Before there were permanent outdoor lights you could leave up all year long, there were smart string lights that could adapt to whatever holiday or mood you needed them to. Now, Govee is back with a brand-new set of smart string lights that manage to cram an entire rainbow of color into every single bulb.
Over the years, I’ve tried out loads of different Govee smart lights. I’ve tested everything from its smart curtain lights that turn a wall into a customizable pixel art canvas, to its hardwired ceiling lights that can instantly transform a dark hallway. However, it was the company’s smart string lights that finally convinced me to ditch Philips Hue and its much more expensive ecosystem behind for good.
I used my first set of Govee smart string lights to decorate my porch year-round so I wouldn’t have to deal with the annual hassle of putting up and taking down holiday lights. Later, when we put up a fence to finally seal off our side yard from the street, I used a newer set of Govee string lights to decorate that, too.
After seeing Govee’s latest string light innovation back at CES, I knew I had to find a place for them in my yard. With a few poles mounted in the ground and some hooks screwed into the side of my porch, I managed to do just that and I’m incredibly glad I did. Govee’s Outdoor Chromatic String Lights are a sight to behold at night — but shockingly, they look equally stunning during the day.
Here’s why they’re worth the extra splurge, especially if you want to add some much-needed color to your next backyard gathering, be it day or night.
A more colorful redesign
Even though the unboxing experience was nearly identical to the Govee smart string lights I’ve checked out in the past, it was immediately clear I was dealing with something else entirely here. Govee’s Outdoor Chromatic String Lights aren’t trying to copy traditional backyard lights. Instead, with their dual-layer design, they’re trying to do something completely different.
In the box itself, you get either a 32-foot strand or a longer 65.6-foot version like I have here. Since these lights pack a total of 54 individual RGB LEDs inside every single bulb, they require some serious power. As a result, you cannot daisy-chain multiple strands together. You definitely want to measure your space carefully and map out your power outlets before deciding which kit to buy. Since I wanted these lights to cut across my yard in a zig-zag pattern, I went with the longer 65.6-foot option.
While the Outdoor Chromatic String Lights themselves carry an IP67 waterproof rating, the large included power brick is only rated IP44. If you plan on keeping these up year-round — or even for a single season — I strongly recommend picking up a waterproof outdoor enclosure for the power adapter. I already use two of these boxes for the smart string lights on my fence, so I was good to go. Still, it’s the exact kind of “pro tip” you won’t find on the product page or the back of the box.
Just like with all of the best smart lights set up inside and around my home, I always make sure to test them before starting the actual install. When I plugged this set in, I was met with a literal rainbow of color that instantly showcased how those 54 individual LEDs can push out multiple shades and colors simultaneously.
Although Govee’s single-light rainbow system is the star of the show, I was equally impressed by the dual-layer aesthetic. All of those LEDs and the underlying tech are tucked behind a milky white inner shell, while a clear outer shell gives the capsule bulbs a reflective quality that really makes the colors pop.
With everything unboxed and tested, it was time to begin the install. One thing I love about Govee’s newer string lights is that they come with dedicated plastic clips for each bulb — a feature the very first set I bought years ago lacked. These clips attach securely onto the top of the sockets to ensure each bulb hangs down at the exact same distance while absorbing the physical tension off the main cables.
There’s also a loop at the top of each clip in case you want to thread a metal guide wire through them to prevent the line from sagging over longer runs. Since I was setting these up primarily for testing, I skipped the guide wire. However, if you are doing a permanent installation, those loops will certainly come in handy. With my lights safely hung from two freestanding yard poles, it was finally time to fire them up and see just how bright they could get during the day — and, of course, at night.
Afternoon ambiance
After recently reviewing Govee’s new Lightwall, I honestly wasn’t expecting much from the Outdoor Chromatic String Lights during the day. The Lightwall — which is a larger, portable version of the company’s smart curtain lights — just wasn’t bright enough to show off its pixel art scenes or animated GIFs before the sun went down, even on a heavily overcast day. Much to my surprise, these string lights delivered the exact opposite experience.
As I cycled through the preset scenes I typically use on my other Govee gear, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Instead of making me squint to see their color-changing effects, the colors remained perfectly clear even with the sun shining bright overhead. Normally, I have to wait until at least dusk to turn on my backyard lighting, but that wasn’t the case here. I could easily picture leaving these on to add a vibrant pop of color during afternoon BBQs or family parties. You could easily pick a theme to match the occasion hours before sunset — like switching to a pastel palette for an afternoon Easter egg hunt or firing up a vibrant festival scene during a midday cookout.
Adding the lights to my smart home was as simple as tapping the plus icon in the Govee app. However, just like with most of the company’s outdoor gear, you are required to physically press the power button on the inline control box during the pairing process. This is exactly why I always recommend testing and setting them up before you start hanging.
Within the app, you get over 100 preset scenes ranging from holidays to nature. I particularly gravitated toward the “Universe” themes on these lights, as they do a phenomenal job of showcasing the fluid, single-bulb rainbow effects. If you can’t find a preset that fits your vibe, you can use Govee’s AI Lighting Bot to generate a custom look via text prompts. You can also sync the strand to your music, but since the inline control unit features a built-in microphone, the lights can dynamically bounce along to the audio from one of the best Bluetooth speakers too.
You aren’t locked into Govee’s presets, either. When you drill down into the color settings for individual bulbs, you can choose from several pre-configured gradient mixes or tap into the manual color wheel to craft your own custom watercolor-like layouts.
I walked away incredibly impressed by how well Govee’s Chromatic Outdoor String Lights perform in broad daylight. As the sun finally began to dip below the fence line, it was time to see how well they could light up the night sky.
Still best at night
Just like with the other two sets of smart lights in my backyard, Govee’s Outdoor Chromatic String Lights work best at night, and this is to be expected. Although the picture above doesn’t do it justice, watching the lights shift from one color to another within each bulb definitely makes these smart string lights stand out. In fact, they remind me more of the Skyline Light Kit I mounted on the other side of the beam that runs across my living room than the other Govee string lights I’ve tested in the past. This makes sense because underneath that inner layer, the 54 RGB LEDs in each bulb almost look like a mini lightstrip wrapped in a circle.
At $299 for the 65.6-foot set Govee sent over for me to test out, these smart string lights are certainly an investment. However, since you’ll likely use them during the day too and not just at night, I’d say they’re worth spending a bit more on. Alternatively, if you go with the shorter 32.8-foot set, they only cost $169.
Now, I know this is still expensive for string lights. However, for the price, you’re getting smart ones you can control with your phone or your voice using one of the best smart speakers. Likewise, you don’t have to worry about changing bulbs, and you can switch up their color or lighting effects with a single tap. Personally, I really like this new design from Govee as the dual-layer aesthetic and overall look is a lot more futuristic than you see on most string lights, even smart ones.
Honestly, I don’t know where Govee will go from here, but its smart string lights are still a great way to add a splash of custom color to your yard. They’ve served me well for years now, and they’re a great alternative to permanent outdoor lights that you can install practically anywhere.
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