I had the chance to chat up one of the representatives – great woman by the way – at the Coast booth at SHOT Show 2023 and got to know more about their product line. Coast is a company that’s been run by three generations of the Brands family. They got their start making heavy duty filet knives and their product line has expanded over the years to include many different products. Before I left off, the representative said she’d be sending me a care package to do some evaluations on. The box of goods came and I had an opportunity to put to the test the XP11R 2100 lumen LED rechargeable flashlight.

The XP11R is a well constructed light designed for use in adverse conditions. The light is not waterproof, however it is “weather proof.” Most of what Coast puts out is designed for occupational settings and the XP11R would fit well into that category. This is not a light that I’d classify as or use as an everyday carry unit, however it would make itself right at home in a tool bag/box, work truck, in the optional belt holster, and even deliver for those that might be engaged in outdoor activities like camping.

Included with the light is a USB charging cable which can go from a USB C charging port, to the USB C port on the light. The cable also has a wire to go from a USB A charging port to the USB C port on the light. Included is a proprietary lithium battery, a COAST ZITHION-X™ rechargeable battery, and an adapter that’ll allow users to power the lamp with AAA batteries.

The body of the lamp is constructed of aluminum and when there’s a battery installed, there is some heft to the light. The black coating on the body leaves the bumpy crocodilian texture smooth yet graspable.

To turn the lamp on and off, there’s a tail switch. The tail switch not only acts as a means to turn the light on and off, but also allows the user to cycle through the different power modes that the light can provide. The switch also has an LED which will glow green when the light has sufficient power remaining, red when it’s running low, and will blink red when the light needs to be charged immediately.

The light has four different lumen output levels: low at 75, medium at 330, high at 1000, and turbo at 2100. The box the light comes in, as well as all the marketing material for the lamp, lists the light at 2100 lumen, however that may leave a little bit of a misconception about “normal” use of the lamp.

The 2100 lumen setting is when the light is in “turbo” mode. The thing about turbo mode, which is initiated by pressing and holding the tail switch in for two seconds, it only stays in that mode for 45 seconds. This is not a light that you’ll be running around with at 2100 lumen all the time. It’s something that’s momentary, when double the light is needed. What’s frustrating is that the mention of turbo mode only staying on for 45 seconds is not in the manual however it’s noted on a product page online. I had to look this up online.

When I first started using my XP11R, I did not charge it all the way – and I was not aware it was not charged all the way. I smoked through the charge in a matter of three days of EDC use, mostly leaning on turbo mode. At the high levels of light output, the battery drains quickly.

This might be one of those “duh” moments, but I ended up figuring this out on my own. The light, when plugged in being charged, there’s a red LED that illuminates to let you know the light is charging. What I did not know is that it turns green when the battery is fully charged. This information is also not in the manual. Sounds common sense, trite, and a given; however I do lean on manuals for information and assume nothing unless forced.

To charge the light, as previously noted, is via a USB cable. I like that it takes a USB C cable, which is the same as my phone and several other devices I own. To access the charging port, one must unscrew the tail end and that’ll expose the port. The port is protected by an O-ring, however the light is not fully waterproof. The rechargeable battery can also be recharged by removing it from the body of the light and plugging the USB C cable right into it. This is useful if one decides to have spare batteries that they want to charge while the unit is still in use.

Once I charged the light fully and used it mostly on the high level, not turbo, I did get about a week and a half out of a charge before getting the red light on the tail switch. Was that the five hours as advertised? Probably. This was a bit more palatable than the three or so days of my first go around using it.

The light has an adjustable or “slide focus.” This feature allows the light to go from spot to wide. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of lights that have this feature, but do see the usefulness of it. I’d keep the light on spot mode. To change the focus one would twist the front end of the lamp to unlock it, then push or pull the end in order to change the plane, twisting it again to lock it.

My first impressions were not strong on the light, but after using it for a month, I can say it’s a well made and useful unit. After testing, I’m not going to be using it as an EDC, but rather will keep it handy as a backup, or when a little extra light might be needed than what’s available. I might keep it in my vehicle or my range bag. This would make a great companion on fishing, hunting, boating, hiking, or camping trips. Pretty much any of the outdoor “ing” activities one might get into.

Pluses: Lifetime warranty. Well made and robust body. The fact that it’s rechargeable is a big plus. Requires no special cables to charge, will accept a USB C cable. Battery life is not the best, but also not the worst (runtime on high is alleged to be 5 hours). Tail switch is easy to manipulate and cycle through modes. The 1000 lumen high and the 2100 momentary turbo modes cast more than enough light for most applications.

Minuses: It’s a little bulky, may deter EDC. For on person carry, the sheath would be recommended. Not waterproof, only weatherproof. The manual could use a little extra information about the features. 2100 lumen turbo mode is only 45 seconds long.

Overall, this is a good light. The price of the light clocks in at $59.99 as of the date of publication. That’s consistent with the price of other comparable LED lights of this kind. Would I buy this light? It’s not my style. I’d prefer something with a pocket clip that’s a little more compact and can easily fit in a front or side pants pocket. This is a matter of taste though and the light is not advertised as an EDC. The price would only deter me based on my own biases of what I like, where if it were cheaper I’d make concessions to my tastes to have one on hand. I would have been miffed if I bought this thinking the 2100 lumen turbo mode wasn’t just momentary (I was miffed going through the process learning it wasn’t). 

Would I recommend this light to a friend? Absolutely. If someone I knew was in the market for a light like this, I’d recommend it hands down. This light will stay in my circulation for use, that’s for sure. 

I have a small pile of other Coast products to review, and look forward to my continued use of them and then subsequent write ups. I am impressed with the quality of these products to date.

Features and Specifications from the XP11R 2100 lumen LED rechargeable flashlight page:

FEATURES

• BATTERY LIFE INDICATOR Know when to power back up—with a battery-life indicator, you can always know when your battery needs to be recharged.
• BUILT-IN USB-C PORT With a built-in USB-C port, your battery can be charged using a USB-C cord. Some COAST models can be charged both inside or outside the light.
• DUST RESISTANT Take on any dirty work environment with this dust resistant light.
• PRO-TEK CHARGING Charge directly from AC, DC, and USB. Flashlights and headlamps with COAST PRO-TEK Charging include a direct-connect port for powering back up. 
• PURE-BEAM FOCUSING OPTIC Pack two powerful beams into one and seamlessly transition—with no halos or hot spots—between short and long-range viewing. COAST’s patented focusing technology adapts to your need. The Ultra View Flood beam delivers edge-to-edge clarity in a broad circle, and the BULLS-EYE™ Spot Beam sends a sharp ray of light at a distance with a transitional halo around the spot to increase the effective viewing area.
• RECHARGEABLE DUAL POWER Each COAST Rechargeable-Dual Power product comes with a ported ZITHION-X™ rechargeable battery or a non-ported ZITHION™ rechargeable battery and is compatible with either COAST Extreme Performance alkaline batteries or other brand-name battery types, depending on the product. This provides you the cost savings of using rechargeable and the flexibility of reverting to alkaline. 
• SLIDE FOCUS One-handed beam control. COAST’s SLIDE FOCUS® system enables you to seamlessly transition between spot and flood beam with the push or pull your finger. Responsive beam-shape control allows you to operate your light with a single hand and keep the other hand free.
• STORM PROOF Don’t worry about the weather. COAST lights that have passed the IP54-level resistance tests are splash-resistant and built with durable materials that stand up to nature.
• TURBO MODE The XP lights not only features standard light modes but also COAST’s signature Turbo Mode for overpowered light in critical situations.

SPECIFICATIONS

• BATTERY TYPE ZX1000 ZITHION-X™ Rechargeable Battery or 3 x AAA (Not Included)
• BEAM DISTANCE (HIGH) 508 ft / 155 m
• BEAM DISTANCE (LOW) 137 ft / 42 m
• BEAM DISTANCE (MEDIUM) 288 ft / 88 m
• BEAM DISTANCE (TURBO) 721 ft / 220 m
• COMPATIBLE SHEATH S40 Sheath
• DIAMETER (BEZEL) 37.60 mm / 1.48 inches
• DIAMETER (BODY) 31.80 mm / 1.25 inches
• INCLUDED ZX1000 ZITHION-X™ Rechargeable Battery | One Meter USB-C Split Charging Cable | Alkaline Battery Cartridge (Alkaline Batteries Not Included)
• LENGTH 152 mm / 5.98 inches
• LIGHT OUTPUT (HIGH) 1000 Lumens
• LIGHT OUTPUT (LOW) 75 Lumens
• LIGHT OUTPUT (MEDIUM) 330 Lumens
• LIGHT OUTPUT (TURBO) 2100 Lumens
• RUNTIME (HIGH) 5 h
• RUNTIME (LOW) 37 h
• RUNTIME (MEDIUM) 7 h 15 min
• WEIGHT 5.7 oz / 162 g