Zone · Guides · Under-cabinet lighting

Under-cabinet lighting: a buying guide

By the Zone product team

Updated October 18, 2026

Before wiring, turn off power at the breaker; follow local code; use a licensed electrician if unsure.

Zone under-cabinet lights side by side

“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 connects straight to your home’s wiring, usually so a wall switch can control it. A plug-in light just needs 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. Not sure which to choose? Plug-in is the easy route if you have an outlet near the cabinets. Hardwiring gives a cleaner look with no cord, and it’s a job for an electrician.

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). The 9 ft linking cord for under-cabinet lights (Z-LINK108-BLK) is 108 in long. Check that it works with the lights you’re joining before you plan it across a gap.

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 Z-UCL-LD-B0418 and Z-UCL-LD-B0424 records publish 3000K, 4000K or 5000K. The Z-UCL-LD-B0412 also has three settings, but its page doesn’t list which ones yet. 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). The Z-UCL-2013-12IN is sold as a motion-sensor bar, but its manual describes the sensor as “Hand-wave control for touchless on/off/dimming”. That means it reacts to a hand close to the bar, not to someone walking into the kitchen. If you want lights that come on when you enter the room, this isn’t that.

Why under-cabinet lights make such a difference

Ceiling lights sit behind you when you stand at the counter, so your head and shoulders throw a shadow right where you’re chopping. The wall cabinets add their own shadow along the back of the counter. A light under the cabinet puts the light in front of you and close to the work, so the shadow goes away. Mount the bar toward the front edge of the cabinet to light more of the counter; mount it toward the wall to wash the backsplash. Shiny stone or glossy tile can show the bar as a bright reflection, and a front-mounted bar usually shows less.

Measure the usable space under each cabinet, allowing for dividers, trim and the face frame. A run that looks continuous often needs several separate bars with room for the connectors between them. Pick lengths that put light over the spots where you actually prep food and read recipes. If runs sit next to each other, set them to the same colour so the change from one bar to the next doesn’t show.

Plan a project: Under-cabinet lighting for a 10 ft kitchen.