out of natural stones like travertine, marble, or onyx to make a big impression on a space.”
Aside from porcelain, Fitzwater Interiors also likes to use quartz, which is equally durable and easy to clean for high-traffic spaces, as well as a combination of poured concrete and wax. “We always like to incorporate more sustainable building materials where we can or try to bring a smile to someone’s face when they walk in a room,” shares McRorie. “Sometimes that can come from an unexpected sink, like one made from pink marble and shaped like a shell.”
Dimensions and Installation
“There’s the ‘measure twice, cut once’ adage for carpenters—for plumbing, you want to measure multiple times as well to ensure that what you are ordering is going to fit in the space. If you’re thinking about a vanity, be sure to read the spec sheet carefully,” stresses McRorie.
You’ll also want to take note of counter space and basin sizes, adds Beryl, who’s design pet peeve just so happens to be when a faucet “doesn’t have enough clearance above a bowl and your hands get too close to the sink while washing them.” She adds: “In order to make sure you get the right size vanity for your bathroom, measure the floor plan, the height, width, and depth of the new vanity in relation to this floor plan. Remember every bathroom is different and the vanity you love might feel completely different in your home than it does in a showroom or online. If you get something that consumes the space or is far too small for your use, it can be a costly mistake. So measure, and then measure again, and if you’re still not sure, try blue-taping it out to get a true sense of scale in your space.”
The Last Word
The best bathroom sink is the one that works for you. “We feel it’s important to think through the daily rituals you’ll be doing in that space, as well as who is using it,” stresses McRorie. “For example, is this a bathroom that gets used every day? Are there kids in the home? Everyone has different needs, so consider how your sink will serve those needs and fit with your aesthetic.”