When it comes to smart lights, Philips Hue is probably the first name that springs to mind. Its products are high-quality and popular, but too expensive for a lot of shoppers.
This is where Govee comes in.
I had the opportunity to try a wide variety of Govee lighting gear in my home for a few weeks, and not only have I found Govee’s ecosystem up to par with what I expect from the likes of Philips, I might even actually prefer it.
While Govee did provide AP with product samples to test, I’ve also bought some of my own, and I intend to keep building out the kit as time goes on. Here’s why.
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Similarly broad product offerings
From outdoor spotlights to indoor neon ropes
I’m keen on getting the latest gadgets, but I don’t want to spend a fortune on them if I can help it.
I wanted a new smart floor lamp, as well as some connected outdoor lights. Philips Hue offers both of these, but their prices are genuinely prohibitive.
When comparing specific products, like the Govee Lyra floor lamp to the Philips Hue Signe gradient floor lamp, the difference in price was stark.
Indeed, the first costs just $150 and is often discounted, while the second sells for a whopping $330.
Similarly, I contemplated buying Philips Hue Lily outdoor spotlights to light up the trees in my garden.
However, when I looked at options, I realized that the price of a single Philips Hue Lily light buys me two Govee Outdoor Spotlights with a few bucks to spare, as the two-pack often sells for less than $90.
The build quality and reliability of Govee products have been another pleasant surprise. Besides being affordable, the Govee products I’ve used are well-built and work reliably.
For example, I’ve tested Govee Outdoor spotlights and string lights in harsh weather conditions, with pouring rain or freezing temperatures, without encountering any issues. I think Govee’s lights look awfully nice, too, perfectly complementing my home’s modern interiors.
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Weatherproof lighting for a connected and customizable smart home exterior
Plenty of customization options
The app comes with a lot of features, but isn’t the most user-friendly one around
The Govee Home app isn’t the nicest looking one and isn’t particularly user-friendly, giving Philips Hue a clear advantage here.
It’s not necessarily easy finding your way around features, and something as simple as changing a light’s color is sometimes cumbersome.
Customizing scenes and creating specific colors is also something that I’ve had a hard time with, let alone syncing the colors across different products or grouping them.
Overall, the app could benefit from a much simpler interface to make common actions easier, rather than requiring a lot of fiddling.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.
In more recent years, Govee added social aspects to the app, which are largely unwanted by the fanbase — because why would you want social media in the app that controls your lights?
However, the features are broadly similar to Hue’s, in the sense that you can control the color of each light, pick from predefined scenes, and even group devices.
This allows you to use matching colors or themes for your outdoor and indoor lights, and create groups using different Govee products.
Finally, all Govee lights can automatically adapt to the music, without requiring a sync box, unlike Hue products.
This is done by either syncing with your phone’s microphone, or by using the device’s built-in mic.
The results are relatively good, but won’t match what you get from lights with direct music streaming integration.
Govee also offers an additional $35 Music Sync Box for better results and synchronization across different lights, without breaking the bank.
Advanced connectivity options
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Matter
Philips Hue uses Zigbee, reducing Wi-Fi network load and creating a mesh network that extends range.
Hue lights also work with other Zigbee devices, but require a Hub for internet access, increasing costs.
Recent Hue models offer Bluetooth for hub-free local control, without offering the added benefits of an interconnected ecosystem.
Govee’s integration of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth eliminates the need for a hub. However, adding many devices can burden your Wi-Fi network, while Zigbee’s separate network allows devices to communicate even without a router.
In my daily use, I haven’t had any connectivity issues with Govee products compared to Philips Hue ones. It could be an issue when adding a large number of devices, depending on your router’s capabilities.
However, since the Zigbee protocol is a standard one, Hue lights are compatible with other Zigbee products, such as light switches and plugs.
This means that I can control Hue lights with a standard Zigbee switch, which I couldn’t do with Govee ones.
Despite Philips Hue’s advantage here, Govee products now offer support for the Matter protocol.
This is a major advancement, as this next-gen smart home protocol not only works locally, but also brings extensive compatibility across smart home products, bringing Govee products on-par with Philips Hue ones, which have also integrated Matter.
Solid third-party integration
Support for most smart home ecosystems
As I integrated Govee lights into my home, their ability to work seamlessly with Google Home, Alexa, and even IFTTT was remarkable.
This allows Govee lights to integrate seamlessly with the rest of your ecosystem, and even create advanced automation with plenty of other smart home products, using Alexa Routines, for example.
In addition, Govee’s newest products, and, future ones, come with Matter support, helping them integrate with a wide range of products and apps, such as SmartThings.
Smart lights for a smart price
A similar experience for less cash
While Philips Hue holds a certain prestige with its extensive product range and advanced ecosystem, Govee challenges the status quo by providing a wide array of relatively affordable products that I find to be easy to use.
There are some drawbacks to consider, such as the app’s subpar user-friendliness and the absence of Zigbee support.
Thankfully, Matter protocol support alleviates this, offering broader compatibility.
Govee’s approach to smart lighting, offering cost-effective, highly customizable, and easy-to-integrate solutions, positions it as a formidable player in the smart home arena, challenging established norms and inviting users to rethink their smart lighting choices.
After testing the outdoor spotlights and neon rope, I decided to buy some more Govee products, given the value for money they offer.
Sure, I’m not a big fan of its app, but I mostly use Google Home to control my lights anyway.
In my own case, using Wi-Fi is actually better, as most Govee lights I’ve bought are outdoor ones, and can benefit from my mesh network in the garden.
Whether this is your case or not, I encourage you to check out Govee’s lineup if you’re in the market for smart lights. In my opinion, they’re the ones that offer some of the best value for money out there.
