ZDNET Key Points
- The Govee Star Light ProjectorAvailable September 14 for $80, it’s just one of five new products the company is releasing at IFA 2024.
- This smart light projects an aurora-like display that covers up to 650 square feet. It has over 16 million color options and over 50 preset scenes, including music and white noise.
- While it’s a great projector, the Govee app isn’t intuitive or user-friendly, leaving you to figure out how to change some settings and features yourself.
I have young children who depend on bedtime rituals to fall asleep. Yes, I created these routines, but they work for all three of them, and as someone who values my own sleep, I won’t change them. After testing Govee Star Light Projector within a few days, i found that it helped me fall asleep much easier. it’s not just a night light or a white noise machine — it’s so much more.
Govee recently appeared at IFA in Berlin to introduce its new product line: Govee Strip Light 2 Pro, COB Strip Light Pro, Curtain Light 2, Icicle Light, Star Light Projector, and Christmas String Light 2. These smart lights will be launched in the coming weeks, with the Christmas Light and Icicle Light coming in late September.
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I was especially excited to test the Star Light Projector with my kids, who rely on a combination of projectors and smart lights at night. My kids love the Govee Neon Rope 2 unicorn light in their room, but it’s too bright to use as a nightlight because it’s right above their bed. To solve this problem, I added an affordable RGB projector that both entertains them and doubles as a nightlight.
My three-year-old is the most difficult sleeper of all my kids, and I definitely enabled it. With his own night light and white noise machine, my “three-year-old” loves to fall asleep to lullabies. The new Govee Star Light projector has now replaced my kid’s entire bedtime setup, from projector to white noise machine, even HomePod Mini for lullabies.
Out of the box, the Govee Star Light is easy to set up with the included app, but you’ll mostly be using the buttons on the device for control. The footage was spectacular the first time I turned it on for the kids, who were awed and amazed by the dreamy blend of ambient light, despite having only seen $14 RGB projectors before.
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The lights are beautiful and highly customizable, blending to create new colors and effects that mimic the northern lights. The projector features a dual lamp bead design that creates a light effect that flows along the starry sky. In addition to being a great sleep aid for both kids and adults, it’s also perfect for creating a relaxing atmosphere or setting the mood at a party — sure to be the highlight of any sleepover.
The Govee app has over 50 preset scene modes, many of which have music and white noise options, though you can mix and match to customize your experience. The Govee app isn’t the most user-friendly software I’ve tested, as it was difficult to figure out exactly how to customize patterns and colors beyond the preset scenes. However, some trial and error got me and my kids to where I wanted them to end up.
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The Govee Star Light Projector changed the way my baby sleeps and what my husband and I have to do to get him to sleep. Instead of playing lullabies on the HomePod Mini, we now play music on the Star Light speaker and switch to white noise after a while.
I also don’t have to manually turn the projector on to serve as a night light anymore, which is what I had to do with my old one. This is a great option for anyone who enjoys immersive lighting for relaxation, especially if you like to fall asleep watching them while listening to the sounds of a stream in the middle of the woods. For $80, the multi-functional aspect of the Star Light projector makes it well worth the price.
