If you’re tired of the endless cycle of putting up and taking down holiday lights every year, you’re not alone. The process is time-consuming, physically taxing, and often involves precarious ladder climbs. But what if there was a way to install lights that could stay up all year, ready for any occasion—from Christmas to Halloween and even Fourth of July?

Enter the Govee Permanent Outdoor Light kit. Available in 50-, 100-, and 150-foot options, these lights promise to take the hassle out of holiday decorating by providing a durable, versatile lighting solution that stays up 365 days a year. I decided to test the 100-foot version, and after a few hurdles, I’m thrilled with the results. Here’s my Govee Permanent Outdoor Light kit review.

A Quick Word on Availability

Before I dive into the review, a heads-up: these kits were sold out for months last year, and it’s possible the same could happen again. If you’re even remotely interested in upgrading your home lighting, I’d suggest snagging one while it’s still in stock.

Installation: A Bit of a Challenge, but Worth It

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Light kit comes with either three, six, or nine 16.4-foot light strings, which you can connect to create the desired overall length. Unfortunately, you can’t shorten the individual strands, so if you’re working with a smaller area, you might need to get creative with your setup. With the 100-foot kit, I used five of the six strings, which was the perfect length for my house.

The kit also includes a basic instruction manual and a helpful quick-start guide, though the online instructions could use some improvement. While installing the lights, I encountered a small hiccup: the third string I connected didn’t work, despite testing everything indoors beforehand. After troubleshooting and reaching out to Govee customer support, which provided a less-than-ideal response, I found that unplugging and resetting the control box fixed the issue.

The installation itself involves adhering the LED strips using the strong peel-and-stick adhesive on the back of each light string. For added security, I used the included plastic clips to screw the lights in place. Because the eaves around my garage were quite high, I opted to hire a handyman to handle that portion of the setup.

Using the Govee App: Powerful, but Not Without Its Quirks

Once the lights were up, I turned to the Govee app to control them. Here’s where things got a little tricky. The app can be confusing at times, particularly the “Effects Lab” feature, which isn’t clearly explained. Setting up timers for lights to automatically turn on and off is fairly simple, but I struggled to grasp the Auto-Play feature.

The app offers four primary modes: Music, Color, Scene, and DIY. Each of these comes with its own set of sub-tools, which require some time to understand. The Scene mode is the easiest to use, as it activates preset lighting setups with a single tap. However, even these presets are divided into categories like Natural, Festival, Life, and Emotion, which can feel a little convoluted.

For instance, I wanted to program a simple alternating green-and-white light pattern for an upcoming Michigan State Spartans game. While it seemed like an easy task, I found it to be a surprisingly manual process—taking more time than I’d expected.

Lighting Performance: Where the Govee Lights Shine

Despite the app’s learning curve, the lights themselves are incredible. They are exceptionally bright, and when installed properly, they create an immersive effect that lights up the surface beneath them, making the overall display feel larger. The various scenes—some with glowing effects, others with flashing or animation patterns—are a lot of fun to experiment with.

The best part? No more ladders or holiday decorating neck injuries. With my Govee lights installed once and for all, I’m never going back to traditional temporary decorations. It’s a small price to pay for year-round beauty, and as far as I’m concerned, the peace of mind is worth every penny.

Final Thoughts: A Long-Term Investment in Convenience and Style

In the end, Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lights are a game-changer for anyone tired of the annual decorating grind. They are bright, durable, and versatile enough to adapt to any occasion, from Christmas to birthday parties and everything in between.

While the app may not be the most intuitive and the installation can have a few bumps along the way, the final result is more than worth the effort. These lights will not only make your home the envy of the neighborhood but also save you the hassle of yearly setup and takedown.

For anyone looking for a long-term lighting solution that goes beyond the holidays, Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lights are definitely worth considering.