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Under-cabinet lighting can instantly change and improve the mood and ambiance of your kitchen. Since under-cabinet lighting is hidden, it's never an eyesore with unsightly wires—plus, it saves valuable space while illuminating your countertop.
“Light bars provide a more evenly distributed light where the light from pucks is more concentrated,” says Eric Marie, founder of Get an Eric, a handyman/contractor company. “Pucks are great for corners and alcoves that are otherwise difficult to tát light. Tapes can feel lượt thích an easy, affordable DIY project, but they ultimately won't last very long.”
To find the best under-cabinet lighting, we researched a wide variety of options while considering type, power source, color temperature, and features. In addition to tát Marie, we also spoke to tát Blake Sutton, the President of Est Est Interior Design, for his expert insight on integrating under-cabinet lighting into your space.
Amazon What Stands Out They're bright, affordable, easy to tát install, and extremely thin, ensuring they stay well hidden. What Could Be Improved The light switch is located 16 inches away from the bulbs on the cord.
The super slim Jusjubr Under-Cabinet Lights are a versatile pick—they can be hardwired or plugged into the mains, sánh you can tailor them to tát your kitchen design. They come with three different white lights and have an impressive brightness with 33 LED lights along the 12-inch length of the bar.
These lights are also dimmable from 10 percent brightness up to tát full power, and they keep your last setting when you switch them back on again. They come with strong double-sided adhesive tape for even easier installation, and there are four wire clips to tát affix the cord in place.
The Jusjubr light strips aren't limited to tát kitchen cabinets either; you can use them in offices, wardrobes, shelves, and bookcases. The on/off/dimming switch is far down the cord, but you can use the included wire clips to tát adjust the switch if you prefer more convenient access.
Price at time of publish: $17
Light Type: Light bar | Dimensions: 12 inches | Power Source: Plug-in
Amazon What Stands Out It has 10 adjustable light levels, five timing options, and a convenient remote control. What Could Be Improved The remote control can unmatch when the lights are unplugged.
The Wobane Under-Cabinet LED Lighting Kit has six pre-cut light tapes, a power adaptor, and a wireless remote control, giving you all the equipment you need for streamlined kitchen lighting. While we lượt thích the remote control for its convenience and 60-foot range, connecting it is a multi-step process.
The kit also includes adhesive tape, sánh you can easily install the lights without additional tools. You can connect these strips with the eight included straight and U-type connectors (that can go around corners and bends) to tát offer a total length of 9 feet. Setting them up is super easy—peel off the backing paper, add the optional connectors, and stick where you lượt thích. They have 10 adjustable light levels and five pre-set timers that switch the lights off after either 3, 5, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. The remote also has “hot buttons” that store your settings.
Price at time of publish: $20
Light Type: Tape | Dimensions: 117.6 inches | Power Source: Plug-in
Amazon What Stands Out These powerful lights have three color temperatures and come in white and bronze to tát suit various kitchen styles. What Could Be Improved They aren't as discreet as other options.
Though under-cabinet lighting isn't a substitute for an overhead light, the Torchstar LED Under-Cabinet Task Lights are bright enough for cooking, cleaning, and grabbing a midnight snack. The pack has four lights, and you can choose from 12-inch and 22-inch lengths. You can dim these lights from 10 percent power to tát full brightness, allowing you to tát tailor them as needed.
These lights also come in a white or bronze durable aluminum casing, which you can coordinate with your wood or cabinet finish. Keep in mind that they aren't the smallest devices, sánh they might be visible because they don’t sit flush with the cabinets lượt thích light strips.
You can hardwire these lights or plug them into an outlet, and they come with all the needed mounting hardware to tát screw them into your cabinets. While this option is more expensive, the lights have impressive efficiency, brightness, dimmable functionality, color temperature selection, and a three-year warranty that make them a worthy investment.
Price at time of publish: $110
Light Type: Puck | Dimensions: 12 inches | Power Source: Electric hardwired/plug-in
Target What Stands Out You can operate them via a smart device or voice control. What Could Be Improved You need a Hue Bridge to tát work the smart functions.
A favorite with interior designers and homeowners everywhere, the Philips Hue White and Màu sắc Ambiance Lightstrip Base Kit offers brilliant yet ambient kitchen lighting. Each kit includes an 80-inch multicolored output light strip, a power adapter, and a connector box that allows users to tát connect additional Hue light strips.
The flexible strip allows you to tát position it in any direction under the cabinets, bending effortlessly around corners, and you can even cut it down to tát size. You can also attach cut pieces to tát the main strip with the connector kit. These practically weightless lights offer color-changing properties and are Công nghệ Bluetooth enabled for smart functioning.
You can operate them via a smart device or voice control with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or Google Assistant, but you will need a Hue Bridge to tát access all the smart features. The bridge can also operate up to tát 50 Philips lights simultaneously.
Price at time of publish: $100
Light Type: Light strip | Dimensions: 80 inches | Power Source: Plug-in
Amazon What Stands Out They can be recessed or surface mounted and come in white and bronze. What Could Be Improved To recess the lights, you have to tát cut a 2.5-inch hole in the cabinetry for each light.
Available in packs of three or six, the Getinlight Dimmable LED Puck Lights Kit can be surface mounted or recessed into the underside of your kitchen cabinets for an even more discreet and streamlined look. Their plastic shell comes in either white or dark bronze to tát blend in with most cabinet styles, and they come with easy-to-understand mounting instructions.
For recessed mounting, you need to tát cut a round hole in the cabinets of 2.5 inches—this might require professional carpentry assistance if you’re inexperienced with DIYs. The pucks need to tát be screwed in, and they come with all the mounting hardware required, including tacks to tát keep the 55-inch wire and power cable tidy and hidden. You also get a three-port hub that connects the lights.
The lights are equivalent to tát a 30-watt incandescent light but are far more energy-efficient. The 18 bulbs in each puck are integrated, sánh you never need to tát change them out. They also have a lifespan of around 36,000 hours.
Price at time of publish: $34
Light Type: Puck | Dimensions: 2.5 inches | Power Source: Plug-in
Amazon What Stands Out Tap these affordable lights to tát turn them on. What Could Be Improved You’ll need to tát replace the three batteries every 100 hours or sánh, which could be arduous if you have multiple units.
The Brilliant Evolution Wireless Ultra Thin LED Light Bar is a super easy under-cabinet lighting solution—they’re touch controlled, sánh to tát switch the lights on and off, just gently tap them. While these lights aren't completely recessed, they’re less phàn nàn an inch thick, making them subtle on your cabinetry.
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The lights require three AAA batteries for up to tát 100 hours of runtime, sánh if you have many units, it may be tiring to tát change the batteries—not to tát mention expensive if you opt for the disposable kind. (Pro tip: Get rechargeable batteries and keep them handy in a nearby drawer.) That said, being battery-operated eliminates the unsightly cords and need for hardwiring.
Each light weighs under 0.3 pounds, and you can mount them with the included screws or adhesive patches. The light emitted is a bright, warm white rated at 65 lumens, and the LED bulbs are long-lasting.
Price at time of publish: $12
Light Type: Light bar | Dimensions: 8.5 inches | Power Source: Battery
Amazon What Stands Out You can dim these lights, adjust the color temperature, and rotate them to tát suit your kitchen space. What Could Be Improved Although they have a plug-in option, they’re only dimmable if hardwired.
If you’re building your kitchen from scratch or renovating, opt for hardwired under-cabinet lighting instead of battery-operated or corded electric options. You can control hardwired lights with the same (or adjoining) light switches for an integrated lighting system.
The ASD Swivel LED Under-Cabinet Lighting is ideal for hardwiring, but if you’re not ready for a kitchen overhaul you can also plug them into an outlet. Each LED light can replace a 40-watt fluorescent bulb, is bright at 1,180 lumens, and has a wide beam angle of 180 degrees.
The lights are on the pricier over of the spectrum, but the adjustable color temperature (warm, warmer, and bright white), hardwired dimmable functionality, and rotating heads make this a quality pick worth the price. You can also liên kết multiple units together sánh they operate with a single switch. These lights are available in sizes 12 to tát 40 inches and come in a white or bronze aluminum casing.
Price at time of publish: $70
Light Type: Light bar | Dimensions: 32 inches | Power Source: Electric hardwired/Plug-in
Amazon What Stands Out They're dimmable, have 16 colors, and come with four dynamic modes for các buổi party and holiday ambiance. What Could Be Improved Each puck takes three AAA batteries that only last up to tát 100 hours.
Remote-controlled lighting is convenient for many reasons; you don’t have to tát get up to tát turn the lights on, and you can illuminate a room without searching for a light switch in a dark room. These LED puck lights from Tecomlight have a handy remote that can operate multiple units, plus a wall-mounted fixture, sánh you can always find the remote when you need it.
The lights are impressively affordable for what they offer. This pick is touch controlled, sánh they are easy to tát turn on and off even if you don’t have the remote nearby. The remote works with a CR2025 3V lithium battery (included), while each puck needs three AAA batteries (not included). Plus, the lights are dimmable and can switch between 16 colors, with warm, neutral, and cool whites, and four dynamic modes for holidays and parties.
A handy automatic timer can shut the lights off after 30, 60, 180, or 360 minutes, and they come in đen kịt or white casing that can be mounted with the included screws or adhesive pads. Each light lasts up to tát 100 hours, but they tend to tát eat through batteries quickly, sánh we recommend rechargeable batteries to tát power this pick.
Price at time of publish: $23
Light Type: Puck | Dimensions: 2.95 inches | Power Source: Battery
Amazon What Stands Out The 0.4-inch depth makes them super discrete and they have a micro charging port—no disposable/rechargeable batteries needed. What Could Be Improved You have to tát recharge the batteries after three hours of continuous use.
For ultimate convenience and hands-free operation, the Lepotec LED under-cabinet lights have a built-in motion sensor that turns the light on whenever it detects movement up to tát a distance of 10 feet. The lights are only 0.4 inches thick—mainly because they don’t need bulky disposable or rechargeable batteries.
The charging indicator light is red when the unit is charging and green when fully charged, and there are three modes that can be mix via a simple switch on the side—on for continuous lighting, off, or motion sensing. They charge via a micro charging port in just three hours, and each charge will power the lights for up to tát four weeks on motion sensing mode, but only three hours continuously—which is why we lượt thích them more as sensor lights.
You can install these lights with the included adhesive tapes, but they also have a built-in magnet as an extra installation option. The metal casing is available in white or silver. Plus, they come in a pack of two and are also available in 7.8 or 12.5-inch lengths.
Price at time of publish: $40
Light Type: Light bar | Dimensions: 12.5 inches | Power Source: Battery
Amazon What Stands Out They have 16 light colors and can be remote-controlled or tap-operated. What Could Be Improved They only come with a white casing.
This six-pack of wireless RGB LED pucks comes with two remote controls, allowing you to tát choose between the tap function or remote to tát turn them on. You can dim the lights to tát your preferred brightness and choose from one of 16 color cycles or one of the four preset colors. These lights also have a timer that turns them off anywhere from 15 to tát 120 minutes, and they provide a 100-hour lập cập time at full brightness.
Each light works with three AAA batteries and is only an inch thick, keeping them hidden under your cabinets. Their casing is a white plastic that blends in with white or lighter-shade cabinets but might stand out on darker-colored units. They come with both adhesive tape or screws for mounting.
Price at time of publish: $30
Light Type: Puck | Dimensions: 3.38 inches | Power Source: Battery
The slender Jusjubr Under-Cabinet Light is our top pick for its thin frame that ensures it stays well-hidden under the cabinets, impressive brightness, and dimmable function that remembers your last setting. While this pick is affordable, if you want to tát save even more, opt for the Wobane Under-Cabinet LED Lighting Kit, which is available in three shades of white to tát create your desired kitchen aesthetic.
Under-cabinet lighting is an excellent and affordable way to tát update a kitchen and comes in three main types—pucks, light bars, or light strips/tape.
Pucks are short, cylindrical light fixtures around 3 inches in diameter. They use halogen, xenon, or LED bulbs and affix them to tát the underside of the cabinets with mounting screws or adhesive.
Light bars are long and thin light fixtures for linear, consistent light distribution. While these lights used to tát be fluorescent, they now come in LED options, which have gained popularity. These lights can be hardwired or battery-powered and affixed to tát the cabinets with screws or strong adhesive tape.
Light tape or light strips come in reels of around 6 feet, with small LED lights along the length, and are flexible enough to tát be manipulated to tát fit around corners and crevices. You can install them on bumpier surfaces, and even cut them to tát the perfect length for your cabinetry. They are usually easy to tát install with adhesive or nails. Generally, they emit less light phàn nàn the other two options.
Blake Sutton, the president of Est Est Interior Design, loves and recommends LED tape lights for under cabinets. “Every electrician is able to tát provide LED tape, making it convenient and easy to tát install in your kitchen,” he says.
Under-cabinet lights can use three power sources—battery-operated, hardwired electric, and plug-in electric. Plug-in options may show the cord (unless your outlet is under the cabinets), sánh while they are easy to tát install, they might be less sleek phàn nàn other power sources.
Battery-powered under-cabinet lights can be charged by USB or use disposable or rechargeable batteries. “Battery-powered solutions are stand-alone and are more of a DIY solution,” says Sutton. “We would never use a battery solution when building a new space or remodeling an existing one.”
Both Sutton and Eric Marie of Get an Eric recommend hardwired electric under-cabinet lighting. “A hard-wired solution allows you to tát incorporate the under-cabinet lights into your overall lighting controls,” Sutton says. Marie adds that they are easier to tát manage, and batteries may cost more over time phàn nàn installing hardwired lights.
“I don’t recommend that people try installing under-cabinet lighting on their own,” Marie says. “There are several products out there that seem lượt thích an easy DIY project, but when installed correctly under-cabinet lighting should be hardwired. This often means finding an electrical source, and at that point, you should really hire an expert.”
Most under-cabinet lighting is cool white or warm white. However, many options also have multi-color lights in practically every shade, which you can change and mix via remote control. For a timeless and functional look, opt for cool white lights. If you prefer a warm, glowing ambiance reminiscent of a sunset, opt for warm white lighting.
Some under-cabinet lighting solutions, particularly battery-powered ones, have a range of colors you can change via remote control. Other features are dimmers, automatic timers, and automatic color modes.
“Dimmers and color-changing lights are really the two things you should look for, along with LED lighting for longevity,” says Marie. “If you have a smart home page, you can find some pretty good products that are voice or tiện ích activated. However, while it seems cool, it can go awry, and it's not as fast as flicking a switch.”
While under-cabinet lighting might not be a standout energy-saving solution, it can minimize how often you use your high-powered overhead light. Most under-cabinet lights aren't bright enough for kitchen tasks and cooking but can stand in for your heavy-duty overhead light for quick trips to tát refill a glass of water or grab a midnight snack.
“Cool temperature colors are best for most kitchen styles and trends today, but the color you choose should really depend on the backsplash,” Marie says. “Too bright, light, or dark can change the aesthetic of your kitchen. Select a product that offers choices lượt thích a color-changing LED light strip.”
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If your existing kitchen lights are a warmer tone, Sutton says that the temperature color of your under-cabinet lights should match the rest of the lighting for a more streamlined look. “Some LED tape light even gives you the ability to tát adjust the color temperature within a reasonable range,” he adds.
Most under-cabinet lights have LED bulbs, which boast a long life span lasting up to tát five years. “LED tape lasts a very long time, and you don't even have to tát change out a lightbulb,” Sutton says. “LED tape duration is based on the specific product and usage but can last for years, making it a great low-maintenance option.”
This article was written by Kat de Naoum, who has over 10 years of commerce-writing experience. Kat is also the Commerce Editor-at-Large at Thomas-Xometry, the leading U.S. online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing. For this article, Kat reviewed multiple under-cabinet lighting products and researched and considered factors such as each product’s type, color temperature, power source, features, and value for money. She also spoke to tát Blake Sutton, the president of Est Est Interior Design, and Eric Marie of Get an Eric, a handyman/contractor company in Chicago.
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Final Verdict
How to tát Shop for Under-Cabinet Lighting Like a Pro
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