PROS:
- Bright, colorful, and fun
- Easy to install and set up
- Mobile app presents plenty of automation and customization options
CONS:
- The number of features can be a bit overwhelming
- A little pricey for curtain lights
Dynamic RGB lighting might be a common presence in gaming gear, but that doesn’t mean only gamers have been drawn to the mesmerizing and enjoyable display of these playful lights. There are indeed a few lighting products for “regular” consumers that allow them to display all the colors of the rainbow, but most of these are either static or too complicated to use, designed only for the hardest of hardcore DIYers. Something that hits a sweet spot between these two extremes is uncharted territory, which is what makes Govee’s new Curtain Lights quite a tempting prospect. Its feature list definitely checks a lot of boxes, but so do many “fairy lights” that promise a kaleidoscopic experience for every party or holiday. That’s why we rolled up our sleeves to put the Govee Curtain Lights to the test to see if they can deliver and make our days and nights brighter and more interesting.
Click Here to Buy Now: $129.99
Aesthetics
To be honest, the Govee Curtain Lights are not much to look at when you pull them out of their simple yet functional packaging. You might even pass it off as regular rice or fairy lights, at least until you take a closer look and feel the product in your hands. From that moment onward, you know that you’re holding something special, hinting at the secrets it might be hiding inside.
Right off the bat, you will notice that the LED lights are different from typical curtain lights, particularly those that use bullet-like lights that extend from their thin cords. The teardrop-shaped LED beads are actually embedded in the flat cords that run down the length of the curtain, encased in a plastic material that’s more durable and less fragile than the typical glass of small LED bulbs. The light strands themselves also feel more solid and resilient, so you gain a bit of confidence in handling the curtain lights.
The Govee Curtain Lights’ unique design is fully revealed once you plug it in and turn it on. The 520 LEDs don’t immediately light up simultaneously, starting off with a pattern dance that showcases its dynamic properties, but even that is just the tip of the iceberg. What it does is give a memorable first impression, especially for those new to this rather new market. You’ll also immediately notice how bright the lights are, so bright that you might even want to put some thin curtain in front to dampen the light at times. That does mean that lights will be visible under bright ambient light, but you might have a harder time making out the details.
A single Govee curtain runs 4.9 x 6.5 feet, which should be an average size to cover a good portion of a wall or large windows. As we’ll see later, you can actually “connect” three of these together to work in harmony, but that means you’ll have to make provisions for three power adapters since you can’t daisy-chain those, unfortunately. Fortunately, Govee designed these lights to be easy to set up so placement won’t be much of a problem at least.
Ergonomics (Installation)
You won’t be handling the Govee Curtain Lights all the time, so the usual metrics of ergonomics and usability don’t really apply to it. Instead, the physical convenience and comfort come from the first-time installation and setup of the lights. You might only need to do these steps once unless you decide to move the lights to a different location, but that initial experience can make or break your enjoyment of the product just as much.
The good news is that Govee has made it trivial to install its Curtain Lights and even provides three options along with the necessary parts and tools, depending on how permanent you want the installation to be. If you plan on simply hanging the lights of an existing curtain track or rod, then simply screwing the buckles with G4 hooks is more than enough. There’s an option to also stick these buckles to walls using the provided adhesive strips, while more permanent setups might want to hammer in the seamless nails instead.
Interestingly, the light strings don’t get tangled up as much as you would expect during this process. That’s thanks to those beads that don’t snag on their neighbors, creating the tangled mess that many curtain lights are notorious for. The one detail you’ll have to consider is how some of the LED beads won’t be facing in the same direction, creating an uneven column of lights that may result in small “holes” in some areas. If uniformity is critical, you can also tape the strings down so that all the LEDs face forward.
Pairing the Govee Curtain Lights with the mobile app is also easy as pie, proving how experienced the brand is in this area. It can automatically detect the lights once plugged in, though you can also manually select the product if it’s having a harder time. Once Bluetooth pairing is done, you can also connect the curtain lights to your home Wi-Fi so that they can be controlled by smart assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
Performance
The Govee Curtain Lights’ bright and colorful lights are already impressive on their own, but you didn’t spend money on just a wall of dotted lights. The real magic begins once you bridge the lights and the Govee app, opening up a whole new world of fun and convenience, whether you’re preparing for a holiday party, spicing up your livestream, or simply sprucing up your house.
The Govee app has plenty of features to control the curtain lights. In fact, there might be too many features that you can easily get lost in all the options and menus. Fortunately, there are a few presets already available that let you simply pick out a single color, a moving pattern, or even animated images. If you’re feeling more creative, however, you can upload your own GIF or draw your own masterpiece. Your creativity and imagination are the limits.
The Govee Curtain Lights boast 520 LEDs, each of which can be controlled individually, and its RGBIC technology bumps up the colors to 16 million hues. What this means, in practice, is that you get a “high-resolution display” that makes those patterns and images jump to life. That catch is that you really have to view them from just the right distance to really appreciate the quality. Too close and you won’t be able to make out the images. Too far and the colors tend to blend into each other.
These Curtain Lights have a neat trick when you put three of them in a row. You can connect all three to the same app and indicate their positions, creating a much wider canvas for even bigger images. They may seem like they’re moving as a whole, but it’s really just a trick of the app. These are still three distinct curtains, just controlled to sync the animations as if they were one.
There are plenty of ways to make the lights and colors move, but the one that will be the life of the party is Music Mode. Using the built-in mic on the control box, the Govee Curtain Lights will sync its patterns to the beat of the music. Technically, it just syncs to any sound it hears, so even voices will affect its display. It’s not a true visualizer, but its dynamism will surely be the talk of your friends.
Like any of Govee’s lighting products, the Curtain Lights can also be hooked up to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for hands-free voice commands. The number of functions you can use here is more limited, mostly revolving around turning the lights on or off, changing the color, or adjusting the brightness. With this integration, however, you can tie the lights with automated scenes so that you won’t even have to lift a finger when it comes time to turn all the house lights off.
Sustainability
For all its innovation and convenience, the Govee Curtain Lights are unfortunately not exactly designed with sustainability in mind. The packaging is at least minimalist, but the composition of the lights themselves as well as the hooks contain less environment-friendly materials, particularly plastic. Then again, that’s not exactly surprising given the requirements of such a product, particularly when it comes to durability and survivability.
Govee, fortunately, makes for this by making sure that the Curtain Lights last as long as possible, even when used outdoors. The lights themselves are rated IP65, which means they won’t die after a heavy downpour. Even the adapter has IP44 dust and water resistance, so it isn’t as fragile as regular electronics, though you will have to take more precautions given you’re dealing with electricity. Along with the durable plastic material surrounding the LED beads, the string, and the power cord, Govee is guaranteeing that its curtain lights are going to see many holidays and parties, even if you leave them outside.
Value
There is very little doubt that the Govee Curtain Lights are one-of-a-kind, finally delivering the kind of customization power that more tech-savvy people have been enjoying for some time now, and packaging it in an easy-to-use product. It will easily liven up gatherings, catch the attention of livestream viewers, and put your house on the map. The question is, however, whether it’s worth the $129.99 price tag it comes with.
That’s admittedly higher than most curtain lights in the market today, but those can barely match Govee’s features anyway. There is also the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, where you’ll be able to grab these lights at a tempting price. The more important consideration is whether you can think of a use for the lights when the parties and holidays are over. They are not exactly general-purpose lights, unlike other Govee products, so it will boil down to whether these curtain lights have a place in your house all year round to make that $129.99 a worthwhile investment.
Verdict
We can always use a little pizzazz in our homes, whether it’s through furniture that injects some vibrancy into a space, or lighting that sets up the right mood. Wall and pendant lamps are often the go-to solutions for the latter, but Govee has delivered another option, one that inspires creativity and dynamism. The Govee Curtain Lights are easy to set up, ensuring that almost anyone can decorate their wall or window without breaking much of a sweat. The highly customizable app offers plenty of ways to control the lights, even through Alexa and Google Assistant. Everything about the lights screams ease-of-use, while also delivering power and control on a silver platter.
The Govee Curtain Lights practically give you a 4.9 x 6.5 ft canvas to showcase your creativity, interests, and passion. The bright and colorful LEDs and powerful app act as your paint and brush, giving you nearly complete freedom to create the design or animation that you really desire. Whether you’re gearing up for a summer night party, attracting new viewers to your channel, or simply making sure the house is well-lit, the Govee Curtain Lights will give your family, your friends, and even your neighbors a light show they will never forget.
Click Here to Buy Now: $129.99
The post Govee Curtain Lights Review: Let Your Creativity Shine, Literally first appeared on Yanko Design.
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