TL;DR
A CNET reviewer tested Govee’s $640 Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro at a Chicago home, where three people took three days to install the system. The reviewer praised its customizable dual-color effects and app, but said installation was demanding and long-term performance through Chicago weather remains unknown.
CNET reviewer Adam Doud says installing Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro around his Chicago home took three people three days, illustrating the labor involved in replacing seasonal light-hanging with a year-round outdoor lighting system. The lights cost $640, and Doud praised their adjustable color effects and app controls, while saying their durability through Chicago’s harsh weather has yet to be established.
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Doud’s installation followed the eaves around his home in a continuous 200-foot run, without using the kit’s splitters, Y-adapters or extension cables. The eaves ranged from 9 to 23 feet above the ground. Three people worked about two and a half hours per day over three days, cleaning the surface, positioning each light in its bracket, attaching the brackets and driving screws into the aluminum soffit.
Careful placement mattered because each fixture casts a cone of light down the wall. Doud said keeping the distance from the wall consistent helped make the pattern look uniform. He also found that the bracket adhesive held strongly, though the lights could slide through the brackets while being fitted. The package included screws, anchors, brackets, spare adhesive pads and connection accessories.
Each fixture has two independently colored LEDs, allowing mixed-color Halloween effects. Doud used a Halloween preset before switching to solid blue and said he could choose preset scenes, animate colors or set individual lights manually in Govee’s app. The system connects through Wi-Fi; a control module includes a basic on/off button. Govee lists the lights as IP68 weather-resistant, but Doud’s review covers only about two weeks of use.
Govee Permanent Lights at Home
A CNET reviewer found striking app-controlled lighting, with a demanding installation and long-term weather performance still unproven.
Installation takes real effort
The team worked about two and a half hours each day, cleaning, positioning brackets and fastening them to the soffit.
Clean the surface and plan consistent spacing from the wall.
Position fixtures in brackets to keep their downward light pattern uniform.
Attach brackets and drive screws into the aluminum soffit.
Custom effects, simple control
Two independently colored LEDs per fixture support mixed colors and individual adjustments.
Dual-color effects
Mix colors for holiday scenes or choose a solid color.
Flexible controls
Select presets, animate colors or set lights individually in the app.
Convenience comes with trade-offs
Permanent eave lighting avoids rehanging seasonal strings, but the upfront work and cost are substantial.
- Change scenes for holidays or everyday use.
- Skip putting up and taking down temporary lights each year.
- $640 purchase price plus a labor-intensive installation.
- Other rooflines and outlet locations may need a different setup.
Weather durability remains open
The review describes one home and only about two weeks of use.
A Year-Round Alternative With a Labor Cost
The appeal is straightforward: once installed, permanent eave lighting can be changed for holidays or everyday use without repeating the annual task of climbing a ladder to hang and remove temporary strings. Doud said the finished display looked good and that the app made changing scenes simple.
But the review also highlights a practical trade-off. Buyers are paying $640 for the kit and taking on a substantial installation, which may require multiple people, ladders and careful measuring. The review does not establish how the upfront cost compares with years of seasonal lights or whether the system will last long enough to offset it. Homeowners should weigh the convenience against the purchase price and installation effort.
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From Seasonal Strings to Fixed Eave Lighting
Govee’s product is designed to stay attached to a home’s eaves rather than being put up for one holiday and taken down afterward. That makes the installation itself a central part of the purchase decision: the lights need to be positioned along the building and secured, while the app handles later changes to color and scene.
Doud’s experience was specific to a home with a continuous eave line and an outdoor outlet at the end of the route. He said that layout let him avoid extra connectors and cables. Homes with different rooflines, gaps or outlet locations may require a different arrangement; the review does not report testing such setups.
“It wasn’t easy.”
— Adam Doud, CNET reviewer
Long-Term Weather Performance Is Untested
The review does not establish how the lights will perform after a Chicago winter or summer. Although Govee rates the system IP68 for weather resistance, Doud had used it for only about two weeks, so that rating is not a substitute for long-term results from his installation.
It is also unclear how much installation time other homeowners should expect. Doud’s house had a continuous eave and a convenient outlet, and his team avoided additional wiring accessories. The review does not provide results for more complex rooflines, different exterior materials or installations completed by one person.
Long-Term Use Will Test the System
Doud said he planned to change the lighting for Christmas after using a Halloween scene and then solid blue. Those changes will test the day-to-day app experience, but the larger open question is how the system holds up as seasons pass.
For prospective buyers, the next useful evidence would be longer-term reporting on weather exposure, bracket and adhesive stability, and whether the lights continue working through repeated seasonal changes. The available review does not provide that follow-up or a cost comparison with temporary holiday lighting.
Key Questions
How much do Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro cost?
The review lists the price as $640.
How long did the installation take?
Doud says three people worked for three days, about two and a half hours each day, to install the lights around his home.
Can the lights display more than one color?
Yes. Each fixture has two LEDs that can use separate colors. The app also offers presets, animated effects and manual control of individual lights.
Are the lights proven to withstand Chicago winters?
No long-term result is reported. Govee lists the lights as IP68 weather-resistant, but Doud had used them for only about two weeks and said their performance through Chicago’s weather remained unknown.
Source: cnet.com
