Under cabinet lighting is one of the most practical lighting applications available today. Under cabinet lighting, as the name implies, refers to light fixtures that are typically installed beneath upper wall kitchen cabinets, illuminating the space directly below. However, there is so much more about its use. These concealed fixtures are able to blend in without being obtrusive or clashing with existing decor. They’re mostly used in kitchens, workshops, study rooms, and exhibit areas, where extra light is useful for preparing food, reading, and completing other tasks. An under cabinet light will not only enhance the brightness and overall look of your space, it is also one of the simplest ways to increase the value of your home on the market.
Some under cabinet lighting fixtures can be used as functional lighting in areas other than the kitchen. In a workshop, laundry room, or home office, they can provide flawless task lighting. They can add depth, dimension, and visual interest to a variety of spaces as accent lighting, or they can highlight architectural features such as a tray or cove ceiling. They can also display objects inside a display case. We’ve seen this adaptable lighting solution used under, above, and inside cabinetry, beneath countertops, and in toe kick areas.
Whether you’re replacing old fixtures or installing a completely new system, there are hundreds of LED options to choose from, ranging from traditional linear fixtures and puck lights to light bars and tape systems. If you’re new to the concept of under cabinet lighting or simply want to learn more, we’ve put together this guide to assist you.
Image source: Bobvila
LED Under Cabinet Light Options
Whether you’re replacing old fixtures or installing a completely new system, there are hundreds of LED options to choose from, ranging from traditional linear fixtures and puck lights to light bars and tape systems. If you’re new to the concept of under cabinet lighting or simply want to learn more, we’ve put together this guide to assist you.
Traditional Linear:
When it comes to illuminating high-functioning areas like worktops, sinks, and stoves, low-profile conventional LED linear lights are the most common option. In the dark recesses and shadows created by cabinets, traditional linear LED lights emit a ray of light that illuminates your workstation. The light they produce is distributed evenly down the length of the fixture, giving the appearance of a well-lit room. Their lengths range from 8 inches to 40 inches, and they are extremely efficient, long-lasting, and low-cost to operate.
There are two ways to install most classic linear LED fixtures: plug-in or hardwire. For those who lack electrical expertise or don’t want to employ a professional, plug-in installation (also known as plug and play) is the best option. It’s also an excellent choice for do-it-yourselfers who want a simple upgrade rather than a complete overhaul. Traditional plug-in fixtures may have certain design restrictions, and their primary disadvantage is that they must use electrical outlets that would otherwise be free. If a fixture is hardwired, it means it is self-contained, meaning it contains all of the components needed to operate the light. Once the initial connection is made, the fixture will need a separate 120V power supply from the wall, but it may be linked (daisy-chained) end-to-end in leaps. Lighting specialists and electricians with experience installing conventional LED linear lights should handle hardwire installations.
Line voltage and low voltage choices are available in two different categories. A quick aside: what’s the difference between line and low voltage? Using line voltage implies using the home’s 120 volt line voltage without the use of a driver. Almost all ceiling fixtures, including chandeliers, and table lights, operate on line power, which means they can simply be plugged in and used. In order to reduce the line voltage from 120 volts to 12 or 24 volts, low voltage devices generally employ a driver. Recessed, track, pendant, landscape, and display lighting are just a few of the places you’ll see it employed. When trying to illuminate a small, hard-to-reach space, low voltage is ideal.
You’ll have even more options if you choose with a dimmable design. So, whether you want spectacular lighting for parties and get-togethers or gentle illumination for late-night excursions to the fridge, this feature will let you do it all.
Puck Lights:
In terms of under cabinet lighting, Puck lights have long been a popular choice among designers and contractors. Even though they’re low voltage, they can still give off a lot of light, even if they’re little and compact (diameters range from 1-4 inches). Countertops, glass-fronted cabinets, and open shelves look fantastic with Puck lights. Depending on the style you’re going for, they might be either surface-mounted or recessed. Puck lights have a concentrated, more directed appearance when lit, comparable to that of spotlights. As a consequence, puck lights’ spectacular beam of light may or may not meet your needs, depending on your own preferences.
Yeelight Rechargeable Sensor Night Light
At the moment, LED puck lights are dominating the market due to their equivalent performance to a typical linear fixture, but at half the price and a fraction of the energy usage. Low-voltage LED puck lights require a power source to convert the line voltage to their working voltage (as mentioned above). It’s important to keep in mind that trying to hide all of your components beneath or within a cabinet may necessitate a bit of forethought. Some battery-operated LED puck lights are also available, making installation even easier by removing the need for cables.
Yeelight Rechargeable Sensor Night Light
Yeelight Rechargeable Sensor Night Light uses an expensive passive infrared motion sensor to detect movement within 22 feet and 120 degrees for automatic turn-on, and will automatically turn off after 15 seconds of no movement.It is a visual aid for stairs and other potential obstacles or hazards,protect nursing mothers who take care of babies at night and elderly people walking down the stairs at night.
Color temperatures and finishes are available in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors, including tiny pucks, square hockey pucks, ultra-slim, and RGB (color changing) and white tunable. Focus on the highlights of your kitchen, such as the bespoke granite worktops or the subway tile backsplash, with the use of splashbacks. LED pucks with dimmers offer even more design freedom. The combination of this option with other lighting fixtures, such as pendants and recessed downlights, creates unique lighting schemes.
Light Bars
Another option for under cabinet and task lighting is light bars and hard strips. Low-profile LED light bars are an excellent alternative to LED tape lighting because of their cheaper cost and better efficacy. Compared to tape, these lights often put off more light and are also easier to clean. They are a wonderful replacement to obsolete halogen and fluorescent under cabinet systems, which are notorious for producing a lot of heat and require regular maintenance. Yeelight Motion Sensor Closet Light has a built-in photosensitive sensor that ensures the light remains on only in the dark, helping you reduce energy use as well as your electricity bill. The 2700K color temperature is easier on your eyes, illuminating every corner of your room with a soft glow. Even better, the 60cm closet light is equipped with a 2200mAh rechargeable battery. This means it can work for up to 4-6 months after it is fully charged. Also, there’s no need to worry about the plug orientation thanks to the reversible USB Type-C port.
Yeelight Motion Sensor Closet Light. The infrared sensor can sense a 120 area with a radius of up to 4 meters at the front and up to 2 meters at the sides.
Light bars are great for illuminating display shelves, glass cabinets, bookcases, and other confined places because of their compact size and ease of installation. Like with tape lighting, the goal is to hide the fixture so that just the light is seen. For longer runs and customization in challenging layouts like L-shaped and cabinets with various lengths and heights, you can daisy-chain several LED light bars together.
Under Cabinet LED Tape Light:
LED tape light systems or strip systems may produce practical under cabinet detail illumination. It may also be used to call attention to items on exhibit, such as crystal, and to make goods in cabinets and drawers that are hard to reach, more accessible. LED tape systems are incredibly adaptable, allowing them to bend around corners and affix to almost any surface. It is possible to cut LED tape lighting to bespoke lengths, link it for longer runs and use it in many applications like cove and tray ceilings, above cabinets and under countertops and toe-kicks, as well as in other recessed locations. Toe kick lights, when placed near the floor, create the appearance of floating cabinets. Under islands and bars, it may be used to define edges and provide depth.
Both adhesive and track mounting are available for LED tape. In addition to being dimmable, LED tape lighting is also available in a variety of colors, so you may use it for any event. To get the most out of LED tape lighting systems, you will need to prepare ahead of time. Various accessories and components may be required based on your application. Yeelight LED Light Strip 1S, extendable up to 10 32.8 feet long, is flexible to fit into any place of your home. Simply measure your space, cut the light strips to length, and stick into place – and easily extend their reach up to 10m with Yeelight extension kits. It is perfect to add tasteful accents throughout your home, including your dining room, bedroom, kitchen, patio, and living room. They’re especially great for adding décor for holidays, parties, and special events.
You can easily automate multiple Strip 1S across your home with smart group controls, timers, brightness, and color temperature adjustment, and it can be easily controlled anytime, anywhere with the Yeelight smartphone app.
Choosing a Color Scheme
Choosing the right color temperature and CRI for LEDs may have a significant impact on your final product choice. We propose a CCT (correlated color temperature) in the range of 3000K to 4000K for kitchen applications. Lower light temperatures (below 3000K) produce a warm, yellowish tint, making it difficult to see colors clearly if the space is being used for food preparation. Keep your color temperature below 4000K unless you need to illuminate an industrial area in “daylight” color. Installation of something too “cool” for the kitchen will likely give you an unattractive color mismatch, since the remainder of your home lighting is most likely 2700K or 3000K in temperature.
CRI, on the other hand, is a little more difficult to grasp because it is not immediately apparent. The CRI scales from 0 to 100, with lower values indicating better color accuracy and higher values indicating worse color accuracy. The higher the score, the closer the object’s appearance will be to what it would appear to be in natural sunlight. What, therefore, is adequate? LED under cabinet illumination with a CRI of 90 or above is ideal for tasks that aren’t color important. We recommend a CRI of 95+ for improved visual appeal and color fidelity.
Summary
To sum it up, installation is entirely dependent on you — your skillset, timeframe, and economic ability. If you’re handy with electricity or prefer plug-in solutions, installing LED under cabinet lighting yourself could be an option for you. Wire-based illumination, on the other hand, needs a lot more thought and effort, but it opens up a world of possibilities in terms of design. Contact Yeelight staff at any moment if you need assistance with product selection, a price, or a lighting scheme design. We’ll help you select the ideal LED under cabinet lighting solution for your home or business renovation or construction project.
