Kitchen Under-Cabinet Lights 

Under-cabinet lights are an important source of task or accent lighting in the kitchen, whether you're a talented chef or prefer the takeout route. The beauty of under cabinet lights is that, unlike overhead lighting, there aren't harsh shadows cast by merely standing in the path of the illumination. You can see a lot better and do what you need to do a lot easier. Or, if you want to use under cabinet lights to show off the decor that makes your kitchen unique, they are great for that as well!

Here are 5 things to know before using kitchen under-cabinet lighting!

1. There are several different types of under-cabinet lights: all-in-one linear, modular linear (where the power is connected from one fixture to another in a process called daisy chaining), surface mount puck and recessed mount puck. Surface mount fixtures are the easiest to install if your kitchen has already been built. We typically recommend modular linear fixtures for their ease of installation and expandability.

2. Low voltage under-cabinet lights use transformers, sometimes built in, to convert standard household power down to 12 volts. Low voltage fixtures offer greater flexibility with placement, easier future expansion and energy savings when compared to standard line voltage fixtures. You can even dim most under-cabinet lights with standard dimmers so you can always have just the right amount of light.

3. Proper planning goes a long way towards great lighting in your kitchen, especially with under-cabinet lights. Mounting under-cabinet lights in the back of the cabinet is great, though it may cause glare if you sit or stand in the light's line of sight. Mounting them in the front is also good because it bounces light off the backsplash and onto the counter, but that can create a glare problem if you have reflective surfaces on both your countertop and backsplash. Keep your kitchen's specific materials in mind when planning to add under-cabinet lights.

4. Also, be aware that incandescent, halogen and xenon lights all produce heat, so remember that when storing things in the cabinet where the light is. Don't put food that can melt, like baker's chocolate, in cabinets above under-cabinet lights. Note that LED lights don't produce as much heat and could be a better solution for your space.

5. Under-cabinet lights are great for bringing more illumination to counters where a lot of prep work, including precision tasks like chopping vegetables, is done. Under-cabinet lights can also spotlight an interesting backsplash, cool countertop designs, framed objects or other neat details. Another popular design trend is to place LED tape lighting beneath islands for a unique glow.

Browse our selection of under-cabinet lights now!

Questions? Our trained specialists are standing by to help answer any questions you may have. Please call 1-866-688-3562 for assistance. 

Emma Harger-Young - Lights Online