Under-Cabinet Kitchen Lighting Buying Guide

The addition of under-cabinet lighting is an excellent way to add warmth to your kitchen space. There are countless under-cabinet lighting options from which to choose that will help create a different mood in the heart of your home and countless other places.

Fixture Types

There are four main categories of under-cabinet lighting with thousands of variations in design, color, finish, brightness, and number of bulbs.

Light Bars

This under-cabinet lighting takes the form of linear-style bars available in different lengths as to accommodate any type of cabinetry. The light bar evenly distributes light onto the counter tops, therefore the best option is to choose a light bar that matches the measurement width of the cabinets as to offer even illumination throughout.

Puck and Button Lights

Puck and button lights are one of the simplest lights to install and they make a great under-cabinet lighting solution. Illuminate your coffee maker prep station in the morning, make yourself a quick nighttime snack, keep the bathroom softly lit at night, or place puck and button lights underneath the entire length of your cabinetry for additional ambient or mood lighting for the evenings.

Strip and Tape Lights

This type of under-cabinet lighting is similar to light bars but tend to offer an easier installation process and slimmer profile design. Strip and tape lights illuminate the counter space in a linear fashion and typically use small LED bulbs that are placed within a tape-style base that is flexible and easy to install. Most of these tape-style lights are peel-and-stick, which means they are very light in weight, extremely low-profile, and save space while maximizing usable light output. They are also good for spaces that need to be lighted from above to highlight items such as photographs, artwork, and collectibles.

Bulb Types

Incandescent light bulbs are the most common light bulbs in use because they're inexpensive and feature a warm temperature color. While not as energy efficient as LED bulbs, they are very versatile to use in many types of lighting, including many under-cabinet lighting systems. Incandescent bulbs are also easy to use with dimming hardware and the light cast from this bulb is very appealing to most homeowners. 

LED, or Light-Emitting Diode, is a type of bulb you may be more familiar with due to its popularity in modern electronics and lighting fixtures. LEDs are extraordinarily energy-efficient and last a very long time in comparison with other bulb types.

There are benefits for using LEDs in under-cabinet lighting, such as casting directional light as opposed to diffused light, which is ideal for under-counter lighting. However, while there are many benefits, there are drawbacks worth mentioning, including directional light not being ideal for whole-room illumination or ambient lighting.

Fluorescent light bulbs are best suited for ceiling lights in large spaces, such as basements, attics, office buildings, warehouses, garages, and work sheds. This is because the typical fluorescent has a cold and flat light that is similar to a harsh daylight tone. However, there are different temperature colors you can buy, such as warm, cool, and specialty color fluorescents.

This type of bulb does last longer than incandescent and provides more light. However, the harshness of the cold, bluish light of some fluorescent options does not make this ideal for home use. Another disadvantage is it cannot be put on a dimmer, which limits its use in the home.

Halogen is a bulb best suited to those seeking illumination that is as close to a natural daylight lumen-output as possible. Also known as white light, this natural daylight quality is appealing for indoor use. Halogen lights were created as a variation of incandescent lights. They are most commonly used in under-cabinet lighting, recessed lighting, pendant lights, as well as outdoor flood lamps.

While halogen lights are a bit more energy efficient than incandescent lights, they burn hotter and are generally more expensive.

Xenon/Krypton bulbs are long-lived, very reliable, energy-saving bulbs that burn at high temperatures and cast a brilliant white color light. The luminous qualities of this bulb are great for those seeking optimal illumination, as Xenon is a halogen gas. However, the brightness of these bulbs may be stronger than you may be looking for in your kitchen, bedroom, living room, or under-cabinet.

Compact Fluorescent bulbs, also called CFLs, are a great option for the energy-conscious who want to use less electricity and enjoy a long-lasting light bulb. CFLs only consume a quarter of the energy that incandescent light bulbs do, and they last up to 10 times longer.

CFLs are instant-on, quiet when in-use, and illuminate the room with a warm, color-corrected tone. An additional benefit is the ability to use compact fluorescent bulbs anywhere you can use a traditional incandescent light bulb, such as table lamps, floor lamps, ceiling fixtures, and certain under-cabinet lighting fixtures.

Lumen Output

From sub-100 lumen output to over 2,000 lumens, under-cabinet lighting can put out a surprising amount of illumination for your counter space. When shopping for light bulbs you may come across some phrases such as color temperature, color of a bulb, and similar wording. What these phrases refer to is the warmth, coolness, pureness, and 'color' of the light being emitted from a bulb.

Based on the lumen output of a light bulb (measured in Kelvin), you can choose what bulb type and color temperature of a bulb that you want in your lighting fixtures inside your home. When looking at the lumen output of a light bulb, you can get an idea of the type of color it casts, which is important for creating the right ambient or directed lighting that you're looking for.

• 2700K - 3000K: This color temperature range is the standard range for incandescent lighting, which casts a warm white or soft white light as the lumen output increases in this range.

• 3500 - 4100K: This range is ideal for use in kitchens, including under-cabinet lighting. These temperatures offer cool white to bright white output as the lumen output increases in this range.

• 5000 - 6500K: Featuring natural to daylight temperature colors, this range of lumen output gives off a pure daytime light. This is perfect for reading and can be useful in under-cabinet lighting in kitchens of homeowners who prefer the maximum level of natural light. If you read a lot of recipes and use your counter space frequently, this is a great option.

Colors and Finishes

There are a host of colors and finishes available that will complement the décor of your choosing. Browse or filter your search to find classic and sophisticated metallic tones such as bronze, nickel, silver, brass, copper, gold, chrome, pewter, and stainless steel.

Clear and glass are unobtrusive options that will light up your kitchen without the breaking up the existing design of your kitchen.

If you're feeling bold, there are a range of equally bold colors such as blues, greens, oranges, and reds. Neutral options include grays, browns, blacks, whites, and transparent.

If you're looking for a warm and cozy look, consider a wood finish, which can add a neutral element to under-cabinet lighting.

Features

Use the search filter to narrow down your choices if you're seeking certain features for your under-cabinet lighting. For example, Energy Star compliance is very popular among energy-conscious people and those who want to get as much lighting they can using less electricity.

Californians will be familiar with Title 24 compliance, which is a mandatory code for building standards that includes lighting fixtures. If you must meet Title 24 compliance, use the filter during your search to view only the under-cabinet lighting options that meet this code compliance.

A popular feature among under-cabinet lighting is adjustable lighting. Dimming capabilities are not the only adjustable feature becoming more common. Adjustable color temperature is another feature you can filter in your search. This feature allows you to adjust the actual color temperature of the bulbs at a whim. This feature let you change from warm lighting to cool or daytime temperature color so your under-cabinet fixtures will cast the right light whenever you want.

Location Rating

Before purchasing your under-cabinet light fixtures, make sure you have verified that the fixture is rated for the location in which it will be installed. There are three location ratings for light fixtures: dry, wet, and damp locations. Wet location rating is used in exterior light fixtures, bathroom fixtures, and other lighting that is exposed to water and moisture. Damp location rating is ideal for bathroom and kitchen fixtures where moisture and steam is likely to be exposed to the fixture. Dry location rating is for bedrooms, living spaces, and other rooms of the home where moisture and water is not something the fixture and bulb are exposed to.

Add an extra level of warmth, light, and convenience to your kitchen with a new under-cabinet lighting system. Choose the ideal temperature color, theme, and style that will illuminate the heart of your home. Add under-cabinet lighting to any small or large-scale kitchen remodel.

For additional information about under-cabinet lighting, read Why Your Kitchen Deserves Under-Cabinet Lighting, which is jam-packed with information on the benefits of this type of lighting.