Options for lighting under a Loft Bed - under counter lighting

[MCRider]

My son is now the proud user of a loft bed with his desk under the bed. It is perfect for his needs, but the area requires better lighting than just a desk lamp. Looking at under counter lights and like the halogen option, but am concerned about the heat. Any suggestions on what bulb type and perhaps a fixture?? T5 fluorescent? LED? Halogen?? This is for lighting a desk under a loft bed so needs to be shallow surface mount, span about 6 feet and generate only modest heat.

[idleprocess]

My son is now the proud user of a loft bed with his desk under the bed. It is perfect for his needs, but the area requires better lighting than just a desk lamp. Looking at under counter lights and like the halogen option, but am concerned about the heat. Any suggestions on what bulb type and perhaps a fixture?? T5 fluorescent? LED? Halogen?? This is for lighting a desk under a loft bed so needs to be shallow surface mount, span about 6 feet and generate only modest heat.

LED strip lighting might work well for this application, but make sure it's of an agreeable color temperature and adequately bright. You can do it yourself with LED tape (soldering iron, some wire, and a DC power supply is usually all you need), or buy a turnkey kit from a place like Ikea, Home Depot, etc. Cost for LED tape could be fairly cheap (I bought nearly 20' of tape and all other supplies for $40), but it involves some DIY ... turnkey kits will likely be somewhat pricey by comparison. Light distribution should be fairly good with strip(s) running the length of the bed.

A single-tube florescent fixture might also do it - perhaps a 2' T8 since those can generate >1200 lumens. A 4' T8 will likely be spitting out closer to 3000 lumens. Will generate some heat, but should be manageable at 15-20W for the 2' & 32W for the 4' - spread out over a large area. Suspect you could go this route for less than $50 if you willing to do some work to fit and hang it... considerably less if a shop light will suit your needs. Light distribution with even a single 24" tube fixture should be pretty good; excellent with a pair of 24" tubes or a single 48" tube.

Halogens will generate quite a bit of heat in a small area in addition to being the least efficient. They may be shielded such that heat transfer to the mounting surface is minimized. I suspect that an undercounter kit with 3-4 "pucks" could be had for $40 or less. Light distribution could be fairly even if it's at the 5-6' of a typical loft bed over a 30" desk.