If you have about $25 to spare and about two minutes at your disposal, you can enhance and even transform any space in your home with LED strip lights. No, seriously, I’m not overselling this—I put up a set of these lights in less than two minutes, they sell for less than $25, and they have proven to be a more cost-effective and low-impact home upgrade than anything I can think of. (And I just spent a solid five minutes staring blankly at my screen trying to think of anything comparable. Nothing came to mind.)
So why do I think these Govee lights are the best choice? First, there’s the good price and amazing ease of setup, but as we now see lots of brands offer that. Then there’s the responsiveness to sound and music, the many preset lightshow programs, and the multitude of solid colors. But again, that’s not unique. What sets these apart for me is all that stuff plus the fact that they can be controlled via app, via an included remote control, and via controls on a pad physically connected to the lights. That redundancy lets me know that even with young kids running amok in the basement where they are installed (and running all the wilder when music is thumping and the lights flashing), I’ll always be able to manage the lights, even if that means quickly shutting them off and bringing down the tempo in the room.
Now, there are lots of other brands offering LED strip lights out there, and many are fine options. Novostella makes a great 40-foot LED strip, for example. Nanoleaf has LED strip lighting you can use in tandem with your alarm clock, creating a sunrise like effect. And LE offers adhesive strip lights that cost less than $15. But to me, the Govee lights deliver more for the price than the others.
ADVERTISEMENT
Let’s take a step back. Given the flash and glow of the myriad colors and patterns these LED lights provide, they can be easily cast off as gimmicky and made for a gamer’s setup, a kid’s playroom, or for a college party house. The 150 little LEDs on this 16.4-foot strip of lighting can indeed create a playful, exciting, and youthful vibe.
But seeing LED strips as nothing more than game room or party décor is a myopic take. These self-adhesive strips can be installed completely out of site underneath kitchen cabinets, glowing in varying shades of white and creating a lighting effect that’s both elegant and helpful with cooking and plating and for which in past years you would have paid an electrician hundreds or even thousands of dollars to create. They can be used to add illumination to closets without the need for damaging hardwiring. The lights can brighten railings, stairs, or hallways at night while remaining all but unseen during the day.
And hey, if you want to spend a bit more, why not add LED strip lights outdoors, too?
Scouted selects products independently and prices reflect what was available at the time of publish. Sign up for our newsletter for more recommendations and check out our coupon site for more deals. If you buy something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.
