Perko Portable Navigation Lights

Perko Portable Navigation Lights: A Century of On-Water Safety

When it comes to portable navigation lights, few names carry as much weight on the water as Perko. Originally founded as F. Persky & Co. in 1907, the original product line consisted of hand-formed and soldered navigation lights fabricated from brass, copper, and galvanized steel — meaning marine lighting has been Perko's core mission from the very beginning. That heritage is woven into every portable light they manufacture today.

Why Portable Navigation Lights Matter

If you own a boat, proper navigation lights are critical. These lights help you see and be seen by other vessels in the dark, as well as signal your position and direction — and they are required by law from sunset to sunrise and in poor visibility conditions. A portable navigation light offers flexibility that fixed-mount lights can't always provide, making them especially valuable on smaller vessels, kayaks, canoes, dinghies, and as backup systems on larger boats.

What Sets Perko's Portable Lights Apart

Perko has been guiding vessels across the globe with some of the most dependable and sought-after navigation lights in the marine industry, designed to be affordable and well-made while meeting current US Coast Guard requirements. That dual commitment — affordability paired with certified performance — is a hallmark of their entire portable lighting lineup.

Perko's portable navigation lights span a wide range of configurations. Many LED models use just 10% of the energy draw of standard lights, offer low heat output, and provide long service life — critical advantages when you're running off a battery on a small vessel. Their Stow-A-Way pole-mount series is designed with boaters in mind: featuring a stow-away plug-in pole with a clear fluted globe and 2-Mile USCG 2nm certification, these lights deliver regulated visibility in a compact, packable format.

For boaters who need a true all-in-one solution, Perko's fold-down portable all-round lights pull double duty. These lights feature a fixed mount with a fold-down, adjustable angle, providing a 360° all-round navigation light in the up position for all nighttime boating or while at anchor, and functioning as a cockpit courtesy light in the down position while at dock.

Perko has also addressed a common frustration among boaters: glare. Their "Reduced Glare" design helps preserve night vision by reducing the amount of light wasted outside of the visibility zone — a thoughtful engineering detail that separates Perko's products from generic alternatives.

Compliance and Certification You Can Trust

As the first domestic manufacturer to pass UL 1104, Perko's lights can be installed on vessels over 20 meters (65.6 ft.) in length. A brass tag is permanently affixed to each light indicating the type of light, catalog number, voltage, and bulb type, and states that the light is classified by UL in accordance with the '72 COLREGS. This level of documentation and traceability is rare in portable lighting and gives boaters genuine peace of mind during inspections.

Perko is a vertically integrated manufacturer with a long history of innovations, with all products Made in USA, and the company is ISO 9001:2015 registered. That end-to-end manufacturing control means every portable navigation light leaving their Miami facility is built to consistent quality standards — not assembled from third-party components.

The Right Light for Your Vessel

Whether you need a compact all-round anchor light for a kayak, a fold-in-half pole light for a small runabout, or a low-profile LED unit for a center console, Perko's portable navigation light lineup covers the full spectrum of vessel sizes and use cases. Browse the full selection of portable navigation lights or explore the complete Perko brand catalog to find the right match for your boat.