Coast FL97R Headlamp Evaluation | CleverHiker

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The Coast FL97R can deal with all the pieces from route-finding on the path to offering ambient gentle in a tent. We examined the FL97R on all sorts of Colorado adventures, and it held up nicely throughout the board.

The three-button structure seems busy at first look, however the studying curve may be very quick, and the GLIDE FOCUS lever is likely one of the higher beam changes we’ve used at this value level. One clean slide takes you from flood to a good spot that throws farther than the lumen ranking suggests. The ARC180° space lights proved to be an excellent function for camp, although they labored finest with the lamp set down or suspended as a lantern slightly than worn on our head because of the extensive wash.

At 3.8 ounces, the FL97R is on the heavier finish, although it wears lighter than anticipated. The principle knock at this value is the IP54 ranking. It handles rain and mud effective, however some opponents provide extra dependable IP67 waterproofing. That hole is noteworthy in the event you spend important time in actually moist situations. To see how the FL97R compares to different choices available on the market, try our information to the perfect headlamps.

How We Examined

The FL97R logged time throughout a variety of Colorado adventures, together with a 7-mile night loop within the foothills, two automobile tenting journeys totaling 4 nights, and an early-season alpine begin above 11,000 ft, amongst others. Testing spanned pre-dawn path navigation, camp setup, around-camp duties, and prolonged tent use.

Illumination & Gentle High quality

The FL97R is the brightest headlamp we’ve examined on this value vary – and felt even brighter than equally rated designs within the area. On Turbo Mode, the BULLS-EYE spot beam reaches 738 ft (225 meters), which is extra throw than most individuals will ever realistically want on path however helpful for scanning terrain (e.g., recognizing a cairn at a distance). 

The GLIDE FOCUS lever is one other spotlight of the design: Slide it ahead, and the beam transitions from extensive flood to a good, penetrating spot gentle in a single movement. We have been uncertain about it being superior to a twist bezel till we used it within the area. Discovering a beam that works for you is fast and straightforward.

One other benefit the FL97R has over most headlamps: All of its gentle sources can run concurrently. This implies you possibly can make the most of the world lights plus the principle beam and pink or inexperienced on the identical time. This flexibility is uncommon and helpful once you need each ambient gentle and directional throw directly. 

Low mode sits at 110 lumens, which is pretty vivid for tent studying. The ARC180° space lights fill that hole at 20 lumens on their low setting, although we discovered they work finest as a lantern substitute with the headlamp set down or suspended from above slightly than worn in your head.

Burn Time

Battery life on the FL97R is sensible within the modes you’ll really use. Excessive mode will get you 830 lumens for two hours, medium gives 420 lumens for five hours, and low is 110 lumens for 15 hours. We opted for low mode most frequently, which was lots vivid for normal path use and meant we didn’t must continuously fear about battery drainage. Turbo mode’s 40-second runtime at 1,250 lumens is a burst function for fast scans, not sustained use. 

One factor to notice: Voice activation attracts energy even when the lamp is in standby mode. We didn’t expertise a measurable affect on battery life throughout testing, however the jury remains to be out on how impactful it’s on longer journeys. Voice activation may be disabled through a button on the underside of the unit, which is the best name for multi-day use if you wish to maximize juice. The Twin Energy system stays the FL97R’s finest insurance coverage coverage on longer journeys: When the built-in ZITHION-X rechargeable runs low, pop in three AAA alkalines to maintain the sunshine on.

Weight

The FL97R sits on the heavier finish of our lineup at 4.2 ounces, and that’s considerably by design. This can be a camp-oriented headlamp constructed for brightness and flexibility, not a stripped-down unit for path operating. For comparability, the Ledlenser HF6R Signature, which occupies an analogous feature-heavy, high-output area of interest, is available in at 4.8 ounces.

The excellent news: The FL97R’s weight is distributed nicely sufficient that our gear analysts didn’t discover it throughout use. In different phrases, the lamp wears lighter than its spec suggests. The majority does trigger some flop and shaking when operating, nevertheless it’s a non-issue on night hikes and automobile tenting journeys. 

Consolation

The FL97R wears nicely up to some extent. The Extremely-Strap is a breathable, silicone-lined mesh band that stayed put although full evenings with out digging in. The short-disconnect buckle is a pleasant contact, making it simple to stash the headlamp with no need to readjust the match every time. The strap has maintained its form over time with no noticeable stretching.

The lean mechanism locks into 4 mounted positions slightly than adjusting freely, so you can not dial in a precise angle the way in which you possibly can on another fashions. The GLIDE FOCUS lever compensates a bit by letting you regulate the beam form as a substitute of the beam angle, nevertheless it’s not an ideal substitute. We additionally discovered the ARC180° space lights work finest when the lamp is ready down on a floor or hung in a tent (like a camp lantern). When worn in your head, the extensive wash of the sunshine shines instantly into your eyes and will get uncomfortable rapidly. 

Ease of Use

The FL97R was extra intuitive than anticipated given its options. Three buttons sit on prime of the unit, every with a devoted operate: One cycles white beam brightness ranges, one controls the world lights, and the third controls the pink and inexperienced modes. The GLIDE FOCUS lever is a bodily slider that adjusts the flood and spot of the principle beam. As soon as the structure, biking modes is quick, and the capabilities not often intervene with one another. The power to run a number of gentle sources concurrently (space gentle on whereas utilizing the principle beam, for instance) is a pleasant benefit and requires no particular button mixture.

Attending to the inexperienced beam requires biking by pink first, which might be annoying once you need inexperienced quick, nevertheless it was a non-issue for our analysts. The lockout operate prevented unintended activation in pack pockets. Voice activation, accessed through a button on the underside of the unit, has its personal temporary studying curve. Begin by saying “Coast” to wake the headlamp, then state the mode title. To our shock, it really labored fairly nicely, even in louder environments. 

Options

The FL97R is likely one of the most feature-rich headlamps we’ve examined, and most of these options maintain up within the area. The GLIDE FOCUS lever and ARC180° space lights (lined within the sections above) are extraordinarily sensible. The voice activation is a helpful and distinctive addition that we used greater than we anticipated to. We went in skeptical, anticipating a gimmick, and got here out satisfied of its usefulness – it’s genuinely useful for camp setup or another two-handed process. 

In follow, we discovered ourselves bumping brightness up and down continuously with no need to succeed in for the headlamp. We examined the voice management in a busy camp kitchen, on a windy path above treeline, and inside a tent, and it labored nicely in all three environments. Voice management mechanically deactivates after quarter-hour of inactivity to protect the battery, or it may be disabled fully through a button on the underside of the unit. 

Ought to You Purchase the Coast FL97R?

Purchase the FL97R if you’d like one headlamp to deal with the entire journey. Route-finding on path, hands-free camp duties, and ambient tent gentle are all lined. The GLIDE FOCUS lever is probably the most intuitive beam adjustment we’ve used at this value, the voice activation is extra helpful than gimmicky, and the world lights make a stable tent lantern. For campers and weekend hikers, the Coast FL97R checks quite a lot of bins.

Skip it in the event you’re an ultralight backpacker counting grams. At 3.8 ounces, it sits on the heavier finish of our lineup. In the event you hike often in high-precipitation environments, the IP54 water resistance ranking might fall a bit quick (if that’s the case, there are alternatives with extra dependable IP67 waterproofing at an analogous value). And if path operating is your major use case, you’ll be higher served by a lower-profile design with much less bounce.

What Different Headlamps Ought to You Take into account?

In the event you just like the Coast FL97R however need different choices as nicely, try these fashions or the remainder of our lineup on the checklist of our favourite headlamps:

Ledlenser HF6R Signature Evaluation: The Ledlenser HF6R Signature is heavier than the FL97R at 4.8 ounces, rather less vivid with 1,000 lumens at full tilt, and prices extra. On the flip aspect, it gives extra dependable IP68 waterproofing, encompasses a sturdy aluminum physique, and provides a blue beam alongside pink and inexperienced. Those that worth climate resistance and a rugged development – nice for makes use of like searching and fishing – might discover the added funding price it.

Petzl ACTIK CORE Evaluation: An ideal all-rounder, the Petzl ACTIK CORE gives 625 lumens at max brightness, weighs 3.1 ounces, and may be run off of its rechargeable battery or three AAAs. It’s easier and extra compact than the FL97R with a protracted monitor report of backcountry efficiency, though it lacks an space gentle and beam-focus system. 

Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 Evaluation: If you’d like critical output for technical terrain and don’t want the FL97R’s camp options, the Distance LT 1100 is a powerful possibility. It’s rather less vivid however pulls forward in weatherproofing (IP67 vs. IP54) and burn time, lasting as much as 120 hours on low. Nevertheless, you forgo an space gentle, focus lever, voice activation, and hybrid-battery versatility (it could’t run off of alkaline batteries in a pinch).