Govee's latest evolution in the smart lighting space is the Govee Glide wall lights, taking inspiration from their other products and shaking things up a bit. Govee Glide wall lights have a more modular design that can be lightly customized, but not to the extent that other Govee lights can. That is not a bad thing. It's a design decision, but you need to know before you go in.

Govee Glide is a light fixture that is more designed to give a sense of place than it is to light a room. It's mounted above my photography table, and I use it in the product photos I take on a daily basis, as the light colors give it a rather interesting visual feast. The way the original Triangles product became so ubiquitous in the tech space is what I can see happening with these.

Would these lights work in your home? The actual use case scenario might vary wildly from person to person, with a price that fits somewhere between the already established list of best smart lights. The lights give a techy look to a living space and will probably only fit in homes with a modern design aesthetic.

Govee Glide Wall Lights: Price and availability

The contents of the Govee Glide box

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Govee's wall lights are available on Amazon. There are six straight pieces and one 90- degree elbow piece in the kit I used for this review. Govee sells a box set with nine straight pieces and six corners for $179.

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I have two sets of wall lights that push the limits of the system. The box set is large enough to make the system go with one controller.

There are today's best Govee Glide smart wall light deals.

The Govee app controlling Govee Glide lights

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Govee Glide Wall Lights are designed to strike wonder in the eye of the beholder. Glide is a unique centerpiece with a completely unique shape. The entire fixture can display up to 57 colors at the same time if all 6 segments are connected. It is quite something to look at.

I loved using these lights in my photos, and I can see many YouTubers loving the techy look.

The light blend is so good that I had a hard time seeing where any of the LEDs were located. If you're going for a hard stop look, you can turn this effect off in the app, but it's enabled by default.

I found Glide to be an amazing photography companion in my office, because the decor in my home wouldn't mesh with its particular style. I enjoy the ability to give a splash of color to photos where there might otherwise be none and it definitely fits along the lines of a more tech-saturated look.

The image is the first of three.

Govee Glide Collage

Govee Glide Back Command Strips

Govee Glide Connector

The Govee lights experience is the same as it was in the past. Govee Glide can be used to communicate with a variety of devices, including the Govee app, Apple HomeKit, and even the internet of things. It's easy to control the lights with your voice, tie them in with other lights in the room, or make them perform routines.

These won't light a room by themselves, but they'll certainly set the mood.

Govee's other light strips can show solid colors across the whole array or individual colors in each segment. There are two segments for each straight piece and one more for the elbow piece.

A large configuration of Govee Glide lights with 15 segments

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

Dynamic scenes are identical to other Govee lights, but in this form factor, they really shine.

The colors can flow into each other in a way that's indistinguishable to the human eye, except for the elbow connections, where there's a faint line on each end without fully vibrant color. The dim lighting at the end of the segments doesn't show up on the camera.

The Govee lights are similar, but in this form factor, they shine. It's part of the reason that the light from Glide is so attractive. It's not as bad as a bulb is, and it's more indirect than an LEDs strip.

Govee added a new feature called Dreamscapes in order to give users a more cohesive look across a room. It's cool if you like one of the preset in the app. Group lights together and give color commands to the entire group. This is limited compared to configuring individual lights but it is a nice way to make sure your lights look the same in the same room.

Govee Glide Wall Lights: What could use work

Govee Glide Gaps

(Image credit: Source: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

If you rely on Command Strips to apply segments to the wall, you're not likely to rearrange them very much since they are easy to take apart. It would look weird to have a Command Strip on the wall. If you don't place the strips just right on the wall, your segments might not line up perfectly.

Govee designed Glide to look like a single piece of Filament, but there are still some obvious gaps between each segment. It's not likely that you'll be looking at the lights that closely, but it's worth noting that some people might be concerned.

For people who have a few Govee lights in the same room, Govee continues to add ways to sync those lights and apply the same lighting colors and patterns to each of them The ability to sync to dynamic lights like the Govee Immersion TV Backlight is added to the Dreamscapes mode.

I would like to see more consistency between the preset colors and the lights that are used. Some lights have Christmas themes while others do not. It would be easier to get lights to look the same in each room if Govee made those preset universal.

Govee Glide Wall Lights: Competition

Nanoleaf Lines

(Image credit: Chris Wedel/Android Central)

In the lighting space, the most obvious competitor isNanoleaf. As we think of them now, they invented segment lights. The original kit is "techy" looking, but the Elements line goes for a more natural look. Govee Glide's products are more affordable, but they are not as flexible.

One of the newest products from the company is the Nanoleaf lines. Govee Glide doesn't allow for six different directions of movement, so you can create amazing patterns with lines. You can use the app to control colors and patterns with your voice or through routines with the help of the assistants.

Govee strips are much less expensive than other strips. If you look directly at the light of an LEDs, it hurts, so it's best to keep them behind furniture or TV sets. You won't be putting them in the middle of a wall like you would with Govee Glide because there's no argument that plenty of space can be covered for the same price.

If you were hoping for a light strip or bulb that would respond to music, Govee Immersion andPhilips Hue Play products would be a better choice. The products feature a camera that converts the visual information on your TV into a lit scene that adds depth to the viewing experience. These are more of an experience than a mood light.

Govee Glide Wall Lights: Should you buy it?

Govee Glide lights installed and turned off

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)

If you do, you should purchase this.

  • You want mood lighting with a decidedly "techy" look.
  • You're looking for a unique lighting accent piece for your decor.
  • You're looking for interesting ways to add light and color to indoor photography.

If you buy this, you should not.

  • You want a highly customizable shape.
  • You're looking to replace a traditional light fixture.

Govee Glide is well suited for the home decor space. Not everyone will like this light. I don't think these will be a problem for people who want to make their place look better. With the ability to create custom patterns and colors, they are able to match any color decor they choose.

This will not fit in everyone's space because of the specific look. The configuration can only come in two shapes: straight and elbow corner. You're out of luck if a line or bend doesn't fit your space.

Changelog

Changes were made on October 26, 2022.

  • Updated score to 4 from 3.5 because Govee fixed some of our complaints.
  • Removed mentions to size limitations since there are now several ways to expand light sizes and shapes.
  • Added image of new expanded lights configuration.
  • Added mention of new Govee app features like group control and Dreamscapes.
  • Removed mention of music mode issues as they have been solved.
  • Added mention of Nanoleaf Lines in the competition section as they launched since this product came out.