Zone · Guides · Under-cabinet lighting

Under-cabinet lighting: a buying guide

Four questions sort out most under-cabinet lights: how it gets power, whether bars link together, how long each bar is, and how it switches on. Below, every Zone under-cabinet light against those questions, as each product page publishes it.

Zone under-cabinet lights side by side

Light	Length	Power	Links	Colour	Switching	Dimming
12 in. 3-CCT linkable under-cabinet lightZ-UCL-LD-B0412	12 in	Hardwired or plug-in	Yes	3 colour settings	Not published	Not published
18 in. 3-CCT linkable under-cabinet lightZ-UCL-LD-B0418	18 in	Hardwired or plug-in	Yes	3000K, 4000K or 5000K	Not published	Not published
24 in. 3-CCT linkable under-cabinet lightZ-UCL-LD-B0424	24 in	Hardwired or plug-in	Yes	3000K, 4000K or 5000K	Not published	Not published
18 in. hand-wave under-cabinet lightZ-UCL-2014-18IN	17.99 x 2.5 x 0.5 in	Not published	Yes	5 colour settings	Hand wave	Stepless dimming
Linkable under-cabinet kitZ-UCL-60 KIT	24 in + 18 in + 18 in	Not published	Yes	Five colour temperatures	Hand wave	Not published
Under-cabinet light bar, motion sensorZ-UCL-2013-12IN	12 in	Not published	Not published	Not published	Motion sensor	Not published

“Not published” means the product page does not say either way yet; it is not a “no”. Each product page adds watts, lumens and listing marks as its datasheet is confirmed.

Hardwired or plug-in under-cabinet lights

A hardwired light is connected to the house wiring and runs from a wall switch; a plug-in light runs from an outlet. The Zone 3-CCT linkable lights (Z-UCL-LD-B0412, Z-UCL-LD-B0418, Z-UCL-LD-B0424) are published as hardwired or plug-in, so the same bar works either way. If you are not sure which suits your kitchen, a plug-in setup needs an outlet near the cabinets; hardwiring is work for a qualified electrician under local code.

Linkable under-cabinet lights

Linkable bars join end to end, so one power connection runs a row of lights. Published as linking: the 3-CCT linkable lights, the 18 in. hand-wave under-cabinet light and the linkable under-cabinet kit (one 24 in. bar and two 18 in. bars). For a gap between cabinets, the 9 ft linking cord for under-cabinet lights (Z-LINK108-BLK) is 108 in long.

12, 18 or 24 inch?

Measure the underside of each cabinet run. Zone bars come in 12, 18 and 24 in.; linking two or more covers a longer run. Where the product publishes its output, longer bars give more light:

18 in 3-CCT linkable light (Z-UCL-LD-B0418): 800 lm, 10 W.
24 in 3-CCT linkable light (Z-UCL-LD-B0424): 1,200 lm, 15 W.

Which colour for a kitchen?

The 3-CCT lights switch between 3000K, 4000K and 5000K. 3000K is soft white, warm and slightly amber, for a kitchen that is also a living space; 5000K is daylight, a blue-white for work at the counter; 4000K sits between. The 18 in. hand-wave under-cabinet light has 5 colour settings, and the kit five colour temperatures. More on Kelvin: light colour by room.

Motion sensor and hand-wave under-cabinet lights

A hand-wave light switches when you wave a hand in front of its sensor (Z-UCL-2014-18IN, and the Z-UCL-60 KIT). A motion sensor light switches on by itself when someone moves nearby (Z-UCL-2013-12IN, in 12, 18 and 24 inch). Either saves reaching for a switch with full hands.