Cloakroom Taps

A cloakroom tap is just a mini basin mixer: a shorter, slimmer monobloc built for the small basins you get in a downstairs loo or an en-suite. The spout is lower and sits further back so it clears a compact bowl without splashing over the front, and most come with the waste included, either a push-down plug or a sprung pop-up. If you want the same look running through the rest of the room, our cloakroom basins and cloakroom vanity units are sized to match. Read on for the buying guide and quick answers, or scroll down to the full range of cloakroom taps.

What to look for in a cloakroom tap

A cloakroom tap is a single-lever mini mono. One hole in the basin, one spout, hot and cold mixed through a single lever. The job it has to do is simple: fit a small basin, clear the bowl without spraying water over the front, and not look like an afterthought. Here is what actually separates a good one from a cheap one.

Size and spout reach. The whole point of a mini mono is the smaller footprint, a lower body and a shorter spout that reaches less far over the bowl. On a compact cloakroom basin, a full-size basin mixer puts the water too far forward, so it hits the front of the bowl and splashes. A mini mono drops the water nearer the middle. If your basin is genuinely tiny, measure from the tap hole to the front edge before you buy and compare that against the dimensions of the tap you are looking at.

Waste type: push-down or sprung. Most cloakroom taps come with a waste in the box, which saves you buying one separately, but the type varies. A push-down (clicker) waste seals when you press the plug and releases when you press it again, so there is nothing on show, and it is what the budget mini monos use. The Belini Mini Basin Mixer Tap with Push-Down Waste at £54.99 is the plain chrome example, with the push-down waste and flexible tails in the box. A sprung (pop-up) waste does the same job on the smarter taps, and on the taps in this guide it is also where the price steps up: both Litchfield cloakroom mixers include one, the Litchfield Fluted Matt Black cloakroom mixer at £69.99 and the Litchfield Fluted Brushed Brass version at £79.99, both with the fluted brass handle that is everywhere right now. Either way, check what a tap lists as included before you also order a separate waste you do not need.

Finish. Chrome is the safe default and goes with anything. If you want the cloakroom to feel deliberate rather than builder-spec, the warmer and darker finishes do more, and the two that matter here are matt black and brushed brass. A downstairs loo is a small space, so it is a low-risk place to be braver with a finish than you would be in a main bathroom, and braver does not have to mean dearer: the Belini Matt Black in the quick steer below is £49.99, which undercuts its chrome Belini Mini sibling. Match the tap to your basin waste and the other metalwork in the room, the handles, the towel ring, the light pull, and the whole thing pulls together. The fluted Litchfield pair covers both finishes with a sprung waste if you want the smarter look.

Spout style: straight or waterfall. Most mini monos have a normal closed spout. A few use an open waterfall spout, where the water sheets out over a flat lip instead of a round outlet. It looks the part, but be honest with yourself: waterfall spouts can splash more on a very small basin and they need decent flow to look right, so they suit a slightly bigger cloakroom basin better. If you like the look, the Victoria Mini Waterfall Basin Monobloc Tap at £54.99 is the waterfall pick here, with a compact spout, a push-down waste and flexible hoses included.

Water pressure. Worth a quick check, because a cloakroom is often the furthest point from the boiler. Most mini monos run fine on standard UK mains or combi pressure, and the one to watch is a gravity-fed system with a cold-water tank in the loft, which can sit genuinely low. Three of the taps here are listed for it: the Belini Mini, the Belini Matt Black and the Victoria Mini Waterfall are all low-pressure compatible from 0.2 bar, and all three are WRAS approved with a lifetime guarantee. If you are on gravity-fed, check the minimum bar rating on whichever tap you have your eye on before you buy.

A quick steer. The lowest price in this shortlist belongs to the Belini Matt Black Mini Basin Mixer Tap at £49.99, matt black with a push-down waste. If you would rather have chrome, the Belini Mini Basin Mixer Tap is £54.99 with the same push-down waste. For the fluted look in a dark finish, the Litchfield Fluted Matt Black at £69.99 comes with a sprung waste, and for a brass statement the Litchfield Fluted Brushed Brass at £79.99 does it with the same sprung waste. All four are solid brass, which is what you want on a tap you use every day.

Quick answers

What is a cloakroom tap? It is a mini basin mixer, a smaller version of a standard monobloc tap, made for the compact basins you find in a downstairs cloakroom or an en-suite. It has a lower body and a shorter spout so it clears a small bowl without splashing over the front, and it mounts through a single tap hole. Most come with the basin waste included.

What size tap do I need for a cloakroom basin? A mini mono, not a full-size basin mixer. The mini versions sit lower and have a shorter spout reach, so the water lands nearer the middle of a small bowl instead of hitting the front edge. Before you buy, measure from the tap hole to the front of the basin and compare it against the tap’s own dimensions so you know it clears.

Do cloakroom taps come with a waste? Usually, yes, which saves you buying one separately. The type varies: the budget mini monos, like the Belini at £54.99, come with a push-down (clicker) waste and flexible tails, while both Litchfield cloakroom mixers include a sprung pop-up waste. Always check what is listed as included before you order a separate waste you may not need.

What is the difference between a basin mixer and a cloakroom tap? Not much, except size. A cloakroom tap is a basin mixer, just the mini version built for a small basin: lower body, shorter spout, smaller footprint. A standard basin mixer is taller with more spout reach, which is fine on a normal-size basin but tends to splash over the front of a compact cloakroom bowl.

What is the best finish for a cloakroom tap? Chrome if you want safe, because it goes with anything. If you want the room to look deliberate, matt black and brushed brass do more in a small space. A cloakroom is small and low-traffic, so it is a sensible place to try a bolder black tap or a brass one than you might risk in the main bathroom. Match it to the other metalwork in the room and it ties together.

Will a cloakroom tap work with my water pressure? Most mini monos run fine on standard UK mains or combi-boiler pressure. The thing to watch is a gravity-fed system, a cold-water tank in the loft, which can sit at low pressure, and a cloakroom is often the furthest point from the boiler. The Belini Mini, the Belini Matt Black and the Victoria Mini Waterfall are all listed as low-pressure compatible from 0.2 bar. If you are on gravity-fed, check the minimum bar rating before buying.