Govee Neon Rope Light 2 Review

Govee is constantly looking to innovate its expansive selection of smart lights. The Neon Rope Light 2 is the follow-up to the original Rope Light, which appeals to the most creative gaming light enthusiasts. With a more flexible silicone construction and improved mounting brackets, gamers can form nearly any shape that comes to mind.

This smart light ships in 9.8 and 16.4-foot variations with either black or white trim. Along with 70 distinct LED segments on the pricier version, the Neon Rope Light 2 boasts support for an AI bot that generates user-requested lighting schemes. Like with many Govee lights, gamers may also use its Razer Chroma RGB integration to upgrade their gaming setup.

The revised Neon Rope Light sounds impressive on paper, but some buyers may still worry about ease of installation. Govee recently sent Game Rant a sample of the longer Neon Rope Light 2 to see what designs a clumsy gamer could create.

Contents of Package

The Govee Neon Rope Light 2 arrives at homes in a compact dark-themed box depicting a suggested design on its front.

Installers will find the Neon Rope Light 2 inside the packaging with an attached controller box, power adapter, and a series of brackets with double-sided tape. For the most permanent applications, Govee also bundles some screws and wall anchors.

Installation

Before forming shapes with the Neon Rope Light 2, it’s a good idea to ensure the strip works properly. The setup process can continue if the light illuminates once connected to a power source and shows up for pairing in the Govee Home app.

Since the Neon Rope Light 2 is more versatile than flat wall panel lights, there are almost endless design possibilities. In the Govee app, users will find many suggestions displaying the best points for using the guiding brackets. However, it’s easy to become intimidated since most patterns are rather elaborate, requiring many bends and most of the included brackets. Of course, gamers can create their own simple or more complex configurations, and the app can scan shapes to map lighting effects properly.

The latest version of this Govee smart light also has more flexible clips, making it more practical to execute designs at ground level and transfer them to walls. It’s still tricky to move a larger shape onto a surface without reforming parts of it, but the position of the brackets can act as reference points. It’s up to installers to decide how many clips are necessary, which come in short and longer sizes. The attached adhesive quickly loses effectiveness when reapplied, so having spare double-sided tape often saves the day.

Buyers should also remember that any excess light strip can not be trimmed, and it’s not possible to daisy-chain multiple kits.

In this instance, the plan was to form a series of light bulbs, using different colors for the top and base of the bulbs. Ultimately, they also ended up looking like alien heads, so it’s up to observers to decide what they are staring at. The more pliable nature of the light strip certainly helps, but gamers will still need a steady hand and the ability to envision how a shape is coming together from close-up.

Software

Setting up the Neon Rope Light 2 in Govee Home is similar to configuring the manufacturer’s other lights. The app initially connects to the light strip through Bluetooth, but it’s recommended that users add it to a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network for control outside Govee’s software. Matter compatibility means the Neon Rope Light 2 is accessible in more smart home ecosystems, including Apple Home. However, after setting up the lights with Matter, only more basic scene changes and features are available in Google Home, Alexa, and Apple Homekit apps.

The Govee Home mobile app is where the full potential of the Neon Rope Light 2 is realized. As Govee adds functionality to their latest smart lights, there are even more menus in the congested software. Users will encounter many different preset lighting effects divided into categories like Natural, Festival, and Funny. Things become complicated in the DIY tab, where creating very specific patterns on the 70 different segments is possible. The app also includes a mapping feature that relies on a mobile phone camera to allow a shape to be edited on screens. Unfortunately, it couldn’t accurately capture the design shown further above, but gamers can also draw custom shapes by hand.

Govee’s AI Lighting Bot makes an appearance with the Neon Rope Light 2, suggesting scenes based on typed phrases or voice commands. Alternatively, gamers can upload images as inspiration for highly unique effects. While some results were less than inspiring, this functionality will undoubtedly improve over time.

During testing, the Govee Home app would temporarily lose connection with the lights, only to quickly establish the link. Going AFK or minimizing the app seemed to exacerbate the problem, creating a choppy software experience. This is not an uncommon occurrence with similar Govee products, but for whatever reason, it does seem worse with the Neon Rope Light 2.

Gamers who prefer to use PCs more than phones have the Govee Desktop software at their disposal. The program remains limited compared to the mobile app but includes screen mirroring capabilities to program reactive lighting on the strip. Govee DreamView can also utilize a camera-based TV mirroring kit like the TV Backlight 3 Lite as the inspiration for lighting effects. Finally, gamers will appreciate Chroma Connect, which syncs the Neon Rope Light 2 with Razer RGB keyboards and mice. If the light strip is above or near a gaming desk and rig, it’s possible to implement a cohesive room-wide RGB light show.

Performance

Appearance-wise, the Neon Rope Light 2 doesn’t initially seem like a giant leap over its predecessor. Even so, the more bendable silicone material combined with software that maps intricate patterns can have spectacular results. Also, unlike the first Neon Rope Light, animations move in several directions following carefully planned routes.

Besides the Govee Home app briefly losing connection with the lights, the strip responded instantly to scene changes. Google Home also successfully controlled the lights, even if the most powerful features are only available on Govee’s software.

As with the Neon Rope Light for Desks, this rope light’s exterior diffuses light to create a concentrated and pleasant glow. Even if the light cast by the strip is insufficient to illuminate an entire room, it’s more than bright enough to attract attention. Govee’s RGBIC technology benefits the Neon Rope Light 2, with multiple colors across many different segments displaying simultaneously.

The Neon Rope Light 2 doesn’t perform as well as more functional lighting, lacking the dedicated white component on some Nanoleaf light strips and bulbs.

While this light strip isn’t capable of distinct warm or cool white hues, its color accuracy otherwise impresses, and subtle palette shifts are easy to identify.

The Neon Rope Light 2 excels as part of a larger smart light display, thanks to grouping in the Govee Home app or DreamView syncing. On the right side of the above image, the Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra can essentially become an extension of the light strip.

Outside anime-themed gaming rooms, Govee’s latest rope light can be used as accent lighting above mantels or to trim mirrors. The freeform characteristics of the Neon Rope Light 2 mean that it finds home in any setting. A dangling cord can still stick out like a sore thumb, but installers may guide one end of the light strip to hide behind furniture. Also, since the Neon Rope Light 2 is sold with black and white trim, there are more ways for it to blend in on walls.

Conclusion

The Govee Neon Rope Light 2 is one of the most versatile smart lights Govee manufacturers. With a more flexible light strip and guiding brackets, the Neon Rope Light 2 livens up any blank wall or highlights existing decor. A dense configuration of bulbs along the light enables the most ambitious users to develop stunning DIY effects. Despite its flexibility and soft exterior, the light strip is durable enough to survive unharmed on walls for years.

On the other hand, the Neon Rope Light 2’s flexibility is a bit of a double-edged sword. Even with dozens of provided mounting clips, trying to replicate a soaring jet plane or adorable animal can be frustrating. Installers are held back somewhat by not being able to trim the 16.4-foot light strip for a perfect fit. Likewise, the shorter 9.8-foot version could benefit from endpoints that connect to expansion kits. However, creating unique glowing artwork is possible with patience and double-sided tape as reinforcement.

Govee should also be commended for introducing innovative features for reasonably affordable smart lights. Matter compatibility is the most practical advancement, ensuring that the Neon Rope Light 2 can communicate efficiently with more smart devices. Govee’s AI technology is still in its early stages, but it still programs desired lighting scenes without searching through pages of preset designs.

Installation of the Neon Rope Light 2 demands effort and planning, but the rewards seem worth any hassle. Without a significant price jump, this more adaptable Rope Light improves on the previous version, giving it mass appeal as a gaming room or streaming accessory.

As always, when it comes to trendy smart lighting, there are other choices in bendable rope lights. If a desk is the targeted area rather than a wall, then the very similar Govee Neon Rope Light for Desks is ideal. The Twinkly Flex is the most popular competitor to Govee’s Rope Lights, and it has seamless animations and shape-mapping features. Even though the pricey but well-built Philips Hue Outdoor LED Light Strip is marketed as an outdoor product, its flexible diffused lighting also suits gaming rooms.

FAQ

Q: Are rope lights or strip lights better?

Rope lights allow users to form complex shapes in ways that aren’t possible with traditional LED light strips. However, benefiting from direct lighting, strip lights are brighter and more practical to illuminate entrances, stairways, and gaming rooms.

Q: Do rope lights get hot?

While some rope lights get hotter than others, the silicone coating on these light strips absord much of the heat. Recent LED bulbs on rope lights like the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 are more efficient, using less heat-generating current to generate the same brightness levels.

Q: How do you affix rope lights?

Installation methods for rope lights can vary, but most rely on mounting brackets with double-sided tape. Other specialized rope lights like the Govee Neon Rope Light for Desks have adhesive all long the light strip, allowing for a seamless installation on table edges.