LB
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2025
Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free ProductWhen considering flashlight purchases—and Lord knows I’m a flashlight fanatic with way more than I could possibly need—I am always cautious because many lights are exaggerated, overmarketed, or just plain unimpressive.That’s never the case with Coast, which, in my opinion, is one of the most recognized and reputable flashlight makers. If they say their light is 1,250 lumens, rest assured it actually is. Coast doesn’t just make high-quality, reliable lights; they’re also an innovator, and the design of this one is a great example of that. What attracted me enough to order it was the right-angle design paired with a uniquely designed focusable lens.The 1,250-lumen brightness level is respectable, though it requires turbo mode, but it’s not exceptional by today’s standards, given the advancements in LED and lithium-ion battery technology. However, what people must understand is that high-quality lights like those made by Coast have a purpose, and that purpose is reflected in their design trade-offs.One of this light’s main purposes is to be compact enough to wear as a headlamp. Since it serves as both a flashlight and a headlamp, the battery is contained inside the light rather than being housed separately, like some headlamps with rear battery packs. This means all the weight is at the front of your head, which isn’t ideal, but it’s an unavoidable design trade-off to maintain versatility.My point is that this light is already fairly bright, but making it even brighter would require a higher-output LED, which would draw more power. That, in turn, would mean either increasing the battery size—making the light heavier and even more front-heavy when used as a headlamp—or keeping the same battery and reducing runtime. Neither of those options is ideal, so the 1,250-lumen output is a reasonable balance given the intended design.When removed from the headband and used as a flashlight, the right-angle design has definitely grown on me. I also like the clip, which allows you to attach it to your shirt or belt.But in my opinion, what makes this light truly unique—and very Coast—is the focusable lens. Unlike other focusable lenses I’ve seen, which extend outward and take up more space, this one features a rotating design that doesn’t add bulk. That’s something special.Overall, I’ve never met a Coast product I didn’t like, though some are clearly better or more unique than others. This one falls into the "more unique" category—not just interesting, but also highly versatile and useful.Perhaps I’m being a little critical, but I’m giving it four instead of five stars, mainly because it feels a bit pricey for only 1,250 lumens. However, as my review suggests, it’s a high-quality, well-designed, and versatile Coast flashlight that easily deserves at least four stars.
Bradley
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2025
The media could not be loaded.
James
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2025
First off, I find the headband EXTREMELY comfortable, and I do not find the flashlight too heavy to be comfortably worn on my head for a reasonable amount of time to get a job done. I don't anticipate ever having to wear this for hours upon hours a day, so I find this weight to be absolutely acceptable for 20-60 minutes, if not even longer.Clips into the headband very securely...almost too securely, it takes a good effort to unclip it to use as a handheld or magnetize it.Love the focus adjustment for a wide cast to a tighter beam. Battery life is pretty good, though I wish there was a way (bar level or something) to see exactly where I stand; as it is, it just goes from all's great to getting low, but I have no idea how dire until it starts flashing. Would be nice to have a way to know how urgent a recharge is before it gets to the point of dire urgency (even if just via more color indicators, like adding a "yellow" to mean it's getting to half way, then red would mean 25%, then blinking red indicates 10% NEED TO CHARGE NOW...something like that...).There is little to not like about this. This only minor gripe is that the lowest setting is almost unusable it's so dim. It's certainly better than nothing in a pitch-black environment, but only barely. Turbo may only stay on for a short period of time, but that intensity isn't a level I'd reasonably need to run for an extended period, so I don't have a major complaint in that regard.I debated 4 or 5 stars, but have to tilt it to 5 since my "cons" (which are so mild that it's nitpicking at that point) are so few, while the "pros" are in abundance.