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This review applies to the Govee 5-metre RGB (multi-coloured) LED strip with Alexa/Google home capability, plus remote control via the Govee Home app.
In the box you’ll find 1 x 5mtr rolled LED strip, 1 x white power supply, 1 x white LED controller with 1 x Strip connector, along with basic Installation Instructions. Everything looks to be of good quality. This kit Does Not include a handheld remote control – everything is done through the Govee App.
This set has been installed in a converted loft which my son uses as his bedroom. I had already worked out where the strips were going to be located and installed a dedicated 13amp socket close by. The power supply has an approx. 100cm lead and the LED controller an approx. 50cm lead. So, you need to ensure you have a 13amp socket within 150cm of where you want to locate the start of the strip.
As I needed to split the LED strip into two separate strips, I also used a splitter (purchased from Amazon) to connect the two strips to one controller.
The LED strip is quite thin, so needs to be handled carefully – this isn’t a negative statement, just an observation.
Installation was quite straightforward. After rolling out the strip and cutting to length, I began sticking it down, starting from the end closest to the power supply. I found it best to reveal approx. 2 inches of sticky tape at a time and use a single finger to carefully apply pressure to the strip, avoiding the electrical components. The adhesive felt strong to the touch and has bonded with the painted wooden beam very well. It’s imperative that the area has been cleaned and prepared prior to sticking (I used strong alcohol wipes and a soft cloth to remove any excess moisture.
Once installed I then connected the strip to the controller. I found the weight of the connector was enough to slowly start pulling the strip away from the beam. Therefore, I used some double-sided tape to also stick the connector to the beam.
When you turn everything on for first time, the LED strip flashes through several colours. There is also a button on the controller that lets you scroll through the main RGB colours.
To get full control of the LED stripes, you need to download the Govee Home app from the appropriate app store. The app requires you to create an account and needs location permissions to work. Once registered, you then connect to the LED controller. This can be done by either WiFi (2.4g only though - there is no 5g WiFi connectivity) or Bluetooth. The instruction booklet gives clear instructions on how to connect. For some reason you get a wider range of controllers & effects when connected via Bluetooth.
I was very surprised at the Govee app’s comprehensive functionality. As well at the obvious single colour & brightness options, there is also a full spectrum colour wheel. Unfortunately, dragging your finger around the colour wheel doesn’t automatically change the LED colours. You can only tap on the colour you want & then the LED’s will change. The app has a vast range of different ‘scenes’ that you can choose. You can also choose scenes with an accompanying soundtrack eg. Thunderstorm, running water, campfire, etc. The ‘Rainbow’ scene was used for the video demo.
Overall, I am very impressed with the whole kit – very straight forward to install with plug & play simplicity. It would’ve been nice to include a handheld remote control, but the impressive functionality of the app easily makes up for this small omission.
For a stress free and successful installation, I’d definitely recommend planning things out before hand, make sure you got access to a 13amp socket, clean the surfaces thoroughly and just take your time when sticking down the strip.
I had to reduce the LED brightness down to around 40% for my photo’s. Any higher and the brightness was too overpowering for the camera.
Update 25/10/21: I have installed a second set in the same room. Using the 'Same Device' option in the 'Smarts' section of the Govee app I was able to sync & link both controllers so they work in tandem. The short video demonstrates the 'Rainbow' & 'Fire' scenes from within the app.
I also managed to connect both controllers to Alexa. Once both controllers were added to the same group, they would both respond at the same time to the usual voice commands. However, I did find that you could only select single colours via alexa. There is no facility to activate multicolour sequences in the same way as the 'scenes' section of the Govee app.
