Best Permanent Outdoor Lights (2026 Guide)

Permanent outdoor lights are small LED lights that you mount under the eaves, along your roofline, and leave up all year. You control them from an app: a soft white on a normal evening, red and green in December, orange for Halloween, your team’s colors on game day. That’s why they’re also called permanent Christmas lights or permanent holiday lights: you install them once and don’t have to hang lights every year.

The best choice for most homes is the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro. You can cut and splice it to fit your roofline, it has proper warm and cool white light for everyday use, and it works with Matter. Below are six kits for different homes and budgets: a lower-priced Govee, a kit with a motion sensor that works with security cameras, one for Philips Hue homes, a small kit for a porch or a garage, and a budget option.

Quick Recommendations

• Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro — Best overall. A kit you can cut and splice, with warm and cool white light and Matter.
• Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 — Best value. More lights per foot than the Pro for less money, but you can’t cut it.
• eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights S4 — Best for security. The brightest kit of the six, with a radar motion sensor and links to eufy cameras.
• Philips Hue Festavia Permanent Outdoor Lights — Best for Philips Hue homes. It joins the Hue lights you already have (a Hue Bridge is required).
• Nanoleaf Matter Permanent Outdoor Lights — Best for small homes. A 49-foot kit with Matter that you can extend later.
• Cync Dynamic Effects Smart Eave Lights — Best budget. 100 feet of individually controlled lights at the lowest price.

---

At-a-Glance Comparison

Product	Ecosystem	Key Feature	Approx. Price	Best For
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro	Apple (via Matter), Alexa, Google	Cut and splice to fit, warm and cool white	~$440 (100ft kit)	Best overall
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2	Apple (via Matter), Alexa, Google	72 lights per 100 feet	~$330 (100ft kit)	Best value
eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights S4	Apple (via Matter), Alexa, Google	Radar motion sensor, links to eufy cameras	~$500 (100ft kit)	Security
Philips Hue Festavia Permanent Outdoor Lights	Apple, Alexa, Google (Hue Bridge)	Works with your other Hue lights	~$400 (90ft kit)	Philips Hue homes
Nanoleaf Matter Permanent Outdoor Lights	Apple (via Matter), Alexa, Google	Small kit that extends to 147 feet	~$200 (49ft kit)	Small homes
Cync Dynamic Effects Smart Eave Lights	Alexa, Google	Lowest price for 100 feet	~$143 (100ft kit)	Tight budgets

---

Compatibility Matrix

Product	HomeKit	Alexa	Google Home	Matter	Thread	Hub Required	Wiring/Power
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro	Yes (via Matter)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Plug-in (outdoor outlet)
Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2	Yes (via Matter)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Plug-in (outdoor outlet)
eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights S4	Yes (via Matter)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not stated	No	Plug-in (outdoor outlet)
Philips Hue Festavia Permanent Outdoor Lights	Yes (Hue Bridge)	Yes	Yes	Yes (Hue Bridge)	No (Zigbee)	Hue Bridge	Plug-in (outdoor outlet)
Nanoleaf Matter Permanent Outdoor Lights	Yes (via Matter)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Plug-in (outdoor outlet)
Cync Dynamic Effects Smart Eave Lights	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Plug-in (outdoor outlet)

Two things are worth knowing here. The Hue lights only work with a Hue Bridge, and the Cync lights don’t work with Apple Home or Matter. Also, Matter only gives a platform basic control: on and off, brightness, and one color for the whole run. For animated effects and a different color on each light, you use the brand’s own app.

---

The Best Permanent Outdoor Lights for 2026

Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro — Best Overall

Govee’s Pro kit is the best choice for most homes. You can cut and splice it to fit your roofline, each light has warm and cool white LEDs for everyday lighting, and it works with Matter. If you use Apple Home, our guide to whether Govee works with HomeKit explains what you can control there.

Best for: Most homes, especially rooflines with corners, peaks or gaps.

What stands out in real use

Each light has color, warm white and cool white LEDs. That means white is a proper white, from a warm 2700K to a cool 6500K, and not a mix of colors. In the Govee Home app, you can set the color of every light and choose from 75 scenes. The main advantage over the cheaper Govee kit is that you can cut it: cut the cable where a section of roof ends, then join it again with the waterproof connectors to go around a corner or across a gap.

Key specs

• 60 lights per 100 feet (about 20 inches apart), up to 50 lumens each
• Color plus warm and cool white (2700K to 6500K)
• Lights rated IP67, control box IP65, works from -4°F to 140°F
• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with Matter, Alexa and Google Assistant
• Also sold in 150ft and 200ft kits, in white or black

Pros

• You can cut and splice it to fit
• Proper warm and cool white for everyday lighting
• Works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google through Matter
• Extends to 200 feet

Cons

• Costs more than the Govee Lights 2
• Has fewer lights per foot than the Lights 2 and the eufy S4
• Scenes and per-light colors only work in the Govee app, not through Matter
• Only connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi

Installation and compatibility notes

Each light mounts with an adhesive pad and a screw clip, and Govee recommends placing the lights 2 to 4 inches away from the wall. You can extend the kit to 200 feet, but beyond 150 feet you also need Govee’s driver module. The power adapter plugs into a covered outdoor outlet near the start of the run.

Price: ~$440 (100ft kit)

Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 — Best Value

Govee’s second-generation kit costs about $110 less than the Pro for the same 100 feet, and it has more lights per foot. However, you can’t cut it, so it suits a simple roofline better than a complicated one.

Best for: Straight, simple rooflines, and anyone who mostly wants color for the holidays.

What stands out in real use

With 72 lights per 100 feet (about 16 inches apart), the light on the wall looks more even than on kits with wider spacing. Each light has a dedicated white LED, so white looks clean, although it doesn’t have the Pro’s separate warm and cool white LEDs. The Govee Home app has 100 scenes, a music mode and an AI tool that creates an effect from a description. It’s also certified for Matter.

Key specs

• 72 lights per 100 feet (about 16 inches apart), 40 lumens each
• Color plus a dedicated white LED
• Lights rated IP67, control box IP65, works from -4°F to 140°F
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with Matter, Alexa and Google Assistant
• Also sold in 50ft and 150ft kits, in white or black
• 3-year warranty

Pros

• Lower price than the Pro
• More lights per foot
• Works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google through Matter
• 3-year warranty

Cons

• You can’t cut it
• Extends to 150 feet at most
• Each light is a little less bright than the Pro’s
• Doesn’t work with parts from Govee’s first-generation kit

Installation and compatibility notes

The kit is made of sections that plug into each other. Because you can’t cut them, plan the run in whole sections and use the extension cables (cables without lights) to cross a gap. It mounts the same way as the Pro, with adhesive pads and screw clips.

Price: ~$330 (100ft kit)

eufy Permanent Outdoor Lights S4 — Best for Security

The S4 is lighting and security in one kit. It comes with a radar motion sensor, it links to eufy cameras and doorbells, and it’s the brightest option of the six.

Best for: Homes with eufy cameras or a eufy doorbell, and anyone who wants the lights to react when someone walks up to the house.

What stands out in real use

The radar sensor covers 120 degrees and reaches about 40 feet (12 m). When it detects someone, the lights can follow that person along the house or flash as a warning. You can also let a eufy camera, video doorbell or video lock trigger a lighting effect (our floodlight camera guide includes one from eufy). For everyday use, the S4 has 72 lights per 100 feet, 60 lumens each, and a wide white range from 1500K to 9000K. The Gadgeteer’s reviewer found the lights bright and colorful and the mounts easy to detach and attach again, but disliked the tiny screws and the fact that the lights have to be on while you edit a theme.

Key specs

• 72 lights per 100 feet (14.5 inches apart), 60 lumens each
• Color plus warm and cool white (1500K to 9000K)
• Rated IP67
• Radar motion sensor (120 degrees, about 40 feet)
• Matter, with Apple Home, Google Home and Alexa
• You can cut it, and it extends to 200 feet (150ft and 200ft kits are also sold)

Pros

• Radar motion sensor and links to eufy cameras
• The brightest lights and the closest spacing of the six
• You can cut it to fit
• Works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google through Matter

Cons

• The most expensive kit of the six
• Radar effects, camera links and music sync only work in the eufy app, not through Matter
• Doesn’t work with parts from the older eufy E22 lights

Installation and compatibility notes

You can mount the lights with the included screws or with adhesive pads. After you install the radar sensor, you calibrate it in the eufy app by walking in front of the house. eufy also sells the E22 kit for less, but you can’t cut it and it doesn’t have Matter or the radar sensor. To see which other eufy devices work with Apple Home, read Does Eufy Work With HomeKit?

Price: ~$500 (100ft kit)

Philips Hue Festavia Permanent Outdoor Lights — Best for Philips Hue Homes

If your home already uses Philips Hue, this is the kit to buy. The lights appear in the Hue app next to your other lights, and they use the same scenes, schedules and automations. A Hue Bridge is required.

Best for: Homes that already have a Hue Bridge.

What stands out in real use

The lights connect to the Hue Bridge over Zigbee, so they don’t depend on your Wi-Fi reaching the eaves. In the Hue app, you can give every light its own color, use the same scenes as indoors and include the roofline in automations with Hue motion sensors. The white range (1000K to 20000K) is the widest of the six. Through the Bridge, the lights also work with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings.

Key specs

• 48 lights per 90 feet (22.5 inches apart), up to 50 lumens each
• Color plus white from 1000K to 20000K
• Rated IP65, works from -4°F to 113°F
• Zigbee (a Hue Bridge is required)
• Also sold as a 150ft kit with 80 lights, in white or black
• 2-year warranty

Pros

• Works with the Hue lights, scenes and sensors you already have
• The widest white range of the six
• Doesn’t use your Wi-Fi
• Works with Apple Home, Alexa and Google through the Bridge

Cons

• You need a Hue Bridge (about $80 if you don’t have one)
• The widest spacing of the six, so fewer lights for the money
• Once you cut it, you can’t extend it

Installation and compatibility notes

The kit includes 3M adhesive tape, but Hue recommends screws for a long-term installation. You can cut the string after any light. However, you can only extend it at the connector end, so decide the final length before you cut.

Price: ~$400 (90ft kit)

Nanoleaf Matter Permanent Outdoor Lights — Best for Small Homes

Not every home needs 100 feet. Nanoleaf’s 49-foot kit costs about $200, works with Matter and is enough for a porch, a garage or the front of a small house. You can trim it to fit and extend it later.

Best for: Small homes, porches and garages, and Apple Home users who don’t need 100 feet.

What stands out in real use

Each of the 30 lights has three warm white LEDs, three cool white LEDs and one color LED, so it gives a proper white (2200K to 6500K) for everyday use. The kit includes covers that hide the cable between the lights and a sliding mount that hides the screws, so the installation looks neater than a bare cable. You can trim and splice the string, and one controller runs up to 147 feet.

Key specs

• 30 lights per 49 feet (about 20 inches apart), 50 lumens each
• Color plus warm and cool white (2200K to 6500K)
• Rated IP67/IP65
• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with Matter (Apple Home, Alexa, Google, SmartThings)
• Also sold as a 98ft kit with 60 lights

Pros

• You can trim and splice it, which matters more on a short run
• Warm and cool white for everyday lighting
• Cable covers are included
• Extends to 147 feet on one controller

Cons

• Costs more per foot than the Govee kits
• Only connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
• To use Matter, you need a Matter hub such as a HomePod, an Apple TV or an Echo

Installation and compatibility notes

Nanoleaf says the included screws are required for a permanent installation (the adhesive alone isn’t enough). The kit is made of 16-foot strings that plug into each other. If you don’t have a Matter hub yet, our best Matter hub guide compares them.

Price: ~$200 (49ft kit)

Cync Dynamic Effects Smart Eave Lights — Best Budget

GE’s Cync eave lights cost about a third of what the Govee Pro costs for the same 100 feet, and you can still set the color of each light. However, they only work with Alexa and Google Home.

Best for: Tight budgets, and homes that use Alexa or Google Home.

What stands out in real use

You get 60 lights in four 25-foot sections. In the Cync app, you can give each light its own color, choose a white from 2000K to 7000K, set schedules and run light shows that react to music. You can cut the string to fit and extend it to 150 feet without a second power supply. The lights connect to your Wi-Fi directly, without a hub.

Key specs

• 60 lights per 100 feet (about 20 inches apart), 2,700 lumens in total
• Color plus white from 2000K to 7000K
• Rated IP65
• 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with Alexa and Google Home
• 2-year warranty

Pros

• The lowest price of the six
• You can cut it and extend it to 150 feet
• Each light is individually controlled
• Light shows that react to music

Cons

• Doesn’t work with Apple Home or Matter
• Rated IP65, while the Govee and eufy lights are rated IP67
• Only sold as a 100ft kit

Installation and compatibility notes

The kit includes screws and 3M tape, but Cync describes the adhesive as temporary, so use the screws. Like most of these kits, it only connects to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, so check that your signal reaches the place where the controller will go.

Price: ~$143 (100ft kit)

---

How to Choose Permanent Outdoor Lights

Measure first. Measure every section of roofline you want to light (most people only light the front of the house) and add the gaps you need to cross. If your roofline has many corners and peaks, choose a kit you can cut: every option here except the Govee Lights 2. Check the maximum length too: the Govee Pro and the eufy S4 reach 200 feet, and the others stop at about 150 feet.

Brightness and spacing. These lights point down the wall, and each one makes a cone of light. Closer spacing gives a more even look: the eufy S4 has a light every 14.5 inches, while the Hue lights are 22.5 inches apart. Brightness ranges from 40 to 60 lumens per light, which matters more on a two-story house, where the lights sit farther from the ground.

White light for everyday use. Permanent house lights are on far more nights as plain white than as holiday colors. Kits with separate warm and cool white LEDs (such as the Govee Pro, the eufy S4 and the Nanoleaf) give a cleaner white than color LEDs mixed together, and they let you match your other outdoor lights.

Smart home platform. Every kit has its own app, and that’s where the effects are. Matter adds the lights to Apple Home, Alexa or Google Home as one light, so you can turn them on with your porch light or at sunset. To control Matter devices in Apple Home when you’re away, or to use them in automations, you need an Apple home hub (a HomePod or an Apple TV).

Power. All six kits plug into an outdoor outlet, and the power supply sits at the start of the run, so the outlet’s position decides where your lights begin. Outdoor lights should be plugged into a GFCI-protected outlet (see the Electrical Safety Foundation’s outdoor decoration safety tips). If you don’t have an outlet near the eaves, an electrician can add one.

Mounting and color. Most kits include adhesive pads and screws. Adhesive alone is fine for testing the layout, but use the screws for a long-term installation. Our guide on how to install permanent outdoor lights covers the whole job, step by step. Choose the cable color (white or black) that matches your trim, because that’s what you see in daylight.

DIY kit or professional installation. Professional systems such as Trimlight and JellyFish hide the lights in a channel that matches your trim, and an installer does the ladder work. They also cost much more: Trimlight says professional permanent lighting typically costs $18 to $35 per linear foot installed, which is $1,800 to $3,500 for 100 feet. The kits in this guide cost about $143 to $500 for 100 feet, and you install them yourself. If all you want is to put ordinary string lights on a schedule in December, an outdoor smart plug does that for much less. And if you only want color for the holidays, our guide to the best smart Christmas lights covers string, icicle and curtain lights that come down in January.

---

Conclusion

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro is the best choice for most homes: you can cut it to fit, it has proper warm and cool white, and it works with Matter. The Govee Lights 2 costs less if your roofline is simple, and the Cync eave lights cost the least if you use Alexa or Google Home. Choose the eufy S4 if you want the lights to work with your cameras, the Hue Festavia if your home already uses Hue, and the Nanoleaf kit if you only need to light a porch or a small house. For spotlights, path lights and floodlights around the rest of the yard, see our guide to the best smart outdoor lights.