The Best Under Cabinet Lighting for Your Kitchen

Under cabinet lighting is an increasingly popular lighting choice when building and designing kitchens in modern homes. It provides a unique ambiance in your home while also illuminating your countertops directly. If you do a lot of cooking or have poor lighting in your kitchen, under cabinet lighting could be the perfect solution for you.

When installing under cabinet lighting, there are a few things to consider to make sure you get the best lighting performance. No product is universally best, but certain qualities and characteristics make some under cabinet fixtures better than others.

The three main types of cabinet lighting options are puck lights, light bars, and strip lights, also called tape lights.

Puck lights are small, round discs that give off circular illumination. They can attach to cabinets with either a strong adhesive or screws. Puck lights are best at highlighting concentrated areas, making them ideal for accent lighting. When you install them close enough together, they can achieve cross lighting, which eliminates any shadow spots between them.

Light bars are linear fixtures that provide long, even lines of light. Some have adhesive capabilities, while others install with screws or brackets. They are ideal for both accent and task lighting, as their continuous light does not leave shadows. With bar lights, it’s important to measure your cabinets and the fixtures accurately before attempting the install.

Strip lights come in long, thin reels and are flexible, able to fit around tight corners and over uneven surfaces. Most strip lights contain lines of individual LED diodes with adhesive backing. However, their flexibility also makes them more fragile, so they are not ideal for more heavy-duty applications.

Out of the three types, light bars are the most popular because they follow the linear shaping of cabinets and countertops. On the other hand, puck lights and strip lights also have their advantages. Puck lights are more compact and provide direct light on single areas. Strip lights are great for larger spaces where buying one reel is more cost effective than buying multiple fixtures.

Most fixtures are thin enough to hide behind the bottom lip of your cabinetry. This allows for the illusion of an invisible light source. If you're worried about the fixtures still being visible, consider recessed puck lights or light bars.

Depending on the capabilities of your kitchen, you may need under cabinet lights with different controls. The three main ways to power under cabinet lights are: line-voltage, low-voltage, and battery-powered.

Battery Powered:

Battery-operated under cabinet lights are self-explanatory. They require no wired electrical connection. The only downside to them is the need to regularly change out the batteries. Most battery-powered fixtures also require you to turn each fixture on and off every time you need to change the lighting.

Low Voltage:

Low-voltage fixtures, or plug-ins, operate with a power cord that plugs into a standard kitchen receptacle. If you have accessible outlets, then low voltage plug-in fixtures provide a simple installation.

Some linear fixtures are plug-in and linkable, with electrical connectors on the end of each fixture. This allows you to plug one fixture into an outlet, and any fixtures connected to it will also illuminate.

Both plug-in and battery-operated under cabinet lights are ideal for DIY projects. If you’re looking for a low-cost, low-effort installation, these fixtures will serve you well.

Line Voltage:

Line voltage, or hardwired, under cabinet lighting is the most complicated type to install. It also has the highest renovation costs, as it requires more complex renovation and wire splicing. For this, we recommend hiring an electrician to do the job professionally.

But, compared to the other types, it produces the most efficient and convenient results. By hiding all the wires inside the cabinetry or wall, line voltage lighting has the cleanest, sleekest look.

On some occasions, under cabinet fixtures may have remote control or motion sensor capabilities as well. The only bad thing about remote controlling is having to keep track of the remote. Motion sensors also take away the ability for manual control.

For bright lights that will last thousands of hours, LED under cabinet lighting is the way to go. LED lights can last upwards of 50,000 hours, and they provide brighter light while using lower amounts of energy. They also emit less heat, which is a major benefit in the kitchen.

Lumen count represents the number measurement for brightness in light bulbs. LED fixtures that have a brightness of at least 250 lumens per foot usually provide plenty of light for your kitchen.

Nowadays, LED light strips and LED puck lights are common under cabinet lighting products. Linear light manufacturers are moving away from fluorescent tubes and toward LED light bars as well. For the best overall lighting performance in under cabinet lights, choose LED fixtures.

Strip lights, by nature, tend to have lower wattages than puck or linear lights, making them give off less bright light. This is something to keep in mind, especially if light levels are an important factor for you. Pay attention to the wattage and lumen count of your fixtures to ensure they will provide enough light.

A lot of LED under cabinet lights also have dimming capabilities. During the hardwiring process, you can add a dimmer switch to your switch box for more direct control over brightness.

The temperature of your under cabinet lighting plays a large role on the aesthetic and design level. Color temperatures range from warm oranges and yellows to cool whites and blues.

For task lighting, cool white lights are the most optimal, which is equivalent to a color temperature between 4000K and 5000K. Anything above 5000K can give off a blueish hue, which is likely to clash with the rest of the lights in your house.

If you prefer more of a warm white, then get lights with color temperatures below 3000K. You can also get lights with adjustable controls for color temperature so you can change it throughout the day.

Of all the under cabinet lights on the market, LED fixtures have the best operation, control, and aesthetic. Among those, light bars and puck lights have the most variety and stylization to choose from.

For the power source, line voltage has a higher installation cost, but will save you time and energy in the long run. Plug-in and battery-powered fixtures are ideal for do-it-yourself projects. Linkable linear lights with plug-in capabilities are perfect DIY solutions while also providing bright, even light. As for color temperature, 3000K is a happy medium, not too cold and not too warm.

But those are just our recommendations, and your preferences for under cabinet lighting may vary. Browse HomElectrical's selection of LED under cabinet lights to find the perfect fixtures for your kitchen.