I am no expert, but can't you install a transformer in the back of a cabinet to use low-voltage? In any event, I'd call or email inspiredled.com. They will walk you through it. Great customer service.

That's a key difference between hardwired (120V) and low-voltage - the low voltage ones are generally lower profile. I agree with sjhockeyfan325, you should be able to switch over if you have a place for the transformer that is accessible.

What are your specific requirements? What lengths do you need? How thin do they need to be? Did you look at the IKEA option for hardwired?

I would also suggest you check out the lighting forum where there has been much discussion on this and some good suggestions for where to look. David over there knows his stuff.

I used Environmental lights when I did my kitchen but I'm planning another kitchen now and they may not be the best option anymore.

What do you mean by UCL fixtures? Like individual things (pucks) or you have 7 runs of cabinets thatneed long lines of lighting?

I used inspired LED as well and they sent me one transformer that we hardwired in to the 120V line and ran the UCL tape from that and they had connectors that we used to go around the hood so we wouldn't need to add another hardwired power source. So I second calling/emailing Inspired. They have the tape that you just stick on under the cabinet so that's super shallow, the connectors stick out a bit but no more than 1/2 inch and you may not need many of those.

They also sell plug in tape options which plug into a standard outlet, so you may be able to run outlets into your cabinet and just plug it in there and have the outlets connected to a switch? Just thinking out loud.

I would post your lighting layout so we see what geometry you're talking about ;)

I did mine DIY using Hitlights. I intentionally had my electrician put 120 v outlets for my LED strips. It was very easy and inexpensive. All that's needed is a DC power supply/transformer for led strips. Whatever company you choose will have all the necessary accessories for their lights and should also provide the support you may need.

I used these: http://www.techlighting.com/Products/Fixtures/Unilume-LED-Accent-And-Task/Unilume-LED-Slimline

I found centering them below the cabinet more than sufficient. Get a compatible dimmer switch. Lots of light (3000 K) without the reflective dots. Well made: nothing gimpy about them.

Can you tell us just what dimensions you need? Are you trying to avoid using lightstrip trim on the bottoms of the cabinets? Mine are about 3/4 inch deep and could have been plug-in or hardwired but yes, required the trim to hide.

I think you are describing direct-wire units. This is the hardest thing I did in my kitchen renovation. It was the last thing that we had left and took me a month to resolve. Because of the way my project was wired using previous wiring Inspired LED wouldn't work for me. I ordered their products and ended up returning them.

I already had 120 wiring run in the walls along with wall switches. There was nowhere to put a transformer. The transformers that Inspired sold were huge, black and had to be installed on the vertical. It just wasn't going to work. I discovered that my wiring required a direct-wire product.

What I ended up doing was buying under cabinet direct-wire LED lighting units. They have an integral 120v/LED converter. You order them according to the length of the cabinet. They install underneath the wall cabinets like the old fluorescent units.

I got the units from http://www.brodwax.com/led-lighting.html. The guy running it has a lot of experience. He can walk you through it on the telephone and tell you which units will work best for you. I could tell he dealt with this problem all of the time. These direct-wire units can be very expensive, but the ones from Brodwax were much more reasonably priced than comparable brand name units. He just sends them to you UPS.

While we could have installed them, I had my electrician do it. It was his opinion that he would rather rewire a house than install under cabinet lighting due to needing to work upside down to mount and wire the units. It's also a two man job. It was worth every penny to get him to install. It saved my marriage.

I used one bronze xenon, 34.5" above the sink. It's dimmable and plenty for this project, direct wire, low watts, 120V, 4 lights. Blends right in with my darker cabinets...

Thanks very much to everyone who helped extricate me from the swamp. I ended up with a set of LED puck lights that give me the quality of light I want and did not cause my contractor to quit.

Having joined Gardenweb seven years ago (as Honorbiltkit) I have on occasion been irked by instances of snarkiness or tin-earedness. Mostly, however, it has been great. This conversation is a perfect example of how members are generous with their knowledge and experience even when the question is not on grout colors for backsplashes or other elements of design.

You guys rock. Grazie mille.

Bbtrix are your UCL attached to a switch and dimmable.

Too late for you, I guess, but we are very happy with these Phillips UCLs http://www.colorkinetics.com/ls/essentialwhite/ewprofilep/ . Good CRI, bright light, choice of light colors, and they are tiny, hiding behind the front lip of the cabinet. I installed them myself, they were very easy, one connection to the hardwire at the wall then daisy chain all the lights in each cabinet run together with plug and play jumpers. They are dimmable, though I didn't choose to install a dimmer switch.

Beachem - yes, I had the electrician wire the outlets to a wall switch, but I did not put a dimmer in that switch. Hitlights has inline remote controllers, so I bought this one for $11. It controls power and dimming.