The most customizable smart home accessory I tested is now 40% off

What’s up?

The Govee 2 Neon String Lights are the most versatile strip lights I’ve tested and are currently 40% off — The 16.4-foot version is $60 and The 10-foot variant is $42 — just in time to decorate for the holidays.

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Key points of ZDNET

• the Govee 2 neon string lights is available in white or black and comes in two lengths: 10 feet for $70 and 16.4 feet for $100, although it’s currently on sale for a limited time.
• More flexible and bendable than other neon strips on the market, Govee Neon Rope Light 2 is easy to install and comes with crimping clips to facilitate closing corners.
• The light strip is still not easy to install and there are no sample instructions. It’s also too bright to use as a night light, even at 1% brightness, but that’s highly personal preference.

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I love a good neon strip. I had one Cync neon shaped lights in my kids’ room since it was launched and they use it every day, whether for colorful dance parties or as a night light at 1% brightness. Then there’s Govee’s first Neon String Lights that line the desk to add a little color to the office. So I was excited to try it Govee 2 neon string lights to see how it has improved because this is the kind of smart device that can make the whole room shine.

the Govee 2 neon string lights was announced at CES 2024 and is available in black or white. The 10-foot option costs $70 and the 16.4-foot version costs $100 at full price. It supports Matter and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

As soon as I unboxed the light strip, I was surprised to see that it was much softer and more flexible than both light strips I had to install previously. Installation is still challenging because the heavy light strip can get tangled, but working with a more properly shaped light strip is not tiring at all.

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The biggest thing I noticed is that you have to determine how to set up the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 on the wall before you start hanging it up and down where each clip will go. Govee 2 neon string lights can be set up in a custom shape or use one of the company’s recommended shapes.

After installing the light strip, you can scan it with your phone using the Govee app. The app will recognize the shape and let you set up segments to control the strip independently and create custom lighting designs.

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I have The Cync light strip is set up like a rainbow with customizable segments for each color. I decided to go with a rainbow shape for the Cync lights because they aren’t easy to shape and I didn’t want my design to look like a hot mess. However, when I saw that the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 was lighter and softer, I decided to take the risk and try a different shape.

Enter unicorns.

I don’t know how familiar you are with little girls between the ages of 0 and 10, but unicorns are a big deal. There are so many unicorn neon lights for sale online that it shouldn’t be difficult to find a model for the Govee light strip.

Once I was happy with the shape of my light strip, I used parchment paper to sketch out the design and used that guide to install the light on the wall. I wish Govee included some sample instructions in the box. All in all, I thought Cync’s grid pattern tutorial was helpful when I installed the Neon Strip (You can see the article in this video).

When it came time to install the light strip on the wall, I thought the curved clips were the most useful feature for achieving sharp angles. Bending “neon” light strips without these clips is not easy.

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Setting up the lights on the Govee app is easy. Govee 2 neon string lights have over 64 preset lighting effects for beautiful color mixing. You can also set up segments of up to six LED beads each to glow in different colors, and you can create and save your color schemes.

Govee has also added some additional AI features to the Govee Neon Rope Light 2, including an AI Lighting Bot that allows you to use text and voice prompts to create new lighting effects. This option goes beyond the effects already included in the app. Users can say, “Turn on the lights for fall afternoons,” and the bot will generate new lighting effects based on its trained model. I experimented and found this to be a fun way to request custom effects without manually changing the colors. This is also a big draw for my kids, who ask for the colors they want without having to use an app on my phone.

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the Govee 2 neon string lights looked almost identical to a neon sign a few meters away. This is the softest, easiest-to-shape neon strip I tested, with the added convenience of bendable clips that let you create corners and corners for beautiful light shapes. I just wish the box had sample instructions to help with installation.

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Interactions with Govee, Alexa, and Google Home apps in my smart home were smooth, response times were quick, and there were no connection issues over several days of testing.

The $70 to $100 price tag is more expensive than the Cync Neon Shape Light — a direct competitor with a 16-foot variant at $80 — but the Govee Neon String Light 2 is worth it for the results. more satisfying results. In short, this neon strip is a classic case of “you get what you pay for.”