Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra review

Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra: Introduction

• Lighting type: Smart light panels
• Connectivity: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Ecosystems: Amazon Alexa, Google Home

A few years back, when we started reviewing Govee kit here on The Ambient, the Shenzhen-based brand was just one of an absolute barrage of Chinese smart lighting brands emerging, and looking to take on established names like Hue, Lifx and Nanoleaf.

Fast forward to 2024 though and Govee is fast becoming one of the biggest names in the space, with smart light solutions such as the Govee LED Strip Light M1 Matter, the Lyra Floor Lamp and the Neon Rope Light all impressing in reviews across the tech press.

However, with the Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra, it’s really the first time that Govee has gone ‘all-in’ on a device, creating a premium product to not only rival what’s already out there, but also to trump them with new features not on offer elsewhere.

Before we get started on this Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra review, it’s important to distinguish this model, the H606A, from its similarly named brethren; namely the Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels (H6061) and the Govee Glide Hexa Pro LED Light Panels (H6066).

The Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra are the top-dogs, the absolute flagship of the company’s wall panel range… and they have a price-tag that reinforces that message.

Unlike some other (still great, btw) Govee devices, there’s nothing cut-price about the Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra; coming in at over $300 / £300 for a set of 10.

However, read on for my full Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra review to find out why I think they are worth every penny.

Design and installation

• Hexagon panels with multiple light segments
• Easy to install method
• Great physical controller

The set that Govee sent me over to test for this review was a 10-pack but you can actually expand the system up to 12 panels from a single controller, or 20 if you don’t mind having double wires powering it all up.

Whatever option you opt for, you’ll find the panels nicely packed and padded in the box, with everything you need to get them stuck on your wall already in place.

There are sticky pads already on the back of each pad – three strategically placed ones – making the whole process easier that having to apply them yourself.

Each panel even has a nice nice plastic sheet on them to stop smudges and fingerprints as you’re installing, with a reminder printed on them to push and hold for 30 seconds for each hexagon – which of course I did not do – and none have fallen down yet and I’ve had them up for a few weeks.

Also in the box is a little spirit level, to help you keep everything straight when sticking up, as well as handy cardboard cutouts of the same size and shape of the panels to help you plan exactly where you want to put them on the wall.

Wherever you choose, also consider that you will need a wire to go into one of them, and that wire also attaches to the same, nice, controller that we’ve seen on the likes of the Lyra Floor Lamp and the Neon Rope Light, which also has a sticky pad if you wanted to attach it to a wall or some furniture.

There’s a video in the Govee app that talks you through installation process. However, before you begin sticking them to your wall, it’s worth plugging one in and checking that it actually powers up and you can also add it to your home Wi-Fi through the Govee app.

Unlike Nanoleaf, where the design is recognized after installation, the Govee app wants you to pre-set your pattern before you begin.

Using this method, you get told what order to place the Hexagons and the power slots – which are all individually numbered – to use for each one, through the app. It actually makes the process super, super simple as you get a visual picture of what you are doing, every step of the process.

The connectors work well and, because of those pre-placed adhesive pads, the whole setup phase took me less than 15 minutes.

Unlike Nanoleaf though, there’s no option to see an AR visualization of the pattern on the wall beforehand, which feels like a missed trick, so you may want to use those cardboard cutouts to make sure your design actually fits first.

They’re actually Velcroed on so if you do go wrong, like I did, you can amend your design during the setup stage and the step-by-step instructions simply update to your revamped design.

Measuring 4.8 inches on each side, each panel is constructed from durable plastic, featuring a transparent acrylic finish for a sleeker appearance.

A nice touch, as with all Govee smart lights, is that the system comes with a physical controller. This allows you to power on and control the lights without getting out your phone, or bothering your digital voice assistant.

On the controller is a power button, a button that changes colors, and a button that cycle through some of Govee’s lighting effects.

Both the controller lead and the power lead are pretty long, so you can easily get it all plugged in, even if you’re running it a few feet away from the mains.

Features and performance

• Multiple light effects on each panel
• App jam-packed with scenes
• Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home

Unlike traditional light panels, that maybe offer a few shades or variations, the customization on offer from each individual Hexagon Light Panels Ultra tile is staggering.

That’s because, each panel is multiple lights in one. Not only is the middle section split into three, there are also edge lines and through the middle as well; resulting in 12 addressable segments per panel.

Govee informs us that there’s actually 129 lamp beads in total on each panel. And, what’s more, like other top-end Govee offering, it’s RGBIC+ lighting powering the show.

Unlike traditional RGB lightstrips, which have all the LEDs set to the same color, Govee’s RGBIC+ lights are equipped with smart IC chips and can display multiple colors simultaneously; opening up a lot more lighting scenes.

For the Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra, that means that a 3D cuboid look can be achieved as not only can multiple colors and shades be used across each panel, but movement can also be incorporated into the mix too.

Take a look at this video of me cycling through some pre-set Govee scenes to see exactly what I mean:

The Govee app itself, as I’ve described in multiple Govee reviews now, is super busy and somewhat clunky to navigate but once you get your head around what each section means, you’ll be fine… probably.

You’ll just have to get used to dealing with scene names such as Lotus Pond, Candy, Dreamlike and so on.

In fairness, Govee has tightened up the naming conventions in recent months and navigating scenes, and more importantly understanding what they might be like, is much clearer now.

As well as the scenes there’s also music syncing, which uses the controller’s built-in microphone to sync with your tunes. It’s a great option for creating a dynamic party scene in your house with minimal effort and there are multiple music modes for you to choose from.

And if there’s not an effect already set up that you like you can pretty much customize to your heart’s content to create your own perfect lighting effects, with more than 16 million colors on offer.

Both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are supported and controls within these apps, or via your voice are pretty good – as long as you can remember the names of the scenes and modes you like. You can also incorporate scenes and effects into Google Home Automations and Alexa Routines.

There’s no HomeKit support and there’s also no sign of Matter compatibility yet either.

The Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra do support Govee DreamView, Razer Chroma and Govee Desktop though, which makes it easy to incorporate them into your gaming setup.

Final thoughts

The Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra blows the likes of the Nanoleaf Shapes out of the water because of its absolute multitude of customization options.

Sure, it also blows the price-tag of its Nanoleaf rivals out of the water too but, if you’re looking for the most complete, awe-inspiring, smart light panel setup then the Hexagon Light Panels Ultra are pretty much unrivalled.

How we test

When we publish our reviews, you can rest assured that they are the result of “living with” long term tests.

Smart lights usually live within an ecosystem, or a range of products that – supposedly – all work in harmony. Therefore, it’s impossible to use a connected light for a week and deliver a verdict.

Because we’re testing smart home kit all day, everyday, we know what matters and how a particular light compares to alternatives that you might also be considering.

Our reviews are comprehensive, objective and fair and, of course, we are never paid directly to review a device.

Read our guide on how we test smart lights to learn more.

FAQs

Govee Glide Hexagon Light Panels Ultra: Specifications