How to Detect Double Sided Mirrors

From one side, a double-sided (or two way) mirror will appear to be just like any mirror. However, anything on the other side will have a clear view of the normal looking side. This is something many people worry about when staying in places other than their homes. Fortunately, there are a couple methods that will help you determine whether a mirror is a single-sided or a double-sided one.

Things You'll Need

• Flashlight or other bright light

Instructions

1. Turn off any lights in the room containing the suspect mirror.

2. Take a flashlight or another bright light (a bright cell phone screen may even work) and shine it directly on the surface of the mirror. If it is a double-sided mirror, the opening behind it will be revealed. If you don't see anything, it is most likely a regular mirror. To make completely sure it isn't a double-sided mirror, there is one more step you can take.

3. Compare the suspect mirror with a mirror you know to be single-sided (you can compare it to a medicine cabinet mirror). Tap your knuckle on both mirrors and listen to the sounds produced. If it is a regular mirror, with nothing behind it, you should not hear any echoing. If it is a Double-sided mirror, there will be a slight echo effect from the inside.

References

• Two way mirrors