Flashlights are handy (and make great gifts), but the Coast FL75 headlamp is a better choice for many tasks. Think of every time you’ve used a flashlight, then consider if it would have been better to be hands-free too. Don’t get me wrong – today’s LED technology has given us some compact and powerful options. But a headlamp almost always improves on that. And the FL75 from Coast is no exception.
This is not my first headlamp review, but with each one, the features seem to get better. For the FL75, Coast moved away from their head unit in front, battery pack in back layout. They’ve placed the lens, lamps, batteries, and switches all at the front. This cuts the weight down to 3.7 ounces. But don’t think you have to give up power. With a max output of 405 lumens, the Coast FL75 is no slouch. What you do give up is variable output. Instead, you get high, medium, and low settings for the white LEDs. That’s 405, 230, and 53 lumens, respectively.
As an added bonus, the Coast FL75 includes a pair of red LED lights too. These let you preserve your night vision, and are handy for close-up work. Both the red and white LED lights are controlled by large rubberized switches on either top corner of the unit. Just click the left for red lights, and click the right one for the white lights. For even more flexibility, the lens zooms, thanks to the Coast Pure Beam focusing. When you need to switch from spot to flood, just give the bezel a twist.
Since Coast always includes batteries (3xAAA), I was able to take our test headlamp out of the package, and put it right to work. For a first chore, it was used during some light construction. While tearing down our fence, my neighbor and I ran out of daylight. I loaned him the FL75, so I could get some feedback. He like the output options, and the comfortable fit. I’ll be the first to admit that it out-shined my older headlamp by a noticeable amount. And the reflective headband added a touch of safety.
Later, I used the Coast FL75 for walking the dogs, and checking the yard at night. Yes, my wife sends me to check on the cat. Oh, the low setting is perfect for hands-free light when grilling after dark. That’s a key feature for me. And the red lights were perfect when I was out photographing the super moon. Clearly, this would be a great headlamp for camping too. Overall, it was nice to be hands-free for a variety of tasks. And it’s still on the original batteries.
All the features and functions of the FL75 are what I have come to expect from Coast. The switches are pretty easy to use once you remember which is which. Click stops keep it in place when you tilt it downwards. Making the lens zoom is as easy as giving it a slight twist. Those switches seem sealed up well, as is the battery compartment.
Like all Coast products, it’s covered by a lifetime warranty. We’ve been using their products since 2011, and everything we have reviewed still works without fail. Check them out at CoastPortland.com.
Brian
I’d like to thank Coast for providing their FL75 for this review. It’s another handy light that we’ve found plenty of uses for.