Why is Olight so popular? In this video I dive into one of the most well-known torch brands in the world
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I read the question on the blf homepage and immediately thought “because of their widespread use of youtube influencers”.
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Batteries of one light will go into another light. Chargers work across the board.
Funny thing is, when you use standardized batteries and USB ports, that’s true across brands.
I do think it’s largely the combination of the use of influencers who are not flashlight experts (and therefore less likely to notice areas where they’re uncompetitive) and the 12% affiliate commission.
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Other than a few AAA models (the promos they had… i3?), I don’t have any other Oilight lights.
The AAAs are nice, no complaints, but can’t speak to other models. No idea if they’re more rugged, have better UIs, have high-CRI emitters, anything else.
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Olight has an excellent marketing. Customers are given ranks like big pockets or $10000 spender and they seem to be proud of it.
When they have discounts, they limit the number of available items so some people wait in the middle of the night to catch the two minute time frame where a light has a normal price instead of being completely overpriced.
And there there are bundles of things you wouldn’t buy normally, but where you think you could make a good deal.
This is all really great. To some.
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Why is Olight so popular?
I have no idea!
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Ahahahahahahahahahaha:rofl:
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Olight likes to use proprietary batteries and Olight-specific magnetic charging ports.
I don’t know why Olight is so popular, but I avoid them like the Covid. 
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Same reasons why Beats headphones are popular.
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Only olight products I own are the “free” ones. I do like their little keychain lights but they are not worth what they are asking normally. I will pay $5 for them. I’ve happened to “win” a free mini pen and their little keychain magnet. I actually like the pen pretty well. The magnet has come in handy a few times. Again neither products I would have paid what they are asking.
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Hot take: Marketing. So much marketing.
I’ve got 3 - all from various promotional offers because retail on Olight be pricey.
- S1 Baton
- Exceptional yield for its compact size - battery compartment seems to be some ~75% of the internal volume and it’s astonishingly bright for its size.
- I’ve not much used it beyond the novelty period - sits on the shelf now
- H2R
- A decent lightweight headlamp that - properly in my opinion - emphasizes flood
- Used occasionally whenever one of my other headlamps isn’t immediately available for short-duration pick-up projects
- Requirement for a button-top cell limits its appeal
- PL1 II
- A lower-profile weaponlight that runs on 1x123A (vastly-preferrable to integrated li-po)
- Has reasonable standby life on the cell despite the E-switch; I’ve had ~2 years standby life without issue
- The “UI” is … somewhat questionable … for a weapon light (to be fair its TLR-1 predacessor was only mildly better)
Doubtful.
Nothing special there in my experience.
Best I can tell they source >5000K CCT emitters with priority on flux binning like every other mass-market brand.
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Olight has an amazing marketing and advertisement program that allows them to reach a lot of potential buyers. Whether they use tacti-cool influencers who wouldn’t know a good flashlight from a hole in the ground or real enthusiasts to pitch their products, it works!
I was in the same boat and I’m hard to impress, but Olight sent me some to test on and now I’m a believer. They male some of the better duty/tactical use flashlights (the Warrior 3 S) out there, and the Odin WMLs are pretty good too for 1/3 the price of a SureFire or ModLite. I really love the Olantern, the Obulbs are cool, and they make some of the better keychain lights. Acebeam could be just as big as Olight and Fenix if they werent so wishy-washy with affiliates and reviewers. The one strike i have against Olight? The use of proprietary bateries and the MCC.
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I suppose everyone weighs things differently, but I find proprietary batteries really unacceptable. The Warrior UI is definitely nice, and I’d like to see an equivalent from another company using standard batteries.
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Anyone remember the olight of 10 years ago? IIRC the Baton series was a big hit with enthusiasts. I think their initial release had AA, 2xAA, 16340, and 18650 models. XML leds, great UI, no proprietary batteries. Were they one of the first companies to start using the eswitch UI with hold for moon, click for LMH memory, double click for turbo? I think they did a lot of good for the hobby back then.
Say what you will about their current state of things. I agree with much of the criticism. I just think some people may not realize what things were like back then and may find it interesting. Heck, just search this forum for old posts about olight.
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To put it simply it is a few reasons.
They are all over the place via influencers, Advertisements and on you tube.
To people that are not in our world as flash light enthusiasts they still have some issues, Lets are not as blueish as they used to be. As someone that has never had an emisar D4V2 ,Q8, Lumintop Tool 2.0, ect, people are impressed buy 3-5 levels, and a turbo mode. the power of a 18650 put in to a light is amazing compared to and AA, C or D cell lights you find at the hardware store.
Kinda like when dad gave you the keys to the car, it was just a base line lancer, but you thought it drove and handled like a Evo8.
Now I will agree they need to work on the Color temp that they have in production lights. Could use a bit of a price drop, and better customer service.
With all of that said, I hate to admit that I have one in my EDC rotation. The one thing I feel is the most gimmick is having a laser pointer built in. What do I use almost every day? that dammed laser pointer. 
Dam you Olight.
James I think you are confusing Olight with 4/7’s. Also a decent starter light. They had some issues as well, but I have one sitting on my shelf as well. Quark 123^2.
Olight is not popular. They spent millions of dollars to make it seem like they are. This way you feel inclined to buy one of their lights so you can feel part of a group of people that dont exist.
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No, I’m thinking olight, but I do remember the quark series. I have a twisty aa somewhere that needs a new emitter. BTW, there was some olight-4sevens connection in the early days, wasn’t there? I could just Google this but sometimes it’s fun trying to piece it together by memory.
Here’s the olight S1A I was thinking of:
That was 2016, so my dates were off by a few years. Others have mentioned the S1 baton, the 16340 version. A few months ago I put a 519a in it and it’s a whole new light.
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Not sure if they are still related. 4 Sevens made the AA twisty light that I carried for many years. I think, the Quark Mini. Still one of my favorites for that form factor.
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- Very smart marketing.
- Good quality and warranty.
- Very efficient drivers.
Shame about the @#$ proximity sensors being unable to be indefinitely disabled, and lack of high CRI options.
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