Malodorousroadkill
Member
It has been years since I've done a review so I was pretty surprised to get a message from my theHighRoad.org inbox from popular flashlight manufacturer, Olight. They asked if I would be willing to review their new rechargeable S1R Baton flashlight. I was a little bit nervous about being able to get some good beamshots, but I finally agreed and they sent me a sample.
Olight is a Chinese flashlight maker in the same vein of Fenix or Nitecore. Like its rivals, Olight provides lights with quality and features that approach the levels of the venerated Sure-Fire, but not so much that each light costs hundreds of dollars for the consumer. Indeed, for the scores of truckers, technicians, farmers, security staff, and broke down motorists, plenty of folks have found Olight's product line up to snuff for their personal disasters.
The S1/S2 Baton series can be said to be Olight's flagship line. These compact EDC flashlights are available in single AA, double AA, single 123, and double 123/18650 models. The new S1R & S2R adds an R for rechargeable. The standard features include pocket clip, flat magnetic tail-cap, & a side button UI, and lanyard. Also, S1/S2s are handsome lights with a cool modern aesthetic. They don't look out of place next to spendy gear like Zero-Tolerance and even the vaunted Chris Reeve Sebenza, yet won't break the bank with a price range of $50-$80.
On to the S1R, to the most important part, the light. The LED provides a floody cool white beam of startling power for a light thats slightly bigger than my thumb. The turbo mode throws out 900 lumens. The light only lasts a few minutes before the heat forces it to step down to a lower lumen mode. The standard light modes from high to low are 300/60/12, with respective runtimes in hours 1/4.5/33. All are useful modes for various ranges and purposes. I feel there is no reason to doubt the company's runtime estimates. There is also a firefly mode of .5 lumen. This is surprisingly useful when trying to navigate in extremely dark areas of your house or for reading something without blinding a driving spouse. The runtime is 360 hours. I'd say it is pretty good at about 100ft at high or turbo but past that it dissipates rapidly. Medium mode will give you a good look at about a house-length while low will illuminate a few feet ahead for navigation in good dark.
A quick rundown of the UI:
Off + single click = On
On + single click = Off
On + hold down click = Cycles Through 300/60/12 lumens
Off + hold down click = .5 lumens
On/Off +double click + release = 900 lumens
This particular light, the S1R, the first and most important feature is that it is rechargeable. It comes with a USB recharging system. The system is designed to interface with the magnetic tail-cap. Simply wave over the recharging port and the two will connect with a satisfying snap. The light can take normal 123 or rechargeable 123s, but it requires a special RMR 123 (included) to use the recharging system. Replacement batteries can be bought for about $5.
As before, the S1R is a tiny light, small enough to fit in a coin pocket. The hexagonal ring around the head provides solid purchase while the knurled body is pretty smooth. It also prevents rolling as does the pocket clip when attached. In my large hands, it is too small to use a standard sort of grip. Instead, I find it more comfortable to hold in a pinch grip. In fact, the small size makes the pocket clip suffer greatly. Most larger knives and lights have more distance between the clip and the butt. This allows greater leverage to have the clip slide down over your pocket rim. This makes it fiddly to replace. Reversing the clip actually put the distance to the negatives. Making it virtually impossible to clip the light without using two hands. Also, the small size alone makes it hard to retrieve and activate quickly from the clipped position. This is an issue reflective on my size. My wife's tiny hands suffered no detriment in comparison. The magnet is strong and will neatly hold up a 6oz knife. It can hang upside down from a metal door frame just as well as it will tailstand on a linoleum floor. A little paracord and this light can be used to fish out lost keys.
As good as this little light is, it is a poor choice to compliment a CCW. I'm not going to fuss about it being too small to use as an impact weapon, nor is it lacking in the power department or even suffering a bad UI system. A pocket clipped flashlight with a tailclick is basically perfectly indexed to deploy in the fastest, most idiot-proof way possible. It is drawn with the controlling thumb in position. Lights are cylindrical and whether pocketed, holstered, or clipped, they can rotate. This will leave the switch possibly a different position each time. Could Olight make a tail click version that functioned with this recharging system? That would be an amazing option for CCWers!
As a working light, this is a pretty solid choice with some caveats. The small size makes it easy to carry everywhere especially if you're already weighed down with gear. The magnetic feature is a must for technicians & maintenance staff in every field from hotels to automotive repair. It does lack the range a good security light should have, but can function well enough as a backup. As said before the small size makes it a pain to reclip rapidly, but also makes it hard to use with gloves. The final issue is runtimes. For an all night light, a 18650 is going to be the better choice which would be the S2R.
For most things, convenience is king. For EDC gear, convenience is God-Emperor. The S1R's charging system is ideal for folks regularly using a small flashlight. It isn't really much less expensive than going the charger route, but it is the fastest and easiest way to stop burning through 123s which can still be very expensive here in flyover country. Its good looks and ergonomics make it quite a nice choice to get your less EDC-centric family members into carrying a light. Christmas is coming up & the package should fit nicely in stockings. For most tasks, this little guy will work. Looking for more, give the S2R a try.
http://www.olightstore.com/led-flashlights/camping-outdoor/olight-s1r-baton .
Also, the OlightStore will have some sales for Black Friday. They've even got lights in colors that your wives & kids will like.
Olight is a Chinese flashlight maker in the same vein of Fenix or Nitecore. Like its rivals, Olight provides lights with quality and features that approach the levels of the venerated Sure-Fire, but not so much that each light costs hundreds of dollars for the consumer. Indeed, for the scores of truckers, technicians, farmers, security staff, and broke down motorists, plenty of folks have found Olight's product line up to snuff for their personal disasters.
The S1/S2 Baton series can be said to be Olight's flagship line. These compact EDC flashlights are available in single AA, double AA, single 123, and double 123/18650 models. The new S1R & S2R adds an R for rechargeable. The standard features include pocket clip, flat magnetic tail-cap, & a side button UI, and lanyard. Also, S1/S2s are handsome lights with a cool modern aesthetic. They don't look out of place next to spendy gear like Zero-Tolerance and even the vaunted Chris Reeve Sebenza, yet won't break the bank with a price range of $50-$80.
On to the S1R, to the most important part, the light. The LED provides a floody cool white beam of startling power for a light thats slightly bigger than my thumb. The turbo mode throws out 900 lumens. The light only lasts a few minutes before the heat forces it to step down to a lower lumen mode. The standard light modes from high to low are 300/60/12, with respective runtimes in hours 1/4.5/33. All are useful modes for various ranges and purposes. I feel there is no reason to doubt the company's runtime estimates. There is also a firefly mode of .5 lumen. This is surprisingly useful when trying to navigate in extremely dark areas of your house or for reading something without blinding a driving spouse. The runtime is 360 hours. I'd say it is pretty good at about 100ft at high or turbo but past that it dissipates rapidly. Medium mode will give you a good look at about a house-length while low will illuminate a few feet ahead for navigation in good dark.
A quick rundown of the UI:
Off + single click = On
On + single click = Off
On + hold down click = Cycles Through 300/60/12 lumens
Off + hold down click = .5 lumens
On/Off +double click + release = 900 lumens
This particular light, the S1R, the first and most important feature is that it is rechargeable. It comes with a USB recharging system. The system is designed to interface with the magnetic tail-cap. Simply wave over the recharging port and the two will connect with a satisfying snap. The light can take normal 123 or rechargeable 123s, but it requires a special RMR 123 (included) to use the recharging system. Replacement batteries can be bought for about $5.
As before, the S1R is a tiny light, small enough to fit in a coin pocket. The hexagonal ring around the head provides solid purchase while the knurled body is pretty smooth. It also prevents rolling as does the pocket clip when attached. In my large hands, it is too small to use a standard sort of grip. Instead, I find it more comfortable to hold in a pinch grip. In fact, the small size makes the pocket clip suffer greatly. Most larger knives and lights have more distance between the clip and the butt. This allows greater leverage to have the clip slide down over your pocket rim. This makes it fiddly to replace. Reversing the clip actually put the distance to the negatives. Making it virtually impossible to clip the light without using two hands. Also, the small size alone makes it hard to retrieve and activate quickly from the clipped position. This is an issue reflective on my size. My wife's tiny hands suffered no detriment in comparison. The magnet is strong and will neatly hold up a 6oz knife. It can hang upside down from a metal door frame just as well as it will tailstand on a linoleum floor. A little paracord and this light can be used to fish out lost keys.
As good as this little light is, it is a poor choice to compliment a CCW. I'm not going to fuss about it being too small to use as an impact weapon, nor is it lacking in the power department or even suffering a bad UI system. A pocket clipped flashlight with a tailclick is basically perfectly indexed to deploy in the fastest, most idiot-proof way possible. It is drawn with the controlling thumb in position. Lights are cylindrical and whether pocketed, holstered, or clipped, they can rotate. This will leave the switch possibly a different position each time. Could Olight make a tail click version that functioned with this recharging system? That would be an amazing option for CCWers!
As a working light, this is a pretty solid choice with some caveats. The small size makes it easy to carry everywhere especially if you're already weighed down with gear. The magnetic feature is a must for technicians & maintenance staff in every field from hotels to automotive repair. It does lack the range a good security light should have, but can function well enough as a backup. As said before the small size makes it a pain to reclip rapidly, but also makes it hard to use with gloves. The final issue is runtimes. For an all night light, a 18650 is going to be the better choice which would be the S2R.
For most things, convenience is king. For EDC gear, convenience is God-Emperor. The S1R's charging system is ideal for folks regularly using a small flashlight. It isn't really much less expensive than going the charger route, but it is the fastest and easiest way to stop burning through 123s which can still be very expensive here in flyover country. Its good looks and ergonomics make it quite a nice choice to get your less EDC-centric family members into carrying a light. Christmas is coming up & the package should fit nicely in stockings. For most tasks, this little guy will work. Looking for more, give the S2R a try.
http://www.olightstore.com/led-flashlights/camping-outdoor/olight-s1r-baton .
Also, the OlightStore will have some sales for Black Friday. They've even got lights in colors that your wives & kids will like.
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