Best of · Lighting
Best smart outdoor lights of 2026: permanent, string, and porch lighting
Govee’s Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro and Hue’s Festavia Permanent lead roofline lighting. Here’s how they compare, plus cheaper ways to automate porch and string lights.
Our pick: Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro for most rooflines; Hue Festavia Permanent if you live in Hue
Govee
Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro
8.8$599.99 (150 ft, list)
The most flexible permanent roofline system: cuttable, up to 200 ft, with warm and cool whites.
Pros
- • RGB + warm and cool white (RGBWWIC)
- • Up to 6,500K
- • 50 lumens per light
- • Cuttable and spliceable
- • IP67, Matter
Cons
- • Careful measuring needed
- • Fewer scene modes than Elite
Govee
Permanent Outdoor Lights Elite (Lights 2)
8.4$489.99 (150 ft, list; often far less)
Simpler installs on straight rooflines, often heavily discounted at Costco.
Pros
- • IP67, Matter
- • 100 scene modes
- • Easy install
Cons
- • Max 150 ft, not cuttable
- • Warm white only (to 4,000K)
Philips Hue
Festavia Permanent Outdoor Lights
8.5$399.99 (27 m) / $599.99 (45 m)
Hue’s first permanent roofline lights. They’re the best choice if your house already runs on Hue.
Pros
- • Up to 80 light points at ~50 lm
- • IP65
- • Hue app scenes and routines
Cons
- • Can shorten but not re-extend
- • Fewer lengths
Tapo / Kasa
Outdoor smart plug + existing string lights
8.0About $20–$35
The cheapest way to make outdoor lighting smart: sunset schedules for lights you already own.
Pros
- • Cheap
- • Two outlets
- • Matter
Cons
- • On/off only, no color
Smart outdoor lights cover three jobs: permanent roofline lights for holidays and game days, porch and landscape lights on sunset schedules, and string lights over a patio. Permanent systems from Govee and Philips Hue are the headline products in 2026, but an outdoor smart plug is still the cheapest win.
| Spec | Govee Elite (Lights 2) | Govee Pro | Hue Festavia Permanent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max length | 150 ft (not extendable) | 200 ft with extensions | 27 m or 45 m (US) |
| Colors | RGB + warm white | RGB + warm & cool white | Full color, Hue whites |
| White range | Up to 4,000K | Up to 6,500K | Hue ambiance whites |
| Brightness | 40 lm per light | 50 lm per light | ~50 lm per light point |
| Weather rating | IP67 | IP67 | IP65 |
| Cut / splice | No | Yes | Shorten only |
| Matter | Yes | Yes | Via Hue Bridge |
| List price (150 ft class) | $489.99 | $599.99 | $599.99 (45 m) |
Best permanent outdoor lights: Govee Pro
The Pro is the most flexible roofline system you can install yourself. You can cut and splice it around gables, extend it up to 200 feet, and pick true cool white for everyday use or saturated color for holidays. Plan carefully: measure each run before you cut.
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Elite vs Pro
Elite (also sold as Permanent Outdoor Lights 2) is the easier install on a simple straight roofline, has more preset scenes, and is often deeply discounted at warehouse clubs. Pro is the better long-term light, with cool white, brighter LEDs, and custom lengths.
Best for Hue homes: Festavia Permanent
Hue’s permanent string puts up to 80 individually addressable points on your eaves, at about 50 lumens each with an IP65 rating. It joins Hue scenes, so the porch, roofline, and indoor lights can fade together at sunset.
Cheaper smart outdoor lighting
- An outdoor smart plug (Tapo P400M, Kasa EP40M) puts existing string lights on a sunset schedule for $20–$35.
- Outdoor-rated smart bulbs in porch fixtures add motion and away-mode lighting.
- Smart floodlight cameras combine security lighting with alerts.
Questions we get
What is the average cost of a smart outdoor light system?
Permanent roofline kits run about $280–$760 for 100–150 feet depending on brand, model, and sale. An outdoor smart plug for existing string lights costs $20–$35. Smart floodlight cameras and landscape systems range from $100 to over $1,000.
What’s the difference between Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Elite and Pro?
Pro adds cool white (up to 6,500K vs 4,000K), brighter lights (50 vs 40 lumens each), cutting and splicing, and runs up to 200 ft vs 150 ft. Elite has more scene modes (100 vs 75) and installs more easily on straight rooflines. Both are IP67 and support Matter.
Do permanent outdoor lights work with Alexa and Google Home?
Yes. Govee’s permanent lights support Matter plus Alexa and Google Assistant. Hue Festavia works through the Hue Bridge with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Home.
Does smart lighting run up your electricity bill?
Very little. A 150-ft roofline at roughly 40–50 lumens per LED uses a fraction of what old incandescent holiday strings did, and schedules keep run time short.
What bulb do I need for an outdoor light fixture?
Use an outdoor-rated (wet- or damp-rated) smart bulb, or a regular smart bulb only inside a fully enclosed fixture. Check that the fixture size (A19, BR30, PAR38) matches the bulb.