I often do swap for people, and if you want to work something out, just DM me. I want to be clear that I encourage everyone to start down the modding path. In fact, if it weren’t for a user on Reddit whom I was paying to mod lights for me basically saying “No, I don’t want to do it any more, do it yourself it’s easy” I don’t think I would be were I am today.
But with that said, sometimes people have more money than time, and just want to chuck a few bucks at the problem. I totally get that too.
I don’t have many issues with Olight’s lights, build quality etc. Magnetic charging has been one of my favorite things on my Skilhunt H04 RC (2nd only to the excellent strap). Proprietary batteries, I’m less enthused about. I am often swapping cells around in my lights, for various reasons. Of course, I could just mentally relegate the Olight to the section of my collection of lights I don’t change batteries in - but it just doesn’t sit right with me. Their offensive emitter choices are well-documented in the enthusiast community, to O-Light’s infamy, and this is a central point of discussion in the video.
I also just think they’re too expensive, personally speaking. Mind you, I live in a developing nation, and in one of the poorest states - so on my side I’m always looking for value propositions on a relatively tight budget. Olight’s offerings just don’t fit the bill for me. The only time I would ever consider them is when they’re on sale, or buying pre-owned units. Flashlights are just a fun hobby for me - I can purchase several cheaper of equivalent ‘fun’ value (or higher) or equivalent functionality as EDC at a fraction of the price.
I do agree with you, that emitter swapping (and modding in general) is something enthusiasts should probably be building towards. It’s something I want to build up as well, having started with simpler projects like switches, dedoming and the like. It surely opens up more options, and is obviously a cornerstone of the enthusiast community here on BLF and elsewhere.
What a blessing it is, though, to have people like Simon, Hank, and amateur modders, who take the fuss out of emitter-swapping for those of us who are less technically inclined.
Your points are well thought out. And it’s true that not only am I living in a wealthy nation, but a wealthy state, and wealthy city in that state—so my thoughts on what is a reasonable cost for a good EDC are probably atypical.
Thank you for adding your thoughts.
I still don’t get it why are you advertising this expensive, heavy weight compared to pocket lights , 2 button , angry blue and low cri as the best EDC light? Even manufacturer positioning warrior as a tactical light. Sure you can call it as you like but it does not changes the facts. There is better EDCs on market with removable bezel or not .
I was carrying a 145.5mm long Cyansky P25 V2.0 and two 157mm long phones in my pocket today.
All this talk about the Warrior 3S being too big for EDC made me wonder how big it really is… 138.8mm long.
The Warrior 3S shorter than everything else that I carried in my pocket today. 
I’m tempted to get the copper version but I know that it’ll be so much lighter in aluminium.
XHP50.3 HI 4500K 90 CRI looks nice!
Well said.
Obviously what is “too large” for EDC is a matter of opinion. I respect others’ opinions who feel it’s too large, because they are entitled to their opinion. I find it interesting when someone says it’s a “fact” that it’s too large for EDC.
Yeah and that other
guy saying that the “3s is the best EDC on the market!”. Or was that just clickbait? If you really thought you were going to rehabilitate a four letter word by changing one letter then you are sadly mistaken.
My recollection of polls here in recent years showed the largest majority carrying AA or 14500 lights. And a bunch relying on a keychain light as their EDC. Some 18650. And some carrying larger lights in “jacket pocket” when going out at night. That is not EDC as as most of us understand it. There’s a reason why olight provides a holster for that light.
I am not subscribed to any YouTube channels but I do binge watch some of your videos occasionally when I come across them. Don’t take any of these comments too seriously but keep a mirror handy. PS, there are a lot more 21700 lights out there now but I stand by my assessment that it’s going to be less than 1 in 100 carrying a 21700 flashlight “in a pocket” as an EDC. In bags or other pouches, on person, maybe a handful. In jacket pocket when they go out at night? Yeah, quite a few.
A lot of people have told me they love the TN12 Pro as their favorite pocket thrower, and this is essentially the same size. About 10mm longer and 1mm wider (rough estimate based on eye in my hands. Didn’t use calipers)
And for that 10/1mm you get 21700 vs 18650 (5000mAh vs 3400mAh).
I just got out my AceBeam E70, which is also considered a large EDC light, and it’s similarly sized. The Warrior 3S is longer, but also more slender.
I find it odd that people are commenting that the Warrior 3S is “not for EDC” when it’s smaller than the iPhone in my pocket as well as the pocket organizer that holds my knife and Prometheus Alpha MontBlanc rollerball pen.
It’s not ad if I had held up a AceBeam L19 or Hank D18 and said “edc.” But honestly if someone claimed to edc an L19, I think I would say “hey that’s not for me” but I wouldn’t debate what could be carried every day.
As I say, I see lots of Samsung Galaxies and iPhone Maxes in pockets, carried every day. I suppose if someone uses their flashlight infrequently size would be a huge concern. But in the line of work I’m in, I use it probably 30 minutes or more every day. So the 21700 and boost driver is a huge factor. And I do not find the Warrior 3S bulkier than other 21700s.
Well guys… reading all the comments. Once again, it’s only about ONE WORD all along… The word is :
PREFERENCE…
For my preference, I will never buy a Olight for couple of season.
It’s very true. And I knew when I was making this video that some users were going to react how they did. But that’s exactly why I made it. Because I had never owned an Olight because of the vitriol towards Olight I constantly heard in the enthusiast forums. Without ever owning one, I had this idea they were terrible.
When I got specifically the Warrior 3S, I thought “wow! This is a great light! Huge battery, efficient driver, excellent interface… etc”. The only issue for me, was the cool white. So a 10 minute swap, and it was my EDC and has been since I received it.
It displaced a BOSS, and obviously those two lights are opposite ends of the EDC spectrum. I might swing back at some point, but right now the huge battery and single emitter (vs the BOSS’s floody triple) have been a welcomed change of pace. And the fact that the W3S cost 1/5 the amount also makes me much happier to carry it regularly.
Redacted.
Plus One For Olight.
In my view, this light is, as others have said too large to EDC (I can barely fit my big hands into my pockets with some pocket knives let alone a 21700 light), has ridiculously expensive proprietary batteries, a proprietary charger I will lose after about two weeks, and an unattractive emitter.
The video has a curious take because who is the audience? A newbie isn’t going to emitter swap, and a seasoned flashlight collector is likely to balk at expensive proprietary batteries and a proprietary charger.
Do you know the CRI on that?
I do not, I might have measured it at the time but I didn’t commit it to memory. I believe it was 80ish with a r9 of 60-70. I don’t find CRI nearly as big of a deal as CCT and Tint. I’ll take a beautifully tinted XP-L HI over a green LH351D any day.
In the first part of the video I state it’s aimed at enthusiasts that have built an S2+ or emitter swapped their own lights.
I realize this is a polarizing topic for flashlight nerds like us, but people I know who’ve tried the Warrior 3S usually end up loving it (usually when swapped).
My goal was to specifically try to bring a new viewpoint to the community, because it was definitely an A-HA moment for me. I have never considered an Olight previously. And when I really spent time with the Warrior 3S, I realized how amazing it was, save the emitter.
I’m not surprised I liked it so much, because my favorite pocket thrower is a ThruNite TN12 Pro, a very very similar light in most respects. When I realized swapping it was so easy (the Warrior) I had this moment where I thought “I gotta share this with others!”
I TOLD y’all my Convoy 4X18A isn’t too big to be a keychain light. /s
You left out the part where you were the one that got me to even consider a 21700 EDC about a year ago.
It would be awesome if Olight made more models like the Warrior 3S and Warrior Mini 2 where the emitter can be easily swapped.
So many earlier models are difficult to mod.
Olight is a large company, one of the largest for flashlight you might come along. You don’t see them commenting in forums like this because that’s not what large companies do. But it’s conceivable (likely even?) that one of their marketing staff is reading.
And what you’ve said is a large part of my argument. Thanks Olight for not making the Warrior 3S glued shut. The front bezel unscrews as it should on any great quality flashlight. I can’t even say that about some of ThruNite’s newest releases like the Archer mini and Archer Pro. I destroyed one of those completely attempting to open it up. Even made a video about it. Those lights are under $40 so I don’t think there is as much owness on the company to make is serviceable, but it’s still a shame to glue it.