Monobloc Basin Taps

A monobloc basin tap is a single mixer tap that sits in one tap hole and blends hot and cold through one spout, so it is the tap you want if your basin has just the one hole drilled in it. That covers most modern basins, including small cloakroom ones.

The range below includes matt black, brushed brass, brushed bronze and chrome, in compact mini sizes as well as standard monoblocs. If your basin has two or three tap holes instead, head back up to the full basin taps range for pillar and three-hole options. A buyer’s guide and some quick answers follow.

What to look for in a monobloc basin tap

A monobloc, or “mono”, basin tap is a single tap that fits one tap hole and mixes hot and cold internally. You will see it spelled monobloc, monoblock or just mono, and they all mean the same thing. Get three things right and the rest is about looks: the number of tap holes in your basin, the size of the tap against the size of the basin, and what waste comes with it.

Check your basin has one tap hole. This is the one that catches people out. A monobloc needs a single tap hole drilled in the basin. If your basin has two holes (separate hot and cold) or three (two handles plus a central spout), a monobloc will not fit and you want pillar taps or a three-hole set instead. Count the holes before you buy. If you are replacing a single mixer like-for-like, you are fine.

Match the size to the basin. A tall monobloc over a tiny cloakroom basin will splash, and a short one over a deep countertop bowl is a pain to get your hands under. For small and cloakroom basins, go for a mini monobloc: the Koko Brushed Brass Mini Monobloc Basin Mixer Tap at £64.99 is a space-saving, deck-mounted design made for exactly that, with ceramic cartridge control and a lifetime guarantee. For a standard basin, a regular monobloc is the safe default, and the Litchfield Purity Brushed Bronze Basin Mixer Tap at £89.99 is a good one to start with: single-lever control, a 5-year guarantee, and the waste and flexi hoses in the box. If you are sitting a basin on top of a worktop or vanity, a tall monobloc gives you the height to clear the rim.

Know what waste you are getting. Some monobloc taps come with a waste in the box and some do not, which is worth checking, because buying one separately adds to the bill. The usual type on a modern tap is the push-down, or clicker, waste: you press the top of the plug to open and close it, so there is no lever on the tap. Click-clack is the same press-to-open idea under a trade name some ranges use. The older alternative is a pop-up waste, where a rod behind the tap lifts the plug, and you will see it less often on modern monoblocs. The Litchfield Select Matt Black Basin Mixer Tap at £39.99 comes with a matching push-down waste, and the Lanza Monobloc Basin Mixer Tap at £59.99 pairs a square design with an integrated push-down waste. Check the product page for what is in the box before you check out, rather than assuming the waste is included.

Pick a finish that will wear well. Finish is mostly taste, but a couple of honest pointers. Chrome is the safe classic and goes with anything. Matt black looks sharp but shows water spots and toothpaste splashes more, so it wants a quick wipe to stay looking its best. Brushed finishes such as brass and bronze are the on-trend look and hide marks better: the Core Brushed Bronze Monobloc Basin Mixer Tap at £79.99 has a warm, fingerprint-resistant brushed bronze finish, a ceramic disc cartridge and a lifetime manufacturer guarantee. If you want the tap and its waste sorted in one order, the Litchfield range is a sensible first stop, since both Litchfield taps in this guide come with their waste included.

A note on water pressure. Most monobloc basin mixers are happy on standard UK mains or combi pressure. If you are on a gravity-fed system with a tank in the loft and low pressure, check the minimum operating pressure on the product page before you buy, because a tap that needs more pressure than your system delivers will only ever dribble. Where the figure is published, it varies more than you might expect: the Lanza works from 0.2 bar, while the Koko mini and the Litchfield Purity both need 0.5 bar.

Quick answers

What is a monobloc basin tap? It is a single mixer tap that fits one tap hole in your basin and blends hot and cold water through one spout, controlled by one or two handles built into the same body. “Monobloc” just means one block, one unit. You will also see it spelled monoblock or shortened to mono. It is the most common type of basin tap on modern basins, because most new basins come with a single tap hole.

What is the difference between a monobloc and a mixer tap? Not much: a monobloc is a type of mixer tap. A mixer tap is any tap that combines hot and cold into one stream, and a monobloc is the version that does it from a single tap hole. The other common kind of basin mixer needs three tap holes, two for the handles and one for a separate spout. So all monoblocs are mixers, but not all mixers are monoblocs.

Will a monobloc tap fit my basin? Only if your basin has a single tap hole. Count the holes: one hole means a monobloc fits, two or three holes means you need pillar taps or a three-hole mixer instead. If you are swapping out an existing single mixer, a new monobloc goes into the same hole. If you are not sure, check the basin spec or the existing tap setup before ordering.

Do monobloc basin taps come with a waste? Some do, some do not, so check the product page. The Litchfield Select Matt Black at £39.99 comes with a matching push-down waste, the Lanza at £59.99 has an integrated push-down waste, and the Litchfield Purity Brushed Bronze at £89.99 includes a slotted basin waste and flexi hoses. Where a waste is not included, you will need to buy one to match.

What is a small monobloc basin tap for? Small or mini monobloc taps are sized for cloakroom and compact basins, where a full-size tap would crowd the bowl or splash. They do the same job on a smaller frame. The Koko Brushed Brass Mini Monobloc at £64.99 is a good example, a compact deck-mounted tap built for cloakrooms. If your whole project is a cloakroom, the cloakroom taps range gathers the compact options in one place.

Are monobloc basin taps any good for low water pressure? Most are designed for standard mains or combi pressure. If you have low pressure from a gravity-fed tank, check the minimum operating pressure before you buy, because a tap that wants more than your supply gives will trickle. Of the taps in this guide, the Lanza is the low-pressure pick, rated to perform from 0.2 bar.

What finishes do monobloc basin taps come in? The range here includes chrome, matt black, brushed brass and brushed bronze. Chrome is the safe all-rounder, matt black is the sharp modern look but shows water marks, and the brushed finishes hide marks better. For Litchfield’s matt black and brushed bronze taps, see the Litchfield range.