We have been testing out the Coast A25 LED flashlight for about two weeks now, and it has proved to be an absolutely amazing flashlight. In a number of areas, the A25 is honestly one of the finest flashlights we have ever seen.
Coast A25 Build Quality
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The A25 is built with a sealed head (the flashlight is water-resistant), recessed lens, finely machined stainless steel body, rounded tail cap, red o-ring to help seal things up, and a very nice push-button switch. The flashlight appears to be adequately shock proof, something we inadvertently tested by accidentally dropping the flashlight a couple of times.
Technical Specs
- 1.42″ bezel diameter, 1.13″ body diameter, 5.5″ length
- 10.4oz weight (with batteries)
- 196 lumen, 27 lumen, strobe output modes
- 2 hrs 45 minute and 26 hrs runtime (high and low output modes)
Flashlight Operation
The A25 has three illumination modes – the brightest setting, a strobe setting and low-light setting, in that order. You can toggle through these modes by either partially pressing the momentary button switch, or by pushing harder until you turn the light on, then off, and on again, repeating up to 3 times.
The one thing that I do not like about the flashlight is the order of the LED modes. I most often use high-output and low-output settings, with little to no need for the strobe mode. Having to cycle past the strobe mode does not require much effort, but it can be slightly annoying.
The momentary-on and click-on tailcap push-button extends slightly beyond the domed tail cap, and is well-sized and extremely comfortable to press, even repeatedly. You have to press the switch button below the flush surface of the tail cap for it to latch on, so there is little chance of the flashlight locking on accidentally. However, if the flashlight is carried loose in a pocket or bag, the momentary mode can still be activated if bumped.
LED Focusing
You can focus the LED light beam from floodlight to spotlight mode by pushing the head module forward. Pulling it back switches the focus back to floodlight mode. Coast calls this their Pure Beam Focusing Optic System with Fingertip Speed Focus Control, and we found it to be a real joy to use. Most flashlight lens focusing systems require two hands and a twisting motion to work. The Coast A25 can focused with one hand!
LED Output and Light Quality
The A25 throws the most uniform illumination beam that I have ever seen. At a distance of maybe 6-inches and further, the floodlight is absolutely flawless, a perfect uniformly-lit circle. The outer edge of the circle appears to have slightly different intensity level, but with such a large and uniform primary spread, we hardly took notice.
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When focus is set to spotlight mode, the A25 throws a very tight white central beam and a diffuse spread. We found the spotlight to be brighter than several tactical lights, including the Surefire G2X, and several tacticool lights, such as the popular Nebo Redline that we reviewed.
Stainless Steel Finish and the Included Sheath
One more thing I really like about the Coast A25 flashlight is its stainless steel construction and clean appearance. The solid stainless steel also serves as a giant heat sink, but it also looks quite stylish, especially the machined angles of the head module and tail cap. But the satin/semi-brushed finish won’t look good for long as the flashlight scratches easily when carried openly next to other tools.
A canvas sheath is included with the flashlight, and is actually pretty well constructed itself. The sheath has a partially cushioned liner, velcro closure, double-layered expandable elastic sides, and a sturdy belt loop that closes with both velcro and a snap button.
Conclusion
The Coast A25 is an amazing flashlight that we very thoroughly enjoyed using and reviewing. Its floodlight throw is about as uniform and perfectly circular as I have ever seen, and the spotlight mode impressed us quite a bit with how bright and tightly focused it was.
We found the low and high output levels to be appropriate for both light duty and heavily demanding needs. The A25 outputs close to 200 lumens when you need it, and a very usable 27 lumens when you need maximum runtime.
Would we recommend the Coast A25 LED flashlight? Absolutely, in a heartbeat. This model has given us a new respect for Coast, and we will definitely take a closer look at their other LED flashlights and products in the future. The A25 is currently priced at about $70.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
More info via Coast (item #19247)
Coast A25 LED Flashlight Photo Gallery:
Thank you to Coast for providing the sample for this review unconditionally. Review samples are typically returned, donated, or in some cases retained for further testing or benchmark and comparison purposes.
Charles Jett
Christmas is coming!!!! I am 84, be 85 Christmas day, and I hope to get one of the powerful headlites.
Maikeru
Nothing like something that’s both functional and beautiful. This one seems like it’d be at home amongst various art deco and streamline moderne type futuristic items.
Bob Merrill
Great review. Have used Coast for many years, and they will do what they say as far as warranty.
Thanks Bob