What I've read so far is tape lights don't diffuse light well so you can get glare on glossy countertops. Also the transformer is > 1" so that would hang down below the cabinet and not sure I want to see that inside a cabinet. Nonetheless I'll head to a lighting store to see what they say.

Put the tape in a track with a diffuser.

Yes, you'll want tape lights. The transformer size depends on how long your run of lights is. Mine is quite large, but the electrician installed it in a corner base cabinet. Obviously this required a lot of communication with my electrician, including a field trip to the specialty lighting store, prior to anything getting installed.

The lights I picked meet all of your specs. They have a diffuser plate that is mounted on the tape to avoid the "ants marching under spotlights" effect on the counter. Another way to avoid that effect is by getting the tape with the closest spacing between bulbs - which obviously means brighter lights overall - and then using the dimmer.

ETA: The tape means you also don't have to pick predetermined sizes. If you have an 18" cabinet, the electrician cuts it to 17" or similar. They're 1/2" tall and can be daisychained as much as necessary, provided you size the transformer (or "driver") accordingly.

Any particular brands I should ask for? It's still a deal breaker if the transformer is visible. Thanks

I'd also consider the LED tape lights before another solution. You could install a continuous row of lights across your cabinets instead of installing several lamps linked together. To eliminate the reflection problem, Armacost recommends installing the lights against the back of the cabinets' lips instead of to the cabinet bottoms. Home Depot sells this Armacost brand whose drivers (transformers) are 3/4" deep. Armacost also makes dimmers for their LED lights. --amateur

Yep, LED tape lights are the way to go. Any good lighting store that works with general contractors will have options for you.

It will be called a driver rather than a transformer, and it's only visible if you don't plan for installation inside a cabinet. I forget the manufacturers name of mine, but the model is called blaze. Fluid is another model.

Here's a photo of the driver inside my corner base cabinet (super Susan cabinet):

Note the spec about "phase dimming".

I found Trulux at a local lighting store. It seems like it will work well. about 300 lumens per foot. Can only be cut every 4.6" though so not exactly cut to fit. They have a spec grade that can be cut every 2". Transformers are about an 1" thick.

I talked to another lighting company and they recommend Diode lighting, which makes Blaze tape lights. The lighting designer recommended the 200 lumen/ft and can place the transformer in the sink, along with a magnetic dimmer for line voltage dimming. These can be but every 2".

I have tape lights, and the transformer is in the top corner of an upper cabinet, which I can barely reach let alone see. The lights attach basically to the front lip of the cabinet, so there is nothing to see.

The Armacost RibbonFlex Pro are available in several brightness levels, color temperatures (2700K, 3000K, 400K), and tape lengths.

The transformers are thin but they prefer to put in sink so you can just have one and not threes ince the uppers are not continuous (ie gap across sink, across range)

Ah. If you can't install a continuous LED strip, maybe you should go back to your original plan which was to install undercounter fixtures. These SlimEdge light bars at Lamps Plus are only 3/8" deep, available in two color temperatures, and in several lengths and finishes.

My transformer is installed in an upper cabinet at the top corner. Not visible. The wiring for lighting was all done before anything else.

It's not an issue. The transformer goes in the sink and they run wires in the wall to each run of uppers. daisy-chained from there.

LED Tape - below are some photos with the lights off and on.

Lights off at counter

Lights on at counter

In a cabinet turned off

In a cabinet turned on

We have a different type of under cabinet lighting (Sempria by Task Lighting). But it also uses drivers for the lights. Our electricians installed our drivers in the basement in with the electrical panel and so nothing ended up needing to be hidden in the cabinets.

Sempria under cabinet lighting with outlets. (No outlets interrupting the backsplash.)

Check out Inspired LED, they have a page here and a website. Lots of recommendations here too. I emailed them pictures with measurements and floor plan, they sent back a list of everything needed to install. We also wanted the diffusers vs just the tape and they have both. They will usually quote the tape first because it’s cheaper so you’ll need to specify which one you want. It was super easy and shipping was “free” and quick. You will need one transformer box per Romex connection. We tried the armacost strips and they kept tripping and wouldn’t work so I returned all of it and went with Inspired. Went in easily and without a problem.

Great thread. Bkroni- in the cabinet photos- do you have tape on each shelf?

As you can see I installed wood shelving in the cabinet so the LED tape runs from the top to bottom of the cabinet on each side. The cabinet shelving was painted to match the upper cabinets in the kitchen. Below is pictures taken from the inside. The tape is on both sides and can't be seen. Also the placement of the tape on the upper cabinets is in the front not back. This allows the light to bounce off the backsplash and cover the counter.

Note the profile of the tape is very slim and does not interfere with the installation of the shelf (top of the picture).

Under cabinet placement

light on - door to the left then cabinet box

I just got a quote from inspired LED for Designer Series 2.0 panels which are described as low profile. The spec on a 10" panel is 10" X 0.87" X 0.67". So that might be worth looking into if you are really opposed to the tape.

I, myself, may still go with the tape, though, because it is even thinner, and I'm worried about some of the light still being visible and bothering those who will be sitting at my peninsula and near the underside of the cabinets.

Katie - those are what we used. They are absolutely unnoticeable unless you poke your head all the way under the cabinets. Measure the lip under your cabinets and see what space you have vs the size of the designer series. We were pleasantly surprised by just how low profile they are

HU-451779770, do you know if 0.87" is the measurement for the flat part that rests on the underside of the cabinet, or the measurement for the profile that protrudes?

HU-451779770, I'm also wondering if you mounted the lights onto the inside lip of your cabs so that they face the backsplash, or if you mounted them on the bottom of the cabinet, so that they face the counter? Did the fact that they are 0.87" in one direction and 0.67" in another direction influence that decision? Thanks so much for sharing your experience.

The 0.87” is the depth of the diffuser and how much it protrudes.

They are mounted on the underside of the front cabinet lip. The size didn't influence the decision on where to place, the installation was delayed due to the issue with the Armacost strips and finally happened in the middle of some other renovation chaos so honestly, the only thing that influenced the decision is the electrician lol. He just put them in where he usually does I guess and it wasn't until a few days later when things settled down that I thought about placement. It was a fleeting thought anyway because they light up the entire area(s) very well so if they aren't in the "preferred" spot that others would suggest, I have no idea and it doesn't bother me since they work perfectly well right where they are and do exactly what we need them to do. You're welcome! I'm happy to share my experience - there are so many things to think about and consider, and I received help from others and this forum so I'm happy to try and give a little back when I can.

ETA: I just looked up the exchange with Inspired LED and they indicated that when using the the strips, they need to be installed facing the backsplash to allow the LEDs to wash and blend together and create a more even beam of light. With the diffusers, that isn't necessary since the panels give that even beam of light, so they should be installed facing directly down toward the countertop.

Couple more for reference

Wow! I just measured the lip on the KraftMaid cabs I plan on buying, and my lip is a lot smaller than yours, HU-451779770. My lip is only 0.81", which wouldn't be a big deal if people were only standing near the cabs, but with people sitting nearby, I'm worried about the light bothering them.

I'm going to ask inspired LED to give me a quote for the tape, but like andrewrxxx, our original poster, I am concerned about glare and will ask if they sell diffusers for them. I'm going with a matte solid surface counter, but I'm concerned about my glossy ceramic backsplash looking like it has an airport landing strip in it!

Katie - I have no idea if they have diffusers that are flat/lower profile/lower height than the designer series. I have seen some people say they’ve bought them on Amazon and just stuck the tape lights in themselves. Interesting that the lip on my cabinets is so deep - they are custom from a local cabinet maker and I guess I just thought what is there is standard. ♀️ The tape light quote will be less $$ than the diffusers, so you’ll save there and may be able to purchase flatter channels/diffusers elsewhere. Good luck! I hope you’re able to figure it out and get what you want/need.

Actually, Katie - looking at the pic with the measuring tape again, I don’t think these are 0.87” high - it looks like they are only 3/4” / 0.75 high. So they would **just** squeak in under your 0.81 lip. Confirm the dimensions with Inspired LED - they just might work after all

With a proper light rail, and the tape lights properly installed on that light rail, no one will ever see anything.

Thought I'd share what inspired LED told me: "The Designer Series panels are .67” tall and .87” wide, so they should fit behind your lip nicely. I included a design for the flexible LED strips as well as a revised designer series design. I think either the panels or the LED strips will work for your space, if your countertops have a matte finish then you do not need to worry about reflections as much. [I had mentioned that I'll be getting matte solid surface tops] The benefits of the LED strips are that they will be a bit brighter and can be easily hidden."

Sorry I misread who had responded to my post, iamtiramisu. Your pics were very helpful!

@iamtiramisu so is that mounted at the back of your cabinets? I had one lighting person insist on using a flat 180 degree diffuser, mounted 3" from the back. The other lighting shop said highly recommend the 90 degree diffuser mounted at the front underside of the cabinet. I have concerns about the second option not projecting light to the front of the counters but they said it will from backsplash reflection, although my backsplash won't be shiny.

andrewxxx - they are mounted at the front, positioned facing down towards the counter. Inspired LED recommended they are installed face down/facing the counter. Since the back is flat I’m not sure how they could be installed at an angle without some additional pieces/parts. We don’t have a backsplash in yet, so I’m not sure how helpful this picture will be, but I think I’d have the same concern as you. I’m not sure mounting them further back would really bounce enough light to get you the light in front that you want.