We researched dozens of kitchen lights from top home and decor brands, evaluating ease of installation and use, brightness, durability, and functionality. Our best overall pick, the Pottery Barn Glass Globe Cord Pendant, is elegant, adjustable, and compatible with flat and sloped ceilings. Here are the best kitchen lights. You can opt to buy this fixture with a larger 12.5-inch shade or a smaller 8.5-inch shade to match your space. Both sizes have a 6-foot-long cord, though the maximum hanging length for the 12.5-inch option is 91 inches, while the maximum hanging length for the 8.5-inch option is 86.75 inches. To further personalize the look, you can choose between three different hardware finishes: bronze, brass, and nickel. While this globe pendant is an expensive option, it’s still less costly than most custom light fixtures. It’s dry UL-listed, so you want to make sure you hang it in an area free of dampness. Otherwise, maintenance is simple with the help of a dry, non-abrasive cloth. For added versatility, it’s also compatible with a dimmer switch and is mountable on a slanted or sloped ceiling. Price at time of publish: $179 for small Keep in mind that pendant lights work best over islands or in kitchens with high ceilings, so they may not be the best fit for every household. “If your kitchen doesn’t have an island or has a lower ceiling, opt instead for a flush or semi-flush mount fixture,” says Johnson. “Ideally, select one with multiple heads to help get light where you need it.” The fixture boasts a diameter of 7 inches, so it shouldn’t demand too much space in your kitchen. But despite its small size, it promises to put off plenty of light. (Its shade is crafted from clear glass, after all.) When fully extended, the fixture can reach lengths up to 5 feet. But since it’s height-adjustable, you can easily shorten it to perfectly suit your space. And since color plays a key role in any kitchen design scheme, the fixture is available in two versatile neutrals: oil-rubbed bronze and brushed nickel. Price at time of publish: $47 At 8.5 inches tall and 9 inches wide, the fixture is pretty small. But since it’s crafted entirely from hand-blown glass, it should still fill your space with plenty of light. The fixture is currently available in two different hardware styles, so you can decide whether you want to see sleek black or vintage bronze in your kitchen. (That said, no matter which option you choose, the lamp’s canopy will remain a crisp, versatile black.) And since it’s damp location-friendly, you can snag matching options for your bathroom and covered porch, if you feel like it. Price at time of publish: $88 “Recessed lighting is a clean look that is commonly used over countertops, islands, and other points of visual interest,” says Preston Gilmore, Lumens Expert at GoodBulb. In order to make sure you have enough recessed lighting in your space, he recommends installing one recessed light per every 36 square feet of space in your kitchen. This budget-friendly multi-pack comes with six recessed lights. And since the lights promise to be incredibly easy to install, you can save money on the lights and on the install fees. The lights are available in four different colors—cool white, daylight, soft white, and warm white—so you can choose the ambiance that best suits your space. And since they’re also dimmable, you can flexibly adjust the lighting in your kitchen any time you need to. Price at time of publish: $160 “Track lighting can be used to replace or collaborate with recessed lighting,” says Gilmore. “If you are replacing recessed lighting with track lighting, then you’ll want to [install] one light fixture for every four to six square feet of ceiling space.” If you’re using recessed lighting and track lighting together, you’ll want to consider other factors—like the angle of your track lighting or how close your track lighting is to the wall—when determining how many to install. This track light promises to be easy to install, so if you’re an experienced DIYer, you can tackle the process yourself with some research. And since the light is designed to be ceiling or wall compatible, you can get creative with where you add light to your space. What’s more? The track light comes in two versatile neutrals—white and black—either of which is sure to look great in your kitchen. Price at time of publish: $50 Snag McGor’s Under Cabinet Lights set, and you’ll score three low-profile light strips. Each of these strips is lined with 46 LED lights, so the full set will provide plenty of light while you chop veggies or mix up a cookie batter. And since the lights are rechargeable, you shouldn’t have to replace them with much frequency. Each light strip comes with a dual-sided install strip, which is magnetic on one side and adhesive on the other. This dual-sided design should give you the versatility you need to mount your light strips, well, anywhere and you won’t have to worry about a complicated install. Price at time of publish: $19 The sconce boasts a relatively simple silhouette—one sure to suit many different decor schemes. And if you want yours to look a little more industrial, you can snag the version that comes with a removable cage. Even better: The sconce is available in a whopping 26 colors and finishes. So you’ll have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to selecting the right fixture for your space. “Pendant lighting fixtures work in conjunction with other lighting fixtures in the kitchen, such as recessed and track lighting,” says Gilmore. He recommends placing your pendant lights about 4 to 6 feet apart—and paying attention to the mounting height. “The correct mounting height for pendant fixtures is 30 to 36 inches from the base of the fixture to the surface of the countertop,” he says. You can adjust this light from 14.5 inches to 56.25 inches, so while it’s not a great option for ceilings much over 10 feet, it is customizable. It’s also adaptable to sloped ceilings, so if you need to hang the base on an angle, the pendant will still hang straight down. The fixture is also dimmable, so you can adjust how much lighting you need depending on what’s happening in your kitchen. Price at time of publish: $124 If you’d prefer a budget-friendlier option, the Westinghouse Adjustable Mini Pendant is an excellent pick. The pendant light is sleek and versatile. And since it’s height-adjustable, you shouldn’t have any trouble hanging it in your space.
Adjustability
Many kitchen lights come with built-in dimmers, which you can use to adjust the ambiance of your space. And many also boast adjustable heights, which can help you navigate low ceilings, extra-high ceilings, or even slanted ceilings. These features will only increase your options, making your lighting set-up even more flexible.
LED Lights
“[LED technology] is cost-effective and offers the best light,” says Preston Gilmore, Lumens Expert at GoodBulb. LED lights are also an energy-efficient option. So in addition to being bright and budget-friendly, they’re environmentally friendly, too.
Why Trust The Spruce?
For this shopping guide, The Spruce contributor Lindsey Lanquist focused on including a range of different lights, which are designed to serve different functions. Lindsey prioritized lights that were well-reviewed by those who’d tried them. Since flexibility is important, she favored adjustable options wherever possible. She also favored options that were available in a variety of colors and/or finishes and tried to include options that were versatile enough to suit many different decor schemes. However, if you want to walk under the light or you have higher-than-average ceilings there are a couple of exceptions. If you want to walk under the light, the best kitchen lights should be a few inches above the tallest person in the household. For ceilings higher than 8 feet, Gilmore recommends raising “your fixture 3 inches for each additional foot of ceiling height.” Note that neither of these exceptions applies when you’re hanging a kitchen light over a prep area, like your kitchen island. For this story, we interviewed several experts, Leslie Saul, owner and principal designer at Leslie Saul & Associates and Preston Gilmore, Lumens Expert at GoodBulb. We also reached out to Bryan Johnson, CEO of Shades of Light. Each expert offered expertise from their field on choosing the right lighting for your kitchen, including the kinds of lighting you may need and how to install them.
