Clear or low-iron glass for a shower door?
Why clear glass looks green at the edges, what low-iron glass changes, and the bathrooms where the upgrade is worth paying for — and where it is not.
Why clear glass is a little green
Ordinary clear glass contains a small amount of iron, and iron tints glass green. Looking straight through a single panel you barely notice it. Look at the polished edge, or through the glass at an angle, and the green is obvious — because now you are looking through the full width of the panel rather than its thickness.
Shower glass makes this worse than window glass does. Frameless enclosures use 3/8″ or 1/2″ glass, two to four times the thickness of a typical window, and the edges are exposed and polished where everyone can see them.
What low-iron glass changes
Low-iron glass is made with most of that iron removed. The result is glass that looks almost colourless, with edges that read white or very pale blue instead of green. Glass manufacturers sell it under their own brand names, but the product is the same idea: less iron, truer colour.
| Clear | Low-iron | |
|---|---|---|
| Edge colour | Green | White to very pale blue |
| Colour through the panel | Faint green cast | Close to colourless |
| Most noticeable | On thick glass, against white or pale tile | Barely noticeable anywhere |
| Strength and safety | Same — both are tempered | Same — both are tempered |
| Cost | Standard | More than clear |
When low-iron is worth paying for
- White or very pale tile, and white marble in particular. The green cast shows most against white.
- 1/2″ glass, where the thicker edge makes the tint stronger.
- Large panels and glass to the ceiling, such as a steam enclosure, where there is a lot of glass in view at once.
- A bathroom where colour matters to you — a carefully chosen tile you want to see exactly as it is.
When clear glass is fine
- Darker or warm-toned tile — beige, grey, wood-look and travertine hide the green almost completely.
- Frosted, rain or tinted glass. The pattern or the tint hides the iron, so low-iron adds cost without a visible difference.
- Framed and sliding doors on thinner glass, where the edges are covered by the frame anyway.
Decide before the glass is made
Tempered glass is made to order for your opening, and it cannot be swapped for a different type afterwards without making new panels. The tint is far easier to judge against your own tile than on a screen, so if you are unsure, ask to see samples of both in the bathroom at the measure. Our frameless shower doors page covers the other glass choices — thickness, patterns and tints.