GoKawiilis a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
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Nearly four years after Philips Hue launched its Go portable table lamp, Govee has announced its own version for less than half the price. While the Hue Go is currently listed for $175.99, the new Govee Table Lamp Classic has launched at $79.99. Assuming you’re okay with never using it outside, Govee’s alternative may be the better buy.
Govee’s cordless lamp is a bit brighter producing up to 500 lumens of light compared to just 370 lumens from Hue’s. However, being dimmer allows the Hue lamp to run for up to 48 hours without external power, while the Govee’s 4,800mAh battery will only last for up to 30 hours with colored lighting, or up to just 5 hours when set to white.
Contributing to the Hue Go’s higher price is an IP54 water resistance rating allowing it to survive some light rain when used outside. The instructions for Govee’s explicitly warn users to avoid exposing the lamp to splashes or drips.
Govee’s lamp allows for color temperature adjustments from 2700K to over 6500K, but you can also switch from solid tints to multiple colors. Using Govee’s mobile app you can request specific mood lighting from an AI bot using text prompts, activate a mode that dynamically adjusts the lighting in response to music playing, or synchronize the table lamp with other Govee lighting products. It’s also fully smart home compatible with support for Matter, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings so you can control it through other devices including voice commands through smart speakers.