Functional, fun, and fitting for a smart home

I think smart lighting is maybe one of my favorite innovations of all time. The ability to adjust temperature and brightness, explore color combinations, and sync with music is so helpful and exciting. A room’s lighting has a profound impact on mood and energy, and the ability to customize it to a specific activity or feeling is wonderfully satisfying.

So, I have long been onboard with smart lighting, and having first invested in Govee strips lights some years ago, I’ve always been partial to the company’s products and ecosystem. Over the years, I’ve mainly invested in various strips, a few smart bulbs, and one set of very enjoyable outdoor string lights. I was curious to test out its latest lamp , in part because while I assumed it would be a quality product, I was wondering just how practical and useful it would be. And would it be worth the investment?

I investigated the Govee Lamp 2. Here’s what I found out.

Govee Floor Lamp 2

This Wi-Fi LED floor lamp offers a wide color temperature range, music-sync capabilities, dimming control, and colorful presets to create a customized ambient environment. Control using your voice, the Govee App, or the included remote.

Pros

• Bright
• Versatile
• Useful remote

Cons

• Pricey
• Tedious assembly
• Not the top-tier Govee lamp

Specs, pricing, and availability

You may have to do some work up front, but it’s simple — and worth it

The Govee Lamp 2 is available from Amazon as well as directly from Govee.com. It retails for $150, though Govee regularly offers coupons, discounts, and flash sales. The lamp stands five feet tall and is offered in black as well as silver. Assembly is required.

What I liked about the Govee Floor Lamp 2

Color, customization, and control

What stood out to me is just how influential the lamp can be, even during the daytime. The temperature range and peak brightness are impressive, allowing for versatile use throughout the day and evening. I primarily used the lamp for ambient lighting, complementing activities like watching TV, playing games, and reading throughout the evening and night, and found it a worthwhile and enjoyable companion. I moved it around various spots in my home, using it to highlight plants and decor as well as illuminate some more sparsely-decorated areas. While you do need access to an outlet, the unit is not particularly heavy or cumbersome, so it allows for some experimentation when it comes to placement.

It’s potent enough to assist those who may be working and need a brighter area with its cooler range. Even so, I was more taken by the warmth it provided, and it makes me all the more excited about the cozier months ahead.

I particularly love the inclusion of a remote that allows for basic, yet important functions. The small device lets you turn the unit on and off, change color, and increase or decrease both temperature and brightness. It also allows you to sync up the music. These options, especially the ability to change the temperature and brightness, are huge boons and such a great convenience. I think when you need to change those settings, it can become tedious to open the app. The remote doesn’t deal with any of the presets, but I don’t think that’s at all a problem.

You can also control the lamp via the Govee app or integrate into various home smart systems. The lamp is Matter-supported as well, and is compatible with Alexa , Google Assistant , and Homekit. There’s one more fun touch as well. There’s about an inch or two at the bottom of the shiny base that lights up as well, matching the color of the lamp. It’s pretty cute.

What I didn’t like about the Govee Floor Lamp 2

Presets are discouraging

There isn’t a ton that’s especially disappointing about the latest Govee lamp. The setup does take a bit of time and can be tedious as there’s a chance everything doesn’t fit quite right. You’re given metal slats to screw together (everything you need is included), and then you are required to fit in the lighting strip. This process can take a bit of time and effort, and if the lighting component doesn’t quite fit, you may need to start over or potentially trim it at the end.

I do love that there is a handy magnetic remote holder that can be placed on the light, but it does mean you’re going to have this plastic bracket on the unit that might stand out. Because the light is meant to face the wall, the clip will face outward. You can place it wherever you want on the lamp: lower down will be less unattractive, though too far down may be inconvenient.

If I do have an issue, it’s the lack of lots of presets, at least relative to what the latest strip lights provide. There are plenty of fun color combinations, and I do imagine more will be added over time, but I do like to play around with what others have created and regularly search out the exact right pattern-brightness-color grouping. There is plenty, but more would be nice.

While it’s not necessarily a knock against the Floor Lamp 2, it may be worth noting what Govee’s higher-tier Floor Lamp Pro offers. That model includes a fabric cover for the base (that still allows the base lighting to emit), as well as an integrated Bluetooth speaker. It’s a bit taller and comes at a higher price, but it may be worth considering as well.

Verdict: Should you buy the Govee Lamp 2?

It’s hard not to recommend this versatile, customizable smart lamp. I think the decision to invest is less about the quality of the lamp and more about one’s use for it. It’s big on ambiance and setting a mood that supports recreational, calming, and intimate activities, and it has enough power to keep an area bright if you need it for more utilitarian uses.

The easy controls, both with the physical remote and its smart home integrations, make it useful for a wide range of people. I think for some smart home devices, there’s a fair amount of work that can be required to optimize the investment and get the most out of it. That’s not necessarily the case for this lamp; I think users don’t really need to dive into every possible setting to maximize enjoyment. With a lots of functionality and versatility, the Govee Lamp 2 is worth for a look for anyone in need of lighting in their home, fun or otherwise.

Govee Floor Lamp 2

This Wi-Fi LED floor lamp offers a wide color temperature range, music-sync capabilities, dimming control, and colorful presets to create a customized ambient environment. Control using your voice, the Govee App, or the included remote.