This flashlight is quite decent for < $20, and is presented as a step up from the much loved and even lower cost HP1. I just received my HX5 today, and immediately loaded it with a quality 14500 Lithium battery to compare it against a similarly equipped HP1...my usual edc, despite owning higher end lights of similar dimensions. The results were....about as expected. The HX5 did indeed produce more light than my HP1 in a ceiling bounce test, however, the difference was only noticeable upon moderately close inspection. When I compared the beams against a uniform white wall at ~10 meters, I noticed that you could indeed see a somewhat substantial difference in the HX5 in both tint (a tad cooler) and output (roughly what's advertised, 1.5 to 2 times the output) while in flood mode. When both lights were adjusted to spot mode, the HP1 produced a tighter focus and superior beam despite lower output (I will be double checking to make sure the shaft isn't blocked and will edit if this is the case). The differences between the lights are notable, but on the border of not being enough to justify two lights on the market of such comparable capability; it seems that the HX5 was meant to replace the HP1 due to a new emitter offering theoretically superior performance in the same form factor, but the HP1 remains a favorite of consumers and even hobbyists, so the slightly more expensive HX5 loses out against it's more economical younger brother for most buyers. It's almost comical that Coast has removed the HP1 from their official website, considering it's the product that garners most note of their company presently. However, commenting on value at large is skipping ahead too quickly, so let us assess the various facets of the HX5, specifically in comparison to the venerable HP1. In terms of fit and finish, both lights are comparable, but there are some significant differences. The HX5 gets a hefty win due to its vastly superior clip, which mimics more expensive lights with a more expensive to manufacture recurve design that works in both directions with almost not additional bulk. The HX5 also has a tension-based connection, which I presume is meant to allow the clip to either be removed or be rotated around the light....or perhaps is was simply to get rid of the screws that hold the HP1's single-direction clip in place. The HX5's clip may be glued.....it's really tight if it is tension based....I can't really tell immediately. Regardless, it is hands down superior. But the HX5 left a very nice feature of the HP1 behind with this redesign: the hexagonal anti-roll ring of the HP1 which serves as its clip's mounting point. While this is by all means a downgrade by removing it from the HX5's design, it could possibly be argued that an anti-roll ring on such a small light is a waste and doesn't fit the "image" of Coast's flashlights....note, this would be a poor argument, but viable enough to save some money in production to have the feature removed. Maybe someone out there somehow got the ring caught on their pocket or something and just wanted it done away with....who know....but regardless, it's missed on the HX5. But as if as a final retort by the HX5, one final improvement over the HP1 can be found if you look closely; the HX5 includes a sturdy little lanyard hold drilled into its switch protector. While I haven't tried it out at all yet, I'm an immediate fan of its inclusion, but I'm left wondering if it could have been made big enough to accommodate 550 cord without ruining the light's form factor. Some Kevlar wire (commonly called "kevlar trip wire" due to its origin) should do nicely there, regardless, so I'm not dissatisfied in the least, and look forward to seeing if I ever actually use a lanyard with such a small light...or....eh....just writing that sentence made me bored with the idea of it, so maybe I don't actually care about the lanyard hole....it's a nice inclusion, regardless, though I just hope it doesn't lead to excessive wear on the switch. As for the switches on the HX5 and HP1....they're pretty much identical. The HX5 seems to light up sooner, but that may just be due to wear on the HP1. Thus, entirely negligible, possibly for the better, because they feel good for their price. It's not a SureFire...but you're not going to be trusting your life to a > $20 flashlight. Here towards the end of the review, I feel like I need to note the aesthetics of both lights. While almost identical, there's a huge subjective element in the room that has to be mentioned. The biggest difference a consumer is going to see between these two lights is the [apparently now] signature red ring on the tail of the HX5, that's lacking on the HP1. This is apparently Coast's thing now....maybe it always was but was missed on the HP1 for cost reasons during design. While some people might like it, and others may be indifferent...I hate it. I don't just hate it here, I hate it on all of my Coast lights, and I like my Coast lights pretty much universally (I own 10 > 20, and at least 6 different models....like five of these are HP1's, to not include those HP1's I've given away). The little red ring just feels like a blemish that's thrust upon my aesthetic tastes, and it's always red. No other company feels the need to have every flashlight they sell feature an integral part that always clashes, regardless of the light's body color, but Coast does. The HP1 was allowed a reprieve from this intentional socks-with-sandals level blemish, coming in a smooth, simple black, but the HX5 was forced into wearing the the same goofy belt as its larger brothers...I think this is a major contributing factor for only now picking up an HX5, whilst having embraced and proselytized the value that is the HP1. But value is a summation, so let's summarize this. The HX5 is a slight upgrade to the HP1 in most technical ways, but developed some less-than-favorable mutations along the way. Coast made one of the great winners of the internet-fueled flashlight craze that started in ~2015 in the supremely economical HP1. They're cheap enough to give away, even when loaded with a lithium cell (which always has to be explained to prevent a sad loss for the recipient if they're laymen on the matter), make a great travel light, or even backup travel light if you prefer something higher performance, and are just durable enough to be counted on. The HX5 was obviously introduced because $10 is pretty cheap, and with a new LED (by the time of finishing this review, I still can't find what LEDs are used by the two lights, but the HX5's is bigger....but that doesn't mean much in and of itself) Coast realized they could almost double the output of a light of identical proportions for less than double the cost...thus the HX5 was born. But the value of those extra lumens is somewhat lost in the decrease of expendability. The HP1 is a cheap workhorse that serves as a vessel for a battery that you care more about than the light. If you wanted more, you'd get something that puts out 500 lumens with a CR123, or an 18650 powered light that puts out 1000. There are even similarly sized 14500/AA lights of higher price but similar form factor to choose from, and if you want to get really crazy, the single AAA powered Surefire Titan Plus puts both the HX5 and the HP1 to shame for a mere NINE times the cost (/sarcasm). But that's not what you want at this low-end. You want economy, reliability, and expendability, all with a nice modern beam that you can have in your pocket at all times. The HP1 and HX5 will never be lights you brag about or show off to a friend like a Nitecore, Olight, or Zebralight, but they are meant to be there when you need them, either in your pocket or living in the a drawer of each room of your house, waiting to be needed in any circumstance from an emergency to a safe "adult" object for your kids to play with. So to take the HP1 and dress it up into the HX5, almost double its price, and standardize it
