Does anyone have any credible information on the safety of Olights?

[CobraMagnum]

Disclaimer: I know this topic has probably come up many times before, but I felt the need to ask my own specific question concerning this. Any input, provided it's relevant and respectful, would be appreciated.

I've been considering purchasing an Olight Warrior X 3, for myself, and perhaps an M2R Pro or Warrior 3 for my partner.

Many of you may have heard stories about Olights exploding, or not being generally as safe as they should be. I read a little about the tragic case of Caleb Joyner, a terrible occurrence. (My best wishes go out to him and his family, despite it being several years ago.) I would really like to know if anyone knows exactly what caused his flashlight to explode. The article that I read said he had the light in his mouth, and while investigating something under the hood of his vehicle, got close to the vehicle's battery, and it exploded afterward.

Are there any substantiated or credible reports, that you know of, which suggest Olights are hazardous? (And yes, I know many things can be hazardous if used improperly, but I'm referring to normal use.) Or are Olights generally safe, and if so, can you substantiate or offer personal experience to support this?

 

[Norman]

This was discussed here

Dangers of holding a flashlight in your mouth.

Hi, all- For the last few years I've used a Fenix E12 AA flashlight as a "mouthlight" when I need to use both hands in a dark spot. A piece of silicone tubing around the tail cap makes it easy to hold & AA's are no problem to replace. I'd like to get a light that's a little brighter and I was...

www.candlepowerforums.com

 

[3_gun]

Seems the case is still open & Olight is no longer a defendant in the case; at least that's how I read it

Edens v. Olight USA, 2:20-cv-02312 - CourtListener.com

Docket for Edens v. Olight USA, 2:20-cv-02312 — Brought to you by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.

www.courtlistener.com

Nov 1, 2021

TEXT ORDER entered by Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long on 11/1/2021. Defendant Olight's Motion to Dismiss 62 is denied as moot as Defendant Olight was terminated from this case. (BMG)

As for what caused the light to go boom .. it still seems to be up in the air still

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Bad Ni-MH batteries can release hydrogen in waterproof lights (that don't have platinum catalyst pellets) and make the tailcap bulge. If you see a bulging tailcap, unscrew the tailcap immediately and remove and dispose of the batteries before you have a pipe bomb. Don't try to click the tailcap off. For 2 123A lights, if the batteries don't have an equal charge, you risk one battery trying to charge the dead battery and they can explode. If an unprotected li-ion battery is damaged, it can short out and explode. Your safest bet is using the newer type of lithium ion battery with a safer chemistry that has a protection circuit, is from a major trusted brand, and only using one cell per light. I don't think Olight is guilty for these types of accidents. However, using lights with multiple batteries at high current in a very well sealed device where the light can get pretty hot, there are some inherent risks to using the product. Try to mitigate the risks as much as possible by using quality cells, testing them before use (make sure cells aren't unbalanced), watching for clues that something may be wrong during use, and storing the light long term without the cells inside.

 

[roostre]

This article explains (including diagrams) the issues and dangers when using lithium-based batteries in series and specifically references the Caleb Joyner incident and the particular Olight involved in that incident:

Exploding Flashlights and How to Protect Yourself – PhotonPhreaks

There's been an uptick in talk online in the flashlight, EDC and gun communities about exploding flashlights. Learn how to prevent it

photonphreaks.com

 

[DoctorMemory]

The bad press Olight received when they were singled out as a maker of nut-roasters, lights that can turn on in your pocket. Any high powered light can do this, but they had an unusual tail-cap functionality that let loose change turn on one model.

The newest lights like the Warrior Mini 2 are the first to have an IR sensor built into the head. If you put your hand over the end in High or Turbo, it switches to Medium. Remove your hand, back to full. This actually makes them the safest on the market.

 

[desert.snake]

I had no problems with Olight, acid batteries leaked a couple of times, but no one exploded. If you need the safest possible flashlight, you need to look for one that is certified for the right conditions, for example ATEX, a Pelican 1930 L1, it is small enough to hold in your mouth, but if you hit something and knock your teeth out or swallow it and suffocate during this process, it's unlikely that the manufacturer of the flashlight will be prosecuted. A good option is a small flashlight with a clip that can be attached to a baseball cap.

The article that I read said he had the light in his mouth, and while investigating something under the hood of his vehicle, got close to the vehicle's battery, and it exploded afterward.

He did short the + terminal through the lamp with the car body?

 

[fulee9999]

To be honest I haven't even heard about the unfortunate events that lead to the passing of him, so I imagine this was not really mainstream media world-wide. Also as a flashlight enthusiast this is the first time I heard Olight mentioned regarding safety concerns.
What I can tell you is that I've used my Olight Baton S30R for years as an all arounder, and it has been dropped, thrown, submerged, banged, chipped, hit, shaken and generally used and abused, and no safety issues whatsoever. It was used as my bicycle light as well for about a year, during summer heat, autumn rains, heavy snow, and no main issues.

Personally I do not think that Olight is any more dangerous than any other brand, and their in-house batteries are pretty alright.

As to what might have caused the accident, what I can think that he touched the positive (+) side on the car battery with his flashlight and it recieved an immediate and violent power-surge to the already warm/hot battery, which made it unstable. Mind you, car batteries can discharge at 400-600 amperes ( starting motor initial power pull ) which is more than enough to weld, so you can imagine what it can do to a small battery.

 

[Fruityfrog1]

To be honest I haven't even heard about the unfortunate events that lead to the passing of him, so I imagine this was not really mainstream media world-wide. Also as a flashlight enthusiast this is the first time I heard Olight mentioned regarding safety concerns.
What I can tell you is that I've used my Olight Baton S30R for years as an all arounder, and it has been dropped, thrown, submerged, banged, chipped, hit, shaken and generally used and abused, and no safety issues whatsoever. It was used as my bicycle light as well for about a year, during summer heat, autumn rains, heavy snow, and no main issues.

Personally I do not think that Olight is any more dangerous than any other brand, and their in-house batteries are pretty alright.

As to what might have caused the accident, what I can think that he touched the positive (+) side on the car battery with his flashlight and it recieved an immediate and violent power-surge to the already warm/hot battery, which made it unstable. Mind you, car batteries can discharge at 400-600 amperes ( starting motor initial power pull ) which is more than enough to weld, so you can imagine what it can do to a small battery.

Yep. I agree 👍

 

[parang]

Olight does. And they are keeping it to themselves.

 

[bykfixer]

I had a 2aa with alkalines cells "poof" on me. It was in my jacket pocket and for some reason it suddenly got very warm. I pulled it out of my pocket and noticed the sides of the plastic light were no longer in a parralel shape but were buldging. (spelling?). Anyway as I was crossing the walk way of a parking lot I tossed it and "poof"……not "bang" or "pow" but enough to cause somebody to call the police on me, like I was a mad-bomber or something.

I had made the bonehead move of grabbing two batteries from a used battery drawer and tossing them into the light.

Ever since I have always kept batteries married if they are in a multiple cell light or any time they are used they go into a one cell light, regardless of the formula.

Good to know about the PTC mentioned in the article in post #5. Thank you for that roostre.

 

[Limit_hex]

Had a Warrior Mini burn my pocket and melt its own lens. But today I gave a Baton Pro to my father to use around their summer cottage, with a lecture on lock-out