Olight S2R Baton III vs Olight Baton 4
Quick take: The Olight Baton 4 costs $6 less; the Olight Baton 4 is brighter (1,300 vs 1,200 lm); the Olight S2R Baton III throws farther (188m vs 170m); the Olight S2R Baton III runs longer on high (2.5 vs 2 hrs).
| Spec | Olight S2R Baton III | Olight Baton 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $76 | $70 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | EDC | EDC |
| Lumens | 1,200 lm | 1,300 lm |
| Candela | 8,800 cd | 7,200 cd |
| Beam distance | 188m | 170m |
| Runtime | 2.5 hrs (high) | 2 hrs (high) |
| Battery | 18650 | CR123A |
| LED | CREE XHP50.3 HI | Luminus SST-40 |
| Beam type | Balanced | Balanced |
| Modes | 5 Stepped | 5 Stepped |
| UI | Simple | Simple |
| IP rating | IPX8 | IPX8 |
| CRI | 70 | 70 |
| Weight | 2.5 oz | 1.2 oz |
| Dimensions | 4.1 x 0.9 in | 2.5 x 0.8 in |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
What owners report
Olight S2R Baton III
- ✓A great deal of output in a genuinely compact body
- ✓Magnetic charging system reviewers rate as the best on any flashlight
- ✓Well-damped side switch with good tactile feedback
- ✓Low-battery indicator built into the switch
- ✓Type III hard-anodised finish that resists wear
- ✗Accidental activation in a pocket is a recurring complaint across the line
- ✗Onboard charging only works with Olight's own cells
- ✗One long-term owner found it unreliable at switching on and cycling modes
- ✗Fixed beam with no way to adjust focus
- ✗Proprietary charging means carrying Olight's cable
Olight Baton 4
- ✓Build quality, fit and finish are consistently rated as excellent
- ✓Very small — reviewers describe it as disappearing into a pocket
- ✓Strong magnetic tailcap that holds the light at 90 degrees on steel
- ✓The Premium Edition's charging case doubles as a power bank and a carry case
- ✓Simple interface that works without reading anything
- ✓Sold everywhere with a real warranty and returns process, unlike the enthusiast brands
- ✗Proprietary MCC magnetic charging on the base Baton 4 rather than USB-C
- ✗Costs considerably more than enthusiast lights with better emitters and output
- ✗Cool, low-CRI output — colour rendering is not what you buy this for
- ✗Three overlapping versions (Baton 4, Premium Edition, Baton 4 Pro) make listings confusing
- ✗Little user configurability compared with an Anduril light at half the price