This smart home accessory made the biggest difference in my kitchen decor

Because hate is a strong word, I tend to say that I severely dislike my kitchen. It’s dingy and dark, so I always look for ways to brighten it up. After DIYing a new backsplash and changing all of my recessed lighting, which wasn’t enough, I added some undercabinet lights – but not just any lights. I went with the Cync GE Reveal HD+ undercabinet lights<!–> and can confidently say I’ll never try string lights for this again.

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GE Lighting, a Savant Company, launched these Cync undercabinet lights about a year ago, and I’ve had them in my kitchen for a few months. They’re easy to install and perform exactly as advertised, giving my kitchen some much-needed illumination. I have mine running on a schedule each morning and each night, when we’re making breakfast and getting the kids ready for school and then while prepping dinner. They work with Alexa and Google for seamless voice control, so I can always ask one of these assistants to turn them on whenever I need extra light.

Installation was easier than I expected. The lights are available as pucks or light bars, with millions of color possibilities and plug-in or hardwired installation options. Since I didn’t have existing undercabinet lights, I plugged them in. The pucks include a reference template to drill small holes where you need them. You use the 3M backing to position each one; then, you can use the included screws to secure them.

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The light bar requires only the captive screws to install, so all you do is screw it in and set it up on the Cync app. You can link additional fixtures to the pucks and light bar totaling up to 500 watts, which is convenient considering that the 12-inch bar is 13 watts and each 3-inch puck is 5 watts. You can control each light individually or as a group, no matter how many you have.

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I set up one puck on a small cabinet by the stove, five pucks linked together above my kitchen prepping area, and one 24-inch light bar above the coffee area. I mostly control the lights as a group to turn the whole kitchen on or off, though I sometimes ask Alexa to turn on a specific one. So, I named each light after what is inside the cabinet above it.

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Since installing these lights, I’ve enjoyed being in the kitchen more. The space feels brighter and fresher when the lights are on, and the extra light is helpful while cooking. The lights simply make my kitchen look good. I’ve set them up on a schedule to come on for two hours each morning and then again for two hours in the evening. 

The only issue I’ve encountered is that the light bar sometimes disconnects from my home Wi-Fi, so I have to turn it off manually on the app (which uses Bluetooth to connect) or ask Alexa to do it when the light reconnects. Otherwise, the light bar sometimes misses its signal to turn itself off and stays on overnight, which we only notice when we return downstairs for the morning rush. This could be a problem with this individual light bar, however, since it’s not a common complaint from buyers. 

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The light bar features end-to-end lights, which produce a bright output of up to 750 lumens in a small space with no dark areas. Each puck emits up to 300 lumens, which is plenty bright for under-cabinet lights.

With Reveal, a trademarked technology by GE Lighting, the lights filter out dull yellow tons to provide whiter whites and more vibrant colors for clarity and true-to-life colors. You can turn this setting on or off on the Cync app. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

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Many people opt for string lights as undercabinet lights, which I’ve tried before. But testing the Cync Reveal HD+ undercabinet lights by GE Lighting–>