Popular Mechanics - USA (2019-09)

September 2019 73

At less than 4 ounces and small enough to

fit in a pocket, the FL85R pumps out 700

lumens of light, and adjusting the focus

is easy—just twist the lens—giving you

one of the longest-reaching spot lights in

the test (the wide-angle flood is equally

impressive). Coast includes two control

buttons, making it easy to flip between

white and red LEDs, especially in the dark.

MAX LUMENS

700

P R I C E

$80

COAST FL85R

The Many Colors GREEN BLUE

of Modern

Headlamp Beams

Some headlamps now come with red, blue, and

green bulbs that help you see near objects in the

dark without sacrificing your natural night vision.

Here’s what each is best for:

RED

Easily picked up by low-light

receptors in your eyes, shades

of green are ideal when you

need to see detail at night,

like on a rocky trail, or reading

contour lines on a map.

If you’ve watched CSI, you know

that blue lights make blood

visible in the dark. That makes

this color popular with hunt-

ers, who can use it to follow an

animal’s trail.

Shades of this color are goo d

at maintaining your night

vision but don’t pick up fine

details. Use it around camp

and to read at night without

disturbing your tentmates.

This is a simple, easy-to-use light that

kicks out a ton of lumens for the price.

One of the lightest options in the test, it

still delivers enough power to see down

the trail or set up camp if you arrive past

dark. The streamlined shape won’t catch

on branches, and the thin strap holds the

330 in place surprisingly well. The battery

is rechargeable, and the controls make it

easy to click from white to red light. The

tilt function could be better—it moves too

easily—and you only get a few hours of

light on the highest setting, but it’s still a

great option for running, home projects,

or camping trips that don’t involve massive

overnight treks.

R U N T I M E

3.5

to

40

hours

P R I C E

$50

M A X

LUMENS

330

BEAM DISTANCE

245 feet

LED COLORS

white, red

WEIGHT

2.4 ounces

BEST FOR CAMPING

BIOLITE 330

R U N T I M E

1.75 to

8.5 hours

WEIGHT

3.9 ounces

BEAM

DISTANCE

656 feet

LED COLORS

white, red

COAST HL8R

This workhorse delivers a lot of light and

battery life. You can easily adjust the size of

the beam by twisting the lens and then fly

through brightness settings with a large dial

on the side. It’s shockproof, it fits around a

hard hat, and you can pop the battery off the

head strap and store it in a bag or pocket.

WEIGHT
11.9 ounces

PRICE
$125

BEAM

DISTANCE

702 feet

MAX LUMENS

800

LED COLORS

white

RUNTIME
4 to 62
hours