Govee Christmas String Lights review: stylish smart holiday lights for economizing Yule-lovers

Govee Christmas String Lights: Two-minute review

The Govee Christmas String Lights seem like a dream come true if you’ve grown tired of dealing with the nightmare that is the annual putting up (not to mention taking down and putting away) of the dreaded Christmas string lights.

For many of us, the holiday season is the joyous time of the year, even for those who don’t celebrate Christmas. But the tradition of putting up the tree – and all your holiday decorations, if you’re the type to go all out – is not all merry and bright. At least when you get to the part where you’re putting up those lights. Dealing with tangled string lights, bulbs burning out, and constant snagging may ruin the vibe and put a momentary damper on your holiday decorating merriment.

Not having to stress out about all that is the goal, and the Govee Christmas String Lights may just be an ideal solution. Govee opted for a twisted rope design with embedded light beads here – there are five individual wires or conductors, each of which is encased in a clear cable jacket, that are then twisted together in a rope-like manner, resulting in a string that’s about 4mm thick. In addition, instead of the traditional LED bulbs and sockets that jut out from the string, Govee opted for tiny light beads – embedded throughout the length of the string are 100 square lamp beads (200 if you get the 20m version), resulting in an elegant and unique look that I found attractive. 

More importantly, it means that you no longer have to deal with the bulb sockets snagging or getting caught on the string or each other. In fact, the whole thing is less likely to snag and much easier to untangle – though you still have to deal with the string occasionally twisting in some parts. Taking the string lights down and putting them away is also a breeze. The lights even come with a plastic reel so you can just neatly coil them up and store them.

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A couple of important things to point out here is that because this Govee string light doesn’t have that traditional design, it comes with minor disadvantages. Since the light beads aren’t jutting out, they won’t give you a randomized light placement effect. When wrapped around a tree, these lights naturally follow the spiral arrangement of the string. I don’t mind it much personally. However, I know that a lot of people prefer the former so it’s worth pointing out. 

Another disadvantage is that because of the clear cable jackets used, these string lights won’t blend in, especially if you have a green tree. That means that they will be very noticeable and may affect the overall look you’re trying to achieve.

Most traditional string lights give you 250 light bulbs for a 20m version that’s best suited for 6-foot Christmas trees. So you might be disappointed that you’re not getting as many light bulbs on the Govee Christmas String Lights, but I honestly do not think you’ll notice the difference. Plus, I found the light beads to be incredibly bright and vibrant, with the clear cable jackets also helping reflect their light, even if it’s only less than a centimeter on either side of each light bead.

There is a control box with a power button that doubles as a reset button when you hold it down for 5 seconds and a mounting tape in the box if you’re seeking a more permanent setup. These lights may be designed specifically for holiday decorating, they’re great for year-round use as well if you want to light up your porch, your bedroom, or your garden, for example. It’s an addition that can come in handy from time to time, but seeing as these are smart lights, there’s almost no need for it.

That is, apart from its built-in mic. This mic allows for the lights to react to ambient audio, which is fantastic for syncing them to whatever music or movie is playing through your speakers. It’s a fun feature that I use quite often.

Of course, the easy setup is not the only reason to get these lights. Just like the rest of the lights in Govee’s catalog, the Govee Christmas String Lights have the same functionalities as the best smart lights on the market including app and voice control, scheduling, and a slew of customization options. That adds to their ease of use even more. Think about it: no more having to bend down and unplug or manually switch off your Christmas lights when it’s time for bed; you can simply set it to turn on and off at specific times of the day or when your smart speaker detects a person’s presence in the room. Or just ask Alexa to do it.

What's more, Govee has mastered the smart home functions of its lights so whether you're using voice commands or the app to control these lights, you can rest assured that it'll respond accurately within a fraction of a second. 

Before you can take full advantage of their smart functions, you do have to connect it to the Govee app as well as your Alexa app. While that is one more step, doing so is easy as pie since the Govee app makes it so. Because the app immediately detects the lights as soon as you plug it in, all you need to do is follow the steps on the app. Once it’s connected to the app, the Alexa app will automatically detect the string lights as well and ask you whether or not you’d like to add it to your device list.

Not to play favorites here, but the Govee app is probably my favorite smart light app of all. It’s so easy to use while offering a slew of features, from the music sync I mentioned above and the long list of light scenes to letting you create your very own light scenes and color schemes. It’ll also let you set brightness, set up timers, and use the Music DreamView feature to sync the Govee Christmas String Lights’ lighting effects with all your other Govee smart lights for an even more immersive experience.

Because these are, first and foremost, Christmas lights, these have Christmas-themed light scenes that aren’t available on other Govee smart light sets. Among those scenes are Christmas Tree, Sled, Christmas Gift, Candy Cane, Christmas Eve, Santa Claus, and Christmas Gift. If none of these appeal to you or are a good match for your holiday decorations, however, I recommend taking the time to design your own via the app’s DIY module. 

Combining these customizations with its other smart home conveniences makes the Govee Christmas String Lights an incredibly versatile smart home device that takes your holiday decorating to a whole new level. Thanks to them, it’s finally time to retire your old, and at times infuriating, Christmas string lights and make your holiday decorating an even more enjoyable experience.

Govee Christmas String Lights: Price and availability

• How much is it? From $59.99 / £59.99 (about AU$90) 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where is it available? Available in the US and the UK 

The Govee Christmas String Lights are more expensive than traditional string lights, many of which you can find for under $20 / £20 / AU$35. However, next to other Christmas lights with smart home functionality, they’re the slightly more affordable option. Coming in two lengths, they will set you back $59.99 / £59.99 (about AU$90) for the 33 ft (10m) option that’s best for Christmas trees 4 feet (1.2 meters) and shorter, and $89.99 / £89.99 (about AU$135) for the longer 66 ft (20m) that’s ideal for trees 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8m).

In comparison, the 66-ft (20m) Nanoleaf Matter Smart Holiday String Lights retail for $119.99 / £119.99 (about AU$180) while the Philips Hue Festavia String Lights of the same length cost a hefty $219.99 / £109.99 (about AU$330).

The Govee Christmas String Lights are now available in the US and the UK. However, they’re not available in Australia at the time of writing.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Govee Christmas String Lights: Specs

Should I buy the Govee Christmas String Lights?

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Govee Christmas String Lights: Also consider

Nanoleaf Matter Smart Holiday String Lights
Robust and very customizable, these are more similar to traditional string lights in design and a better option if that's what you're looking for.

Philips Hue Festavia String Lights
The priciest option, these also look more like traditional string light and are great if you're already invested in the Philips Hue ecosystem.

How I tested the Govee Christmas String Lights

• I tested the Govee Christmas String Lights for a week
• I used it on my little Christmas tree at home
• I tested its performance and features using Alexa and the Govee app

While I don't have space in my apartment for even a four-foot Christmas tree, I did put up the Govee Christmas String Lights on the 1.5-foot tree that Govee had provided with the lights where it stayed during my week-long testing. During this period, I used the lights day and night to add a little holiday flair to my otherwise Christmas decoration-bare home. 

My testing included testing its smart home features, its response to voice commands and app control, and its ability to display the many light scenes available on the app. I also experimented with creating my own light effects and color schemes, making note of how accurately the lights would display them.

A big smart home fan, I've been a smart home user for a few years, with Philips Hue light bulbs being my very first smart home device. I've also been testing smart home devices, from smart lights and smart speakers to smart appliances like robot vacuums and heaters, since owning my first light bulbs.

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First reviewed December 2023