It's time to replace the ageing T4 tube lights under my kitchen cabinets. Having something dimmable, white colour controllable and smart would be great. I'd put colour control lowest on that list as long as I can get something ~4000k temperature.
IKEA looks to be close to my needs, but the temp it's very yellowy at 2700. I've not seen them IRL though.
Is the newest Phillip hue led strip bright enough for a work light these days?
Needs to be available in various sizes to make up different sections split around the kitchen or cuttable strips like the hue strip. I have a trim strip do don't need mega flush solutions. Does anyone have any suggestions? Tia.
With a similar wishlist ...I ended up with PIR controlled mains wires led strip for a fraction of the cost of any smart solution and they come on if anyone steps into the kitchen from either door and remain on so long as your in the kitchen. Seemed to fit my needs.
Look at Govee.
I’ve used kits fromledspace to do exactly what you want. You get a diffuser rail, self adhesive strip, mains transformer, controller and remote in the kit. You can choose what profile you want for the diffuser. I’ve got them running on the tops of our cabinets and on my over counter lights. Work really well.
Most of our under cabinet LEDs are from IKEA. Albeit no longer made. They are in short clip together sections. Fixed color, mains power to the drivers. Wired in to a kitchen lighting circuit when we got the kitchen put in.
when a few sections faded I moved others around to replace them and then got a cut to length strip from Screwfix to fill the gap. They seem to have a variable whiteness strip on offer now.
ours are all fixed color and undimmable- I want them on or off. They look warmer than 2700K but IDK their color temp.
I used this ZigBee controller with these Light strips (and a 24v led driver from local electrical wholesaler) in my kitchen. They link up to a Phillips Hue hub. Plenty bright enough and colour temperature range works for me.
Just been eyeing up these strips. Apparently up to 1500Lm/m, so should be plenty bright (and dimmable with a suitable controller anyway). Pricier for sure, but that's likely the higher output.
I've fitted led strips under the cabinets over the worktop. Regardless of type, one thing I'd recommend is fitting them at the front, rather than the back. Ok it means that you need a pelmet to stop them being visible from the room which I solved with a 9mm bead but you are illuminating the things you want to see properly rather than backlighting them.
All the Ikea LED lighting I've fitted has been good quality and I'd use it again. It is 2700K and I'd say fairly accurately (I've bought what was supposed to be high end LED strip elsewhere that's much cooler than the 2700k it was supposed to be).
Ikea used to do a lower profile 70mm wide panel that was good, and these much larger under cabinet panels that looked good but seem to be deleted them.
The Ikea stuff is 24V constant voltage if you want to use your own drivers rather than theirs. but their plugs/cables make life easy.
Having read the above I'm still none the wiser in what I'd need. can someone tell me what the best way to get some LED, preferably dimmable lights on the underside of my kitchen cupboards?
Like the OP, I have old tube lights that are in need of replacement. I have a light switch on the wall to the left of the cupboards. a narrow cupboard one side of an extractor, and 2 full width cupboards to the right or the extractor.
The cable from the light switch emerges just under the narrow cupboard, travels diagonally across the underside, is routed up the inside of that to the top, where there are 2 tube lights to illuminate above the cupboards (not needed) then down the far right side, inside the cupboard to the underside of the two full size cupboards where there is another tube light.
so I have 240V, two wire cable. I'd like a small LED strip under the smaller cupboard, and one under the larger cupboards.
I'm guessing I'd need to put the LED driver under the small cupboard too, unless I can route it in and out an hide it inside the cupboard under a shelf. I think I’ll need to 240V cable (existing) to the driver, back out using another cable, what sort would be suitable? can I reuse the current 2 wire 240v stuff or do I need a lighter, more specific cable for 24V?. I'd then need to follow the existing cable route up and over the top of the cupboards, and down to the underside of the right hand cupboards.
Do I need to pass through the first LED strip to run the second in series, if so, how? or can I run a separate cable from the driver and run it in parallel?
finally. what bits do I need to buy?
for the LED's. I don't need to change colour, maybe colour temperature if that's an option, but setting a light intensity would be useful. alexa compatibility would be a bonus, but not essential.
TIA.
i just used some amazon cheapish PIR controlled jobbies, worked a treat