I'm not quite sure what you mean by an integrated LED. With recessed cans there are about three options:

• A LED bulb with a traditional housing and trim
• A "retrofit" module which includes the driver, LED, and trim in one piece and used with a traditional housing. They're relatively inexpensive but trim options are somewhat limited.
• Finally there's the higher end of things. Depending on the manufacturer and size of the fixture, the driver can be built into the housing with a separate LED, driver and LED built in the housing, or separate LED module that includes the driver. The advantage is more sizes, color temperatures, color rendering, trim choices, and even beam angles. Obviously these are considerably more expensive than the first two options.

My personal preference, especially in "work" areas like a kitchen, is more light. The challenge with can lights is that it's often difficult to go back and add more because of spacing. If you find it too much, then a dimmer can be added.

I like 3,000K but that's entirely a matter of personal preference.

It all depends on the look you want and your budget.

I can't help with the technical side. My new LEDs went in yesterday and I love the light. 3000K and 90 CRI. I used 4 inch cans, which I think look better than the 6 inch. I would go with more than adequate lumens because you can always dim them.

Hi Alex, thanks for your help! Did you do cans with the light built in or not?

You don't need a traditional can. Integrated, recessed LED light that is dimmable and rated for direct insulation contact. Make sure it is easy to replace yourself, ie. the kind held in by two spring-loaded tabs. I prefer high lumens, 2700K or 3000K, and installed with a smart dimmer switch.

I used a Halo LED that fits in a standard 4" ceiling box. Much easier to air seal which is critical in our cold climate. Went with 3000K and Lutron dimmers. Worked very well. The only negative is that, if they break you have no choice but to replace with another fixture.

2700k will be a bit 'redder' or 'warmer'. Kinda the difference between 'warm white' and 'soft white'. 'Daylight' or 'brite white' will have something somewhat higher temperature.

In the living room I have 2700k. Kitchen is brighter.

I looked at the box and it says, Halo 4 " retrofit module. Sounds like Seabornman's.

"I used a Halo LED that fits in a standard 4" ceiling box."

I like those and have used them, but be aware that their efficacy (lumens per watt) is pretty lousy. IIRC it's only 54 l/W. Even most cheap dollar store screw-in compact fluorescents do better than that.

I now use these for new and old work. IC rated, no bulb replacement and no cans or boxes required.

Randy, that's an interesting unit. I take it the box is considered accessible because you can reach it through the hole the light itself is installed in?

My main gripe would be the claim 100 Watt incandescent equivalence is totally nuts. A standard 100 Watt incandescent bulb produces 1600 lumens. The 900 lumens that this unit produces is barely above 60 Watt (800 lumens) territory.

Also, that's an efficacy of only 67 lumens per Watt, pretty mediocre performance for an LED. As with the Halo mentioned above, many cheap dollar store screw-in CFs will match or exceed that.

I used LEDs in a kitchen renovation 3 or 4 years ago that were a breeze to install. Wiring went in above the ceiling without boxes, the drywall went in and was finished, then the holes were laid out and cut in. The fixture had its own box. After wiring it was pushed up into the hole and held in place by spring clips. That made drywall install so much simpler and goof proof. And they were inexpensive (less than $20 each). But they are not good for an insulated ceiling. I think they were Utilitech from Lowes.

Generally integral (USAI, Juno, etc.) provide better light quality than lamps in fixtures. The lamps are catching up though so this may not always be the case.

Something to keep in mind is that as it dims the color temp changes. For instance, a typical 3000k will be 4200k @ 20%. So, a 'warm dim' that retains its color temp as it dims is a good idea. These were typically only available in integral fixtures but are becoming more common in lamps.

It has also been difficult to find high CRI lamps but that's changing. Now the task will be to find lamps (and integral fixtures) with high TM30 scores which is a much better measure than CRI.

FWIW, we're going with integral fixtures on our main level for the better quality but standard cans (3" GU10) elsewhere.

Did you know that LED light is bad for the eyes? It is a blue light like computer screens emit, and is best kept to a minimum exposure.

"Did you know that LED light is bad for the eyes?"

Citation needed. :)To date I have seen no evidence whatsoever that visible-spectrum light from LEDs affects your eye health any differently from similar light produced by any other source..

In this case, though, you may be thinking of the bluish-glow "germicidal" lamps offered on the big auction website. These are often shipped directly from China. Apparently some people think they're great decorative lamps!

You're not supposed to use these for lighting. They emit lots of UV-C rays, which definitely WILL damage your eyes and possibly your skin. There is also inconclusive evidence that the UV-C from these lamps may increase your chance of getting squamous cell skin cancer.

FWIW, a few of these germicidal lamps are LED based, but many more are falsely claimed to be LEDs when they're really fluorescents.

Half of my life is healthcare research and I'm not aware of any evidence that LED's are generally bad for people's health. However...

- Some people do get headaches and migraines from them due to flicker and/or poor color balance.

- Cool color temps and low CRI"s can create serious sleep problems for some people.

- Cool or blueish light can make objects difficult to see, particularly for older people or people with poor eyesight. This is believed to also strain all people's eyes and lead to early onset eye problems. There have been problems of drivers not seeing objects, bicycle riders or pedestrians in places that use blueish LED street lights.

- Related to the above is that low CRI, even below 98, may cause eye strain in some environments.

So, good LED's properly used should not be a health problem except for a very tiny minority.

With integrated or integral the LED lamp is built in to the fixture. This allows for a potentially better design.

HOWEVER, keep in mind that when the LED burns out that you must then replace the entire fixture, not just the lamp. In some cases the manufacturer allows for somewhat easier replacement of the innards without replacing the entire fixture. On one of ours the cost for replacement innards was $233. Also, if the manufacturer goes out of business or decides to stop offering replacement parts for an older fixture then you'll be stuck.

I would AVOID integrated or integral fixtures.

We have a few where they were necessary but most of ours use a standard GU-10 or similar lamp that can be easily replaced and is not manufacturer specific. We have GU-10 LED lamps from LIFX and Hue.

It's great to connect with fellow home improvement enthusiasts. Your LED lighting project sounds exciting! For a cozy feel in your white shaker-style kitchen, I'd lean towards 2700K for a warmer light. Since your ceilings are 7'10" and the house is on the smaller side, maybe 600 lumens would be sufficient, keeping things bright without being too overwhelming. As for integrated vs. plug-in, it might come down to personal preference and future maintenance considerations.

Have you checked out Street Light Factory Direct? They have some interesting options that might align with your project. It's always good to explore different sources.