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Sleek Performance

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons

Nanoleaf Lifestyle

Limited

Govee Glide Hexa

Govee Lifestyle
  • Beautiful app experience
  • Reliable desktop sync
  • $$$
  • Smooth light animations
  • Wide compatibility

Nanoleaf Shapes is a wide family of wall-mounted LED smart lights that can animate in some truly hypnotic ways. A slick mobile app and smooth animations make them a great addition to any home.

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  • Cluttered app
  • Unreliable desktop sync
  • $$
  • Jagged animation
  • Limited compatibility

The Govee Glide Hexa panels are super bright, but the app is way more cluttered. Animations don't run as smoothly either.

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Tested & Approved

I've put my time into Nanoleaf lights and can vouch for their awesomeness. I've used them for years in a bunch of different situations, and I've played around with Govee a fair bit too. From the basic stuff, to more advanced, like screen mirroring, I've tried it all.

Nanoleaf's user experience wins, hands-down.

Both Nanoleaf and Govee provide some really novel interactions, including music synchronization, and community sharing of light recipes. They both use connectors that make early set-ups easily expandable. They both have a straightforward adhesive mounting system that doesn't leave residue when you remove it. There's a lot of similarities, but Nanoleaf's user experience wins, hands-down. The real clinchers here are easy navigation and forward compatibility.

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Let's take a closer look to see how one blinky hexagon differs from another…

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon LED lights shining green next to a computer on a wall.
Source: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf is Future-Proofed

Category Nanoleaf Shapes Govee Glide Hexa
Touch Responsive ✅ ❌
Music Sync ✅ ✅
TV sync ✅ ✅
Google Assistant ✅ ✅
Amazon Alexa ✅ ✅
Apple HomeKit ✅ ❌
Thread Connectivity ✅ ❌

You can see that Nanoleaf connects to more ecosystems. This makes it easier to use no matter what other devices you have in the home. Thread connectivity also ensures Nanoleaf is prepped for the future of the smart home. That means faster response times when connecting through the app.

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon LED lights shining green in next to a computer on a wall.
Source: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf Wins in the Home Theatre

I have a few Govee tiles at home, but Nanoleaf is still the king of lighting in my living room.

A big part of it is the app experience. Govee tries cramming everything and the kitchen sink into its app. Sure, that gives it access to some very specific light recipe tools, but I don't typically want to spend a lot of time in the app. I want to be able to jump in, make a switch, then get on with my night.

Nanoleaf knocked desktop sync out of the park.

I love watching shows with smart lights syncing up. This way when there's an explosion on screen, my whole viewing area goes up in yellows and oranges.

Nanoleaf knocked this one out of the park with their Windows app. It's smooth, connects reliably, and you can easily arrange your lights to capture certain parts of the screen.

SHOP NANOLEAF NOW Govee is still relying on a connection to Razer Chroma to do desktop sync. This means a second app to install and manage, and even then, the performance isn't that reliable. For all of the functions Govee offers, Nanoleaf still hits all of the important ones in an easier-to-use package.

Nanoleaf also gets points for compatibility. It's on board with Matter, which will help it communicate more quickly with other connected gadgets in the home. Plus, it has Apple HomeKit support, which means painless control from your iPhone and iPad. This is a big leg-up on Govee.

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon LED lights shining pink and purple beside a TV from the wall behind it.
Source: Nanoleaf

There's Only One Real Option: Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf continues to be king of the hill when it comes to wall-mounted LEDs. Smooth animations, a polished app, strong performance with TV sync, and broad software compatibility make it a hard light to beat. Plus, its truly modular connectors make it easy to build upon.

High-tech Style

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagons next to retail box on a white background.

Nanoleaf Shapes Hexagon

4.5 / 5

Instant Ambiance

Nanoleaf Shapes are a fun addition to any living space. Not only do you get a wide range of color animations, but interactive touch, music, and entertainment sync put it ahead.

20 Comments

Most Helpful

Anthony Nichtawitz

Sat Dec 24, 2022

5 / 5

Nanoleaf has the original modern gamer/ambience lights, and absolutely everyone who can, needs a set.

oej

Thu Feb 23, 2023

5 / 5

They are mesmerizing, fun, and very interactive. App was fast to set up and easy to use.

Jim Rose

Tue Jul 6, 2021

5 / 5

I didn't believe it would be as easy to install, program, and use, but it is all three. It is easy to install, it is easy to program, and it is easy to use. The intuitive control using their 'Smart Remote Control' is nothing short of Amazing!

Lisset Stanfield

Wed Dec 28, 2022

5 / 5

They are easy to install and set up. They work with Alexa and any playlist. The colors look beautiful! Very recommended!

David

Tue May 3, 2022

5 / 5

These are super cool, and a great way to add some life to your gaming space, especially if you already have rgb involved.

Amanda

Fri Jun 24, 2022

5 / 5

These are super cool, and a great way to add some life to your gaming space, especially if you already have rgb involved.

shaheem jackson

Sat Jul 29, 2023

5 / 5

I'm about 6 months into my ownership of these panels and they're something I interact with daily. Really love em.

Libelune

Fri Jan 7, 2022

5 / 5

I love the feel and the atmosphere it creates. And it is bigger than what I was expecting

Gunnar

Fri Jun 9, 2023

5 / 5

these were great, a must buy

Scene519

Wed Aug 30, 2023

4 / 5

They all work perfectly. Easy to install, look amazing in my game room. Very calming. I love that you can control very thing from an app or voice command through Alexa.

james

Sun Apr 23, 2023

5 / 5

Easy to setup and looks really cool with the glowing perimeter.

Robb Christopherson

Thu Jan 19, 2023

5 / 5

I've only had them for a few days, but I love them! I love to do the setting that cycles through the different themes and each is unique and mesmerizing!

Graham Custard

Thu Nov 4, 2021

5 / 5

Best piece of 'art work' I've ever put on a wall

Mr. Cook

Mon Jan 2, 2023

4 / 5

I got this as a Christmas gift for a bare wall in my office. It's beautiful. I have a glass wall and staff members stop in frequently to ask about it. I hope to buy an expansion pack or two in the coming months.

Shyliah

Mon Jan 24, 2022

5 / 5

I got these as a gift for my boyfriend, as he had mentioned wanting them but he never made the jump for them. I found these to be the perfect thing, and he was so seriously excited when he opened them on Christmas Day

Guclu

Mon Dec 5, 2022

5 / 5

This is a very cool product! We really liked it.

Shannon

Sat Dec 3, 2022

5 / 5

Definitely a sweet item to gift someone who has everything! Plus the expansion packs make for great gifts later :)

Eric Dow

Thu Feb 23, 2023

5 / 5

Truly amazing

LJS

Sat Jul 22, 2023

5 / 5

Kind of obsessed. Easy setup, easy hanging.

Jonathan Holton

Mon Feb 28, 2022

4 / 5

I liked them so much that I purchased the pack of 3 additional panels. They are easy to setup with the app and it look little to no time to get them associated with my Google Home / Google Assistant.

Reviews sourced from verified Amazon customers.

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