Note: I received this light from Fstoplights https://www.fstoplights.com/ to review. They have a great catalogue of lights and outdoor gear, with international shipping options.
Introduction
The Olight S1A came in a nice packaging – clean and professional. You’d just know you’re getting a quality flashlight. It’s a handy 1xAA light that puts out a whopping 600 lumens when paired with a 14500. It comes with an Olight branded non-rechargeable Lithium AA battery so you can have fun right away! I own a Foursevens Quark Pro 2xAA, and I’m definitely replacing it with this Olight.
What do I love about it?
For this brightness levels in this form factor, the Olight S1A would be a fantastic light for your pocket, bag, or your vehicle. I never had a flashlight with a magnetic tailcap but now that I’ve tried one, I realised how usable it is in so many situations. While this light does not throw very well, its TIR lens provides a large and even floody beam.
In short,
- Very portable/pocketable
- Uses an easily-found battery type
- Broad, floody beam
- Fantastic UI
- Magnetic tailcap!
The Olight came in a very nice, clear plastic packaging with key information printed around it. You get a manual, the light, and a well-made lanyard.
Clear and concise instructions, available in multiple languages. I applaud Olight for being transparent about their stepdown timings. It doesn’t leave you wondering about lumens and runtimes.
Very nice size, perfect for leaving it in your car or a bag, even for your pants pockets.
Specs
These specs are provided by the manufacturer, and can be found here: https://olightworld.com/olight-s1a-baton
Dimensions:
Weight: 37.5g / 1.32oz
Length: 79.5mm / 3.12in
Head Diameter: 21mm / 0.82in
Body Diameter: 18.4mm / 0.72in
Material
AL6061-T6 aluminum alloy, Type III hard anodising, blue PVD stainless steel ring around the switch and bezel
MSRP
$39.95 USD/ $55 SGD from Fstoplights in Singapore
LED
CREE XM-L2 LED (CW)
Reflector
TIR lens
Battery
1 x AA/14500 battery (You need a 14500 for the Turbo mode putting out 600 lumens)
Modes/Output
[Alkaline AA] 4 Modes
Moonlight: 0.5 lumens (20 days)
Low: 5 lumens (75 hours)
Medium: 50 lumens (4.5 hours)
High: 220 lumens → 100 lumens (12 mins + 80 mins)
[Included Lithium Iron AA] 4 Modes
Moonlight: 0.5 lumens (25 days)
Low: 5 lumens (80 hours)
Medium: 50 lumens (10.5 hours)
High: 220 lumens → 100 lumens (110 mins + 30 mins)
[14500] 5 Modes
Moonlight: 0.5 lumens (15 days)
Low: 5 lumens (60 hours)
Medium: 50 lumens (6.5 hours)
High: 220 lumens → 100 lumens (100 mins + 10 mins)
Turbo: 600 lumens → 300 lumens (1 mins + 60 mins)
Max Range/Throw
High mode: 71m
Turbo mode: 118m (3480cd)
Mode Memory
Yes (other than Strobe)
Waterproof
IPX8 (waterproof up till 2m, for 30 mins)
Lockout
Untwist tailcap for lockout
Tailstand
Yes
Lanyard Attachment
Yes
Reversible Pocket Clip
No
From left: Quark Pro QP2A-X with 1xAA battery tube, Olight S1A Baton, Lumintop Tool AAA, AA Eneloop, AW 14500 LiON, Efest 10440 LiON
From left: Quark Pro QP2A-X with 1xAA battery tube, Olight S1A Baton, Lumintop Tool AAA, AW 14500 LiON, AA Eneloop, Efest 10440 LiON
Quality
As with most Olights, you know you are getting a flashlight with overall top notch quality. Right out of the box, the light has:
- Responsive side switch that protrudes slightly but isn’t susceptible to accidental turn-ons
- Strong clip
- Clear, legible printing on the light in crisp white (possibly laser engraved)
I love the side switch. It’s great for single-handed operation, and requires a substantial amount of force to depress despite it protruding out slightly. The raised switch is easier to find in the dark, in my opinion.
The strong clip allows it to be clipped to a cap for hands-free use. Nifty!
This is how it looks like in my EDC pouch.
UI
The flashlight has 5 modes (excluding Turbo if you don’t use a 14500).
Single click to turn it on/off. Since it has mode memory, it will come on in whichever mode you left it on (unless you left it at Strobe). With the light on, hold down the switch to cycle through Low → Medium → High → Turbo and release the switch to select the mode.
From Off:
- Hold down the switch (>1 second) for Moonlight mode
- Double click for Turbo mode (high mode if using a non rechargeable Lithium battery)
- Triple click for Strobe mode
To exit these modes, Hold to cycle through the modes or Click to switch off.
Timer(for the light to be automatically turned off):
3 mins: When the light is turned on, double click and the light will blink once. The flashlight will turn off after 3 mins
9 mins: When the light is turned on, double click and the light will blink twice. The flashlight will turn off after 9 mins
Beamshots
This time round, I tried to get some outdoor beamshots for you guys for a more realistic view of the illumination levels.
Taken on a Samsung Galaxy S8 set to manual mode: ISO 800, 1/15. Building was 8 to 10 metres away.
Low
Medium mode
High Mode
Turbo Mode
Use Cases
Left in the car: When caught in an emergency situation, the magnetic tailcap really stands out because you can ‘stick’ it to your car.
In an EDC pouch: Like the photos above, this is how I will carry the light – as a secondary light when I need more output than my Lumintop Tool AAA.
In my pocket: While it is shorter than the Lumintop Tool AAA and perfectly ok to EDC in your pockets (especially cargo pants), it is slightly fatter and hence, I choose not to pocket carry it.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Small form factor
- 600 lumens on 14500!
- Fantastic finish and strong material
- Responsive switch
- Strong clip
- Love the magnetic tailcap
Cons
- The beam pattern is not perfect due to the TIR lens (but only when you view it up close)
- Non-reversible clip
- Rubber switch might wear out faster than a metal/plastic one
- The grease on the threads were a little thin, but all good once I slathered some silicon grease over it
The light stuck on the fridge due to the strong magnet.
Some beam artefacts that you see in the hotspot, but only when viewed up close and on a wall.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Olight has my badge of approval with its form factor, top notch quality and the overall usability of this light. The UI is straightforward, and the ability to go into Turbo or Strobe with double and triple clicks respectively is a well thought out feature.
If possible, I would do comparisons with the CR123 and 18650 versions of the Olight Baton series.