Good under cabinet lights turn a dim worktop into the brightest and most useful surface in the house, and choosing under cabinet lights for an Irish kitchen comes down to three simple decisions. First, pick the type that suits your units: a linkable batten for a clean line of light, a flexible LED strip for long or awkward runs, or small plinth spots to wash the floor at the kickboard. Second, choose the colour temperature, with a crisp cool white for prep areas and a softer warm white where the kitchen opens into a dining space. Third, get the fitting method right, because some of these plug straight in while a wired spur is a job for a registered electrician. This guide walks you through all three so you can light every worktop with no shadows.
In this guide
- What types of under cabinet lights are there?
- Warm or cool white: which colour suits a kitchen?
- Do under cabinet lights need an IP rating in Ireland?
- Can you fit under cabinet lights yourself?
- How much do LED under cabinet lights cost to run?
- Frequently asked questions
What types of under cabinet lights are there?
The quickest way to plan under cabinet lighting is to look at the run you are lighting, not the fitting. A short row of wall units suits something quick and linkable, a long or L shaped kitchen suits a continuous strip, and a floor wash at the kickboard is a different job again. Here is how the three main types compare before we look at each one in turn.
| Type | Best for | Light quality | Fitting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linkable batten | Short, straight runs of wall units | Even and bright, ready made | Plug in or wired, links end to end |
| LED strip | Long or L shaped runs and tight corners | Seamless line of light, cut to length | Sticks up under the unit, needs a driver |
| Plinth spot | Floor wash at the kickboard | Soft pools of accent light | Recessed into the plinth |
Linkable batten lights
A slim batten is the easiest win for most kitchens. It fixes flat to the underside of the wall unit, hides behind the front rail so you never see the light source, and links end to end so a whole run comes on from one switch. Because it arrives ready wired, there is far less to go wrong than with a loose reel of tape. Look for a low profile body and a warm or neutral white to suit the room.
A slim, ready wired batten that links end to end along a run of wall units, in a choice of warm white 3000K or neutral white 4000K. A tidy, low cost way to light a worktop from a trusted name.
LED strip and ribbon
For a long kitchen, an island, or units that turn a corner, a flexible LED strip gives you one seamless line of light with no gaps. You cut it to length at the marked points, stick it to the underside of the unit or into an aluminium channel for a cleaner finish, and run it back to a driver. Near a sink, choose a strip with a sealed IP65 rating so splashes do no harm. If you want to set a mood as well as light the worktop, a colour changing kit lets you switch from bright white for cooking to a soft colour for the evening.
Five metres of sealed IP65 strip in warm white or cool white, bright enough to be the main worktop light rather than just an accent. The sealed coating shrugs off the splashes you get near a sink or hob.
A complete five metre kit with the driver and controller in the box, so you can go from bright white for cooking to any colour you like for the evening. Ideal for an island or a splashback where you want a bit of mood as well as light.
Plinth and kickboard spots
Plinth spots are small round lights recessed into the kickboard at the base of your units, throwing a soft pool of light across the floor. They are the finishing touch that makes a kitchen feel considered, and they double as a gentle night light so you are not reaching for the main switch at two in the morning. A warm white gives the cosiest effect down at floor level.
A neat 40mm recessed spot in warm white or cool white that runs straight off 240V, so there is no separate low voltage driver to hide. Space a few along the plinth for an even floor wash.
Two more you may hear about are puck lights and sensor lights. Puck lights are small round spots that give a series of pools rather than a continuous line, handy for a couple of feature units. Sensor versions add a hands free switch that lights the worktop as you approach, which is a nice touch on a run you use in the dark.
Warm or cool white: which colour suits a kitchen?
Colour temperature is measured in kelvin, and it changes the whole feel of a worktop. Cool white looks crisp and clinical, which is exactly what you want over a busy prep area, while warm white feels softer and more relaxed where the kitchen flows into a living or dining space. Many strips and battens now offer both, so you can match the run to the room.
| Colour | Look | Best over |
|---|---|---|
| Warm white 3000K | Soft, cosy, golden | Open plan kitchens and plinth lighting |
| Neutral white 4000K | Clean and balanced | General worktops, a safe all rounder |
| Cool white 6000K | Bright and crisp | Busy prep zones and food preparation |
Do under cabinet lights need an IP rating in Ireland?
Most of the run under your units is dry, so a standard fitting is fine along the bulk of the kitchen. The place to think about water is the stretch beside the sink and the hob, where steam and splashes reach the underside of the unit. There, a strip or fitting sealed to IP65 keeps moisture out and lasts far longer than an open one. It is a small upgrade for the section that gets wet, and it saves you replacing a failed light in a year.
Can you fit under cabinet lights yourself?
It depends on how the light gets its power. A plug in batten or a strip kit that comes with a plug top driver is a genuine do it yourself job, because you are simply fixing it in place and plugging it into an existing socket inside a cupboard. Where it becomes an electrician job is when you want the lights wired into a fused spur or a switch on the wall, with the cable chased in and hidden. In Ireland that mains work must be carried out by a Registered Electrical Contractor under the Safe Electric scheme, and they give you a Completion Certificate for the work. If you are already having a kitchen rewired or fitted, adding the under cabinet circuit at the same time is the tidiest way to do it.
How much do LED under cabinet lights cost to run?
Very little, which is the quiet advantage of LED. A full run of modern under cabinet lighting typically draws around 20 to 30 watts, so even left on for four hours every evening it costs only a few euro across a whole year at normal Irish electricity rates. Older halogen strips and fluorescent tubes used many times that and ran hot, so if you are replacing an ageing under counter light the new one pays for itself in running costs alone, and it starts instantly with no flicker on a cold morning.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best under cabinet lights for a kitchen?
For most kitchens a linkable LED batten is the easiest and tidiest choice, because it comes ready wired and links along a run from one switch. For long or L shaped runs a sealed LED strip gives a seamless line of light, and plinth spots add a soft floor wash to finish the room.
Should under cabinet lights be warm or cool white?
Cool white around 6000K is crisp and best over a busy prep area, while warm white at 3000K feels softer and suits an open plan kitchen. Neutral white at 4000K is the safe all rounder if you are unsure, and many fittings let you switch between them.
Do I need an electrician to fit under cabinet lights?
Not for a plug in batten or a strip kit with a plug top driver, which you can fit yourself. You do need a Registered Electrical Contractor for anything wired into a fused spur or a wall switch, and they will issue a Completion Certificate under the Safe Electric scheme.
Are LED strips bright enough to light a worktop?
Yes. A good quality strip rated around 20 watts across five metres, like a 24W sealed ribbon, is bright enough to be the main worktop light rather than just an accent. Choose a higher output strip if the run is your only light source over that counter.
What IP rating do under cabinet lights need?
A standard rating is fine along the dry stretch of units, but choose an IP65 sealed fitting for the section beside the sink or hob where steam and splashes reach. That one upgrade stops moisture shortening the life of the light.
Related reading: planning the whole room, see our kitchen lighting buying guide for how the layers work together. And for more on cutting, sealing and powering tape, our guide to LED strip lights in Ireland goes deeper on strip choice.
Light your worktops the easy way
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