Top Smart String Lights for Christmas: A Smart Home Tester’s Favorite Picks

After testing smart string lights from Nanoleaf, Govee, and Philips Hue, our expert has chosen the best option for festive lighting this season.

String lights can be the bane of many festive folks’ existence. However, the days of endless tangles and dead bulbs may be fading away, thanks to the rise of smart string lights with LEDs. A recent review of these lights found that, while the problems of tangling and improper storage persist, the availability of smart string lights with more than just a glow and twinkle might make the process of untangling a bit more rewarding.

Our expert tested out these smart holiday string lights to see which of the brands offers the best version of this old seasonal favorite. Ultimately, Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, and Govee make some of the best smart lights in the market, but with each one having its unique features. While the reviewer couldn’t highly recommend one over the other, it’s clear that smart string lights provide far more creativity and personality than traditional string lights.

In testing, the reviewer found that Nanoleaf Matter Smart Holiday String Lights offer a thriving community with DIY customization options and scenes that are easy to apply to your lights. Philips Hue Festavia String Lights have excellent connectivity and respond quickly to changes made via your favorite voice assistants. Finally, Govee Christmas String Lights have a wide array of premade scenes and vibrant colors, providing movement to your space, but may have scenes that are too much for some users.

Despite the features of Matter Smart Holiday String Lights, the reviewer chose the Govee Christmas String Lights to adorn his Christmas tree, due to superb vibrancy, though some premade scenes were not to his taste. The review also highlighted some areas for improvement for Govee, such as community-driven designs and a more vast range of low-key premade scenes, but overall, the reviewer concluded that all three brands offer great smart string light options for this holiday season.