Govee is a company that strives to offer a lighting solution to every possible room setup you can imagine. I was first introduced to their products back in April when I had the opportunity to review their excellent Glide Hexa Light Panels. The product changed my whole opinion on room lighting. I then had the opportunity to test out thor DreamView G1 Pro Gaming Light setup which further impressed me as to what could be accomplished in creating gaming immersion.
Though Govee set the standard for what I have come to expect from LED room lighting they seem to be working hard to continually raise that bar. The new Glide Hexa Pro LED Light Panel takes everything great about the original Hexa Light Panels and dials up the features with a new 3D scene experience, full Razer Chroma integration and a host of other updates that hope to make these lights shine brighter than the competition. Can they keep improving on an already excellent setup? Grab that coffee, kickback and find out in our review of Glide Hexa Pro LED Light Panels from the good folks over at Govee.
Specifications
- Current Price: USD 249.99 (Govee.com)
- Color: RGBIC Segment Colors
- Material: Plastic
- Voltage: 120 volts (AC)
- Input: 36V/2A
- Control Method: APP (Android or iSO), Voice Control, Control Box
- Communication: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz or Bluetooth
- Number of Panels: 10 hexagon panels
The Govee Guarantee
The Hexa Pro LED Panels carry forward Govee’s tradition of smart, quality product design. Everything, from packaging to the panels themselves, is designed with a purpose. The review sample I received came with everything needed to set up a full ten-panel display. Each panel is constructed of a hard plastic that looks great and feels durable to work with. The power cable and controller likewise have a clean, simple design that gives the whole kit a premium visual appeal.
Like its predecessor, the Hexa Pro comes with 9 connector cables to interlink the system. Designed for ease of use these small strips of communication cable tuck perfectly in the recessed backside of each panel. This design allows for all communication and power connections between panels to be completely invisible once installed.
Each panel is equipped with Govee’s signature RGBIC technology. In essence, the RGBIC offers individual control over each RGB light within a panel. Unlike other RGB systems which have a unified RGB lighting system that syncs all lights together for one consistent light effect, Govee’s RGBIC technology translates to unprecedented control over lighting effects. This means that much more complex lighting scenes can be programmed into the controller thus creating a much more engaging experience for the user.
Additionally, the Hexa Pro Panels offer new 3D lighting effects. This is a stand-out feature from the original Hexa LED light system. This is achieved by a small Y shaped etch that is present in each panel. Using the RGBIC technology, Govee is able to simulate a series of 3D effects within each panel. It's a simple design change that makes a world of difference in execution.
As with all of the Govee products I’ve tested, the Hexa Pro LED Panels carry a premium design quality. The minimalist design is a bit deceptive on the surface but the quality of the product and what it can produce speak for itself. They look and feel great to handle and are designed to get users up and running as quickly as possible.
Easy Peasy
Speaking of getting users up and running, setting up and installing the ten included panels was an incredibly easy process. The kit comes equipped with everything you need to mount and level the lights with no tools required. Each panel included a preattached adhesive pad that allows you to peel and stick it to the wall. Simply pressing gently against the panel for 30 seconds secures it in place allowing you to move on to the next panel quickly.
Before you start the process of mounting panels though, you’ll find a small instruction manual that invites you to download the Govee Home App. After creating an account you’ll be prompted to add your first device. For existing users, you simply open the app and hit the + button. With the power on and plugged into the controller, your device will appear on the app. Following prompts, you will be asked to either design your layout in their easy-to-use interface to select from an array of existing designs.
Once selected, the app will actually walk you through a step-by-step process of connecting and mounting each light in sequence. The app even goes so far as to illuminate the “top” section of each panel as they are plugged in. This is done to assure you maximize the 3D effects the light can produce by orienting each one properly. The whole process took less than 20 minutes. Once installed you’ll be ready to light up the room.
More Control Over Your Lighting
I’ve mentioned in previous reviews of Govee products just how impressive the app is. You’ll have full control over every aspect of the lighting experience. The app offers a host of options including music response, color changing, scene selection and even a DIY mode for those creative types. Additionally, the new Hexa Pro model comes with a new 3D scene selection mode. Here you will find 9 different modes to choose from, each with its own unique 3D design.
The results speak for themselves. The 3D lighting effects offer a whole new experience for lighting enthusiasts. It was quite impressive to see just how well the controller could produce such impressive scenes. It’s this attention to detail and desire to continually push what lighting can do that sets Govee’s products out from the competition.
As with a lot of the Govee products, the Hexa Pro can sync up with other compatible Govee products. Through the app, you can group devices and sync colors or scenes, put them on a timer or even program when the lights turn on or off. Additionally, the app comes with full voice control for Google and Alexa. This means you can impress your guests with Tony Stark-level voice commands over your lighting setup.
A new addition to the Govee experience is their recent partnership with Razer. This partnership has resulted in several of Govee’s lights now supporting Razer Chroma integration. It also means that users have a new level of control over their lighting experience that spans from room lighting to their other Razer Chroma-supported devices.
The setup does require you to install the Govee desktop app and is currently only available for windows. Once installed, along with Razer Synapses, the app will automatically find any Razer compatible lights and add them to a list. You can individually select which you would like to be Chroma controlled with the flip of a switch. Using either Razer Chroma Studio or Chroma Connect, you can program them to be in sync with your Razer Chroma compatible devices.
In my case, I was able to easily sync them with my Naga X and BlackWidow Tenkeyless keyboard. The results were pretty impressive. My keyboard, mouse, Hexa LED panel lights, Hexa Pro lights and Govee Neon Rope light all light up to the responsive audio mode while playing Doom Eternal. It was a pretty incredible experience to have all of the lights flashing to the same audio. As for configuration, the lights did a solid job at responding to the various modes offered by Razer Chroma.
It's worth noting that there are obviously some limitations. I noted that when allowing some apps like Diablo 3 to control the lighting the Govee lights didn’t really have a whole lot to do as this is a specific profile for the keyboard. However, all of the effects layers worked great and synced perfectly.
Final Thoughts
In a very short amount of time Govee has convinced me that quality lighting is worth investing in. The Glide Hexa Pro LED light Panels managed to do something I didn’t think could be done; they raised the bar on what I thought room lighting could be. The build quality, easy installation and sheer amount of customization that comes packed in the Hexa Pro LED light make it easy to recommend to those looking to up their lighting game. Throw in some nice Chroma integration and you have an amazing package. Priced at USD $249.99 the Glide Hexa Pro LED Light Panels are a worthwhile investment.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
