We compared two smart LED strip lights: the Tapo L900-5 5m Smart LED Strip Light and the Govee Strip Light 2.
What we looked at
Smart home compatibility, colour and white-tuning range, and price.
The verdict
If you want simple voice-controlled colour lighting at the lower price, the Tapo is the value pick at £14.39. If you would rather pay £45.60 more for Matter support, tunable white and AI-generated scenes, the Govee is the alternative, at £59.99.
A £14.39 WiFi smart strip with no hub needed and voice control.
A £59.99 strip with Matter support, tunable white and AI scenes.
Tapo L900-5 5m Smart LED Strip Light — Best Value
Intended for: Marketed as a 5m WiFi smart LED strip with 16 million colours, dimmable and cuttable, needing no separate hub, with voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, 3M adhesive backing and app-based scheduling.
What we liked
- Cheaper than the Govee on these listings, at £14.39
- No separate smart home hub required
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
- 3M adhesive backing included for mounting
Worth knowing
- No stated Matter or SmartThings support, unlike the Govee
- No stated tunable white range or AI scene generation
Best for
- Buyers who want the lower price
- Anyone who wants simple voice control with no extra hub
- Those adding basic colour lighting to a room
Not ideal for
- Buyers who want Matter ecosystem compatibility
- Anyone who wants a wide tunable white range or music sync scenes
Govee Strip Light 2, Smart RGBWWIC 5m — Most Advanced
Intended for: Marketed as a 5m RGBWWIC LED strip with independent per-segment colour control via LuminBlend+, a tunable white range of 1000K-10000K, over 100 preset scenes with music sync through the Govee Home app, Matter/Alexa/Google Home/SmartThings compatibility, and an AI chat feature for generating custom lighting effects.
What we liked
- Matter, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings compatible, unlike the Tapo
- Tunable white range from 1000K-10000K
- 100+ preset scenes with music sync via app
- AI-generated custom lighting effects
Worth knowing
- Costs £45.60 more than the Tapo on these listings
- Requires the Govee Home app for full scene control
Best for
- Buyers who want Matter smart-home ecosystem support
- Anyone who wants fine-grained tunable white and colour control
- Those who want music-sync party lighting
Not ideal for
- Budget-conscious buyers
- Anyone who just wants basic voice-controlled colour lighting
