Imtra’s lighting expert Colby Chevalier explains the key differences between LED and Halogen lighting for boats.
Boat owners today face an important decision when it comes to onboard lighting: should you stick with halogen fixtures or switch to LED? Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of power consumption, brightness, cost, and lifespan. This guide explores halogen vs LED lights for boats, helping you decide whether converting your fixtures to LED makes sense for your vessel and boating habits.
Key Takeaways
- LED fixtures use far less power than halogen bulbs, which can significantly reduce battery demand for boaters who spend more time away from shore power.
- Halogen bulbs provide a warm glow at a lower upfront cost, but they are less efficient, generate more heat, and typically last only 2,000–4,000 hours.
- LEDs offer focused light direction, multi-color and tri-color options, and lifespans of up to 100,000 hours, making them durable and versatile in marine environments.
- The main drawbacks of LEDs include higher upfront costs, more complex dimming requirements, and light color differences that may not appeal to everyone.
- Choosing whether to convert to LED depends on factors like how often you use your lights, your battery charging habits, and how many fixtures your boat has.
What is an LED light?
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. Instead of using a filament like older bulb types, LEDs create light by moving electricity through a semiconductor material. This method is much more efficient and produces very little heat compared to halogen or incandescent bulbs.
Key points about LEDs:
- Energy efficiency – LEDs require much less electrical power to produce the same amount of light as halogen or incandescent bulbs.
- Durability – With no filament to burn out, they can withstand vibration and last tens of thousands of hours.
- Light direction – LEDs emit light in one direction, which reduces wasted energy and allows for focused beam patterns.
- Options – Available in multiple colors and brightness levels, including tri-color setups for marine use.
In short, LED lights are modern, efficient, and versatile, which is why they are becoming the standard choice for boat lighting.
What is a halogen light?
Halogen bulbs are a type of incandescent light that uses a tungsten filament sealed inside a small quartz capsule filled with halogen gas. When current passes through the filament, it becomes hot enough to glow, producing light.
Key points about halogen bulbs:
- Warm glow – Known for their natural, warm color temperature that many people find pleasing.
- Lower cost – Typically less expensive up front compared to LED fixtures.
- Heat output – Generates a lot of heat, which can be inefficient and harder on surrounding materials.
- Shorter lifespan – Usually lasts between 2,000 and 4,000 hours, much less than LEDs.
Halogen lights remain popular for their low upfront cost and warm appearance, but their energy use and shorter life make them less efficient over time.
Wattage vs. Lumens
To compare LED lighting to Halogen and Incandescent lighting, we must first understand the key terms used to describe the two: wattage and lumens.
Wattage
Simply put, wattage measures how much energy is consumed by the fixture or bulb. This can also be measured in Amperes (commonly: Amps), for which the equation is: Amps = Watts / Volts, or Watts = Volts x Amps. While halogen and incandescent bulbs are most commonly rated by wattage, this does not actually describe the amount of light the bulb is outputting.
Lumens
This is the key term used to describe light output, and most commonly how LED bulbs and fixtures are rated and described. It is a fixed number, measured only in a lighting sphere, and is not related to distance away from that fixture. If a light puts out 200 lumens, it does so at 10’ or 100’ away.
In some instances you will see two ratings; “Raw Lumens” and “Fixture Lumens”. Raw lumens refer to the lumen output of the individual LED operating with no obstruction. Fixture lumens refer to the light output of the whole fixture, accounting for any inefficiencies of the fixture like a frosted lens or a reflector within the fixture. Fixture lumens are more important to consider when comparing lights, as this rating is the actual amount of light you will see.
What are the main advantages to using LED lights?
When considering a switch from halogen or incandescent fixtures, it’s important to understand how LED technology performs in a marine environment. LED lights bring several key advantages that have made them a popular choice among boat owners including:
- Power Consumption
- Focused Direction
- Multi-Color Options
- Tri-Color Lighting
- Lifespan
Power Consumption
LED light fixtures and bulbs are far more power-efficient than their halogen equivalents. For example, an LED fixture with a light output equivalent to a 25-watt halogen bulb may actually consume only 4 or 5 watts. If your boat has 20-30 fixtures on board, that power savings really adds up, and reduces the number of DC batteries needed to power the circuit or the frequency at which the batteries need to be recharged.
If you’re a cruiser that spends more time at anchor or on a mooring than you do plugged into a dock, this energy saving means less time spent running your engine or generator to keep your boat lit up at night. This is particularly true for sailors who don’t spend much time running the engine while underway.
Focused Direction
Halogen and Incandescent lighting use a heated filament to emit light. That filament, as it heats up, emits lights in all directions equally, meaning that downlight with a filament bulb is throwing just as much light upwards into the body of the fixture, as downwards towards the space it is meant to illuminate.
![ILSL-1806F]()
By comparison, an LED fixture uses diodes which emit light in only one direction. This means an LED fixture would emit light only in the specific direction it is intended to. This means very little of the light output is wasted by throwing light in directions the fixture isn’t intended to throw light.
Multi-Color Options
Because an LED fixture is a collection of light-emitting-diodes secured to an LED-driver-board, they are easily made to be multi-colored by populating that board with diodes that emit different colors. This means one LED fixture or bulb is capable emitting multiple light colors.
Tri-Color Lighting
Conversely, halogen and Incandescent bulbs can emit only the color the filament produces when electricity runs through it. The means a halogen or incandescent fixture must use multiple bulbs, or colored lenses to emit multiple colors.
Lifespan
The industry standard for the lifespan of an LED fixture is roughly 50,000 hours. As anyone who has used filament-style bulbs in their home or boat knows, halogen and incandescent bulbs do not last nearly that long.
One reason for this is the fragility of a filament. If a halogen or incandescent bulb shakes or vibrates, there’s a chance the filament will break causing the bulb to fail. LED fixtures are solid-state, so vibrations do not harm the light. This lower rate of failure means there’s no need to waste valuable storage space on your boat to keep spare bulbs.
What are the main disadvantages to using LED lights?
While LED lighting offers many benefits, there are also some drawbacks to consider before making the switch including:
- Upfront Cost
- Dimming
- Light Color
Cost
While the quality of the bulb or fixture plays a large role, the cost of an LED product is likely to be more expensive than an equivalent halogen or incandescent product. At the end of the day an LED fixture is a piece of electronics, with many sub-components that add to the cost. A halogen or incandescent fixture only needs to pass electricity through a filament, so the simplicity of it makes it easier to manufacture, resulting in a lower cost.
![LED Light_cutaway]()
Dimming
While most quality LED fixtures and bulbs are dimmable, the process by which they are dimmed is different from that of halogen or incandescent bulbs. A filament bulb is dimmed simply by decreasing the amount of electricity that passes through it. That means the dimmer required is a simple device like a rotary knob that either increases or decreases the amount of electricity that reaches the bulb.
Because LED fixtures are essentially electronic devices, they are dimmed using a digital signal called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) that is essentially turning the light off and back on so rapidly that it is not perceived by the human eye. Because this process is a bit more complicated, the dimming modules required to dim LEDs are often more expensive.
The difference in dimming processes becomes a particular disadvantage for re-fitting your boat from halogen to LED if you use dimming. It means that not only the fixtures or bulbs must be replaced, but also the dimmer and often the switch that controls the dimming as well.
Light Color
While it’s more of a matter of personal preference and perception, some people do feel that the light emitted from an LED is too harsh, or bright. While evolving LED technology has started eliminating this issue, there are still many LED fixtures and bulbs that struggle to replicate the “warm” glow of a halogen or incandescent bulb. When choosing an LED, it is always important pay attention to the color temperature of the bulb or fixture, which is measured in Kelvin. The warm color of an incandescent bulb is around 2800K. If you’re looking for an LED fixture that will replicate that warm color, make sure you check that the LED has a temperature near 2800K.
![Kelvin_scale]()
Halogen vs. LED overview
| Feature |
Halogen Lighting |
LED Lighting |
| Light Output |
Bright, warm light with good color rendering; less range and brightness than Xenon |
Bright, clear light with strong color rendering; capable of illuminating significant distances |
| Efficiency |
Less efficient; generates more heat and consumes more power |
Most energy-efficient; uses less power and converts more into light rather than heat |
| Durability |
Short lifespan (2,000–4,000 hours); fragile filament sensitive to oils |
Long lifespan (25,000–100,000 hours); resistant to shocks, vibration, and harsh conditions |
| Cost |
Least expensive upfront; bulbs are easy to replace |
Higher initial cost but lower long-term maintenance and replacement needs |
| Use Case |
Suitable for smaller vessels or near-shore operation |
Versatile option for recreational boats, commercial vessels, and navigational aids |
Are LED and halogen bulbs always interchangeable?
Not always. While many LED bulbs are designed as direct replacements for halogen bulbs, there are a few things you need to check before swapping them.
Key factors to consider:
- Voltage – Marine LED bulbs are usually built for 12V or 24V systems. If the fixture wiring does not match, the LED may not work or could be damaged.
- Heat – Halogen bulbs run much hotter than LEDs. Most fixtures can handle the lower heat of an LED, but light spread may not look the same as it did with halogen.
- Size and fit – Some LED replacements are larger because of drivers or heat sinks. If the bulb does not fit the housing, it can cause poor connections.
- Dimming – Halogen bulbs use simple dimmers. LEDs need a different dimming method, which may require upgrading the switch or dimmer.
The bottom line: LEDs and halogen bulbs are not always interchangeable. Before switching, confirm that the voltage, fit, and dimming setup all match your boat’s system.
Is it worth it to convert my boat to LED lighting?
To determine whether or not you should convert your boat’s lighting to LED, be sure to keep these factors in mind.
Do you use your boat at night?
It’s an obvious question, but be sure to consider how often you really have a need to use the lights on your boat. If you’re only turning them on one or two times per year, it’s probably not worth the cost and effort to convert to LED.
What is the demand on your battery, and how often do you need to charge?
Your use of battery power is an important consideration. If you’re someone that’s constantly running your engine or generator to charge your batteries, you may want to consider LEDs to reduce the demand on the batteries, meaning you won’t have to charge as often.
How many fixtures does your boat have?
The number of fixtures matters for two reasons. From a power consumption standpoint, if you have many halogen or incandescent fixtures, converting to LEDs will result in a big savings in power consumption.
From a cost standpoint, replacing many halogen or incandescent fixtures with LED fixtures could stretch your budget thin.
These are just a few questions to consider when contemplating converting your boat from halogen or incandescent to LED lighting. Of course, the overall “project list” for your boat will also come into play, along with your budget, type of boat, and boating habits.
For more info on LED lighting, check out our article The Benefits & Challenges of Installing LED Lights on Your Boat.
Halogen vs. LED FAQs
What is the difference between halogen and LED bulbs?
Halogen bulbs create light by heating a filament, which produces a warm glow but also generates more heat and uses more power. LED bulbs rely on light-emitting diodes that produce a bright, focused beam while consuming far less energy. Because of these differences, halogen bulbs are generally less efficient with a shorter lifespan, while LEDs last longer and require fewer replacements.
Do LED and halogen boat lights use the same amount of power?
No, halogen bulbs generally consume more power and give off more heat, while LEDs are designed to be more energy-efficient. The difference in power use can affect how often you need to recharge your boat’s batteries.
How long do boat lights typically last?
Halogen bulbs usually last between 2,000 and 4,000 hours, while LED fixtures can last anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000 hours. Actual lifespan will depend on the quality of the fixture and how the boat is used.
Can boaters switch from halogen to LED lighting easily?
In many cases, yes, but it depends on the fixture and electrical setup. Some conversions may require replacing dimmers or switches to work properly with LED technology.