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From power outages to walking outside at night, we all have a use, dare I say need, for a trusty, reliable flashlight. In fact, I’m a firm believer in flashlights being part of any safety or disaster preparation kit.
That said, when I recently got the chance to try out Olight’s Baton 3 (a successor to widely popular S1R Baton II), I was immediately intrigued—you see, this isn’t your average flimsy plastic, clunky flashlight. No, the Baton 3 is a sturdy metal, small, sleek, modern, almost stealth, safety tool.
Related: Olight Baton 3 Premium Edition Review
Before even opening the package, I began thinking of all the places I would use it. I live in the Vermont woods, so it will come in handy during stormy nights while walking from my car to the house. It will also be great for going into my spooky basement. Heck, I even suspect it will be good to scare animals away or humans – hint, it has a strobe feature!
So, now that I’ve had it for a few weeks, is it all I hoped it would be? Read on to find out!
What’s in the Box
First and foremost, let’s talk about what’s in the box.
Besides the flashlight itself, the box came with 4 things.
- A MCC 1A USB magnetic charging port.
- A nice bag to store everything in.
- A lanyard for an effortless carrying of the flashlight.
- A very in-depth user manual.
Once again, let me say “good job” to Olight. They really thought of everything someone would need to maximize the use of the Baton 3.
First Impressions
Alright, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of my first impressions. Taking a deep breath and honestly saying, at first, after opening the package, I was a little overwhelmed.
Let me explain.
Lights are something nearly everyone on this planet uses. From wall switches to flashlights on our phones and handheld tools, for most of us, the idea of operating a light is not something we think twice about. It’s a click-of-a-button-and-go, kind of situation.
However, Olight is a little different.
Before I could operate my Baton 3, I was met with a hardy user manual that had a large warning symbol on the front with big black letters saying “PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USE AND KEEP IT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE!”
This kind of shook me. Was I about to ruin my new flashlight if I didn’t read this thing first? Great.
Luckily, what Olight also included is the yellow “READ ME” sheet.
With a quick scan of this document, I could see right away what I needed to do before use.
- Take the yellow film off of the battery area.
- Plug the flashlight in and let it charge.
So, no, I was not going to ruin my flashlight within the first five minutes.
Now, also part of my first impression is the fact that they include a lot of languages in the user manual. This company truly is a global brand and for that, I give them another “good job.”
Features
Quick and to the point, before getting into the pros and cons, let me list the overall features.
- 2.48 inches / 63 mm in length
- 1,200-lumen max output
- 545 ft / 166 m max beam distance
- Customized 550 mAh IMR16340 rechargeable battery
- Two-way clip (it attaches down on belts, pockets as well as on hats, etc.)
- Magnetic tail clip (not only for charging but also for attaching to metal)
- A textured anti-slip grip body
- Charing that lasts up to 20 days
- Single-button operation
- Metal body
- IPX8 waterproof rating
Output and Runtime
The Baton 3 has 5 output modes, plus strobe.
- Turbo: 1,200 ~ 300 lumens, runtime 1.5 + 75 minutes
- High: 300 lumens, runtime 95 minutes
- Med: 60 lumens, runtime 7.5 hours
- Low: 12 lumens, runtime 33 hours
- Moon: 0.5 lumens, runtime 20 days
Pros
Impressive Maximum Beam Distance
If you have ever been driving on a dark road without street lights late at night then you know how great a high beam can be. With the press of a button, the road in front of you goes from half-lit to illuminated.
And, just like your car’s high beam, the Baton 3 has a max beam which really sheds light. You can go from seeing minimally to everything as shown in the video below.
Strobe Function
Never have I ever had a flashlight with a strobe function. At first, I found this function to be strong and thought “I’ll probably never use it.” But, after talking to my father and husband, they told me something interesting.
If I keep this flashlight in my car, purse, or pocket, and if I ever find myself in a situation alone and need to scare a stranger or animal away, this could be a good tool. So, bonus points for adding an element of safety.
Pocket-Sized
No joke, this is the smallest flashlight I have ever used! It fits in my palm and is around the size of a credit card. Even better, its size does not take away from how much light it gives off.
Five Year Warranty
If a product ever comes with a warranty of over 1 year, I am pumped about it.
This alone tells me that the brand makes its flashlights to last.
Related:
I can use it, love it, and not worry about malfunctions and being left without a working flashlight. Olight has my back.
Great Accessories
As I mentioned above, Olight thought of everything someone will need to maximize the use of the Baton 3.
This is especially true when it comes to holding onto the thing. From the grip to the magnetic hand-free capability and clip, I particularly like the lanyard which I can loop on my hand and not worry about dropping if I get spooked in the dark.
Cons
Charging
Before you say oh no, charging is on the cons list, hear me out.
I actually love the battery combined with the USB and magnetic charging port function. This ensures the flashlight will work when I need it and makes charging simple. These days, we all have phone charging cubes with USB ports. Plus, it charges pretty quickly this way.
What puts charging on the cons list is that I had a hard time telling when the flashlight was fully charged. The charge light only works when the light is shining.
Closing Thoughts
There is no other way to say it other than: “WOW, this thing is great!”
Once getting over the overwhelming instruction and actually trying this little bad boy out, I never want to use another flashlight. So many people from all walks of life will find the Baton 3 very useful.
For me, I see it as a safety tool, but for others like hunters and people that work at night, it is amazing and will only help them perform superiorly.
I’m glad to have an Olight of my own and will be recommending it to friends and family.
