Govee Floor Lamp 2: one-minute review
The Govee Floor Lamp 2 is a bit of an enigma in Govee’s lineup. It’s both smaller and cheaper than the Govee Floor Lamp Pro, warranting a cheaper price tag. However, despite the obvious dearth in some features, the Floor Lamp 2 delivers support for Matter, the latest in smart home connectivity. As such, despite being cheaper and less capable than its big brother, it’s arguably a much better choice for smart home connoisseurs, and one of the best smart lights for HomeKit users who value its integration with Apple Home.
The Govee Floor Lamp 2 is incredibly similar to the Floor Lamp Pro in terms of assembly, design, and the user experience of the app both models share.
Out of the box, you’ll have to contend with assembling the lamp from its constituent parts. That means screwing together three metal strips to the base of the lamp using the brackets and screws provided. It’s not a complex job, but it’s definitely fiddly and requires a bit of patience.
Despite being cheaper than the Floor Lamp Pro, I was surprised to find that the overall material feels a bit more premium, save for the base which is a bit shiny and plasticky for my liking. The connector that links the flexible lighting tube to the cabling in the base is also much easier to join up, and feels more rugged and durable. Having seen Govee’s silver and black offerings, I much prefer the darker finish of this lamp compared to my Govee Floor Lamp Pro’s silver color.
The more expensive Govee Floor Lamp Pro boasts a Bluetooth speaker. That feature is lacking in the Floor Lamp 2 and is the main significant difference between the two models.
The Govee Floor Lamp 2 is controlled by Govee’s app, available on both iPhone and Android. Like the Floor Lamp Pro, it supports both Alexa and Google Home, but crucially also comes with Matter support. That means you can use it with pretty much any smart home ecosystem, most notably Apple Home. As I’ve mentioned in my Floor Lamp Pro review, the Govee design app is not exactly a masterpiece, but it is highly functional. As soon as you turn the lamp on and open the app, you can add the new device and connect it to your home Wi-Fi network (2.4GHz only) with ease. Govee’s Floor Lamp 2 controls let you control the light emitting from the base and the stem separately, with a slider for brightness. There are also settings and controls for color, scene, finger sketching your own patterns, and even for rhythmic light shows set to music, powered by a built-in microphone. There’s also a timer functionality so you can set your lamp to cycle on and off, perfect for use beside a nightstand.
In theory, Matter support means you can easily add your Govee Floor Lamp 2 to Apple Home. However, I found the process wasn’t seamless and took several attempts. Govee says that you should attempt to connect your lamp using Matter within 15 minutes of powering the lamp on for the first time. If that doesn’t work, you’ll need to reset the lamp and try again. It took me four or five attempts and a good 10 minutes to get the Govee Floor Lamp 2 added to my Apple Home network. I encountered a couple of different errors regarding the network, but eventually it worked.
Once connected, you can use it like any other HomeKit smart light, including through Siri where you can issue commands for powering on or off, brightness, and color. Matter support is a huge boost to the Floor Lamp 2 and a big advantage over the more expensive Floor Lamp Pro. It also gives you access to all the other joys of HomeKit, such as automation. Your Govee Floor Lamp 2 can be connected to motion sensors or anything else you can think of in the Internet of Things.
While the Floor Lamp 2 isn’t quite as bright as the Floor Lamp Pro, it still puts out a respectable array of light. Combined with its reduced height, it’s noticeably dimmer than the Pro but still very ambient and pleasant. It would be well-suited to smaller rooms such as an office or a guest bedroom but lacks the extra power of its larger, more expensive stablemate. That being said, it puts out more than enough light to illuminate most spaces.
Thanks to the app, the combination of lighting on offer is pretty much limitless, you can choose block colors, scenes, or a simple warm light for reading. The Govee Floor Lamp 2 comprises a cylindrical base and a tall strip of light, designed for wall-washing. It’s not a directional light per se and is more suited to providing ambiance and atmosphere, decorative rather than practical.
For quick use and convenience, the Govee Floor Lamp 2 comes with its own remote that can be used to quickly control power, block colors, brightness, and the temperature of your light without messing with your phone or trying to summon Siri without waking anyone, a most welcome addition.
To sum up, the Govee Floor Lamp 2 is considerably cheaper than its “Pro” counterpart but offers much of the same lighting functionality. It doesn’t have a built-in speaker like the larger version, but does offer a vital connectivity advantage thanks to Matter support. While the build quality might not be the best on the market, and the fiddly assembly is a drawback, it’s a sturdy lamp with plenty of punch.
Govee Floor Lamp 2: specs
| Colors | 16 million |
| Brightness | 1725 lumens |
| Temperature | 2200k to 6500k |
Govee Floor Lamp 2: price & availability
- List price: $149 / £149 (about AU$220)
- Often available at a discount
The Govee Floor Lamp 2 is available from Govee’s website in the US and the UK. It’s priced at $149/£149, however, it’s routinely discounted on the official website to $119 or £109. It’s also available on Amazon in both the US and the UK with the same list price and similar discounts. That’s considerably cheaper than a Philips Hue Signe Gradient lamp, and even cheaper than Govee’s own alternative, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro. The lamp is available in black (as tested here) and silver.
Should you buy the Govee Floor Lamp 2?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Govee Floor Lamp 2: also consider
| Govee Floor Lamp Pro | Philips Hue Gradient Signe Floor Lamp | |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | $149 / £149 (about AU$220) | $329 / £279 (about AU$480) |
| Designed for: | Living room, bedrooms | Living room, bedrooms |
| Voice command compatibility | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Matter | Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Apple HomeKit |
| Colors: | 16 million | 16 million |
| Brightness | 1725 Lumens | 2550 Lumens |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Bluetooth, Zigbee |
Not sold on the Govee Floor Lamp 2? Here are two more options to consider.
How I tested the Govee Floor Lamp 2
- I used the Govee Floor Lamp 2 for several days
- I used it in various places in my home
- I comprehensively tested all of its features including the app
I’ve used the Govee Floor Lamp 2 for two weeks in multiple locations around my home. I tested all of the different lighting options and used its features including the remote control.
I used the Govee app to connect the lamp up to my home Wi-Fi network and also used the lamp through the Apple Home app to test Matter support.
I have five years of smart home journalism experience and have extensively tested a broad range of smart home products including smart lights, plugs, speakers, and more. I have also tested other smart lamps in this specific product category field, notably the Philips Hue Signe Gradient and the Govee Floor Lamp Pro, which has helped to inform my review.
First tested September 2024
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stephen.warwick@futurenet.com (Stephen Warwick)
