Best Govee Smart Lights in 2024

Govee arrived on the smart home scene in 2017 and quickly established itself as a manufacturer of affordable yet spectacular RGB lighting. Introducing RGBIC technology, which enabled multiple colors to display on LED light strips simultaneously, the company became a popular source of game room lighting. As an alternative to pricey products from brands such as Philips Hue, Govee lights appeal to gamers who have already invested in premium RGB keyboards and mice.

How to Decide Which Govee Light to Buy First

Knowing where to start is difficult, considering Govee’s expansive line of smart lighting. When deciding on which smart lights to purchase, buyers should focus on these factors:

• Type of Light: The diverse Govee inventory includes wall panel lights, light strips, light bulbs, and lamps. Some options, like wall panels, enhance the ambiance of a room, while light bulbs and lamps provide more functional lighting. Buyers should ensure sufficient illumination in a room so that they can move around safely before adding accent lighting.
• Location: What room a buyer intends to install a Govee smart light in can also affect a purchasing decision. Some lights are appropriate for living rooms, while other Govee products are ideal for gaming desks or media rooms with large TVs.
• Compatibility: Govee lights generally support voice commands and synchronization with devices on Google Home and Amazon Alexa networks. However, some of the manufacturer’s products also offer Govee DreamView, which enables a room full of smart lights to mirror gaming or movie content. Recent Govee releases embrace the Matter smart home protocol for added accessibility outside Govee apps.
• Backlit vs. Frontlit Lighting: Wall panel lights emit illumination from their front surfaces for a more direct effect. On the other hand, some LED light strips in screen mirroring kits are better suited for shining light on blank walls for more subtle backlighting.

The following Govee lights represent the best choices in each smart lighting category:

Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Govee Smart Lights in 2024

Many gamers use traditional LED light strips in their gaming rooms near (and sometimes on) desks. The problem is that these smart lights aren’t ideal for withstanding the abuse near a gaming setup. The 14-zone Govee Neon Rope Lights for Desks uses a different construction with a soft exterior that is pleasant to touch and can withstand chairs colliding with them. These rope lights also utilize back-facing LED emission, which diffuses the light output and allows gamers to stare at them safely.

Exceptionally durable, the Govee Neon Rope Lights for Desks are best installed on the front-facing edges of gaming desks. Gamers often hide traditional LED light strips underneath desks as under glow lighting, but these Govee lights take their rightful place as integral parts of any gaming rig. While splicing isn’t an option, the Rope Lights have 12 cutting points for a more exact fit to any desk and have a total length of up to 10 feet. One end of the lights attaches to a control box that enables basic functionality without using an app.

Programming lighting wirelessly is far more exciting than controlling the Govee Neon Rope Lights for Desks with the wired controller. Like most Govee products, the Rope Lights are compatible with other Google Home and Amazon Alexa devices, enabling basic commands, including powering on and off and color changes. However, this functionality pales compared to what is possible in the Govee Home app, unlocking an almost never-ending number of scenes created by Govee and other users. The mobile app is also where gamers can activate DreamView, which fully integrates the Rope Lights with other Govee lights for a mesmerizing whole room or whole house light snow.

As a product marketed heavily toward gamers, support for the Neon Rope Lights for Desks in Razer Synapse software is a huge bonus. After installing a plugin, gamers can sync the Rope Lights with other smart lights and Razer RGB-enabled mice, keyboards, and headsets. In conjunction with the Govee Desktop software running in the background, users can coordinate all the lighting around their gaming rigs and experiment with screen-mirrored effects.

While regularly updated, Govee Desktop still does not replicate the powerful adjustments possible in the mobile app. Still, the Neon Rope Lights’s ability to make gaming desks come alive for a reasonable price ranks them as the best Govee smart lights. Check out Game Rant’s review of the Govee Neon Rope Lights for Desks for a complete breakdown of how these lights can transform a gaming space.

For buyers looking to amplify their gaming experiences without spending a fortune, the Govee Gaming Light G1 is the answer. Unlike other screen mirroring kits, the Gaming Light G1 includes only an LED smart light strip and controller box. The G1 has no cameras to scan monitors continuously but instead works primarily with PC software running in the background. This kit is available in two monitor sizes: 24 to 26 inches and 27 to 34 inches.

The Govee Gaming Light G1 is a streamlined package, so the physical installation is simple. The light strip mounts evenly on the back of curved monitors with the assistance of some provided adhesive cable clips. A wired controller connects to these lights, allowing users to adjust brightness and toggle between preset scenes. The Govee Home mobile app has 123 additional scenes, but these don’t react to gaming and movie content. Buyers will need the Govee Desktop software to unlock the Gaming Light G1’s potential fully.

In Govee Desktop, users can implement its screen mirroring functionality and adjust how monitor images are represented on the light strip. The software will separate a screen into ten distinct zones, allowing for more accuracy in the colors displayed in the lights. Benefiting from an extremely dense assortment of LED bulbs, the light strip is intensely bright and capable of some complex and dynamic patterns. Since the Gaming Light G1 works primarily with Govee Desktop, it’s easy to implement synchronization with Razer Chroma to sync lighting with RGB keyboards, mice, and headsets. The system can also become integral to Govee’s DreamView network, allowing users to coordinate reactive lighting across many different Govee lights.

One drawback of the Gaming Light G1 is it’s not an ideal solution for console gamers who can’t run desktop software. These buyers must turn to more expensive camera-based products or the AI Gaming Sync Box Kit, which can read HDMI signals directly from sources. Regardless, the Gaming Light G1 is the best value among Govee smart lights for adding more immersion to gaming sessions.

LED light strips are so versatile that they are essential additions to any modern home or gaming room. Whether a buyer installs them along floorboards or behind gaming desks as backlighting, the Govee LED Strip Light M1 can instantly brighten dull-looking spaces.

The manufacturer’s latest version of their M1 strips introduces compatibility with Matter, a protocol that more effectively coordinates smart lights across the Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and HomeKit platforms. Adding HomeKit is especially significant since Govee devices previously lacked connectivity to Apple’s smart home ecosystem. In short, Matter allows users to control the same smart lights already part of Google Home or Alexa through whatever smart home system and app is preferred. A hub is required for Matter connectivity, but many buyers already have devices such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa speakers that double as Matter controllers.

With competitors like Nanoleaf already embracing the Matter protocol, the LED Strip Light M1 is likely only one of many Govee lights that will support the technology in the future. Still, connectivity only matters when smart lights feature spectacular RGB effects. Fortunately, thanks to packing 60 LEDs per every three feet of the 6.56-foot strip and enhanced RGBIC+ technology, more colors than ever before can be displayed on the same strip simultaneously. 20 customizable segments along the M1 strip allow for dynamic scenes in the Govee Home mobile app. Another advantage the LED Strip Light M1 has over other lights is its variety of white-colored effects. Most competing colored smart lights struggle to replicate the effects of white LED bulbs, but the lights on the M1 are versatile enough to do the job admirably.

For buyers setting up the M1 lights on their mobile phones without Matter, first switching to a 2.4 GHz wireless network remains slightly annoying. Even so, with outstanding lumen output and versatile connectivity, the Govee M1 competes with the best LED strips on the market.

Wall panel lights are one of the most popular ways for gamers to add more flair to a setup. Nanoleaf Shapes and the Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels are two of the most popular options, but after several years, some owners may find them looking a bit ordinary. The Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra benefits from multiple lines of light that give the flat hexagon panels a refreshing 3D effect.

Govee’s latest wall panel lights sport premium construction to match their high asking price. Each hexagon has a substantial weight and glossy finish, but Govee added more double-sided tape to their backsides for secure installations. Since the strips now employ Velcro, removing the Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra from walls without damage is now easier. Otherwise, the setup is only complicated because users must line up the panels in a particular orientation. The Govee mobile app instructs installers where to place the linking communication cables so that the border and surface line lighting flow smoothly.

The results are often stunning when illuminated lines combine with multiple lighting zones in each Hexagon light. Govee provides many pre-made scenes in its mobile app, but the panels’ complex design encourages maximum creativity in DIY mode. Unfortunately, editing individual panels can be frustrating on a mobile device, and the app is filled with enough tabs to confuse any user.

Govee’s review of the Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra found that whether gamers choose pre-existing or custom effects, animations flow without hesitation from one panel to the next. They also embrace Razer Chroma RGB to sync with keyboards and mice, making them a dynamic extension of any gaming desk. Unfortunately, the panels are slightly more difficult to integrate with other smart devices since they lack Matter support.

The Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra is an upgrade to older wall panels, but they demand a significant investment. Still, once gamers experience what the Hexagons are capable of, the performance of cheaper alternatives seems flat in comparison.

The Govee Neon Rope Light 2 aims to liven up walls in the same way that the Neon Rope Light for Desks jazzes up desktops. Compared to the original Rope Light, the latest version is more flexible, which results in complicated and curvy designs. The Neon Rope Light 2 can serve as accent lighting, wrapping around existing decor and furniture. However, it can also form illuminated artwork that becomes the center of attention.

With a soft exterior that diffuses lighting, the brightness of the LED bulbs inside the Neon Rope Light 2 isn’t overwhelming. Regardless, the lighting effects are impactful, especially since animations now flow in multiple directions across a design. Also, with more segments along the Rope Light to work with, users can program some highly unique scenes. The process is simpler thanks to the light’s shape-mapping abilities after scanning a design with a phone camera.

Running the Neon Rope Light 2 around picture frames is straightforward, but bending it to become animals and other objects is more challenging. However, Govee includes upgraded mounting clips that more effectively hold the form of shapes before transferring them to walls. Unlike the Rope Light for Desks, this light strip only has adhesive on the brackets rather than all along its backside. Consequently, owners must strategically place them at sensitive points around a design. While Govee gives guidance in its app for suggested artwork, users are basically on their own when engaging in custom projects.

The Neon Rope Light 2 is available in kits of 9.8 or 16.4 feet, but neither version is expandable or allows for trimming. If budget permits, the longer kit gives more freedom to make intended shapes, and owners can run any leftover strip to a less visible location.

Considering that Neon Rope Light 2 supports features like Matter and AI to form personalized designs, it’s attractively priced. For gamers who find the potential designs of wall panel lights too restrictive, Game Rant’s review of the Neon Rope Light 2 further explains how it gives them creative freedom.

As stunning as LED wall panels and monitor backlighting are, the foundation of most room lighting is still the light bulbs in existing lamps. Unfortunately, since larger rooms may have several lighting fixtures, replacing traditional light bulbs with smart lighting can quickly become an overwhelming expense. Compared to brands like LIFX and Philips Hue, Govee Smart Light Bulbs are a bargain and provide the essential lighting any room should have before adding other types of RGB lights.

These Govee Smart Light Bulbs are simple to install in the Govee Home App, giving buyers the option of a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection to mobile devices. To take advantage of integrations with other smart home ecosystems enabling Google Home and Amazon Alexa voice commands, it’s wisest to add the Govee light bulbs to Wi-Fi networks when possible. As with other Govee devices, Apple HomeKit functionality is once again missing. With either option, a separate hub is not required.

Ironically, the Govee Smart Light Bulbs may best excel as standard white lights, with a healthy 800-lumen in the 60-watt versions. The bulbs respond promptly to actions or scenes in the Govee Home app, with dimming performance rivaling conventional wired dimmer switches. When exhibiting one or more of the other possible 16 million colors, the light bulbs are still potent, but if installed in a single lamp with a typical lampshade, the effects are somewhat muted. Govee does sell an even brighter 85-watt light bulb with 1200 lumens of RGB lighting. Even so, when accompanied by additional Govee lights like the Hexa Glide Light Panels of Wall Light, these bulbs allow gamers to paint larger spaces in synced RGB lighting.

Out of all the smart light manufacturers, Govee is perhaps the most responsible for boosting the popularity of TV backlighting. The Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is one of the company’s most recent reactive lighting solutions and has kits supporting TVs from 55 to 85 inches. Despite a fairly affordable asking price, the TV Backlight 3 Lite features an upgraded LED light strip and a camera that captures all parts of the screen.

Like most screen mirroring kits, the TV Backlight 3 Lite requires mounting a camera above a flat-panel TV. The camera and attached LED light strip connect to a controller box, usually taped to the back of displays. With a fish-eye corrective lens, the camera better captures the distant corners of a larger screen, and the light strip is programmed with effects inspired by movie and gaming content. Govee’s Envisual technology also divides screens into many segments, so the lights provide a more detailed representation of what the camera scans. The only disappointment with the camera is that its design makes it difficult to bottom-mount on TV stands.

The light strip used with the TV Backlight 3 Lite also benefits from a new RGBICW chip. This updated light strip has a dedicated component for white hues, which results in more natural-looking reactive lighting. However, Govee alternatives like the Envisual TV Backlight T2 have double the density of bulbs on a strip, which can create more impactful glowing illumination on walls. Still, other improvements like black-bar detection in movies improve performance, while power-saving measures can intelligently disable the light strip.

With Matter support and DreamView syncing, the TV Backlight 3 Lite can become the hub for a room full of smart lighting. Matter enables the kit’s light strip to activate and deactivate in unison with a wider range of surrounding smart lights and devices. Meanwhile, with DreamView, the TV Backlight 3 Lite can program compatible Govee lights as an extension of its light strip.

Even at a lower price than other Govee TV backlighting solutions, the TV Backlight 3 Lite showcases an improved camera and more accurate color reproduction. Game Rant’s review of the TV Backlight 3 Lite found that it enhances the excitement of gaming and TV viewing in unexpected ways.

The Govee AI Gaming Sync Box offers a smarter method for games to produce custom lighting effects matching on-screen content. The AI Gaming Sync Box includes two standing light bars and an LED light strip to affix to the back of 24 to 32-inch monitors. The sync box itself has three HDMI 2.0 inputs, including one ARC port, to connect to graphics card outputs and consoles, as well as two USB-C connections for the bundled light bars and light strip. HDMI passthrough on the sync box sends the video signal back to monitors.

Installation of the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box installation is fairly straightforward once all the appropriate connections are made. The mobile Govee Home app performs most of the setup, customizes lighting effects and brightness, and syncs lighting to music. The brains of the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box is its CogniGlow technology, which recognizes events in supported games like boss kills and leveling up. The list of compatible game titles is rather slim but continues to grow, including popular PC titles like Valorant, Overwatch, and Apex Legends. However, even with other PC games, console titles, or YouTube videos with 24 LED lights, the reactive lighting effects on the light bars and strips are still impressive.

Besides the game-specific lighting profiles, the AI Gaming Sync Box has numerous advantages over alternatives like the Govee DreamView, which relies on camera scanning screens. There is virtually no noticeable lag between what happens during games and the related lighting effects, which is inevitable when relying on a camera. Also, gamers no longer have to reserve space on the top of their monitors for another camera when a webcam has more practical uses.

The AI Gaming Sync Box compares most closely to the Philips Hue Play Sync Box, but unlike the Hue Play, Govee’s system directly integrates with games and ships with smart lights. Each option is an expensive proposition for gamers who probably have already spent money building PCs. Nevertheless, the Govee AI Gaming Sync Box makes a considerable leap in performance, with lights that instantly and intelligently reflect what is happening in a game.

Govee plans to release an updated version of this smart lighting solution with HDMI 2.1 ports. Until then, read Game Rant’s full review of the Govee AI Sync Box to see how this smart lighting system enhances gameplay.

Govee Curtain Lights can instantly modernize dated-looking curtains with strands of brilliant LED beads. However, thanks to various mounting hardware that ships with these weatherproof smart lights, they can find homes on anything from blank walls to garage doors. Buyers searching for premium fairy lights that display artwork rather than just shining ambient lighting should consider the Govee Curtain Lights.

Available in roughly 6.5-foot wide sections, buyers can hang the Curtain Lights to curtain rods using supplied hooks. Since the kit includes other hardware with double-sided tape, the lights can turn walls into digital tapestries. The thick strands of LED lighting cast lighting from multiple sides, which project anime characters or sports logos on surfaces. Of course, Govee offers many scenes in its mobile app, but gamers may need to download user-made creations to unlock the Curtain Light’s potential fully. The only caveat to the glory of these lights is that shapes are difficult to recognize when viewed up close.

Each Curtain Lights kit contains 520 LED beads for a convincing light show or concert when reacting to music. Still, if buyers want to transform an entire gaming room, they can sync up to two additional Curtain Lights through Govee’s software. The app will recognize multiple sets of lights as one device and program scenes in landscape orientation.

Future Govee Curtain lights could benefit from even more strands that look just as amazing from closer up. Otherwise, Game Rant’s review of the Curtain Lights found few drawbacks. Animations effortlessly scroll across the display, adding festiveness to the holidays or enhancing gaming through Razer Chroma integration.

When decorating a new gaming room, floor lamps quickly add significant illumination. It’s common for buyers to place smart bulbs in light fixtures, but the results aren’t always optimal. The Govee Cylinder Floor Lamp is specifically designed to maximize the effects of RGBICWW lighting, while its slim design is ideal for tucking it into corners near gaming desks of various sizes.

The Govee Cylinder Floor Lamp follows the Lyra Floor Lamp, which has similar specs except that it exudes light from a long pole without a large base. This cylindrical lamp looks a bit more conventional, shining light from a fixture on top of its pole, resembling the lights seen outside a barbershop. The base of the Govee lamp is sturdy enough to keep pets and children from knocking it over just by brushing past the light.

As opposed to some other Govee smart lights, the Cylinder Floor Lamp is more practical since it takes the place of a traditional light fixture. When set to display white-colored effects, the lamp provides critical lighting in a room to help gamers avoid tripping on obstacles. However, the 64 preset patterns look best with a white wall as a backdrop, so buyers will want to place the lamp as close to the edge of a space as possible. Unfortunately, the diffused lighting results won’t be as impressive if a room has darker walls.

Beyond the preset effects in the Govee Home app, users can design scenes that react to music if desired. Although it lacks compatibility with the Matter protocol, buyers can now add the Cylinder Floor Lamp to Google Home and Amazon Alexa for voice commands and coordination with other smart home devices.

The Govee Cylinder Floor Lamp is more pricey than a cheap floor lamp with some smart bulbs installed. However, that solution struggles to maximize the expansive palette of RGBICWW lights. As one of the best ready-to-go smart lighting fixtures available, the Govee Cylinder Floor Lamp is an excellent way to provide critical lighting to a new room.

How to Prioritize Smart Lighting Purchases

Govee’s smart lighting lineup continues to expand to the point where there is an ideal solution for every scenario. While the manufacturer’s lights are more affordable than many of its rivals, buyers may not have the money for them all. To decide which Govee lights to prioritize, it helps to concentrate on these considerations:

Type of Light

For buyers new to smart lighting setups, smart bulbs, and lamps are a logical first step to providing essential illumination. Govee Smart Light Bulbs work in many existing light fixtures and offer widespread compatibility with smart home apps. If a buyer needs a new light fixture, Govee also sells a Cylinder Floor Lamp that stands tall and proudly diffuses colored or white light on adjacent walls.

The Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels Ultra are popular among streamers and gamers for enhancing a gaming room. These panel lights add modern, sleek-looking light fixtures and 3D effects to an otherwise boring blank wall.

Location

Govee sells a wide range of smart lights for living, media, and gaming rooms. Light bulbs and lamps work in nearly any room as fundamental light fixtures. On the other hand, options like the Neon Rope Lights for Desks can add that missing spark of creativity to an ordinary gaming desk. With a soft but resilient exterior, these rope lights are perfect for framing the edges of a desk with vivid lighting that can sync with Razer gaming peripherals. The Rope Lights are a cinch to install and work with other lights already added to Google Home or Amazon Alexa.

If walls are the target, the similar Neon Rope Light 2 bends and flexes to form almost any type of art imaginable.

Compatibility

Although most Govee products function well with Google Home and Amazon Alexa devices, some have additional compatibility with recent smart home advancements. The Govee LED Strip Light M1 is a conventional LED strip but has been upgraded to be compatible with the cutting-edge Matter smart lighting protocol. Matter-compatible lights can communicate with each other across multiple smart home ecosystems without the hassle of repeated setup in multiple apps. The M1 strip lights are also exceedingly bright, with a generous number of lights on each strip exhibiting vivid and dynamic preset or custom patterns. These Govee lights exemplify the manufacturer embracing innovation while offering an affordable smart lighting product.

Backlit vs. Frontlit Lighting

The Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels Ultra projects dynamic lighting effects from its front surfaces, wowing observers. However, the backlit lighting of the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is more understated but not any less impactful. This screen mirroring light strip casts a glow behind TVs, imitating the scenery on a screen.

Once a gamer understands the benefits of each Govee smart light, it’s much simpler to make a sound buying decision. Whether purchasing a single Govee light or an entire system, all the above options can dramatically enhance leisure time.

FAQ

Q: What are the most popular types of lighting to add near gaming desks?

Many gaming keyboards, mice, and headsets are RGB enabled with color-changing effects. To enhance the lighting from these peripherals, gamers often install RGB cooling fans and LED strips in PC cases. In recent years, other types of smart LED lighting like wall panel lights are common additions near PC desks.

Q: Do all RGB lights in a gaming room need to be made by the same brand to work together?

Although it’s usually simpler if all the RGB lights in a gaming room are made by the same manufacturer, there are smart home platforms and software solutions that can integrate many different types of devices into one ecosystem.

Q: Is Govee the best LED brand?

Although manufacturers like Philips Hue and Nanoleaf would protest, Govee has one of the most diverse and affordable smart LED lighting lineups. In particular, Govee products appeal to gamers with lights that improve the atmosphere of gaming rooms and integrate with RGB ecosystems like Razer Chroma.