Govee Christmas String Lights 2 Review: Multicolored Twinkly Happiness

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas! Yes, I know it's mid-October, but let's get festive early! The Govee Christmas String Lights 2 are a minor iterative upgrade over the original version, but there are two key reasons why you might want to consider them: 

• They now support Matter.
• They can map out the layout of your lights in the app, making it easier for anyone—even those not great at decorating—to create stunning light animations.

The Govee Christmas String Lights 2 come in several sizes, ranging from 66ft (20 meters) to 328ft (100 meters), with 200 to 600 LEDs depending on the length. You can choose between green or white/translucent cables. The lights are rated IP65 waterproof, though it's important to note that the control box for the shorter lengths is not waterproof, so it will need to be kept indoors or in a sheltered area. However, the control box for the 328ft version is waterproof, so you can safely leave it outdoors.

These are not expandable, so make sure you purchase the right length for your needs from the start.

Design: They're Definitely String Lights

There's not much to say about the design—they’re string lights! These are the clear cable version with flexible, PVC-coated strings of LEDs, along with a 2m power cord with inline control box. You'll also find the Matter pairing code attached to the cable (or available in the app). There's nothing else in the box; just the string lights coiled on a spool, and power cable. What else were you expecting?

The design is standard, but let's get into the exciting part: the features and what's changed compared to the original version.

Key Features and What’s New?

Custom Shapes and Layout Mapping

One of the standout new features is the ability to create custom shapes and have the app automatically recognize the layout. This means that even if you've put the lights up in a chaotic or non-traditional way, the app will map out where each individual LED is and apply most of the built-in scenes to your custom layout. The mapped scenes are marked with a "M" on the bottom of the icon. Of the 130 built-in scenes, perhaps half of them work with mapped shapes; the rest work along the string pixel to pixel. 

Mapping also lets you draw your own designs out, though I found the built-in scenes more satisfying. Although the shape mapping feature can work with any design you can fit into the frame of your phone camera, it has a special mode wrapped around a Christmas tree, and that's obviously the intended use.

Matter Support

All of Govee's recent releases have been Matter-compatible (over Wi-Fi). So you can integrate the lights into your preferred smart home system—in my case, Apple—controlling them through Siri or quick Home controls. However, Matter only allows basic control according to its "extended color light" device scheme, providing on/off, brightness, and single color selection. You won't be able to control scenes via Matter, or assign gradients, or use any of the shape mapping features. If you change the color through Matter, it will override your selected scene, requiring you to reopen the Govee app.

While turning off your lights from bed is convenient, most people probably won’t keep Christmas lights up year-round. Perhaps creating a special "Christmas" room in your smart home would be useful, allowing you to hide it from your favorites and remain "offline" until next the holiday season.

AI Scene Generation

Govee has added an AI chatbot for scene generation. You can ask it to create custom scenes, but in practice I found them too static. I tried asking the chatbot to create a “galaxy scene with swirling pinks, purples, and blues, with occasional twinkling white stars,” and it did a decent job of getting the colors, but completely missed any twinkling. 

DreamView Compatibility

Finally, the lights are DreamView compatible, meaning they can sync with other Govee lights to create a coordinated light show. This is particularly fun for music-synced parties or immersive gaming and movie watching, where the lights reflect what's on your monitor or TV. This feature was also compatible with the original Christmas String Lights, but it's still cool.

I tested this with the new Govee AI Sync Box 2 with Call of Duty Warzone profile: the AI recognizes your in-game achievements and status and applies special lighting effects.

Performance: A Slight Downgrade?

I'm a big fan of the original Govee string lights, so I laid them out to test them side by side. I felt that the colors on the new version are ever so slightly dimmer, and the cool white LEDs have a yellowish tinge compared to the original. That said, the difference is minor, and when the lights are on the tree, it’s not something you'd notice without a direct comparison.

More Lengths

One major improvement is the range of available lengths. While the original version maxed out at 66ft, the new ones go up to 328ft, which is enough to decorate a Christmas tree of Trafalgar Square proportions.

Should You Buy the Govee Christmas String Lights 2?

Govee has cornered the market for smart, interactive lighting, and my advice about the Govee Christmas String Lights 2 is similar to my thoughts on the original.

The app is complex—perhaps too complex if you’re only using these lights for a Christmas tree. It’s the same app interface used for all Govee products, so if you’re already familiar with it, that’s great. But if this is your first Govee product, you will feel overwhelmed by the options.

On the other hand, if you’re already invested in the Govee ecosystem—perhaps using Govee lights in your gaming room—the Christmas String Lights 2 integrate beautifully. It'll work well for creating a cohesive holiday display when combined with the net lights and icicles. 

The Matter compatibility is nice but not a game-changer. Similarly, while the shape-mapping feature is cool, I wouldn't recommend upgrading from the original version just for that.

If you don’t yet have interactive Christmas lights but are a fan of Govee products, these are worth considering. They’re more expensive than regular fairy lights but less costly than competitors offering similar features. The shape-mapped scenes, and DreamView compatibility are standout features, especially if you want to sync them with your existing Govee setup.