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ToolGuyd > Flashlights & Worklights > Coast FL60 LED Headlamp Review: Day 1

Coast FL60 LED Headlamp Review: Day 1

Oct 19, 2015 Stuart 9 Comments

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Coast FL60 LED Headlamp

Coast makes some fine LED lighting products. I reviewed their A25 focusing LED flashlight 4 years ago now, which left me with a positive opinion. Since then I have bought a couple of other Coast LED flashlights as gifts, and I have a Coast penlight around here somewhere.

A Coast FL60 LED headlamp arrived, out of the blue, and took me a little by surprise. It’s a wide angle headlamp, and I immediately put it to the test.

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I should tell you that I am VERY BIASED when it comes to LED flashlights, worklights, and headlamps. Maybe I’m even a little snobby. In regard to headlamps, I’m a Petzl kind of guy, with the Pixa having taken over as my top choice, and a Zebralight kind of guy.

I should also point out that the FL60 that I received is a little different from the one shown in the above product image. My sample has a black headband with red Coast lettering. There are no light-colored diamonds on the outside, or red band on the inside.

So far, I have tested the headlamp for a couple of 10’s of minutes. More testing and use is to come, but I wanted to share my initial thoughts while still fresh.

Specs

  • 300 lumens max brightness
  • 3 brightness modes: high, medium, low
  • 22 hours max runtime
  • IPX4 weatherproof
  • Powered by 3x AAA alkaline batteries
  • Wide beam pattern

At first, I thought that the Coast FL60 wide beam LED headlamp had an adjustable lens focus, but it does not, the lens and beam spread is fixed. That’s okay, I like wide beam LEDs.

Not only is the beam pattern wide, it’s also bright and uniform. It is brightest at the center, with slight drop off near the outermost “ring” of illumination.

This isn’t the most perfect floodlight I have seen, but it comes close. The FL60 delivers great quality light. Could it be better? Yes, but perhaps only in theory. Remember, there’s a limit as to what can be done with a headlamp that is still small and light enough to be worn on your head.

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The FL60 looks large, but wears comfortably. Keep in mind that I’ve only worn and tested it for a little less than an hour. I’ll let you know if my impression changes after a couple of hours of wearing it.

Gone are the days where I have to hunt and peck for a power button. This one is easy to find, as it’s right in the top center of the headlamp, and it’s large enough that I don’t have to hunt around for it.

I also like that the headlamp is hinged and can be angled downwards. There are a total of 4 pivot positions, ranging from 0° to about 50° or so.

Battery changes are easy, the strap is adjustable, and the whole shebang is weather resistant to IPX4 standards. In other words, you can probably use the FL60 alright in wet or maybe even rainy weather, but don’t try to go underwater with it.

MSRP: $43

Right now, I’ve got no complaints – this is a nice headlamp.

If I had to pick on Coast or the FL60 just a little, I would say that it looks a little boring, and maybe even cheap. It feels solid, and it works well, but except for the lens elements and the soft power button, the entire headlamp is a little bland. I thought that the knob-shaped front was a control knob of some kind, but it’s just a fixed structural component.

I don’t know, I guess I’m used to headlamps with a little more flair. This one is more on the utilitarian side of things, which can be a good thing.

It’s a good thing that the only negatives about the Coast FL60 LED headlamp are that it looks a little cheap and boring. The light quality and user comfort is what matters, and both seem to be outstanding. I plan to use the headlamp more in coming days, but don’t anticipate any surprises.

If I had to nitpick further, I would express interest in reversing the order of brightness modes. Since the wide beam angle is better for close-up work, I think I would prefer it to start off at the lowest brightness setting, rather than the highest. But then again, if I were using it for close-up outdoorsy lighting needs, I would definitely want it as-is, with the highest brightness setting as the first selection.

The design is completely different from that of Coast’s other LED headlamps, which have strap-mounted battery packs that are worn separately and opposite from the actual headlamp part. I prefer one-piece designs, but accept that there are reasons why 2-piece headlamps might sometimes be better.

Time will tell whether the Coast FL60 lives up to the high expectations I plan to hold it to. In the meantime, it looks to be a highly recommendable wide beam LED headlamp.

Compare(Other Coast headlamps via Amazon)

Thank you to Coast for providing the review sample unconditionally.

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Sections: Flashlights & Worklights, New Tools, Tool Reviews Tags: headlamps, LED headlampMore from: Coast

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9 Comments

  1. ken

    Oct 19, 2015

    I am also a petzl fan, I have bought many as gifts and I use the petzl tikka xp 2. If you know that model, how does the coast compare?

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Oct 19, 2015

      I can’t find my Tikka 2 Plus at the moment, or my Zipka, only my Pixa, but I can tell you that the Petzls all have a little more polish to them.

      Wipe away the Coast branding, and this could be any brand’s generic headlamp. BUT, only until you turn it on – this definitely has Coast’s excellent optics and beam shaping.

      Going by numbers, this is way brighter than Petzl’s latest Tikka models.

      Generally, I think the Tikka is more for seeing in front of you, rather than working with your hands up close. For working up close at short distances, this should have the advantage, thanks to the wider beam angle. It’s bright enough that you could also use it for some distance-illumination, but it probably isn’t ideal for that. I want to give it more use in different environments before I can say for sure.

      Reply
      • thanasi

        Jan 3, 2016

        I read your article on the petal pixa , and you recommend the pixa 1 which has 70 lumens i think. do you think this coast is a better buy?. I working in a harsh environment and really don’t need a spot light. I need to see close up and max 6 ft away. Thanks

        Reply
  2. Nathan

    Oct 19, 2015

    petzl and princeton tec fan myself. I’m curious myself and I think I’m worn out my current headlamp.

    any pics of the beam spread?

    Reply
  3. Joao Ritter da Luz

    Oct 19, 2015

    Acredito muito na qualidade deste produto, gostei muito, . estou nescessitando
    adquirir um .

    Reply
  4. Nate 818

    Oct 19, 2015

    I love coast flashlights. Looking forward to buying this one

    Reply
  5. John

    Nov 3, 2015

    Probably not in the same league but on an impulse I picked up the Energizer Vision HD+ LED Headlamp for $14 bucks at Home Depot (200 lumen adjustable with night vision red led as well). Very good purchase I already used the heck outta it and really pleasantly surprised at how well it is. Dunno why I waited so long to get one, but this lets me know what better features to look into if i want to upgrade to this much pricier Coast. Though I wish Energizer would tone it down with these strange paint jobs. Neon green wouldn’t have been my first choice; nothing screams nerd more than 80’s hot neons.

    Reply
  6. Michelle

    Dec 15, 2015

    My husband needs one of these! I need to grab this before Christmas.

    Reply
  7. Duane

    Dec 27, 2015

    I bought one of these at Home Depot as a special buy for $15. I was so impressed with it for the price, I went back & bought 2 more. They also had the FL70 for $25–had a zoom lens & 405 lumens, but were sold out. This one has a wider beam than any of my zoom headlamps.

    Reply

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