I’m a fan of Govee’s retro colour-changing smart lightbulbs

If you’re in the market for one of the best smart lights, chances are you’re looking at a collection of funky-connected lamps or smart lightbulbs to deck out your existing setup.

If it’s the latter, Govee’s new launch might take your fancy – particularly if you like the vintage aesthetic of Edison-type filament bulbs.

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The brand has launched a new E27 Smart Edison bulb (E26 in the US), bringing that classic exposed-filament look to its smart lighting range, at a rather palatable price. 

It’s £19.99 on Amazon UK, compared to around £16-£40 for Philips’ Hue equivalent. Better yet, unlike the Hue alternatives which are limited to white, Govee’s smart lightbulb offering has that sweet, sweet RGB colouring to suit all tastes.

Serving up full colour lighting and adjustable white tones, Govee’s new bulb covers a range from a warm 2700K through to a cooler 6500K, with a Colour Rendering Index (CRI) of over 90 for more natural-looking light.

The bulb itself leans heavily into that retro aesthetic, with a clear glass exterior and visible spiral light strips inside – the sort of thing you’d want to leave on show in an open fitting, rather than hide under a shade.

As with the company’s other products, controls are handled through the Govee app, where you can tweak colours, set schedules, or sync the lighting to music, with compatibility for assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.

The look won’t be for everyone, of course, but if it ticks your boxes, it’s already available in the UK, Europe, and the US, with a four-pack priced at $69.99 on Amazon US. Not a bad price if you’re looking to add a dash of retrofuturism to your pad.

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Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.