I tested two new Govee indoor lights and turned my place into an enchanting light show
The Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL offers gorgeous lighting effects and Bluetooth speaker functionality. It sounds great and will look even better. While there are better speakers at its price point, none of them look as good as this one.
You can never have enough RGB lighting, right? Not only does it definitely improve fps while gaming (this is scientifically proven), but these lights can set the mood and turn any space into a mesmerizing light show. I got my hands on a couple of Govee units from their latest indoor range, and I've been testing them for about a week, and spoilers: I am kind of loving them. Let's take a closer look at the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro and the Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp.
Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro: Smart, colorful, and sounds great
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
I am definitely going to use all the lighting I can get, but if I had to pick only one, it would probably be the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL (yes, that's the full name), because of its level of versatility. It offers lighting in many modes, has an integrated battery, and works as a speaker. This combination of characteristics makes it portable, fun, and functional.
I was pleasantly surprised by the design as soon as I pulled this thing out of the box. It looks super futuristic and cool. In fact, I have gotten comments on it from pretty much everyone who has walked into my place. The cylindrical design with rounded edges is sleek, as is the transparent lower section. And while it is pretty much all made of plastic, it feels like a solidly built project with a nice weight to it.
Let's talk about lighting. That is likely the main reason why you're getting this. After all, there are plenty of great portable Bluetooth speakers out there, but very few that are this eye-catching.
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
The unit comes with 210 LED beads that illuminate all around the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro. The fun part is that you can pick between a wide range of themes, the whole color spectrum, or you can even customize your own themes. Additionally, it can react to music. The reaction time really impressed me when I started playing with this. Then, it all made sense when I took a look at the spec sheet. It has a 32ms response time, which is likely the best I've seen in these types of products.
When I started playing music I kind of fell in love with it.
The cool thing is that you can also use it as a regular lamp. Just select the 'Illumination' setting in the app, and you can change the color temperature to your liking. It can output 600 lumens of light, which is pretty much like having a lower-powered light bulb on.
Now, I was already liking this thing, but then I started playing music and kind of fell in love with it. I knew it was powered by JBL, but I wasn't expecting too much out of it.
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
There's a 2.5-inch, 500cc JBL speaker in here. The highs, mids, and lows are very nicely balanced, and the deep bass can make my desk rumble if I turn the volume up. It also gets pretty loud. Usually, I would listen to my laptop speakers at full volume. When connected to the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro, I keep the volume at about 20%- 30%.
It has a 5,200mAh battery built in, so you can run it for about 4.5 hours when only playing music, around 4 hours when only using it for lighting, or 1.3 hours for both. If I had to complain about anything, it would be that the power port is on the bottom, so it can be a bit of a hassle to plug and unplug when going between stationary and mobile.
Of course, it comes with all the bells and whistles of a smart light product. It connects to your devices using either Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and you can control it using voice commands or the Govee app, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Matter, IFTTT, Razer, and more.
Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro x Sound by JBL
MSRP: $179.99
See price at Amazon
Positives Surprisingly good sound for non-dedicated speaker
Surprisingly good sound for non-dedicated speaker Gets pretty loud
Gets pretty loud Technically portable (includes battery)
Technically portable (includes battery) Really cool lighting effects
Cons Pricier than other speakers and/or comparable lights
Pricier than other speakers and/or comparable lights Larger than common portable speakers
Larger than common portable speakers Not bright enough to use for actual illumination (600 lumens)
Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp: 3-in-1 illumination
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
It's a bit hard to follow something like the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro, which I am praising so much here, but the Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp won't be left in the shadows, so to speak.
The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp is a 3-in-1 light. It can light downwards, making it a great general floor lamp, or reading light. It also has lights all around the sides. The side lights aren't strong enough, so they are more meant for setting the mood. And if you want a bit of flair added to your ambiance, there is an upper light that creates a rippling effect that will make any corner or ceiling look like a dream.
The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp won't be left in the shadows.
My one gripe is that you can't have all the lights on at the same time. More specifically, you have to choose between the ripple light and the main illumination light. The side lights can be on regardless.
This one is actually much brighter than the table lamp, as the middle and lower lights can output 1,000 lumens of brightness, much like a bright LED light bulb.
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Of course, you can customize the lighting to your liking, whether you want to change the theme, color, white color temperature, or create your own DIY color effects. And if you prefer, you can control it using the physical buttons on the lamp. These make it easy to switch between the bottom and ripple lights. The secondary button can cycle through the effects, but there are so many that I kind of gave up on it. I would rather use the app to pick the theme.
Connectivity won't be an issue here. It also uses both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and you can control it with all the main digital assistants and their respective apps. This includes Alexa, Google Assistant, Matter, and the Govee app.
Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp
MSRP: $179.99
See price at Amazon
Positives Really cool ripple lighting effect
Really cool ripple lighting effect Plenty of customization options are available
Plenty of customization options are available Great for illumination (1,000 lumens)
Cons Pricey for a smart lamp
Pricey for a smart lamp Can't use regular light and ripple light at the same time
Can't use regular light and ripple light at the same time While it feels stable, the pipe swings easily
Price, availability, and are they worth it?
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
A product is only as good as the value its price offers, and these aren't the cheapest lights around: Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro: $179.99
$179.99 Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp: $179.99
At $179 each, they aren't exactly cheap, but I can definitely see the value in them — especially if you're looking into getting the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro. Plenty of good speakers cost about this much, and you get the added functionality of being able to use it as both a lamp and a colorful ambiance light. It looks great, is nicely built, and the audio is pretty nice.
On the other hand, the Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp is more of a luxury. If you're looking to get a lamp and want it to be really special with multiple lighting modes, it is certainly a nice acquisition. It certainly beats getting a regular lamp with a smart light bulb, but its benefits will also come with a much steeper price point.
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