attwood LightArmor Round Bi-Color LED Deck Mount Navigation Light, 2-Mile

Why it's worth it

This is a one-piece bi-color LED that covers the bow of any boat under 20 meters and meets the Coast Guard's 2-mile sidelight standard. The stainless housing and low deck mount keep it clear of jib sheets, dock lines and your anchor rode.

If you want the bow sorted once and then forgotten, this is the light. attwood rates it at 2 nautical miles and builds it for boats up to 65.6 feet, which covers nearly every trailer boat, center console and small cruiser out there. It carries USCG CFR 183.81 certification along with ABYC C-5 and A-16 compliance. You don't have to cross-check your hull length against a chart. If your boat is under 20 meters, you're covered.

The round housing holds red and green in one fixture, so you drill one hole and run one pair of wires. On a bow that's already crowded with an anchor roller and a cleat, that matters. A pair of separate sidelights means two mounts, two seals and two chances for water to find its way in. One fixture is one thing to keep sealed.

From our review of 7 boat navigation lights

What we like

• +If you want the bow sorted once and then forgotten, this is the light
• +The round housing holds red and green in one fixture, so you drill one hole and run one pair of wires
• +LEDs are the whole reason to replace a working incandescent light
• +Installation is where this one earns its keep

What to know

• –The deck mount is the catch
• –The LED module also isn't a bulb you swap at the ramp