Review (NEW) Olight H1 Nova Headlamp

This light was sent by Olight for review and NO other compensation other than the light itself. As with all my reviews I do my best to give a fair and honest opinion of the light whether free or purchased by myself.

(links are NON affiliated)
Abailable at……
Direct Olight link for H1 Nova……… Flashlights & Headlamps for Working, Camping, Hunting - Olight Store
Amazon Link………. Amazon.com

The new Olight H1 Nova is a very small , but also a powerful light for such a small package. This little light also has some great features and most are covered in the video portion of this review.

I did forget to mention in the video , this light has both , manual and electronic “lockout” features.
For the manual lockout you simply unscrew , or turn the endcap 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn. For the electronic lockout , you press and hold the power switch for about 3 seconds. The light will give a quick blink indicating it is in the lockout mode and will only give a momentary “moon mode” when the switch is depressed , but will not switch on. To exit or turn off the electronic lockout , simply press and hold the power switch again for about 3 seconds , the lockout is disabled and the light functions normally again.
The light also has LVP built in and will automatically step down to a lower mode as the cell discharges and will NOT go into higher modes until the cell is recharged or changed. Note also the battery or cell , inserts with the POSITIVE end to the tailcap, instead of the usual way of having the negative end to the tailcap. I was NOT able to find the estimated run times but when/if I get a chance I will try to get something on those.
I also did not mention that the H1 Nova comes with an Olight branded CR123A cell inside it. You DO need to remove the little plastic insulator that is under the endcap before use. H1 Nova can use CR123A / RCR123 / 16340 cells.
I guess I should mention also the anodizing seems to be really good , as I clipped the pocket clip on and took it off a number of times already and so far the ANO has held up well , without showing signs of chipping or scratching.
Overall a good performing little light and well built. I really do not have any negatives with this one.

I believe I got everything else covered in the video itself.
Video starts with a full description of the light , the still photos of the light and the beamshots start at 7:42 and the live footage outside starts at 10:58 in case anyone does not want to watch the entire video , you can skip to the parts you want to see at the listed times.
I will note as I usually do , the live footage from my cheap video camera is not as true to life as what the still photos (beamshots) show , and the beamshots are much closer to what my eyes see than the video is.

Video followed by listed Specs / Features from the Olight site………….

FLASHLIGHT FEATURES:

◦ Utilizes CREE XM-L2 LED (NW/CW) paired with bead lens, creating clearly divided focus and flood with a smooth transition
◦ High light transmission rate TIR optic lens to deliver a balanced and soft beam
◦ Five brightness levels and SOS mode covering 1~500 lumens
◦ Compatible with CR123A or RCR123A (16340) rechargeable lithium ion battery
◦ Gradual brightness changes: When turned on/off on medium, high, and turbo modes, it will turn on or off gradually to protect the eyes from stimulation caused by sudden brightness changes
◦ Low profile silicone switch located on the head of the headlamp for easy location and operation
◦ Magnetic tail cap allows it to be attached to any ferrous surface for hands free work when being used as a standard light.
◦ Runtime based thermal management program: Under the turbo mode, the headlamp stays at the maximum output for three minutes before gradually dropping down to the high mode after one minute.

INCLUDED ACCESSORIES:

◦ Headlamp (head strap and silicone mount included)
◦ CR123A (3V 1600mAh)
◦ Pocket Clip
◦ Carrying case
◦ Instruction Manual

über cute. :heart_eyes:

Yes ……but also surprised me the output the little light has to go along with that. :smiley:

Uber cute yet Uber late too, nearly all the others have simmilar lights, most of them same or better yet cheaper

Olight lost the iniciative lately, i do hope for that processto stop asap

Thanks for the review Robo

Always glad to do the reviews Mitko.

Runtimes from the manual and olightstore.com:

Level 1 500 lumens for 3 minutes, then 180 lumens for 170 minutes
Level 2 180 lumens - 3h
Level 3 60 lumens - 8.5h
Level 4 15 lumens - 42h
Level 5 2 lumens - 15days

Thanks Kalihi….
don’t know how I missed that other than I was dog tired when I finished the review.

Thanks for the review mate! Most Olights can be used as a headlamp if you wear a hat. They all have the reversible clips. Well at least the small models.

Thanks for the info. This is actually my first Olight product but i find the H1 Nova to be a versitile and well built little light.

Hadn’t seen a 16340 angle light before.
The size and stubbiness make it look really sweet (i.m.o.)

Having 5 headlamps, 2 from Zebralight, 2 from Armytek, and 1 from Crelant used exclusively for electronic repair. I really don’t need another headlamp. But damn! This thing looks great! I’ll probably end up getting one.

It really is a neat little light and I am really liking it so far.

The small size and being able to use it as pocket carry EDC , Headlamp , or as an area light if working on a vehicle (with the magnetic tail) , make it very useful for me.

ArmyTek’s Tiara C1 and C1 Pro are 16340 angle lights that are currently $40:
https://www.armytek.com/products/flashlights/multi-flashlights/armytek-tiara-c1-pro/
https://www.armytek.com/products/flashlights/multi-flashlights/armytek-tiara-c1/

Another great review, Dave. Thorough as usual. That little critter has some bite to it.

Thanks,

Yea for such a small light it does have some output.