Add Smart to Holiday Lighting with Govee's Matter Compatible Lights
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Govee Products can finally join the Apple Home thanks to Matter, so here are some great holiday decorating options, from Christmas tree lights to permanent outdoor LEDs.
Govee gave me the chance to try out a number of smart lights just in time for the holiday decorations to go up. Some are standard ones that can work all year round, and some are specifically designed for Christmas decor.
I have a lot of Apple Home products, like smart lights, cameras, and locks, but I’ve never made the jump to holiday decor or more permanent lighting. Govee has a lot of options, but here are five that will brighten up your holidays.
Look, I’ll be honest, I don’t live in the prettiest house on the market. However, these Govee lights look great even in my older home with its wood paneling and weathered exterior.
Christmas lights Govee 2
The Govee 2 Christmas Lights are not your average fairy lights. If you are used to seeing classic fairy lights with tiny bulbs, these are a big change.
The Govee 2 Christmas Lights are bright but cool to the touch
The lights are literally built into the string and are embedded in little knots like nubs spaced at intervals. These are brightly colored lights that stay cool to the touch.
Since there are no bulbs hanging on the string, there is no tangling or fuss. The small spool that the string is attached to is perfect for just walking around a tree or railing with the lights without any hassle.
Once everything was set up, I added the Govee Christmas Lights to the Govee app with the click of a button. It was thankfully simple, and adding it to Apple Home was just as easy. More on using these lights later.
Buy 2 Lights
One thing to note that Govee may address in a future model is that there is no outlet on the other end of the string. So if you wrap the lights around the tree from top to bottom, there will be nowhere to plug the star into.
Luckily, our silly Super Mario star had a long power cord that we hid in the trees and ran to an extension cord, so this wasn’t an issue. However, many traditional decorations are built with the idea of having an outlet on the end of the string.
The Govee 2 Christmas Lights are a really nice addition to my holiday decor. I’m considering using them year-round in another part of my home instead of fairy lights.
Buy the Govee 2 66-Foot Christmas Lights at Govee for $129.99 At the time of publication, they are on sale for $79.99 at Govee and on Amazon.
Govee Icicle String Lights
Govee Icicle String Lights are another modern take on a classic holiday decoration. Like garland lights, they are made with LEDs built into the string, so there are no bulbs or clutter.
The Govee Icicle Lights are beautiful and animated
I didn’t have any issues with tangling right out of the box, and I doubt I’ll have any in the future since the strings are so stiff. They come in different lengths to provide a multi-directional lighting effect.
I don’t have a very large porch, but the 32.8-foot option was enough to cover the entire porch with some left over. The lights are incredibly bright, so I try to turn them down after dark so as not to overwhelm my neighbors.
Buy Icicle Lights
As with the lights, setup and pairing with the Govee app and Apple Home was easy. The power cord with the built-in remote was long enough to run inside to an outlet.
Buy Govee Icicle Lights for $139.99. At the time of publication, they were on sale for $89.99 at Govee and Amazon.
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2
Govee sent me a 100-foot strip of the Permanent Outdoor Lights 2, and I have to tell you, that's a lot of lights. I was able to hang half the segments before the house was within reach. (I can hang the rest, but I'll need a bigger ladder or hire someone.)
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 can be attached with glue
Each of the little cubes contains a bright LED that points down the side of the house. These work best if you have an overhang or gutter that runs along the side of the house so there's a little space between the light and the wall.
Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of material to work with, but I managed. The siding on my house also sticks out a bit in the layered pattern, so the effect is somewhat diminished.
Buy Outdoor Lights 2
The lights are incredibly bright though and still create a strong impact around the top of my house. The Christmas patterns work well for holiday decor, and I plan on leaving the lights on year round for accent lighting or other holidays.
The lights themselves blend in nicely with the decor of the house, so they don’t look like tacky Christmas lights you forgot to take down. I went with the adhesive option since I’m renting and moving in the near future, but the kit also includes permanent screw mounts.
The adhesive on the back of the lights is strong enough, but it does require a clean, flat surface.
We’ve had some interesting weather in the weeks since I installed these lights and haven’t had any issues so far. One or two lights have come loose from the uneven surface of the gutter, but they were easy to reattach and secure.
I placed the lights around the front of the house where the Christmas tree will also be visible. It’s quite dramatic.
I highly recommend the Permanent Outdoor Lights 2. Just make sure the mounting options match the style of your home and pay the installers if you’re not comfortable on a ladder.
Buy the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 for $299.99. The 100-foot string is discounted to $199.99 from Govee and through Govee on Amazon at the time of publication.
Govee Curtain Lights 2
The Govee Curtain Lights are essentially a pixel wall that can display images and animations. Default scenes can show a game of Pong, a space game like Galaga, or a Christmas tree.
Govee Curtain Lights 2 is a great party trick, though not the easiest effect to photograph
Curtain lights can be hung outdoors, indoors, on a wall, or anywhere. While Govee doesn’t advertise it, I chose to hang ours in a doorway as a sort of beaded curtain.
The patterns are really cool and work even when hung without a background, like I have. However, the animation is complicated and distracting unless used in a place where you don’t see it regularly.
Buy Curtain Lights 2
When hanging the curtain inside, I prefer simple patterns or rainbow colors. The great thing is that users can customize what is displayed using a variety of tools in the Govee app.
Unlike icicles or string lights, curtain lights aren’t just a holiday decoration. The current plan is to keep the string lights on year-round and use them for accent lighting.
As with all of their lights, Govee provides several hanging options, such as adhesive, hooks, and plastic tabs. The main thread that each section of the curtain is attached to isn’t the prettiest to look at, especially with all the hooks attached, but it’s easy to hide behind garland or other decor.
Buy the Govee Curtain Lights 2 for $149.99. They’re on sale for $99.99 at Govee and on Amazon at the time of publication.
Govee Neon Rope Light 2
The Govee Neon Rope Light 2 is a really cool decoration, but it’s a little creepy. All the images featured on Govee's website for the product show off these beautifully realized line art displays that I could never have hoped to create.
Twist and warp the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 to create a variety of interesting shapes
Don't let that stop you though. Even though I'm not clever enough to create a fun shape, I still managed to create a simple design that added a little color and light to my living room.
The rope light is very flexible, and the included brackets can be bent to shape the light just right. I wove it around a bookshelf and a painting on the wall in an area of the room that didn’t have any lighting at all.
Buy the Neon Rope Light 2
The end result is really fun. I love how it can be used as an accent light or have it play an animation.
The 16.4-foot option really lets you go all out with the design. And there are white and black color options for the back material to help it blend in better with the wall.
Buy the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 for $99.99. At the time of publication, it’s on sale for $59.99 from Govee and through Govee on Amazon.
Using the Govee Smart Lights
I've really enjoyed all of the Govee lights. If I were to review them individually, they would all get a 4 or higher.
The Govee app has all the controls for scenes, while Apple Home has the basics.
Since the setup and use of all of these lights is similar, I decided to cover them in one section to avoid repeating myself. Since all of the Govee lights mentioned in this review are Matter certified, they can be added to Apple Home.
The Govee app is the main point of interaction. This is where you can control animations, use the AI-powered chatbot to create lighting options, or view available defaults.
Apple Home is still limited in what it can do. Each of these lights is treated as a simple string of lights or bulbs, so users can’t select animations or color segments for the lights via HomeKit. Apple Home only controls brightness, color, and power state.
Now, I will criticize Govee for one thing that is not implemented, but may come in a future update. Govee should be able to push scenes to Apple Home.
Lack of Scene Control in Apple Home Is a Solvable Problem with Govee
I’ve seen other apps like Nanoleaf do this, so I’m guessing Govee can too. Once I have a few scenes that I use repeatedly, I won’t have to go through all the settings available in the Govee app all the time.
Hopefully Govee will update their app in the future to allow scenes to be pushed to Apple Home. For now, I go into the Govee app to set up light animations and use Apple Home to automate the lights to turn off and on.
I was only able to cover these five products, but check out the Govee website for more Matter-compatible products. After setting up and using these lights, I can say they’ve become a new favorite for my smart home.
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