Review of Govee Neon Rope Light 2: a rare miss from Govee!

Smart lighting is the best – you can do so much with it, from getting creative to setting a mood. But sometimes the promise of a smart light is more than the brand, or you, or I can deliver…Govee recently released an upgraded version of its Indoor Rope Light called Govee Neon Rope Light 2. In this review I’ll try it out here in my home to see what it’s like to use and install, how bright and colourful it is and what’s been upgraded. I’ll wrap things up with the pros and the cons and let you know if I think I can recommend this smart rope light for you.

What is Govee Neon Rope light 2? Specs & Design

In short this indoor lighting kit is a 16-foot (4.8 meters) long flexible silicone strip that you can place almost anywhere, from around mirrors, or headboards to under furniture. You can even create custom light designs. Well, at lest that’s the idea.

Perhaps most importantly, there is no hub or bridge required for Wi-Fi connectivity and smartphone control.

Watch my hands-on review of Govee Neon Rope Light 2

What’s new?

Govee has modified the design of this rope light to be a little brighter and rounder than the previous version, so you’re getting a little light shining out not just from the top or front of the light but also from the sides. This version also appears to have a much more watercolour like appearance where the strip changes colour more subtly. Instead of delineated segments that use pinpoints of light or tiny LED bulbs, you’re definitely getting more of a softer ambient effect.

Already I like this a lot better than another LED rope light I’ve been using that does show up as a line of LED dots.

Govee Neon Rope light 2 is internally segmented, meaning you can tweak sections of the strip to be different colors, or choose Govee presets for a more blended lighting look too. Unlike some other smart strip lighting this set cannot be connected to other sets for longer installations.

What’s in the box?

In the package you get the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 with plug. It has a silicone back, and it very flexible. Included in my package were 24 clips in two sizes; a single clip and a bendable metal clip with two anchor points. You can install them with either an adhesive pad or with included screws and anchors. Extra clips can be ordered from Govee.

Set up

Getting these lights set up was really fast but the time I save here gets made up for when I try to install them.

Plug them in and they will automatically be in pairing mode. Using the Govee app, you’ll connect the light to your home’s Wi-Fi for app and voice control. With the app you can control the color, set scenes, and play with the different segments. The Govee Home app also lets you use preset scenes, color patterns and to use the music sync setting.

How to install Govee Rope Light 2

While installing them onto the mirror, bookcase, or headboard is pretty easy, I was really looking forward to forming these lights into a cool design like I saw on the package and in the app. But as I found out in my firsthand experience, that’s a lot easier said, than done.

How to create cool designs on the wall

These lights can allow you to create cool designs; you can create your own custom design or words, or use the app to choose one of Govee Recommended Designs or diagrams. The app will give you some guidance once you choose a design the app will tell you how many clips you’ll need and where to place the clips to help you create the design. Amazingly the segments of the light will change colour to help guide you where to bend and shape the light too.

A rule of thumb is the more complex the design, the more clips you are going to need. But as I quickly found out while trying to choose a design, even some of the simpler designs require far more clips than are included.

Despite the good instructions and the light helping you out, there is definitely going to be some artistic talent needed here.

I don’t mind admitting that I really flubbed this installation. I definitely understood what the design should look like and I hd the colour guided segments on the light, but it didn’t feel like it was really possible to create any of the suggested designs with either the number of clips or the length of light I have.

I opted to get the longer version; 16.4 feet yet I quickly realized there was no way I was going to be able to create the insect design I chose, let alone any of the more complex or involved designs.

I decided to abandon the butterfly or bee in favour of something that looked a bit like a flower or maybe a cactus.

I actually think that Govee could do well by sharing downloadable printable templates you could stick to the wall to help figure out how to place or map out some of these designs.

I also don’t really understand how Govee is suggesting you create some of these more elaborate lighting designs unless perhaps you can string several sets of these lights together somehow? While I have the longest available set, there is absolutely no way that I’m creating anything larger and more intricate, and Govee tells me that for now these lights do not connect to additional sets in order to add length.

So I got my design up on the wall, but within a few hours the adhesive on the clips was already starting to pop off. By the next day I had lost several segments and the light was hanging in places. I suppose the remedy for this is to use the screws and drywall anchors, but I would be absolutely terrified to do that unless there was some better way to guarantee what the finished design would look like. Otherwise you’re just going to be putting endless holes into your walls.

Once your design is installed you can take a photo of the light and perform what’s called “photo recognition” in the app to get more accurate lighting effect on your design.

Key features

Color changing

You can change the colour of the new Govee Neon Rope Light 2 using the Govee Home app. Tap simple single colors along the length of the strip, or use Scenes or Schemes to play with different options. The many options for configuration can seem a bit intimidating to first time users, but the user interface is so easy you’ll have it figured out in no time.

Choose different options for “Style” or “Scene” there’s “Color Matching Method” and “Mood” it’s often not clear what each of these words actually means for the light, so my best advice is to simply click around the app to try everything and see which options you like best. Some of the Scenes or effects flash or swirl around the light, while others are simple static colors and blends.

You can manually choose the colors for the individual internal segments of the light too, though after the initial novelty of this wears off, you’ll probably find a few favourites and leave it at that.

Syncs with Music & Audio

If you want a more dynamic experience, the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 can sync to music, audio or even the TV. Just switch on this easy to find setting in the Govee Home app and the light will pulse, flash and adjust to ambient noise, whether that’s talking, music or even movie dialogue too. I find this setting works really well and is ideal for music, movies, and gaming.

Hands-free Voice Control

If you want to go hands-free, pair the lights with Google Home or Amazon Alexa. I connected mine to my Echo Show 15 in seconds, and was able to get the light to turn on and off as well as change colors, just by asking.

Overall review: Govee Neon Rope Light 2

Overall I have to say I’ve become a huge Govee fan in the last couple of years, but I think this light kit needs some work to become another Govee superstar, like my Hexa panels, or any of my outdoor lights. Let’s go over the pros and the cons so you can see where these might work for you and where you might want to wait for version three.

On the pro side, Govee lights are ultra easy to set up, with no need for an extra bridge to operate. Plus Govee has a wildly customizable app that lets you do everything you’d want to want with a smart light. This version is quite bright and I love the blended colour across the rope. It’s easy to set daily on and off timers using the Govee app as well.

When it comes to the downsides, I think first and foremost is that if you are hoping to create lighting designs on your wall, this would not be the ideal choice for a couple of reasons. First is that you’re definitely going to need to order additional clips from the Govee website in order to pull off any design. Second is that I don’t believe it would be possible to actually create some of the more intricate designs even with the longest 16.4 foot length, particularly as the lights are simply not that bendy.

While I tried mightily to create some cool designs I was only able to succeed at the simplest version.

I think if you’re going to keep it simple or you just want these for a more straightforward application, you’ll get a kick out of these lights, but if you’re hoping to create something more elaborate, you might want to keep looking.
The 16-foot Govee Neon Rope Light 2 sells for about $99USD/$159CAD (and ouch, yes that exchange rate hurts!) and you can find it from Best Buy, Amazon and Govee’s website.

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