I enjoy testing Coast head torches as they are often a little different from the mainstream, and the Coast RL20R is no exception, see how it compares to others in the best head torches for hiking guide. It’s incredibly bright in full power mode, with a huge combined total of 1000 lumens coming from two LED bulbs, one that gives a flood of light, and one that provides a spot beam. This mode has a run time of two hours. If you use each bulb alone in high power, you’ll get over 600 lumens for more than 4 hours from either one. The various low-power modes, both combined and single range from 40-85 lumens, offer burn times of 9-17 hours.
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Price: £69 | Weight: 140g | Output: up to 1000 lumens | Power source: Coast Zithion rechargeable battery (USB-C Cable supplied), compatible with add-on accessory battery ZX20B | Features: flood and focus output, white, green and red LEDs, rear battery pack with safety light.
So yes, it’s complicated, and also a bit fiddly to operate, with three buttons to cycle through the various modes (because as well as the white light, there are also green and red options), plus a dial for the brightness. It’s a lot of fun, but also can be frustrating in poor weather on a boggy hillside when you are tired and just need to see the map and what’s underfoot.
The battery is built in, located on the cradle at the back, complete with emergency red light. It’s compatible with Coast’s ZX20B power pack (£23.95, not included), which clips directly on to the battery to double the run time. The power pack can also be used to charge mobile phones and other devices; and, yes, it also has its own built-in torch.
In summary, a great torch for when you need loads of light, but a bit fiddly to operate and overkill unless you are a night owl like me.
