I just gave my desk the ultimate upgrade with this smart light strip

My desk is officially the coolest spot in the club — err, office

Like some, I’ve transitioned from a "work from home-only" lifestyle to a hybrid schedule, for which I go to an office a few times per week. This means instead of working from a dining room table, I now have a desk in an open-plan layout. And while the dedicated space is a big improvement from the makeshift setup at my apartment, it lacked the inspiration you’d find in my living space.

Sure, I hung up some photos and brought some of my Star Wars Funko Pops for decor, but it was still a bit corporate. Knowing my predicament, a kind colleague with a 3D printer even made me some figurines from The Mandalorian that fit perfectly beneath my monitor. But it wasn't until I set up the new smart lighting product designed specifically for upgrading desks that I created a workspace I actually look forward to using.

The Govee RGBIC LED Neon Rope Light for Desks ($89.99) is essentially a strip light intended to wrap around the ledge of a desk. You could hack this currently with any strip light I suppose, but this product has the length (9.8 ft), thickness and silicone exterior to suit a desk without looking tacky.

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Govee products range from smart lamps and light-up wall panels to outdoor string lights and even an AI Sync Box that mirrors the colors of on-screen content to nearby fixtures. They all have one thing in common — they’re a breeze to set up.

Sure enough, I had no trouble hooking up the Neon Rope Light. I pulled my desk away from the two it bordered, and then called over a coworker to help me align the rope evenly. Once I felt satisfied with the placement, I peeled back the adhesive protectant to reveal an ultra-sticky backing, and slowly adhered the rope to the edge of my desk.

I probably should’ve mentioned that I received approval from my office manager before augmenting a desk that is definitely not my personal property. That said, the rope was a bit forgiving at first if I needed to adjust the alignment. Otherwise, it adhered strongly to my desk, wrapping around in a way that made it look like it was part of the desk to begin with. (And if I need to remove it, a heat gun or hair dryer should do the trick.)

One of my favorite things about Govee products compared to some other smart light fixtures is that they come with physical controls. That meant I could play around with some color and effect options immediately after installation, enjoying a bit of instant gratification you don't always get with smart home devices.

Once the crowd of colleagues who stopped to admire my incredibly cool — even if slightly-obnoxious — desk dispersed, I paired the rope light to the Govee app. The app features all kinds of scheduling options, routines and preset scenes. For this product in particular, I could program the 42 independent controllable light segments for an appearance that best suited my productivity.

I imagine gamers with this rope light would enjoy flashy light shows, rainbow gradients and even lights synchronized with sound. I might’ve kept it simple with a green and yellow pattern, but I'm still seriously stoked about the upgrade.

Now, all I need is a lesson in cable management...

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Kate Kozuch is an editor at Tom's Guide covering smartwatches, TVs and everything smart-home related. Kate also appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following. When she's not filming tech videos, you can find her on an exercise bike, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.

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