Black & Decker 1-Bar Led Under Cabinet Lighting Kit, Warm White, 18"

I put the 18-inch LED bar under my kitchen cabinets last month to brighten a perpetually dim prep zone, and it hasn’t left since. The Black & Decker under‑cabinet light strikes a nice balance between easy installation, sensible controls, and warm, usable output. It’s not a hardwired showpiece; it’s a pragmatic, corded kit designed to make a dark counter actually functional. On that front, it succeeds.

Installation and setup

The appeal starts with the tool‑free install. The bar is ultra‑slim and disappears under the face frame. Mounting is straightforward: snap the bar into the included clips, fasten the clips under the cabinet, and route the cables with the wire clips. The kit includes multiple jumper lengths—4, 12, and 30 inches plus an extender—which removes a lot of the usual guesswork. I appreciated being able to leap over a microwave nook with the long jumper and then hug a short cabinet span with the 4‑inch lead.

A few practical tips from my install:
- Dry‑fit everything first. Decide where the control box will live, test cable reach, and confirm the sensor will “see” your hand.
- Keep the bar near the front edge of the cabinet for better task lighting and fewer shadows from the face frame.
- Use the wire clips liberally. They’re not glamorous, but they keep the underside tidy and prevent droops.

The only hiccup is the control box footprint. It needs to sit under the cabinet where it can catch motion, and it’s another piece to route around. With a little planning it tucks neatly behind the lip, but in tight bays the cable management takes a minute.

Because it’s corded, you’ll need a nearby outlet for the AC adapter. For renters or anyone avoiding hardwiring, that’s exactly the point; for a seamless, switched look, hardwired systems are still cleaner.

Controls that make sense

The control box pulls triple duty: on/off via motion or button, 10‑step brightness control, and an optional three‑hour auto‑shutoff. It’s a simple, well‑thought‑out set of features.

• Motion on/off: Waving a hand underneath toggles the light reliably. It doesn’t trigger from every stray movement; I had to be within typical working distance for it to register, which is what you want in a kitchen. If you prefer certainty, the physical power button is right there.
• Ten brightness levels: The steps are well spaced. At maximum, the bar puts out enough light for chopping and reading recipes. At lower settings it transitions to a comfortable night‑light glow. I never felt stuck between too bright and not bright enough.
• Three‑hour timer: I used this more than I expected. If you enable it, the light shuts off automatically, which prevented a few “why is the counter glowing at 1 a.m.?” moments. If you don’t want it, leave it disabled.

The control scheme is intuitive, and there’s no app to babysit or Bluetooth pairing to break—buttons, a sensor, done.

Light quality and coverage

Warm white output is the right call for a kitchen. It flatters wood tones, doesn’t make food look cold, and is gentle on the eyes during late‑night cleanup. The bar spreads light evenly across the counter, with a soft edge that minimizes hot spots. Mounted near the cabinet front, it greatly reduced the shadow from the cabinet face, making the full counter depth actually usable.

In day‑to‑day use I noticed no perceptible flicker, no startup lag, and no hum. For anyone recording video on the counter, my phone’s camera didn’t reveal banding at typical dim settings. That said, if you’re extremely sensitive to light modulation, test first on your intended brightness level.

Linkability and expansion

This is a one‑bar kit, but it’s designed to play nice with others. The linkable design and included jumpers make it easy to daisy‑chain additional bars under a run of cabinets or bridge gaps around appliances. I added a second bar later and the connection was plug‑and‑go—no soldering, no special tools. The slim profile keeps the chain from looking like a science project under your uppers.

If you’re planning a longer run, map out where each bar and jumper will go before you start sticking clips. The included jumpers cover most spacing needs, but very long or very short gaps may require an extra cable from the accessory lineup.

Energy and longevity

Black & Decker rates the LEDs for up to 50,000 hours and claims around 85% energy savings over incandescent. I can’t validate the lifetime figure in a month, but LED bars like this typically run cool and sip power. In practice, leaving the bar on for an evening barely nudged my power meter. The cool‑running design also helps with longevity and keeps your cabinet bottoms from warming up.

Build and design

The bar is thin, rigid enough not to bow, and finished cleanly. It looks like it belongs under a cabinet rather than a shop bench. The diffuser does a good job softening the diodes while keeping the profile low. The cables are flexible and long enough to route around hinges and supports, and the included wire clips have enough bite to hold their shape under light tension.

One small note: the control box design is utilitarian. It’s not ugly, but it’s not a sculptural object. The benefit is big, easy‑to‑hit buttons and a sensor that does its job.

Limitations and nitpicks

• Corded dependency: No nearby outlet means extension cords or an electrician. That’s inherent to corded kits, but it’s worth calling out.
• Control box placement: You do have to find it a home, and in narrow bays it takes planning to keep it unobtrusive and within sensor range.
• Not a color‑tunable system: You’re getting warm white only. It’s the right choice for most kitchens, but if you want adjustable color temperature, look elsewhere.
• Adhesive vs. screws: The included mounting hardware supports quick, tool‑free install. If your cabinet bottoms are textured or oily, use the screws for more permanence.

None of these are deal breakers in the context of what this kit is meant to be: a simple, effective under‑cabinet light.

Where it shines

• Rental kitchens and quick upgrades where hardwiring isn’t an option.
• Task lighting for coffee stations, workbenches, and hobby tables.
• Households that appreciate the on/off motion convenience and an auto‑off safety net.
• Spaces that benefit from linking multiple bars without turning the underside of a cabinet into cable chaos.

The bottom line

The Black & Decker under‑cabinet light does the basics right and adds a few thoughtful touches that matter in daily use. Installation is fast, the light quality is warm and even, the motion sensor is genuinely useful, and the ten‑step dimming plus three‑hour timer cover most real‑world scenarios. It’s not trying to be a designer hardwired system or a smart‑home centerpiece, and that restraint is part of its appeal.

Recommendation: I recommend this kit for anyone who needs a straightforward, dependable way to brighten a counter, shelf, or work surface without opening a wall. The combination of tool‑free mounting, practical controls, linkability, and efficient warm light makes it an easy win for both renters and homeowners. If you require a hardwired, switch‑controlled look or tunable white color, you’ll want a different category of product. For everyone else, this is a sensible, low‑friction upgrade that meaningfully improves a dark workspace.