My space is full of colorful lighting, but after testing this Govee LED strip light, I think I need some more

It may be simple, but it's far from basic

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The LED light strip is lit up white and has been coiled around a two-tone cement cylinder with the light's control box attached to the front.
(Image: © Future)

TechRadar Verdict

You get plenty for your money with the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light, and not just because it’s 32.8 ft / 10 meters long. It synced effortlessly with the easy-to-use Govee Home app, which offered a generous amount of customizable settings, as well as a bunch of pretty ready-made scenes. Powering the lights on and off and changing the settings was easy with the control box and app, plus installation was a simple case of peeling off the backing and sticking it to a smooth, clean surface - it's just a shame it’s a shame it’s not 3M tape.

Pros

  • +

    Easy to control

  • +

    Fantastic app

  • +

    Useful timer and wake-up features

Cons

  • -

    Bluetooth control only

  • -

    Generic mounting tape

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Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light review

The Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light is a Bluetooth-controlled length of customizable LED lights that can be applied around interior surfaces to create a subtle or eye-catching light feature. Govee has a large range of LED strip lights available, but this particular model appears to be available only at Amazon at the time of writing. There’s a list price of $28.99 / £27.99 for the 32.8 ft / 10-meter H617C model of the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light I’ve tested, and there’s also the shorter 16.4 ft / 5-meter H617A model available, retailing at $14.99 / £19.99. Longer lengths can be purchased in packs of two reels, with the 65.6 ft / 20 meter H617E costing $52.99 / £45.99, and the 100 ft H617F at $69.99.

The back of the length of the LED strip has double-sided tape ready-applied; not 3M tape, which is a shame, but the strength of the tape seemed satisfactory over the time I tested it. It’s important to note that the longevity of the hold from any adhesive relies on factors like the surface it’s applied to, and any tension due to cable positioning, etc.

A close-up of the LED light strip when off.

(Image credit: Future)

When it came to applying the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light around corners, I was pleased to find that the strip was very flexible, as long as there wasn’t a bit of hardware on the part of the strip that needed to bend. This is why it’s always advisable to check the positioning of any stick-on light strips before committing. Other than the generic double-sided tape, the quality of the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light looked satisfactory for the money, though of course, how the unlit strip looked isn’t what’s important here.

Before delving into the fancier features, I used the control box to turn on the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light to observe the quality and brightness of the light. The LEDs were all in working order, performed well, and had no problem playing out sequences and switching between different colors.

The Govee Home app was required to make the most of all the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light’s features. I’m already a big fan of the Govee companion app, as I made clear in my review of the Govee Table Lamp 2, thanks to its attractive and easy-to-navigate interface. Syncing the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light to the Govee Home app took mere seconds as the app detected it almost instantly, and connected to the LED strip quickly upon selection.

The LED light strip is lit up light blue and has been coiled around a two-tone cement cylinder. The light reel is leaning on the cylinder, and the light's control box is placed to the left.

(Image credit: Future)

There are a lot of features available, a simple but useful one being the brightness adjustment bar on the main page. Under different tabs I found more adjustable settings, including customizable color selections that could be applied to the entire strip or specific segments, and a great selection of ready-made scenes, which changed the lighting effect to reflect my choice of sunrise, forest, or glacier, to name a few.

There’s also an AI feature which, in my experience, wasn’t the most inspiring. I took a photo of a sunset-colored travel mug I own, and a bit of my grey and white marble-effect desk could be seen in the background. I can’t say I could see the resemblance in the resulting light combination, but I think this feature is best suited to highly saturated colorful images. For any custom color palettes or effects I created, there’s a DIY section where I could save them, making it easy to store and access my favorites.

The LED light strip is lit up blue and has been coiled around a two-tone cement cylinder with the light's control box attached to the front.

(Image credit: Future)

As the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light doesn’t have smart capabilities, I wasn't able to connect to my Amazon Alexa, so I naturally couldn’t use voice control or set routines, no matter which of the best smart home devices I owned. Fortunately, however, there’s a timer function on the Govee Home app, with several slots to choose which time and days you want the light strip to power on, and when to power off again. There’s also a wake-up feature that once set will gradually build up to maximum brightness in the ten minutes leading up to the assigned time.

Overall, I’m quite fond of this Govee light strip. While there are many cheaper RGBIC LED light strips out there, I haven’t encountered any to date that rival the ready-made scenes or the level of customization available via the Govee Home app. If you’re interested in brightening up your home with smart lighting I recommend checking out our best smart lights guide for a variety of products that cater to different requirements.

The LED light strip is lit up purple and has been coiled around a two-tone cement cylinder with the light's control box attached to the front.

(Image credit: Future)

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light review: Price and specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$28.99 / £27.99

Model

H617C

Colors

RGBIC

Light sources

180 LEDs

Power

Corded electric

Connectivity

Bluetooth

Voice control

No

Should I buy the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light?

Buy it if...

You want something simple
This LED strip is easy to install, set up, and use (even for the not-so-tech-savvy) thanks to the large-buttoned control box.

You want the best of both worlds
With a variety of pre-set colors and scenes to choose from and a load of customizable settings too, you can make things as simple or specific as required.

Don't buy it if...

You want to add to your smart home setup
One thing this Govee light strip lacks is smart connectivity, so if you’ve got the rest of your lighting set to a routine and want your light strip to fall in line, this isn’t the one for you.

You want something cheap and simple
If you just want to add a little ambiance with single colors and prefer a physical remote to app control, then you may find cheaper LED strips that tick all your boxes.

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light review: Also consider

WiZ LED strip smart light
If you happen to prefer the reassurance of 3M adhesive, this Wiz LED strip smart light connects via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and is Matter compatible, although curiously it doesn’t connect via Bluetooth. The available smart features mean that this strip can easily be incorporated into your current ecosystem, or be used as your first building block. To learn more, check out our full WiZ LED strip smart light review.

How I tested the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light

  • I tested the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light for one week
  • I looked at the quality and flexibility of the LED strip
  • I tested the app's different features and customizable settings

I set up the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light and synced it with the Govee Home app. I took a close look at the quality of the materials used, including the adhesive and the hardware. I tested how flexible it was and how well it handled corners. I checked that all LEDs were working, ensuring there were no gaps in the run of lights.

I assessed how easy it was to control the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light, and looked at the different customizable settings. I created my own color palettes before saving them in the DIY folder, tested out the AI feature, and ready-made scenes.

Cesci Angell
Cesci Angell
Staff Writer

Cesci is a Reviews Staff Writer for TechRadar. She writes in-depth reviews based on her real-world testing across a variety of categories, but has a particularly keen interest in home tech, and has written features and reviews about gadgets ranging from headphones to smart lights to graphics tablets. She also has a broad range of experience from working in different industries, from sustainable materials and packaging to skin care. 

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