I’ve always been a fan of headlamps powered by either 3 AAA batteries or a single AA battery (my current favorite). While these types of headlamps may at first seem a bit archaic – the performance is simply there. When it comes to the ultralight headlamp category, lithium has matched, but not overtaken a single AA battery when watt hours are compared side by side. To avoid throwing away batteries, I use all Panasonic Eneloop batteries – rated for over 2000 cycles.

On the plus side, extra batteries are easy to throw in your pack. On the side of slight inconvenience, recharging requires removing the battery or batteries, and a charger. Harder in the field, but possible. That said, being able to hook up a headlamp to the nearest USB cable or straight to a solar panel or battery bank – without having to remove the battery from the headlamp, is appealing. The Coast FL1R Micro headlamp is one such light that recharges in this manner. As the FL1R headlamp (with the strap included) is just 1.7 ounces and has built-in recharging capability, the Coast FL1R Micro – at first glance – is a very appealing option.

The red LED light option on the Coast FL1R headlamp

The Coast FL1R Micro Headlamp

The FL1R has a non-removable lithium 630 mAh battery pack, 1 white LED for low and high modes, and 2 side red LEDs all in a plastic housing. The light has one top button for all functions. Recharging is accomplished via a micro USB port on the bottom of the housing which has a rubber cover when not in use. When plugged in a red light will illuminate under the opaque top button (red when charging, green when fully charged). The light can be locked and unlocked by holding down the power button. The strap has reflective trim and is stretchy with a non-slip silicone coating. When in use you can pivot the light for the best angle, and the strap can be removed and the light used with a plastic clip as well (included). On high the white light emits 435 lumens and 160 lumens on low. Claimed runtimes are 75 minutes on high, and 4 hours 45 minutes on low. The light is rated IPX4 – or protected from water splashes from any direction.

The flood of the white light beam and red light beams are both excellent, offering full coverage of everything within immediate view, but sacrificing some distance. The light coverage had me questioning my typical preference of a hotspot / spill type of beam coverage. Although, it should be noted that that the white light isn’t the cleanest of beams (the light is not a perfect circle) and the red light even more so – on red an oddly shaped, triangular area is illuminated. However, the tint of the white light trends more towards blue than yellow, and is harsh and cold with poor color rendition. This isn’t a light that’s going to make you feel at home in the woods. I’m guessing this was done to boost the lumen count on paper, as typically colder temperature lights will technically be brighter. I’ve never needed more than around 300 lumens in the wilderness though, and even then just briefly. Thus, I’d rather sacrifice lumens for tint and battery life. Another, lower lumen option for the white LED would be appreciated, but considering the user interface it may have been too much.

While tint is at least debatable, the user interface of the FL1R could be greatly improved. While it does shine in regards to simplicity, there is no memory that remembers your last light setting after you turn the headlamp off. There is no way to go directly to the red light, and there is no way to go from the low white light to high and then back. Thus, if you’re already in your tent and don’t want to blow out your night vision, you’ll have to hold your hand over the light until you get to red. If you’re outside and using the low white light to conserve battery but need a better view into the distance just for a second – you cannot do that without turning the light completely off to get to high. Then you’ll have to turn the light off again to get back to low. You can adjust to this a bit with a rapid, click-as-fast-as-you-can technique, but it’s not ideal.

The strap itself is comfortable to wear, and the light, being as lightweight as it is, is also comfortable to wear in regards to weight. I don’t’ find the housing as being all that comfortable against my forehead, and adjusting the tilt of the light can’t be done as easily as with other lights – you’ll need two hands or it can also be done with one hand, but you’ll have to use part of your hand to hold the base of the housing in place, while tilting the light with your fingers and it’s a bit awkward.

Although 75 minutes of runtime is claimed on high, you won’t be getting full output. For example, starting with a fully charged battery the light appears to regulate output somewhat for the first 30 minutes, with a very slight decrease in brightness over this time period. However, between 30 and 45 minutes of runtime the brightness dramatically steps down to a much lower level. For example and as a reference, this step down on high mode after 30 minutes is to a level much lower than the normal medium mode on a full charge. Whether or not you like this approach, vs. constant dimming, vs. a fully regulated light that maintains its full lumen output for shorter levels of time, is a personal preference.

While recharging the battery is extremely convenient (you might just have a micro USB cable already within reach as you read this), the lithium-ion battery is not replaceable, making this a headlamp that will just become gradually more and more unusable over time as the battery ages. These types of batteries are typically rated for around 500 cycles – if you have a year or two old smartphone you’ll know how quickly these batteries age. You cannot charge and use the headlamp at the same time.

Coast FL1R micro USB charging port

Conclusion

Overall, while the Coast FL1R does have a few good things going for it, its lackluster user interface and harsh white light that trends more towards the blue spectrum relegates this headlamp to more of an emergency style light for me – one to keep in the glove box for example, or perhaps one to take along on day hikes where the only time I’d be using it is if things didn’t go as planned. In those circumstances, I’ll appreciate the light weight, easy recharging, and the very bright flood light the headlamp can provide for short periods of time.

You can find the Coast FL1R Micro Headlamp for about $35 here at REI Co-op as well as here at Amazon.com. For more on how to choose a headlamp, see our backpacking and hiking headlamp guide.

Editor's Note: This review originally appeared in Issue 55 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here featuring additional photos, pros and cons, and our rating of the Coast FL1R Micro Headlamp.