The Best Permanent Outdoor Lights (2025): Govee, Eufy, Lepro

Weatherproof. Every model requires a weatherproof rating to survive outdoors, so if you don’t see one, don’t buy it. The control box usually has a lower rating than the rest of the lights, so make sure you can put it in a spot that’s a little less exposed to the elements. (As mentioned above, make sure you have an outdoor outlet, and check if there’s only one on a certain side of your house, if that limits your installation options.)

A range of installation options. You’ll want a set that comes with plenty of options for your own installation, including adhesive and drilled mounting options. What you need will vary depending on the design and materials of your home; For example, you might want an adhesive for homes where you can’t do drilling. Wired reviewer Kat Merk, who tested a few different permanent lights, particularly liked the sets that had holders you could screw onto your home, onto which the puck-style permanent lights could slide.

Controls for individual lights. This should be a simple thing, but some cheaper lights won’t give you this ability or have more constraints for customized controls. Make sure you have easy individual controls otherwise you may be disappointed with the design results of these lights. The design is similar to the controls you’ll see on smart bulbs and smart string lights.

A great app. This goes along with the need for individual lighting controls – a good app determines whether that and other features are accessible. Govee and Eufy, two of our favorite permanent outdoor lights we’ve tried, both have good apps that are easy to use and come with preloaded designs. These tech companies make more than just outdoor lights and other of our favorite gear too, so they’re a great brand to trust when it comes to creating useful products and apps. We also like Lepro’s more affordable lights, though there were a few extra hoops to jump through to get controls in the app, while Lumri’s app was a brutal experience for our tester.

Our Favorite Permanent Outdoor Lights

We’ve tested some permanent lights in different homes, and there are some clear favorites. All of these options are ones we recommend, provided the exterior of your home meets the constraints outlined above.

Courtesy of Govi

Govi

Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro

This model from Govi ​​has been one of our top picks in our smart Christmas light reviews for a reason, and at this price it’s still one of our favorite models for all that you’ll get with it. WIRED reviewer Simon Hill tested a 100-foot string that came with six segments and an extension code. He used adhesive and screw clips to secure the light puck and cable, and found installation easy. It’s a set you can cut and assemble, but they say it’s not a task for the faint of heart. It has an IP67 rating and the control box has an IP65 rating. The Busy Companion app has everything you could want: color controls, tons of visuals (including Govee’s lighting effects), scheduling capabilities, and even a music sync option (though it felt a little gimmicky). It has Matter support and Govi ​​can connect with Alexa and Google’s ecosystem for voice control. Simon says he wishes these lights were closer to each other and the design was a little more subtle, because you can see the wires much easier.

Wired reviewer Kat Merk has tested two different sets of permanent outdoor lights at her home, and Eufy’s S4, which includes RGB with both warm and cool white, is her favorite so far. She found the app incredibly easy to navigate and find the features she wanted, from preset holiday scenes (120!) and colors to schedule and brightness adjustments. There’s also an AI feature that lets you create customized light shows based on mood and scenarios. They were relatively easy to install on her home, which has non-standard architectural features, as the set has extensions and can be cut and assembled. She says the lights aren’t as bright as the Lumerie Max set below, but the brightness is adjustable. It also includes a radar motion sensor, which it is still testing. The Eufy S4 also works with the Set Matter protocol, so it will work with the smart home ecosystem from Apple, Google, and Alexa. It’s got a waterproof rating of IP67, like the Govi ​​set above.

Lepro’s E1 AI lights are a solid, affordable option, but you’ll have to get around the app’s AI to really get the most out of it. Wired reviewer Martin Szymer says they were easy to install on his porch ceiling with adhesive strips and the occasional screw (both included in the set), though he wished he had installed them pointing toward the street rather than under his porch so they would be more visible. He says they’re bright enough, but be sure to point them away from your home to get the best effect from the street. The app has a lot of nice controls, but you have to go through the AI ​​mode first, which will prompt you to get used to it. Martin says he clicks through all the AI ​​steps and can then access regular controls to control these lights, like smart bulbs. You’ll also get different weatherproofing depending on which size you get: while the 150-foot version has an IP65 rating for the lights and IP67 for the power adapter, the 50-foot and 100-foot models have an IP65 rating for the light kit but no weatherproofing for the power adapter, so it must be in an enclosed outlet. If you’re using an outdoor outlet without weather protection, upgrade to the 150-foot size.

Options If You Can’t Install Permanent Outdoor Lights

Not every home is suitable for this type of lighting. I haven’t found a permanent light set that works with my home yet, so here’s what I’ve used instead, along with what I’m testing next as a possible solution.

Courtesy of Twinkly

twinkling

wire multicolored

These lights are photographed on a tree, but have a weatherproof rating of IP44 (for both lights and power supply) for use outside. I love how much you can customize these lights. You’ll use the app to take a photo of where you’ve placed the lights, whether it’s around a tree, around your balcony railing, or in front of your house, and then you’ll be able to customize the lights and pattern based on how you’ve arranged it. There are tons of fun light designs already built into the app, and you can create your own. If you can only put up string lights but want smart capabilities this is a great option. These lights are also compatible with the ecosystems of Amazon, Google, and Apple.

courtesy of sink

sink

Dynamic Effect Outdoor Smart Light Strip

GE Sync’s outdoor light strip is the one I’m testing for this story, along with the brand’s Smart Eve Lights ($143). Since I have a balcony with metal railings on the second floor, I liked the idea of ​​sticking an outdoor light strip on it to get the bright light effect you see with permanent lights. They’re waterproof with a rating of IP65, and look like a fun idea for anyone with a balcony home design. This guide will be updated with my testing notes soon.

Permanent outdoor lights we do not recommend

Lumerie Outdoor Permanent Lights Max ($270 for 105 feet): The Lumri’s lighting was disappointing and limited for our tester. The instructions suggest installation from the left side, which increases the difficulty if you don’t have an electrical outlet on that side of your house. (Lumari confirmed that this was not required, but the instructions made it mandatory.) The installation instructions also assume that your roofs are flat. Wired reviewer Kat Merk, who tested this set, has eaves with cross-beams that have complex spacing, and unlike other kits, Lumri doesn’t accommodate non-standard architectural elements like peaks, gables, or sections without eaves. Additionally, the Lumri app is tailored for all Lumri Smart Light products (of which there are many), so basic functions for permanent lights — like timers and saving custom scenes — are deeply buried and not intuitive to use. Even worse, when she tried to add the Lite to the Lumry app on another phone, the Lite’s power box stopped working and had to be replaced. He liked how bright the lights were, and the fact that there’s a physical remote, but the app, power box shutdown, and architectural limitations compared to other sets let it go.