HK Lighting vs FX Luminaire vs Kichler
All three make low-voltage LED landscape lighting, but they’re built for different buyers. HK Lighting is a dealer-only brand known for machined fixtures and 90 CRI light. FX Luminaire, a Hunter Industries brand, sells through distributors to contractors and has the most complete control system, including color-changing light and direct Lutron integration. Kichler sells through distributors, showrooms, Lowe’s, and Home Depot, and publishes long warranties. We’re an HK Lighting dealer, so read this knowing that. Every fact below links to its source, and we say where the other two fit better.
How the three compare
| HK Lighting | FX Luminaire | Kichler | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Thousand Oaks, California; founded by industrial designer Hiroshi Kira | A Hunter Industries brand since 2009 | Solon, Ohio; sold by Masco to an affiliate of Kingswood Capital in September 2024 |
| Where it’s sold | Authorized dealers | Wholesale distributors, for professional installers; some online resellers | Distributors, dealers, showrooms, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and online |
| Housings | Mostly aircraft-grade billet aluminum with a marine-grade finish; solid brass in-grade lights; brass or stainless on request in the architectural line | Die-cast aluminum or brass on many models; solid brass in-grade; copper and brass path lights | Stainless steel, copper, aluminum, and brass |
| Light | Integrated LED or SORAA MR16; 2700K or 3000K; 90 CRI | Integrated, field-upgradeable LED; 2700K, 3000K, or 4000K; 80 to 84 CRI on the models we checked | Mostly integrated LED; newer Varia fixtures switch between 2700K and 3000K; CRI not published on the pages we checked |
| Color-changing | Not in the residential line | Yes, RGBW with Luxor ZDC | None found |
| Warranty | Residential terms: 5 years on LED products, lifetime on the fixture enclosure for the original purchaser, 1 year on other products. The architectural terms list 5 years LED and 1 year other. | 3 years on low-voltage fixtures, extended to 10 when FX fixtures run on FX transformers or controllers throughout; 10 years on transformers and controllers | 10 to 15 years on 12V integrated LED (residential); housings 15 years stainless or copper, 10 brass, 5 aluminum; lifetime on Pro and Contractor transformers |
| Control | Stainless ATXM transformer with MLV dimming; no HK app | Luxor: up to 250 groups, 1 to 100 percent dimming, Wi-Fi app, astronomical timing | Kichler Connects app; up to 3 zones on the smart transformer; Alexa and Google voice |
| Smart home | No direct integration; controlled through the transformer circuit | Lutron, Crestron, Control4, and Savant | Alexa and Google; no Lutron integration found |
| Published prices | None | None from FX; one reseller listed the LC uplight at $321.18 | Integra brass $239.99; Varia large brass $334.99 |
From each manufacturer’s published product, warranty, and dealer pages, checked September 25, 2026. Prices are list prices at that date and change.
Salt, snow, and lake air decide more than the logo
Most North Shore homes sit within a few miles of Lake Michigan and next to a salted street. That makes housing material and corrosion terms more important here than in most places.
- Read the corrosion clause. Kichler’s warranty says the environment within a ten-mile radius of a body of water is highly corrosive and treats the resulting deterioration as normal wear. It doesn’t say whether that includes fresh water like Lake Michigan, so ask before you buy. HK’s residential warranty excludes damage from chemicals, fertilizers, herbicides, and other corrosive substances. FX’s statement of warranty has no corrosion-specific exclusion.
- Brass and copper where salt reaches. Installers in freeze-thaw climates report powder-coated aluminum chipping and discoloring near salt within a few years. A lighting retailer notes aluminum can hold up with the right alloy and finish. We use brass or sealed in-grade fixtures along drives and front walks, and keep aluminum fixtures back in the planting beds.
- Color rendering shows at night. HK publishes 90 CRI. The FX models we checked publish 80 to 84. At night, the difference shows in how green foliage and limestone look.
- One keypad for the house and the garden. Any of the three can be switched from a Lutron system. FX goes further, with Luxor integrating directly into Lutron, Crestron, Control4, and Savant for zone-level dimming and color.
When each one makes sense
FX Luminaire
You want color-changing light for holidays and events, run from an app, or zone-by-zone control inside a Crestron, Control4, or Savant system.
Kichler
You’re lighting a rental or a budget-first project, want fixtures you can buy locally, or want the longest published fixture warranty on stainless or copper housings.
HK Lighting
You want light that looks right up close: precise aim that holds through frost, 90 CRI color, glare hidden from the terrace, and optics and LED modules we can change as the trees grow. It’s what we specify on most North Shore homes.
Comparing landscape lighting brands
Is HK Lighting better than FX Luminaire?
They put their effort in different places. HK Lighting focuses on machined fixtures, 90 CRI light, and optics and LED modules you can change in the field. FX Luminaire focuses on the system, with its Luxor controller, app control, and color-changing light. Both sell through professionals. If color-changing scenes matter most to you, FX is the stronger choice.
Can you buy HK Lighting at Home Depot or Lowe’s?
No. HK sells its residential collection through authorized dealers. Kichler is the one of the three sold at Lowe’s and Home Depot, alongside distributors and showrooms. FX sells through wholesale distributors to contractors, though some online resellers list it.
Which landscape lights hold up best near Lake Michigan?
Solid brass or copper housings and sealed in-grade fixtures hold up best where salt spray and meltwater reach them. Read the warranty’s corrosion language too: Kichler says environments within ten miles of a body of water are highly corrosive and treats the resulting wear as normal, and HK’s residential warranty excludes damage from corrosive substances.
Does FX Luminaire work with Lutron?
Yes. FX says its Luxor controller integrates with Lutron, Crestron, Control4, and Savant. HK and Kichler don’t publish a direct Lutron integration; we control those systems by switching and dimming the transformer circuits on the Lutron system.
Why don’t HK and FX publish prices?
Both sell through dealers and distributors, and the installed price depends far more on the design, the number of fixtures, and the site than on the fixture list price. Our cost guide covers what drives the total.
Walk the property with us after dark
Landscape lighting is designed at night. We’ll walk the property with you after sunset, talk through what you want to see from the street, the terrace, and the windows, and send a written design and price.
- HK Lighting: Our story
- HK Lighting: Where to buy
- HK Lighting Residential Collection: Terms, including limited warranty (updated Sept. 3, 2024)
- HK Lighting: Limited warranty (April 18, 2023)
- HK Lighting: Accent lights
- HK Lighting: ZXL16 specifications
- HK Lighting: ATXM transformer
- FX Luminaire: Where to get FX
- FX Luminaire: Statement of warranty (Feb. 2, 2024)
- FX Luminaire: LC up light
- FX Luminaire: Luxor home integration
- FX Luminaire: Luxor ZDC resource guide
- Lighting Warehouse: FX Luminaire LC LED uplight listing (Sept. 2026)
- Kichler: Warranty information (updated March 6, 2026)
- Kichler: For professionals
- Kichler: Kichler Connects
- Kichler: Varia accent light
- Masco: Completion of Kichler Lighting sale (Sept. 2024)
- McKay Landscape Lighting: Choosing an outdoor lighting fixture material
- Cans & Fans: Brass vs aluminum landscape lighting (July 2026)
Manufacturer specifications and prices are as published in September 2026 and can change. We confirm current figures when we quote.