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Under cabinet lighting is a popular and practical way to enhance the functionality and appearance of your kitchen, bathroom, or work area. It provides additional illumination for tasks such as chopping, reading, or working on a laptop, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
This article will highlight the reasons to upgrade your old fluorescent under-cabinet lights to LED lights, and we will recommend some of the best LED lights for under-cabinet lighting that you can find on the market today.
5 Best LED Lights for Under Cabinet
Here is a short and precise description of the five most recommended LED lights and why they are suitable for under-cabinet lighting:
1. HALO LED Downlight (Gimbal) Teknik
This remarkable downlight offers a blend of functionality and aesthetics.
Its gimbal design allows for a 360-degree rotation and a 60-degree tilt, providing exceptional flexibility in directing light precisely where it’s needed under cabinets.
It’s sleek, low-profile build adds a touch of modern sophistication to any space.
Using high-quality LED technology, the HALO Downlight delivers focused illumination and boasts energy efficiency and a long lifespan, making it a reliable choice for under-cabinet lighting requirements.
2. LUNA Tri-Colour Combo Downlight – Emerald Planet
The LUNA Downlight stands out for its versatility. It offers a unique tri-color feature, enabling users to switch between warm, cool, and daylight hues.
This capability ensures a customizable ambiance, perfectly adapting to different tasks or moods in the kitchen or workspace.
Its slim and compact design makes it easy to install discreetly under cabinets, ensuring seamless integration into the existing decor while providing efficient and adjustable lighting.
3. HP Eclipse IP40 Tri Series Downlight – Emerald Planet
Designed for durability and protection, the HP Eclipse Downlight boasts an IP40 rating, keeping it safe against dust and small solid particles.
This feature makes it an excellent choice for under-cabinet applications where maintaining a clean environment is crucial. Its tri-series configuration further enhances its lighting efficiency, ensuring a consistent and reliable performance while preserving its longevity and resilience.
4. Commander LED Panel Emerald Planet
The Commander LED Panel offers a different approach to under-cabinet lighting with its wide coverage and uniform illumination.
Designed to disperse light evenly across a broader work area, this panel ensures that every corner under the cabinets receives consistent brightness without creating harsh shadows or uneven spots.
The slim profile and sleek design make it an unobtrusive yet high-impact solution to any under-cabinet lighting setup.
5. Uni IP20 & IP50 Emergency Batten Emerald Planet
Combining functionality and safety, the Uni Emergency Batten series stands out for its dual-purpose nature. IP20/IP50 ratings guarantee protection against small solid particles and limited water ingress, ensuring a high degree of reliability in various environments.
Beyond its regular lighting capabilities, the emergency functionality ensures peace of mind during power outages or critical situations, offering continuous and reliable illumination for safety and convenience for under-cabinet spaces.
How do I Install Cabinet Lighting?
There are various under cabinet lights that can brighten your kitchen. Examples include LED strips, bars, pucks, panels, or batten lights.
Installation depends on the light type, power source, and wiring method. For general installations, here’s a user-friendly guide for under cabinet lights:
1. Figure out the best under-cabinet light for you
LED lights are available in many shapes, sizes, colors, and brightness levels. Make a selection based on your requirements and preferences.
Look for handy features like remote control, motion sensor, timer, or voice commands. Such features make your lighting easy to customize and automate.
2. Start with the project setup
Take precise measurements of your cabinets’ length and width and the gaps between them.
Select the spots to be used and the link-up points. Use a pencil and a measuring tape to outline where the lights and wiring will go. You should mark these on the underside of the cabinets and on the walls.
3. Identify the power source
You can plug the light fixtures into an existing outlet or hardwire them into a new or existing circuit.
If you plug them in, find an outlet close to the cabinets and that can be hidden from view.
If you hardwire them, select a suitable circuit with enough capacity which is not overloaded. Install a junction box and a switch to control the light fixtures.
4. Develop a wiring plan
There are options for running the wires. To run them inside the cabinets, drill holes at the back or bottom. Secure the wires using cable clamps or sticky tape. When running wires behind walls, carve small sections out of the drywall.
Use a tool like a fish tape or a coat hanger to thread the wires through these openings.
If you run the wires behind the walls, cut out sections of the drywall and use a fish tape or a coat hanger to pull the wires through the holes. If you run the wires along the walls, use wire mold or conduit to protect and conceal the wires.
Placement of the under-cabinet light fixtures.
When attaching light fixtures under cabinets, you might need different fixation tools.
These could be screws, adhesive pads, magnet strips, or clips. The type of attachment you need depends on the type of light fixture you select. Once fixed, there’s another task to complete: connect the fixture wires with the source wires or the junction box.
For this, use connectors or wire nuts. Stay closely aligned with the manufacturer’s instructions and wire color codes.
Install wiring and switch.
If you are hardwiring the light fixtures, install a junction box and a switch to control the light fixtures.
Use a drill and a spade bit to make holes in the wall for the junction box and the switch. You can also use a jigsaw or a keyhole saw to cut out the drywall. Connect the wires from the light fixtures to the wires from the junction box and the switch.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and the color codes for the wires.
Final verdict on Upgrading Old Fluorescent Under Cabinet Lights to LED Lights
If you’re thinking of swapping your old fluorescent under-cabinet lights with LED lights, you generally have three options. You can change the entire fixture, replace the existing bulbs with LED-type bulbs, or retrofit using LED strips.
Each option has its own pros and cons, including price, installation, and customization capability. Pick the option that checks all your boxes and won’t drain your wallet.
