James spent seven years in Japan, where he brought technology into the classroom as a teacher and worked part-time as a data centre engineer. Formerly the CTO and Reviews Editor of MakeUseOf, he has also contributed to publications like TrustedReviews, WindowsReport, and MacObserver. With a BSc in Artificial Intelligence, James combines his technical expertise with a passion for writing, programming, and tech reviews. Now based in Cornwall, he enjoys the slower pace of rural life, building LEGO, playing board games, and diving into VR.
At IFA 2025, Govee has continued to impress with a slew of industry-first upgrades to its already extensive product line.
Looking to add some retro-style glow to your garden or patio without ditching smart control? Govee’s Clear Bulb Outdoor String Lights bring a vintage filament look with full Matter support, but they come with a few quirks you’ll want to know about before buying.
Lost your Matter device pairing code? You might not actually need it — and if you do, there are still ways to recover it before your smart home gadget becomes e-waste. Here’s how to check the device, dig through the manufacturer’s app, and get a new code from support, plus tips to make sure you never lose one again.
Govee’s modular Outdoor Garden Lights (H7086) are sleek, sturdy, and Matter-compatible, low-lying garden lights, offering surprising creativity and quality for outdoor lighting—but short cables and a steep price hold them back from perfection. Maybe wait for a holiday discount.
Outdoor lighting is often either boring or overpriced—but Govee’s new UpDown Wall Light hits that sweet spot between style, features, and affordability. It’s bold, smart, and bright enough to make a statement without turning your garden into a nightclub (unless you want that).
Matter is an open, IP-based standard designed to unify smart home devices across platforms, with local-first control and strong security baked in. It eliminates vendor lock-in by ensuring interoperability between certified accessories, regardless of brand or ecosystem.
Despite Thread being a technically superior protocol for Matter devices, most manufacturers and consumers still prefer Wi-Fi due to confusing setup requirements, extra certification costs, and the need for additional hardware like Thread Border Routers.
The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp looks stunning and delivers a unique ripple lighting effect, but sacrifices control and colour accuracy. Matter support is present but clunky, limiting its usefulness as a truly smart lamp.
Philips Hue once led the smart lighting game, especially with immersive Ambilight TV setups—but skyrocketing prices and vendor lock-in make it hard to recommend today. With Matter-compatible alternatives from Govee, Linkind, and Aqara offering similar features for a fraction of the price, it’s time to switch.
I live for smart lighting—and after testing hundreds of bulbs, strips, and panel, these are the ones that truly shine.
A bold fusion of RGB lighting and Bluetooth audio, the Govee Table Lamp 2 Pro with JBL speaker is a show-stopping centrepiece that syncs light to music.
A clever combo of robot and stick vac with Matter support, the K10+ Pro Combo excels at convenience — but not at deep cleaning.
The SwitchBot Hub 3 is a temperature and humidity sensor, motion detector, Bluetooth bridge, universal IR remote, virtual Matter buttons, and more… but is it too much?
The Govee Outdoor Lamp Post is a dramatic and feature-packed smart outdoor lighting fixture post that shines best after dark – but won’t win any awards for elegance or brightness.
The Govee Skyline is a beautifully subtle, wall-mounted ambient light strip that fills hard-to-illuminate ceiling gaps with soft, customizable projection lighting.
Matter and eWeLink both play key roles in the smart home ecosystem, but they tackle the problem from different angles. Matter is a universal standard for device compatibility, while eWeLink is a platform built to manage and control smart devices—especially Sonoff hardware, but also Matter devices.
The Flic Twist is a compact yet powerful smart home controller that combines a clickable button, a rotating dial, and 12 selectable modes into a single device. With support for up to 24 trigger and 12 analog controls, it offers an impressive level of scene and device management.
Flic 2 brings physical control back to your smart home with customizable click actions and new Matter support—sort of. While still useful for niche scenarios, aging hardware, clunky app design, and limited integrations leave it feeling a little… stuck in 2015.
It’s a smart bulb. It does the thing that smart bulbs should do. Unlike some pricier options, the Linkind Smart Bulb just works — with Matter, colors, and no hub drama.
Why settle for a dumb table when your side table can also purify the air, charge your phone, and glow with mood lighting? The SwitchBot Air Purifier Table is a surprisingly clever multi-tasker that blends smart home features with everyday utility.
