TL;DR
A CNET reviewer tested Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro, a $640 system installed along a home’s eaves for year-round use. The reviewer praised its dual-color effects and app controls but said installation was difficult and took three people across three days. Long-term durability in harsh weather remains unproven after only about two weeks of use.
CNET reviewer Adam Doud tested Govee’s $640 Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro, a year-round lighting system mounted along a home’s eaves, and found that its color effects and app controls came with a difficult installation. The system was installed around Doud’s Chicago home over three days by three people; after about two weeks of use, its performance through severe seasonal weather remains unknown.
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Doud reported that his installation used a single 200-foot strand around the house, with no need for the kit’s splitters or extension cables because the eaves formed a continuous route to an outdoor outlet. The process involved cleaning the surface, positioning each light in its bracket, attaching the bracket and securing it with screws. The home’s eaves ranged from 9 to 23 feet above the ground, requiring repeated ladder work.
The reviewer said three people worked for about two and a half hours per day over three days. Consistent spacing from the wall mattered: each light casts a cone of illumination, and uneven placement can make the pattern look inconsistent. Doud also found that the lights could slide through their brackets during installation, even though the adhesive on the brackets held strongly when it touched the soffit.
Each fixture has two independently colored LEDs, allowing mixed-color effects on the wall. The Govee app supports preset scenes, single colors, fades and sequences, as well as manually assigning colors to individual lights. The kit includes mounting hardware, extra adhesive pads, connectors, adapters and extension cables. Doud rated the product 9.0, praising its appearance and features while flagging its cost and labor-intensive setup.
A Year-Round Alternative to Holiday Strings
The product illustrates a trade-off for homeowners considering permanent exterior lighting: it may replace the annual task of hanging and removing temporary holiday strings, but the convenience comes only after a substantial installation. At $640, the system also costs far more than temporary lights, according to CNET’s review.
For readers weighing the purchase, the review’s strongest practical warning is that this is not a quick solo project. The home’s layout, eave height, access to power and ability to maintain even spacing all affect the work and finished appearance. The reported installation required three people; other homes may differ, but the review does not establish that setup will be straightforward for a typical buyer.
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How the Lights Were Installed
Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro are designed to stay mounted along the roofline rather than being put up just for a holiday. In Doud’s test, the lights were attached beneath the eaves using brackets, adhesive and screws. The system’s power cable and control module connected near an outdoor outlet, while Wi-Fi and the app handled lighting control. A physical button on the control module served as a basic on/off switch.
Doud used the lights for Halloween, selecting a holiday scene in the app, then changed them to solid blue after Nov. 3. He said he planned to change the display again for Christmas. These are examples from one reviewer’s use, not a test of how the lights perform across multiple seasons or on different types of homes.
““It wasn’t easy.””
— Adam Doud, CNET reviewer
Durability Beyond Two Weeks
The review covers only about two weeks of use, so it does not establish how the system will hold up over years of outdoor exposure. Although the lights carry an IP68 weather-resistance rating, Doud said their long-term performance in Chicago’s extreme seasonal conditions remains to be seen. The source provides no extended durability results.
Installation may also vary substantially with roofline shape, outlet location and eave height. Doud’s continuous route around the house let him avoid the included splitters and extensions, but the review does not show how much more complicated a layout with multiple roof sections or gaps would be. The source does not report independent testing or a comparison of long-term costs against seasonal lights.
Long-Term Weather Testing Ahead
Doud’s review describes an early hands-on test, not a completed assessment across a full year. The next meaningful evidence will be how the lights, brackets and connections fare through changing weather and continued use. No longer-term test results are included in the source material.
For prospective buyers, the practical next step is to check the product’s current price and installation requirements, then assess the route from the intended mounting area to an outdoor outlet. The review suggests planning for careful measurement, ladder work and help from other people; it does not establish that every installation will take the same time or crew size.
Key Questions
What are Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro?
They are year-round exterior lights designed to mount along a home’s eaves. The tested system uses two independently colored LEDs in each fixture and is controlled mainly through the Govee app.
How much do the lights cost?
The CNET report lists a price of $640. The source does not say whether that price has changed since the review.
How difficult was installation?
The reviewer called it difficult and said three people worked over three days, for about two and a half hours each day. That was one installation and should not be treated as a guaranteed time for every home.
Can the lights be used for different holidays and colors?
Yes. According to the review, the app offers holiday presets, solid colors, fades, sequences and individual light controls. Doud used a Halloween scene and later switched to solid blue.
Are the lights proven to last through extreme weather?
Not by this review. The product has an IP68 rating, but Doud had tested it for only about two weeks and said its long-term durability through Chicago weather was still unknown.
Source: cnet.com
