They’re big, bright, bold, and gorgeous thanks to the gradients possible within each tile.
They’re also the brightest smart lighting panel I’ve tested yet.
Three reasons:
They’re also two-thirds the price of the closest competitor, Nanoleaf.
Whats in The box?
In the box, youll find ten hex panels, each measuring about 7 inches at the widest point.
Annoyingly, each comes individually wrapped in plastic, along with a cardboard divider.
The plastic packaging is entirely superfluous and wasteful.
An adhesive pad is already attached, though two spares are included should you mess up when mounting.
Youll also get ten long flexible connectors.
This infers some limits on your design, which we’ll discuss more later.
Finally, there’s an AC power adaptor, a spacing bracket, and a handy level.
You’ll then be asked to drop your Wi-Fi details.
Since my password is already saved, the whole process was trivial.
They should light up plain white when plugged in.
you’ve got the option to then design your Hexa panel layout.
It also makes it very difficult to adjust the design at a later date.
This restriction is the first and most significant difference between the Govee Glide Hexa light panels and Nanoleaf.
The latter can be connected in any way that’s convenient and will simply sort themselves out.
The corridor also backs onto a hillside, so there’s no natural lighting that comes in at all.
The lights will automatically default to a Bluetooth connection if you’re in range.
There is no inline remote control on thesejust an on-off switch and onboard microphone.
So for any customization or mode selection, you will need to use the app.
Some of the scenes have an origin and direction setting for even more customization.
Suffice to say, you’re sure to find something you like the look of.
But if not, you might head over to the DIY tab, and create your own.
Here’s where things get a little more complex.
Choices such as color palette are simple to understand, but selecting an underlying animation method is less obvious.
Alexa, Google, Siri
Out of the box, Google Assistant and Alexa are supported.
Here’s how:
You’ll find full instructions on theIFTT documentation.
How Do They Look?
This has also allowed Govee to create a distinctive light spilling effect that you won’t on Nanoleaf.
You’ll either love it, or hate it.
Most smart lighting panels allow only a single color across each panel section.
In a dark room, the maximum brightness can be quite blinding.
It’s easily enough to flood our entire 15-meter-long corridor with light.
That isn’t an issue I’ve had with Govee.
The Ultimate Hexagonal Smart Lighting!
On the downside, your design is limited by the requirement to make a single line of connections.
My choice between Nanoleaf or Govee?
Though it may be oddly specific, I’m happy to name these the ultimate hexagon-based smart lighting panels.
