A vibrant LED strip that bends to your will to bring a touch of neon nostalgia to your walls.
LED strips are a dime a dozen—maybe not that cheap, but you know what I mean, right? There’s no shortage of cheap LED strips, but many lack useful features or even good color reproduction. Govee is not one of these brands. In fact, it makes some of the best LED strips on the market. It pushes the boundaries of this technology, and the Govee Neon LED strip is another example.
Govee is known for taking the famous LED strips and expanding the possibilities of the technology in products like immersive TV LED backlights and Flow Pro strips. With the Neon LED strip, Govee hopes to bring old-fashioned neon lights to the smart home. Let’s dive into how it accomplishes this.
Govee Neon LED Light Bar
Bottom line: From basic shapes to fun icons, Govee Neon LED strips are a fun way to add a splash of color to your walls. The flexible silicone coating not only diffuses the light for a uniform glow, it also lets you bend the fixture into almost any shape you want – as long as it’s not too complicated.
OK
- very bright and vibrant colors
- Companion app loaded with features
- Rugged Mounting Hardware
- Easy to fit into fun shapes
bad
- Can’t extend the light strip
- Need more installation options
Amazon $72 Govee $70
Govee Neon LED Strips: Price and Availability
Govee released the Neon LED Light Bar in September 2021, starting at $69.99. The smart lights are available directly from Govee for the same price as the launch, or from Amazon for $71.99. Neon LED strips are only available in a single length of 3M (10FT).
Govee Neon LED Strips: what’s good
I was initially hesitant to look at another LED strip. What’s different about this band that I’ve never seen before? Well, the Govee Neon LED strip not only uses RGBIC technology, allowing multiple colors to be displayed in a single strip, but also encapsulates the LEDs in light diffusing silicone, providing a more even distribution of light.
The physical light concept is similar to Govee’s Lyra Corner Floor Lamp. However, the light bar is not installed as a light, but is intended to be mounted directly to the wall, ceiling, or anywhere else you want. It’s like a combination of Lyra and Govee Glide sconces. The box comes with ten aluminum clips for attaching the light to the surface, or you can use the included 3M tape.
Also included in the box is the wall adapter and control box. This box allows you to change the state of the light, such as power, brightness, or scene, by pressing one of the three buttons. There’s also a microphone built into the control box that the light strip uses to react to sound in music mode. Alternatively, since the Govee Neon LED can connect to your phone, you can use your phone’s microphone to control the music mode.
| glasses | Govee Neon LED Light Bar |
|---|---|
| length | 10 feet, 3M |
| color | 16 million colors RGBIC |
| preset scene | 64 |
| music mode | 11 |
| LED node | 252 |
| Waterproof and dustproof | information |
| connectivity | wireless online Bluetooth |
| Voice Assistant Support | Google Assistant Alex |
Once you’ve decided which method to use – screw, adhesive, or an overkill option of both, installing Neon LED strips is a pretty straightforward process. Perhaps the most difficult task is to use the available 10 feet of LEDs to find the shape you want the strip to take. I decided to make it a lightning bolt in my kid’s playroom to spice up their play.
With the Neon LED strip installed and plugged in, I opened the Govee companion app to pair the devices. Pairing via Wi-Fi is an easy process, but it can also be controlled via Bluetooth. However, to get the most out of the lights, you’ll need to be on Wi-Fi so you can integrate the controls with Google Assistant or Alexa.
Govee’s apps are feature-rich. From changing colors and anticipating options to pick from 64 preset scenes, to creating your own designs in the DIY section or diving into the effects lab, there’s no shortage of customization for Neon LED strips.
Once I successfully paired the lights, both my kids and I loved this stuff.First of all, this LED strip is bright, and the colors are very bright. Even at 50% brightness, light can easily fill a room. While I prefer some softer scenes with gradients that transition and move slowly throughout the shape, my kids prefer more dynamic products.
The neon LED strip is perfect for the room and my kids are very happy with it. It replenishes the energy of the room, and it’s very interesting how the lights react to sound when playing on the Nintendo Switch. It’s especially nice that you don’t need your phone to change the lights thanks to the physical buttons on the control box.
Govee Neon LED Strips: what’s bad
Govee has done an excellent job with this product in many ways. But I think there are a few key areas where improvements can be made. Ultimately, my problem with neon LED strip shipping is that I want more.
I want more mounting hardware. The stand itself is of good quality and works well, but only ten are provided in the box and cannot be purchased individually. This means that deciding on the shape of the light strip requires careful planning and strategic placement of the brackets to achieve the desired effect.
In addition to having more brackets in the box, I would have liked to see some pre-bent mounts. These will help ensure that the light strip is not only not damaged by curves that are too extreme, but also achieves a cleaner form. The inclusion of a curved mounting bracket also means that the ten straight pieces currently offered can further create the perfect shape.
Another thing I would like more is more LED length. Ten feet is a good distance, but depending on the shape you want, you may need more. For now, there is no way to extend the neon LED strip, and there is only one available length. Of course, you can buy more than one. But this gets expensive and individual shapes don’t look right when working with scenes with motion.
Govee Neon LED Strips: competition
There are many options for light bars, but none offer the same effect as the Govee Neon LED light bars due to the light-diffusing silicone that covers the LEDs. However, if you’re looking to get a similar look but stay within a specific smart home ecosystem, there are some pretty solid options.
One of the more well-known brands is Philips Hue, which offers several different light strip options, but only one offers gradient effects, such as the Neon LED Strip – Hue Play Gradient Strip. While it does have a diffuser for the lights, it doesn’t have the mounting hardware like the Govee option. Philips’ offering is also shorter at 6 feet, and the starter kit is much more expensive at $180. Oh, and you’ll need a Philips Hue hub to use it. But it’s at least scalable.
If you want to use light bars that offer great brightness and color, but avoid specialized hubs that cost similar to Govee products, then LIFX’s light bars might be the way to go. Available in expandable options of 6.6 or 3.3 feet, these strips offer interesting gradients on Govee Neon LED strips. LIFX does not provide mounting hardware other than double-sided tape, nor does LIFX provide any light-diffusing covers for light bars.
Govee Neon LED Strips: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if…
- You want a bright and vibrant diffused light.
- You need a flexible light strip that can be shaped in various ways.
- You want a smart light that can be controlled by voice, an app, or a physical button.
- You want a smart light that doesn’t require a dedicated hub.
You shouldn’t buy this if…
- You want to create a large design with your light strip.
- You are going to make an intricate shape with your light strip.
Govee neon LED strips bend to your will and produce mixed colors with great brightness. Controlling smart lights is easy, with multiple paths from voice to physical buttons, and none of them require a separate hub. The only real downside to the neon LED strip is that it’s not expandable. With only ten mounting brackets, you’ll need to keep the shape simple to make it work.
Govee’s neon LED strip has another winner. Not only is it easy to use, but it also looks great thanks to the variety of controls. The frosted silicone coating on the LED light helps the light not stick out too much when turned off, but also diffuses light when turned on for an even glow. Govee’s companion app offers a seemingly endless variety of ways to customize lighting effects.
The ten-foot light strip available is longer than its competitors. However, Govee’s product cannot scale to allow for larger creations. If more than ten mounting brackets are available and curved brackets are an option, the possible shapes may be larger. However, these are far from deal breakers for other great LED strips that do more than anything else on the market at a more attractive price.
Govee Neon LED Light Bar
Bottom line: The Govee Neon LED Light Bar is a wall-mounted smart light that diffuses vibrant colors into almost any shape you want.
Amazon $72 Govee $70
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