Under Cabinet Lighting

You can use a variety of different light fixtures underneath your cabinets. We often recommend a flexible strip light for under-cabinet lighting, particularly a strip kit. A bendable or flexible strip makes it easier to move along corners and can be easily cut to fit your space. However, various factors and personal preferences will affect the fixture you choose.    

Complete LED Strip Kits

Under-cabinet LED lighting kits offer the most straightforward, out-of-the-box installation option. You’ll get everything you need to upgrade and brighten your space, including the 3M™ adhesive-backed flexible LED strips, power supply, wiring, connectors, and adaptors. Our strip kits come in various color options, including single CCT, tunable white, RGB, RGB+W, RGB+CCT, and more. 

LED Strip Lights

You might choose strip lights over strip kits if you have specific power supplies or accessories you want to use for the installation. Factors such as a longer run of cabinets or unusual wiring can also require the strip to be purchased separately from the rest of the supplies needed. Browse our extensive collection of flexible LED tape lights. Cut or fold these versatile LED light strips to fit the exact dimensions of your application using our wide range of strip light accessories. Before installing strip lights, ensure you have all the supplies needed, including power supplies, controllers, and connectors.

Light Bars

Light bars are more robust, meaning you don’t have to cut or customize them. LED light bars come in various lengths, and you can even link specific bars together for longer under-cabinet runs. Shop our LED light bars to achieve the lighting effect you want. 

Aluminum Channels

You can mount your strip lights in aluminum channels for a sleek, elevated appearance. KLUS aluminum channels create a professional-looking fixture and increase durability by protecting the strip and making it easier to clean. Specific aluminum channels and accessories are waterproof, making them safe in the kitchen or other wet areas.  

Armacost Aluminum Channel Kits are available on our website. These come with all the components needed for your setup, which includes channels, lenses, end caps, screws, and mounting clips.

Benefits of Using LEDs for Under Cabinet Lighting

There are many benefits to adding LED strips to your home, either as a new installation or for replacing outdated fixtures: 

• Customization - various lumens, CCT, and color options to choose from to fit specific lighting needs 
• Easy installation - able to be completed on your own as a DIY project 
• Energy-efficiency - LEDs waste less energy on heat than other lighting solutions
• Longer-life span - LEDs last longer than other lighting fixtures  
• Cost-effective overtime - less replacements leads to more significant money savings in the long run 

Choosing Color Temperature 

You must choose the Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) for your under-cabinet LED strip lighting. If you use your under-cabinet lighting primarily for task lighting, we recommend using cool or natural light with a CCT of at least 4000K. If you use it for additional ambient lighting, you can lean towards a warm CCT, usually 2700-3500K. Tunable white strips emit all these color temperatures and are available for select strip lights, strip kits, and light bars.   

How to Install Under Cabinet Lights

Installing under cabinet lights should be an easy task. The steps below briefly lay out your installation process:

1. Locate power sources.
2. Measure the installation area. To account for curves or mistakes, it is recommended that strips be bought longer than the measured area.
3. Determine if you want aluminum channels or apply the strip/bar directly onto the cabinet.
4. You can buy the supplies needed for the installation online. The exact supplies needed will vary depending on the type of fixture being installed. 
5. If you are using strip lights, cut them to the needed length. 
6. Begin installing the bar, strip, or channel under the cabinet. 

Each installation process is different, and how you install under-cabinet lights may vary. Watch the video for more information and a visual explanation.