So it looks like the H1 and H1R have been reviewed alot! so in lieu of posting my usual review with pictures and runtime graphs I wanted to do a quick write up on the light and talk a bit about them. But first I wanted to give a link to my youtube reviews
Normally I wouldn’t bother making this sort of review because they are not what I typically read. I’m a guy who loves runtime graphs and comparisons with other lights. But seeing as many people beat me to the review I wanted to give a 100% subjective opinion on the lights for those thinking about investing in them.
What are they?
Olights H1 and H1R Nova are their new headlamp / edc lamp / worklight all combined into one. It takes a single CR123 battery and comes with a proprietary high drain battery. The light comes with enough accessories to make it a truly useful light. The headband is simple and has quite an amount of adjustment to it. I can adjust it to fit myself and my huge cranium, and also fit my 4 year old. It also has a very typical deep carry pocket clip that you can attach as well. Finally the magnetic tail cap lets you use this light as a 90 degree worklight. The H1R comes with a magnetic charging base that is compatible with the other Olight products.
Why is it so good?
Having around 100 lights its rare that I really get excited about lights anymore. In fact constantly doing runtime tests and filming reviews gets pretty monotonous. The H1 Nova snapped me back into the dark world of flashlights. It only took a few days of carrying this in my pocket to realize that this was probably the most versatile light I’d had my hands on. This thing literally disappears into your pocket when you carry it. I even successfully shirt pocket carried the light as well. it is small and light enough to do it. What I found while using the light was that I could clip it to the outside of my jeans pocket for a hands free light while I walked. I also was able to clip it to the collar of my shirt for the same effect, and also clip it into the side of a baseball cap. Instead of grabbing different lights that I have around the house for different jobs, this light met every daily need I had. This thing also makes a first class work light. While checking the wives brakes I used the magnet and put in on the rotor pointing up into the wheel well. The TIR light spreads the light around nicely and made it a breeze to work on the car and adjust as I needed. There wasn’t an angle I couldn’t hit with the light. There wasn’t a bright washed out hotspot, nor any harsh reflection that made it uncomfortable. I was hooked. Next thing I know I’m using this while I’m cleaning guns, sticking it to my vise while doing flashlight mods, and all other jobs where I’m often reaching for different lights.
As much as this light is versatile, the setup is perfect for me. I like TIR lenses in EDC lights. I don’t need throw. I want a light that is comfortable to use in a car, and in tight spaces. The gentle and slow power up to the light is wonderful. Nothing worse than blinding yourself with turbo in a car. The lockout is also beautifully done. The lockout functions gives you momentary access to moonlight. This is brilliant and the most useful feature of all. How many times I just need a quick burst of light to get a key in the door, but struggle with unlocking a flashlight. Also trying to unlock a flashlight in the dark can be a challenge in itself. This light solves many issues I have with EDC carry of a light.
You add all this together and you have a very useful light. Before the H1 Nova I often carried a small AAA light light the Astrolux A01, Lumintop Worm, or the BLF348, and usually in a shirt pocket. They got me through the day, but whenever i ran into a project at home I always ended up grabbing for a stronger light. When it came time for my yearly winter camping trip my first choice was the H1, and it worked beautifully for the entire trip. I snowshoed in with the light attached to the shoulder strap of my backpack. When I got to camp I transferred it to pocket carry, and as the night wore on it ended up as a headlamp.
So lets talk about the H1R and the magnetic charging base. My wife hates my flashlight addiction… except when the power goes off. She hates any flashlight that has multiple modes, buttons, or is rechargeable. She is very happy with a single mode light. When she saw me using the charging base it immediately caught her eye. No worries about polarity, no struggling with USB cables, just put the magnet near the tailcap and nature does the rest. She liked that simplicity and I caught her using it and charging it without me on several occasions. When I asked her about it, she didn’t realize the light had multiple modes. To her when you hit the button it turned on, and when you hit the button again, it turned off. The light is effectively a single mode flashlight for a muggle. This simplicity had her using it with confidence, and also charging it after she used it.
ok! so it can never be all good… so what don’t I like???
The battery being in reverse position feels like a disaster waiting to happen. Luckily my wife has no reason to ever remove the battery so I’m safe there, but I somehow fear I’m going to constantly be putting the battery in backwards every time I use it. While we are on the battery. The included battery is nice, but this light is not 100% compatible with all 16340 batteries. Some of the older olight 16340s will not support turbo mode for more than 30 seconds. This light really does require a high drain battery to get the full 3 minutes of turbo.
Next… I’m not the biggest fan of the olight user interface. I’ve gotten used to it now that I’ve had this light in my pocket for quite a while now. If you’ve been using other lights it can get confusing for a second until you remember your back with an olight. is long press from off going to be a moonlight or strobe? the question that plagues us all!
The H1 Nova came in this really awesome hard case. when you remove the foam insert there is the perfect amount of space for a leatherman, knife, firesteel, or other survival gear. They dropped the hard case for the H1R!!! ARRGH! that little case was so handy and really wanted to see the H1R have it as well rather than that little bag. When I went backpacking I had the light on my pack strap. However inside the little blue case I had the headlamp strap, along with my multitool, a light, and some matches. This fit nicely into the back pocket of my pants and was very helpful in keeping track of small items I wanted. It also gave me a safe place to store the pocket clip when I was in headlamp mode. bring the case back olight!
I wish there was more to nitpick but there isnt… at least as far as I’m concerned.
Now this light isn’t going to be for everyone. Your preference and lifestyle may be quite different than me. But in the end I found when I had the H1 + H1R in my pocket it was the only light I needed. When I’m carrying the BLF348 I would find myself switching lights everytime I started a repair job, or did anything outdoorsy. The only thing that wouldn’t cut it for me would be hunting season. However… during hunting season I typically carry two lights. One of them a headlamp, and one light a thrower. Guess which light is going to be the headlamp next year? I typically use the headlamp for traveling in the dark and in the event I’m cleaning game in the dark. The thrower is far land navigation. If your going by map and compass in unfamiliar territory in the dark you really need the ability to see a few hundred yards to see the terrain.
In conclusion:
I know we are a budget light forum, and this isn’t exactly a budget light, but I find myself always asking of lights - would I buy another one if this light broke? and the answer to this question for this light is yes. Even though I’ve tested and reviewed about 4 lights since the olight, I’m still going back to the H1 inbetween reviews. Once in a blue moon I’ll shirt pocket carry a AAA light so that I have room in my pocket for a big multitool and knife, but for the most part the H1 is coming with me when I leave the house. It’s just such a versatile light, and it’s so EDC friendly.
It was really nice to be excited about a light after the reviews were done!