Throughout the past two decades, LED technology has progressed at a rapid pace and overtaken all other forms of lighting as the primary light source used on boats. As a result, there are now seemingly endless options for LED lights on your boat, so how do you choose? In this article, we’ll explore the factors to consider when outfitting your boat with LED lights and how to choose the best ones to fit your needs.
Key Takeaways
- LED lights are now the standard for boats, offering greater efficiency, lower heat output, and improved durability compared to halogen or incandescent fixtures.
- Different areas of a boat benefit from different LED light types, from navigation lights for safety to underwater lights for function and aesthetics.
- Key factors like voltage, dimmability, light color, and color temperature help determine which LED fixtures best fit your boat’s needs.
- Considering fixture shape, mounting style, and control options ensures your lighting setup is both practical and suited to your vessel.
Why LED Lights are Best for Boats
LED light fixtures have become the universal choice of boat builders and marine outfitters around the world, and for good reason. When compared to older lighting technologies, like halogen or incandescent, LEDs offer several more benefits to boaters.
First and foremost, they draw significantly less power than halogen fixtures with similar light output, so they offer power savings for your boat’s battery bank. For many boaters, this means longer nights at anchor without draining the batteries or running the generator as often. They also produce significantly less heat, making them more efficient and less of a fire hazard onboard. In hot climates or enclosed cabins, this lower heat output helps keep spaces cooler and safer.
LEDs can also be manufactured to more exact specifications, so getting consistent light color is more common in LEDs than in halogen fixtures, as the halogen relies on a filament heating up and glowing to produce light, so the resulting light color is more likely to be inconsistent from one fixture to the next. Consistency means better control of your onboard atmosphere, whether you want bright, crisp lighting for utility areas or warm, steady tones in your living spaces.
Types of Marine LED Lights
Marine LED lights are available in a wide range of styles, each designed for specific functions on your boat. Choosing the right type for each area ensures safety, efficiency, and comfort while you’re on the water.
Deck and Cockpit Lights
These fixtures illuminate working and gathering areas outside the cabin, helping you move safely, rig gear, or relax after dark. Because LEDs are efficient and reliable, they’re especially practical for spaces that see frequent use.
Navigation Lights
Used to signal your vessel’s presence and status, navigation lights are essential for operating legally and safely after sunset. LED versions shine brightly, last longer than traditional bulbs, and reduce the hassle of frequent replacements.
Underwater Lights
Mounted beneath the waterline, these lights add both utility and atmosphere. They can improve nighttime visibility around the hull, attract fish, or simply create a striking glow for aesthetic appeal.
Interior Cabin Lights
Inside the boat, lighting needs vary between relaxing spaces and work areas. LEDs make it easy to choose warm tones for dining or sleeping quarters and cooler whites where brighter light is useful, such as galleys or nav stations.
Spotlights and Floodlights
These are designed for power and reach, cutting through darkness when docking, fishing, or navigating tricky waters. LED technology offers strong output without the heavy energy draw, giving you dependable light when it’s most needed.
4 Factors to Consider When Choosing Marine LED Lights for Your Boat
Before choosing specific fixtures, it helps to understand the key features that separate one marine LED light from another. The following 4 factors will guide you in narrowing down the best options for your boat and ensure the lights you select perform the way you need them to.
- Voltage
- Dimmability
- Light Color
- Color Temperature
1. Voltage
The first and most important factor to consider when purchasing LED lighting for your boat is the power supply. Almost all marine LED light manufacturers offer their lights for 12VDC & 24VDC power supplies, and many manufacture them so that they can accept any power in the range of 10-30VDC. However, if you have a 32VDC power source on your boat, or want to run them on AC power, your options will become far more limited which can either narrow your choices down, or you can consider installing power-converters for your lighting circuit. In any case, making sure the LED lights you purchase are compatible with the power source on your boat is the most important first step.
2. Dimmability
Not all LED lights are dimmable, and many require specific dimming modules so it’s important to consider whether or not you want or need your lights to dim. If you do want dimmable LEDs, it can often be beneficial to stick with one brand of lights throughout the boat so that the same dimming modules can be used for all of your lights. Depending on the manufacturer and the technology, dimming LEDs can sometimes require using a third or fourth wire in addition to the two power wires – positive & negative – which can make the installation process more laborious or expensive. Many manufacturers, Imtra included, use two-wire dimming technology so that the same wires that power the light are also used for dimming.
3. Light Color
Because LED driver boards can be configured with seemingly infinite combinations of different colored diodes, light fixtures that produce multiple colors have become increasingly common on boats, so it’s important that you consider if this is something you might want. Multi-colored lights can be good choices for functional reasons, like using a red light while standing watch at night so as not to ruin your night-vision, or for aesthetic reasons to give your boat that extra pop of color. Many LED light manufacturers offer bi- or tri-color lights which can cycle between two or three different colors if you want a fixture that can do another color beyond a standard white. Additionally in more recent years, manufacturers like Lumishore with their LUX collection make lights with full-spectrum color-changing ability to produce any color you want using your smartphone as a controller.
4. Color Temperature
Color temperature is also an important consideration when it comes to the non-colored lighting on your boat. Color temperature is used to describe the appearance of the light produced from a fixture, measured in degrees Kelvin (K) on a scale of 1,000 – 10,000; though the majority of the lights we see in our everyday lives fall in the range of 2,000K – 6,000K. The lower end of the scale is known as “warm white” and appears to our eyes as more of an amber color, while the upper end of the scale is known as “cool white” and appears to us as a crisp, bright, often blueish light. In between the two is knowns as “neutral white”.
Warm white lights are what we more typically find in living spaces like dining areas or sleeping quarters, while cool white is typically used in utility spaces like work benches and engine rooms. It’s important to consider the color temperature of the light fixtures in your boat so that you don’t end up with a harsh white light over the dining table or a softer warm white light in the engine room when you need to see what you’re working on clearly.
Additional Considerations When Choosing Marine LED Lights for Your Boat
The three main factors above will go a long way in helping you narrow down the lighting options for your boat, but there are still more considerations. LED lights come in all shapes, so you can choose round or square, spotlights or long linear lights. You also have to consider how they’ll be installed be it surface-mounted or recessed, mounted with springs or with screws, and so on. You’ll also have to consider whether you’d like to control them with wall switches for multiple lights in a circuit or individually with light fixtures that have switches built in.
With all the LED lighting options available, it is often beneficial to consult an expert once you have the basics narrowed down, so feel free to reach out to us at Imtra for any advice or to answer any questions, we’re happy to help!
LED Lights for your Boat FAQs
How many lumens should a boat light be?
The right lumen output depends on where the light is used. Interior cabin fixtures may only need 100–300 lumens for comfortable ambient light, while deck or cockpit lights often range from 500–1,000 lumens for safe visibility. High-output spotlights and floodlights can exceed 2,000 lumens to project beams over longer distances.
What makes a light marine grade?
A marine-grade light is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of life on the water. That means corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel or marine-grade aluminum, waterproof or IP-rated housings to block out salt spray and rain, UV-stable lenses, and durable wiring that resists moisture and vibration.
Can I replace halogen boat lights with LED ones without rewiring?
In many cases yes, especially if the fixture has the same form factor and voltage rating. But if your boat’s dimmers or wiring were designed for filament bulbs, you might need to upgrade switches or use LED-compatible dimming circuits.
Related: LED vs. Halogen: Should I Convert to LED Lighting on my Boat?
How long do marine LED lights typically last?
Quality LED fixtures often last 50,000 hours or more before noticeable output loss. Compared to halogen or incandescent options, they degrade slowly, which means you won’t see them “burn out” overnight.
Related: How to Choose the Right Marine LED Lights for Your Boat
Which LED color temperature is best for boat lighting?
It depends on the application. Warm white (around 2700–3000K) is more comfortable for cabins and living areas, while neutral to cool white (4000–5000K) works better for workspaces and deck lighting where clarity is needed.
Do marine LED lights need a special waterproof rating or corrosion protection?
Yes, marine environments are harsh. Look for IP65/67/68 ratings and corrosion-resistant housings (marine-grade aluminum, stainless steel, UV-stabilized plastics) to ensure longevity and reliability.
Related: What is Ingress Protection & Why Do IP Ratings Matter for Boating Equipment?