Govee Outdoor Clear Bulb String Lights Review: Charming and Fun

If you want to add a splash of style or fun to your yard, patio, or walkway, Govee’s latest Outdoor Clear Bulb String Lights are an easy way to get it done. Compared to previous models, these Clear Bulb lights are more elegant, and while they’re certainly charming, they’re also expensive and have a few of the usual drawbacks.

Price and Availability

Available on Amazon and Govee’s website, these new Outdoor Clear Bulbs come in 96 ft for $149 or a shorter 48 ft for $99. They’re on sale often, but you can’t string two shorter strands together, so make sure you know the length you need.

Easy Installation, But a Big Power Brick

I’ve always been pleased with Govee’s products and packaging, and these new Outdoor Clear Bulb string lights are no exception. The box is fairly compact, considering it has 48 feet of cables and 15 bulbs inside.

That bundle of wires and bulbs is surprisingly neat when you open the box. However, once you start laying things out to get a sense of their length and placement, you’ll find that untangling the mess is quite the task. It took longer than expected, but I’m glad Govee wraps each plastic bulb in a plastic cover, ensuring they don’t get scratched during removal, untangling, and installation.

Unlike some of its other string lights, the Outdoor Clear Bulbs don’t come with clips or zip ties. Instead, you get the product, power cables, and manual. The redesigned housing does have two small rings at the top of each bulb, making installation a breeze. You can easily clip those rings to a 3M hook or nails on a fence. I would have appreciated some clips or ties to aid my install, but overall, it was pretty easy and took all of about 20 minutes.

Once you’re all set, it’s simple to plug them in and connect them to the Govee Home app, available on iPhone and Android, over Bluetooth.

I only have two real complaints. First, I wish it had more than 15 bulbs, as there’s about 3 ft of space between each bulb. Cheaper options on the market deliver more light, but they’re not as fancy as Govee’s offering.

Second, my main gripes are regarding the power brick and wall plug size. These are outdoor lights, and many outdoor wall outlets have covers to protect them from water ingress. Govee’s plug was too big for every outlet on my home’s exterior. As a result, I had to find an extension cord and eventually bought a short 6-inch extender to keep things clean and tidy.

I wish Govee would integrate the power adapter into the control box with the power button, microphone, and connectivity. Or at least make it smaller.

Beautiful, Bright, and Tons of Scenes to Choose From

The transparent teardrop-shaped design makes these stand out compared to some of Govee’s other string lights. They look stylish and elegant rather than like a white light bulb dangling from a wire. They’re just clean, stylish, and simple.

Aside from the new clear bulbs, the star of the show is the same thing that makes every Govee product excellent: the beautiful, bright lights. These get far brighter than I expected, and being able to quickly adjust them to super dim or crazy bright is a nice touch.

The Outdoor Clear bulbs have over 110 scene modes, 10 music modes, and endless controls and customization. Whether you want a casual vibe to relax on the back patio or rapidly changing lights during a party, these lights deliver.

I’ve been sticking to a solid color option and keeping things dim during morning coffee on the patio. Almost all the scenes and modes have movement, making it feel like a party. That’s nice, but there’s a time and place for flashing lights. Thankfully, you can manually adjust each bulb to any color you want. Whatever mood you’re in, there’s a vibe for it with the Govee app.

Aside from holidays and special occasions, I’ll be sticking to one neutral color and turning off any of those presets. Setting up a schedule to turn on each night around sunset was easy, and thanks to Matter, Google, and Alexa support, I can use voice controls to turn them off before I head to bed.

Handling Outdoor Elements

It’s worth noting that Govee has improved the design to handle the outdoors, rain or shine. Past models typically offered an IP65 rating, meaning some splashes or light rain wouldn’t be a concern.

With the new Outdoor Clear Bulb String lights, Govee says the lights feature an upgraded IP67 rating, while the control box is IP65 and the adapter is only IP44. Still, that means you don’t have to worry about dust storms or crazy rainfall causing problems.

Should You Buy the Govee Outdoor Clear Bulb String Lights?

These lights are a charming addition to any outdoor space, whether that’s your front door walkway, backyard patios, or along a fence line. I didn’t have much to complain about, although I feel they’re about $25-30 too expensive.

The Govee Outdoor Clear Bulb String Lights are IP67 waterproof, look stunning, and are easy to control so you can create any atmosphere you want. If you’re not going to use all the customization, there are more affordable options on the market, but it’s hard to beat the reliability and controls of a Govee product.

It’s worth noting that if you buy two 48-ft strands, you can’t string them together, as the control box isn’t strong enough to power them both. However, the 96-ft package from Govee’s website comes with two 48-ft strings and an upgraded controller to handle the longer length. That’s a bit weird, but I’m sure they have their reasons.

That said, these are a great addition to any home. Outfit your backyard with these Clear Bulb string lights, then get other gear like Govee’s Smart Garden lights for a visual ambience you can truly enjoy.