COAST FL97R Rechargeable Headlamp Review
A high-lumen, hands-free, voice-activated headlamp for any occasion
February 17th, 2026
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Our verdict
Think of the COAST FL97R voice-activated rechargeable headlamp as a slightly heavier light that rolls all the best features of other headlamps on the market into one. (Combine Black Diamond’s Distance high output, BioLite’s beam distance and runtime, Nitecore’s hallmark reflectivity, etc…and you can start to get the idea.) And not only do you get a durable, 1,200-lumen headlamp with all the best features, you can control the entire headlamp hands-free with the optional voice-control setting (which is impressive for many reasons).
The FL97R’s defining advantage over other headlamps is its voice-controlled capabilities, whether changing beam type/pattern, beam strength, color, and more. The one downside of its many fantastic features is that it is heavier than standard headlamps. This is not an ultralight option, and maybe not the best option for thru-hikers traveling light.
But for alpine climbers, early risers, late-night runners, gear repair professionals, search and rescue volunteers, frequent campers, mechanics, anyone using gloves, and others—this headlamp is a pretty awesome contender.
For more of our top picks in headlamps, check out our Best (and Brightest) Headlamps guide.
COAST FL97R Rechargeable Headlamp
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COAST FL97R Specifications
Maximum brightness: 1250 lumens
Brightness levels: Turbo / High / Med / Low
Voice control: Yes, optional setting (just say “COAST, [add command]”)
Beam system: COAST Pure Beam focusing system, and glide adjustment (manual)
Beam distance: 183–225 m
Run time: 15-20 hours max (on low)
Battery type: Rechargeable Li-ion
Charging: USB-C
Weight: 105g / 3.75 oz (verified weight)
Water resistance: IP54
Materials: Durable plastic case, silicone-lined reflective strap, silicone rubber buttons (3)
Warranty: COAST Lifetime warranty
Best for
Hikers and backpackers who adjust their light often/often wear gloves
Winter or night runners or climbers who can’t easily press buttons
Campers performing tasks while both hands are occupied
Mechanics, backcountry hunters, search and rescue, or guiding professionals
Anyone who dislikes complicated button cycling
Users with disabilities (the buttons are tactile and the voice-control is a helpful accessibility tool as well)
Comparison table
| HEADLAMP | MAX OUTPUT (lm) | WEIGHT W/ BATTERY (oz) | RUN TIME HIGH / LOW (hrs) | MAX BEAM (m) | FLOOD MODE | HANDS FREE MODE | MSRP* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coast FL97R Voice Activated | 1250 | 3.75 | 2/15 | 225 | Yes | Yes | $60 |
| BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro | 800 | 5.3 | 7/150 | 135 | Yes | No | $120 |
| BioLite Range 400 | 400 | 2.6 | 6/200 | 90 m | Yes | No | $60 |
| Black Diamond Spot 400 | 400 | 2.7 | 2.5/200 | 100 | Yes | No | $55 |
| Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 | 1100 | 3.8 | 4.25/120 | 125 | Yes | No | $150 |
What we liked
Reliable voice control for hands-free use, even with different voice accents, with neck gaiters and layers on, and in wind and blowing snow
Strong beam quality and design–great beam options between medium, high, and Turbo
Bonus 180-degree ARC beam is super useful for reading, setting up camp, finding gear in a gear bin or car at a trailhead, etc.
Great brightness levels for both trail use and work use
Great in emergencies (we tested during a four-day power outage)
Fast USB-C charging
Solid durability and construction
What could be better
Heavier than most backpacking headlamps (it’s a trade-off)
Shorter runtime (even on low, but especially on the Turbo setting, though the high beam is plenty of light in most cases)
How we tested
I tested this headlamp in a variety of places, mainly winter hiking at dawn and dusk, trail running as it got dark, camping, traveling and packing up the car at night, and even working from home during a power outage.
I tested it in Colorado, from urban trails in Denver and Golden (the Front Range), to more remote locations like Evergreen, Salida, Ouray, and Crestone (a Dark Sky certified town!). I ran into a few elk and foxes, but never any coyote or bigger wildlife. The high and Turbo settings were definitely nice to illuminate more of the trail in places where I was concerned about wildlife.
I tested on trail and around my town at night in both quiet and noisy environments, like during a single-digit blowing snowstorm bundled up with layers with a Buff over my face. I also had a few friends with different voices and accents try out the voice commands to see its accuracy beyond just me.
During a huge power outage, I used the headlamp hands-free to find and organize coolers, extra lanterns, and other supplies my family and I needed. I also used the headlamp a couple nights while camping in the wide ARC mode for reading, and very often in voice/hands-free mode while walking the dog at night.
Performance in the field
Many headlamps can work for a variety of activities, people, and occasions. But the best headlamp for a dawn mission, a late-night winter run, or an unforeseen emergency is the one that you can trust and rely on. Many of our “best” headlamps win not just for their laundry list of cool features, but for their ease of use and performance in an array of scenarios. Here are just a few of the things that make the Coast FL97R a headlamp that is easy to use and versatile.
In this photo the voice control button is on, and the headlamp can be controlled hands-free. When off, the headlamp can be controlled manually like normal.
Voice control reliability
If the voice control feature intrigues you, then you’ll be happy to know that it works impeccably. The voice control setting is easy to switch on or off (and was almost always easy to remember to turn off), and was super accurate throughout testing. I wasn’t sure how often I was going to use the feature, but because it worked so well, I found myself using it nearly every day I was testing it, and some days just for personal use.
The response time is fast, within one to under two seconds, and it performed well in wind, cold, snow and rain. Even when I was trail running and breathing hard, or trudging through crunching snow or hiking in windy weather, I never had issues. I can count on one hand the times I think I had to repeat myself to ask “Coast, red” or “Coast, warm” (twice, if that). Even when we had friends with different accents and voices test the voice control feature, it worked pretty well. Overall the voice control feature excels in nearly all situations where you may want to go hands free.
Check out the accompanying video for demonstrations on all the different features as well as visual video walkthroughs of the beam strengths and max distance on each beam setting.
So, how does the COAST FL97R in voice control mode compare to physical button-controlled headlamps? In my book it’s better, even if it does use more battery life overall. This feature is wildly useful and versatile depending on where you are and what you are doing outside.
Brightness and beam quality
I tested the beam brightness and quality in different modes a ton while hiking, running, and walking the dog at night on back roads and local trails. The difference between each setting is noticeable, and the ability to manually adjust or focus the beam narrower was sometimes great if I wanted to see something in the distance further away. I found myself using all the settings often, especially the red light and the wide ARC beam for diffused surround light (like while working, organizing gear and climbing ropes hands-free, or reading). I didn’t use the manual beam adjustment quite as often but it’s still a great feature.
The red light is a great power-saving setting if using the COAST for hours on end at camp or in emergencies.
The listed runtimes are accurate, especially the medium and high runtimes, both of which I used for hours on end to run down in testing.
The charging time for this headlamp is extremely good. I spent 2 hours testing the light in Turbo mode, then used the headlamp again the following day for several hours when my power was out. (Recently, power was down to ~30,000 homes across the Front Range mountains of Colorado.) After using the headlamp to go hands-free, see around in the dark, grab gloves and water and supplies, and get some work done, and help move perishable food out of freezers and into coolers, I had completely drained the battery. This headlamp recharged fully in less than 35-40 minutes.
Testing the different beam settings and manual beam adjustment while hiking at dusk.
Note: if you forget to turn off the voice-control function button, this could impact battery life. As far as I could tell in testing, this may drain more of the battery (I forgot to turn it off once before stowing in my daypack, and even though the light was off, the unit was still in “voice control” mode). When you are done using it hands-free, don’t forget to turn the voice control button on the bottom of the unit off! I did not find this to be a repeated issue, and don’t think it impacts the total battery life of the unit over time.
Comfort and fit
I loved the fit of this headlamp—the band isn’t too bulky or wide, and especially for me (I wear a lot of hats in the winter), it was comfortable over my bare head, a hat, or beanie. The strap is super reflective and has lots of detail points, as well as a slightly lighter mesh material that’s great if you are actively sweating while wearing it.
While I absolutely love this headlamp for the occasional nighttime run or early-morning jog, especially if layering over a hat or hood, for extra long runs it’s still slightly too heavy for me. It does jiggle slightly, especially if you have the hinges tilted, but it’s much better when tightened over a hood if you do plan to use it for running. (It is, however, much less bulky than COAST’s rear-loading alternative voice-control model, the RL35R.) I have never noticed the weight across hours of use during any other activity except running. This is maybe a factor to consider if you are buying mainly for hiking, backpacking, and trail running in the dark.
Comparing the bright reflective touchpoints around the whole band of the COAST strap, next to the Black Diamond Spot, BD Revolt, and Biolite Range.
Ease of use
Without the voice-activated button on, this headlamp was still amazingly easy to use. The color settings (red, green) have their own on/off button, as well as the main beam (low, medium, high, Turbo), and the additional wide ARC beam and warm light settings. Everything was intuitive, and the voice control also didn’t take more than a few minutes to learn.
I enlisted my partner and numerous friends to also test the voice activation to see how accurately it performed with accents, mumbling, interference, different vocal ranges, etc. The voice control is incredibly accurate, and continued to impress me throughout testing. Even if you don’t care about voice control, or wouldn’t use it, the three different buttons were so much easier to use compared to press and hold or fast-click button cycling (no one has time to memorize all of those across different types of headlamps!).
Here I am pilfering for some first aid supplies, while controlling the COAST FL97R via voice control, hands-free.
Durability and weather resistance
I found the headlamp to pass my durability test and water-resistance test with flying colors, especially during hikes in cold weather and with snow coming down. The unit was easy to wipe off, stash in a pocket, and charge up later. I never had any concerns about water getting near the mic as it’s on the underside of the unit, sitting above the user’s bridge of nose and near to the user’s forehead. I am not a copious sweater, but even for those who sweat a lot, I would not be concerned about any moisture getting near the mic.
On the underside of the headlamp (facing down when you are wearing it), is the voice control activation button, as well as the mic. In this photo the voice control is off.
Weight and packability
I cannot stress how wonderful and versatile this headlamp is—especially when you never have to remove gloves or fiddle with pressing and holding button combinations. The intuitive design truly streamlines it for maximum use, and also saves tons of time, between switching between modes or activities, etc. I only wish the comfort was slightly better for trail running—if it was, I’d probably live in this headlamp.
Features
Voice-activated control
The voice control on the COAST FL97R is an amazing feature, plus it was exceptionally accurate throughout testing.
COAST Pure Beam focusing system
The Pure Beam focusing system is a fancy way of saying you can adjust and narrow or widen the size of the main beam whenever you’d like, for example, if you wanted a bigger beam throw, or a more narrow beam to look at something close by and in detail. This was a nice feature, but not a major one for me. (Pretty much every other feature of this headlamp I used constantly.)
Turbo brightness mode
The Turbo brightness mode is likely more light than I’ll ever need—though I was happy to have it on a couple occasions while I was running at night, on trail, alone.
Multiple brightness modes
The COAST offers multiple light settings, like white, warm, Turbo, high, medium, and low. This headlamp is up there with some of the more technical and fully featured headlamps I’ve tested previously, like the Black Diamond Distance and some Fenix headlamps.
Rechargeable Li-ion battery and USB-C charging
The charging was consistent the multiple times I used and charged in testing. The USB-C cable that came with the headlamp was also impressively fast, about a 40-minute time to fully recharge.
Helmet/Hardhat compatibility
This headlamp is definitely compatible with helmets/hard hats for hands-free use when you are climbing, doing trail work, chopping wood, or other work that requires a hat or helmet. (I tested with three different brands of helmets.) Plus, the headlamp has a hinge that can angle the light up or down.
Adjustable strap
The adjustable strap on this COAST headlamp gets major points in my book for being super reflective, which is really helpful for where I live (in the foothills with zero streetlights). I chose this headlamp often for walking or running at dawn or walking the dog late at night. Otherwise, the silicone strap is a nice width, stays put on my head or my hat, and is fairly comparable to other headlamp straps in terms of adjustability.
An assortment of headlamps. The COAST FL97R sticks out with its three distinct operation buttons.
Water-resistant construction
I used this headlamp more than once in freezing, blowing snow conditions, and I had no problem with any water or snow getting in or near the mic, or the button housing on the top of the headlamp. That said, its water-resistant rating isn’t as high as some other headlamps (up to IPX6 or IPX7).
Lifetime warranty
Hopefully I won’t need to take advantage of a warranty policy for a long time, but a lifetime warranty compared to a 1 or 2-year warranty is a great perk in terms of extending the lifespan of your gear.
Sustainability/ethical company
COAST headlamps are designed and engineered in Portland, Oregon, and the business is still family owned. Many of the products are assembled in factories in Asia though. COAST has been pioneering in energy efficiency and LED lighting since the ‘90s, and has been making headlamps since 2001. In the past couple years, COAST has achieved CarbonNeutral product certification for its Zithion-X AAA rechargeable batteries and Zithion-X AA rechargeable batteries in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. The battery in this headlamp is the brand’s ZX350 Li-Ion battery.
Should you buy the Coast FL97R headlamp
Mary using the low beam setting hands-free on a 6am ice climbing mission.
Buy if you are an active hiker, climber, mechanic, or anyone who works outside who’s frequently outside in the dark and would benefit from a super high-lumen light and/or going hands-free with voice-activated features.
Skip if you are looking for a headlamp solely for running, or you prioritize headlamp weight, sleekness, and comfort over features.
Where to buy
The COAST FL97R headlamp is not widely available at this time, but you can find it on Amazon or on COAST’s website. Here are some of the pros of the retailers.
Amazon
Pros: Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime membership
COAST
You can sometimes find more options when purchasing directly from the retailer. Sometimes, purchasing directly from the retailer can make it easier if you need to make a warranty return, such as if there is a defect.
Similar headlamps
BioLite 800 Pro
Power Source: Rechargeable Li-ion via Micro-USB
Run Time (High): 7 hours
Run Time (Low): 150 hours
Weight (including batteries): 5.3 oz
Maximum Beam Distance: 130 m
Price: $120
The BioLite 800 Pro is the perfect middle option between something like the COAST (at 1250 max lumens) and a lower-range headlamp like the BioLite Range (at 400 lumens). The Pro doubles down on lighter weight, a comfortable and sleek adjustable fit, and a longer runtime. The COAST has more features, more variety in color and beam size settings, and of course, voice control. While the BioLite 800 is one of the brightest, “no-bounce” headlamps we’ve tested, the COAST offers more settings for a lower price. Learn more in our in-depth review of the BioLite 800 Pro headlamp.
BioLite 800 Pro
Power Source: USB Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery (USB-C) for fast charging
Run Time (High): 6 hours
Run Time (Low): 200 hours
Weight (including batteries): 2.6 ounces
Maximum Beam Distance: 90 meters
Waterproof Rating: IP67 Submersible
Price: $60
The BioLite Range 400 is a great all-around headlamp for camping, nighttime walks, and running, and is the Best Overall winner in our Best Headlamps guide. This is as comfortable as a headlamp gets. But it isn’t the brightest or strongest beam, and the distance is good but not great. Same as the COAST, this headlamp re-charges via USB-C. They’re also about the same price. If you want any sort of extra features (colored lights, changing beam settings, voice control—then opt for the COAST). But if you typically just use a headlamp for the occasional nighttime hike or camping trip, the more basic and light Range may be a better fit. Learn more in our in-depth review of the BioLite Range 400 headlamp.
BioLite Range 400
Power Source: 3 AAA batteries
Run Time (High): 4 hours
Run Time (Low): 180 hours
Weight (including batteries): 2.7 ounces
Maximum Beam Distance: 100 meters
Waterproof Rating: IPX8
Price: $55
I have personally used the Black Diamond Spot 400 for years, and so has my climbing partner. This is a solid, durable, and reliable headlamp—all qualities I found in the COAST FL97R as well. The biggest differences in terms of COAST’s better features is the voice-activation (optional, but so helpful to have), and the rechargeability via USB-C. Another major difference is beam brightness and strength, especially max beam distance, which is more than double with the COAST (over 200 meters).
But, the COAST is heavier, so if you currently have a 400 to 600-lumen headlamp and don’t feel like you’re missing or needing any more features, or don’t mind using batteries, the Spot is a reliable headlamp to consider. But if you care about beam distance and want more variety in settings, I highly recommend the FL97R.
The Black Diamond Spot 400 is the winner of best battery-operated headlamp in our Best Headlamps guide. Learn more in our in-depth review of the Black Diamond Spot 400 headlamp.
Black Diamond Spot 400
Power Source: 2200 mAh BD LT Battery
Weight (including batteries): 3.8 oz
Maximum Beam Distance: 125 m
Run Time (High): 4.25 hours
Run Time (Low): 120 hours
Water Resistance: IP67
Price: $150
The Black Diamond LT 1100 is super similar to the COAST FL97R, though they couldn’t look more different. Both headlamps are rechargeable, and have low, medium, high, and max strength (Boost/Turbo) light settings. However, the Black Diamond LT 1100 is built to have a super high-lumen beam when you need it, and be otherwise compact and lightweight. The COAST is heavier, slightly bulkier, and not as good for trail running.
The beam quality and clarity is great on both. Ultimately, the LT 1100 has a higher waterproof rating as well, so it may be the best bet for more frequent and hardcore runners and backpackers, rather than all-around outdoor users.
The Black Diamond LT 1100 is our pick for best for trail running in our Best Headlamps guide, and is the overall winner in our Best Running Lights guide.
Black Diamond LT 1100
Why you should trust us / About the author
As a hiker, backpacker, climber, and summitter of many Colorado 14ers, I have been using various headlamps now for over a decade of outdoor use. I’ve used and tested headlamps from BioLite, Black Diamond, Petzl, Fenix (and I even once tested a headlamp made of wood!).
My main outdoor activities include camping, hiking, backpacking, climbing and ice climbing, and trail running. I am nearly always outside or on a road trip, and always on the move. Especially in the winter, I do start hiking or running in the dark often, which provided for ample testing! Having a headlamp that I can trust that has a bright enough beam for those “just-in-case” situations, plus one that I don’t have to constantly recharge is an important factor for me.
I did not previously test the COAST RL30R voice control model before testing this one. I spent over two months this winter using and testing this headlamp on dawn and dusk hikes, runs, and camping adventures, mostly in cold weather conditions. Plus, I used it off and on for nearly three days straight during a power outage.
Read more of Mary’s reviews on her author page.
