[Review] Olight Warrior X Pro - Proprietary 21700 2250 lumens Tactical Flashlight

[rookiedaddy]

Received a review sample of Olight Warrior X Pro at the same time with the Olight i5T EOS (a single AA, 2 modes EDC flashlight). Due to my experience with the older Warrior X (predecessor of Warrior X Pro, released in December 2018), I've decided to delay posting my review and let the Warrior X Pro undergo a 2 months battery self-discharge testing and am glad it does not inherit the issue I faced with the older Warrior X.

Let's peak at the specifications of this Warrior X Pro in comparison to the older Warrior X:

Contents of the Warrior X Pro package

Putting Warrior X Pro in the carry holster...

the flap is magnet based as they sew magnet inside, pretty sturdy.

bottom of the holster has a hole so that when you carry Warrior X Pro heads down, you can tell if the light is ON or not.

the holster allows you a couple of ways to belt or bag carry.

MCC3, the new adaptive Magnetic Charging Cable that was release last year for faster charging of Olight Magnetic Charging models (for those that supports it e.g. M2R Pro). We can use this MCC3 on smaller models too.

However, I'm still not a fan of this MCC3 charger being prematurely turning Green when charging reach ~90%. I like my light to be fully charge before I take it outside. Also, it creates confusion for some users because they might sees it as fully charged, but at the moment the charging light turns Green, the MCC3 is still charging the battery at a low charge rate (~0.4A and gradually lower) and it takes quite a while for it to reach 4.19V - 4.20V (fully charged). From the following picture, you can see that the MCC3 is still putting in charge even though the charging light turns Green.

...and the same happen to Olight Perun too... eventhough the charging LED turns Green, it is still charging. You can check this yourself if you have one of those USB charge meter.

following are a couple of comparisons with the older Warrior X (Warrior X Pro is always on the left in the pictures):

Warrior X Pro length is longer.

the reflector of Warrior X Pro appears to be slightly deeper, that may be the reason the candela of Warrior X Pro is quoted by Olight as 90,000cd while the older Warrior X is 78,400cd. However, with my review sample and in my outdoor test, it doesn't really makes a different as my tested output between the two is only different by 130 lumens (2110 lumens vs 1980 lumens) instead of 250 lumens (on paper, 2250 lumens vs 2000 lumens).
It might be the Warrior X Pro review sample that I received is an under-performer (this is possible as Olight is a mass flashlght manufacturer and there are variant in LEDs and driver and testing individual light output from the factory is nearly impossible).

the tint of Warrior X Pro (left) is similar to that of Warrior X. Output is slightly higher on the Warrior X Pro. I would need to look for it to really notice the difference, else, the only different I notice is Warrior X Pro runs really hot in High mode compare to Warrior X.
Another noticeable different is Olight decided to do away with Strobe mode on this new Warrior X Pro, and thus, doing away with 2 groups of modes like the older Warrior X.

the tail end of Warrior X Pro (left) compare that of Warrior X. This new design is from M2R Pro but with slight improvement in push button activations. It require a little less travel to activate on Warrior X Pro. The 3 "legs" is to help in tail-standing.

UI is a simple gas-pedal push button interface, you push (more like click) slightly for Low and push deep for High. It also support tactical momentary on with how long "you hold" the push, if you hold the button to switch ON for anything more than a second you will get momentary ON, meaning the light will turn OFF the moment you release the button.

body knurling on the new Warrior X Pro is better as Olight mill it deeper for better grip.

last but not least, the most significant change between Warrior X Pro and Warrior X is the battery system. Warrior X Pro is using 21700 5000mAh dual polarity battery (ORB-217C50) whereas the older Warrior X is using a high discharge 3000mAh battery (ORB-186S30) below:

which is a protected re-wrapped of Samsung 30Q.

as you can see from the picture above, I am not using the Olight 18650 battery now, instead I'm using the better (IMO) Sony VTC6 18650 battery (unprotected), as the original Olight battery developed rapid self discharge after a month+ of usage. Also, as I can charge the VTC6 inside Warrior X, I can continue to use the Magnetic Charging Cable (MCC 1A) that comes with Warrior X. This brings us to another different between Warrior X Pro vs Warrior X, Warrior X Pro must use the proprietary Dual Polarity 21700 battery, else, not only you can't charge using the MCC3 charging cable, you also cannot switch ON Warrior X Pro.

picture above shows that I cover the negative polarity contact with a piece of sticker and Warrior X Pro can no longer be switch ON.

another different is how we insert the battery, Warrior X Pro requires us to insert the battery possitive (button-side) facing the head, while Warrior X requires us to insert the battery button side facing the tailcap.

head contact inside the body

now let us see how to switch to using the included tactical grip ring...
first, remove the tailcap and slowly push the cigar-grip ring out from the tail end:

following picture shows the double o-rings after removing the cigar grip ring, you will then pull the pocket-clip away...

take note that some may not see double o-ring here, and if you do not see double o-ring, and you don't get a spare o-ring in your Warrior X Pro package, please ask from your Olight reseller.

after removing the clip...

You do not need to remove the o-ring like the user manual said in order to exchange the tactical grip ring, just be careful and don't use too much force to push the grip-ring back into place.

above picture shows how Warrior X Pro looks after changing to the Tactical Grip Ring.

Let's look at the measured output:

The usual disclaimer: I do not claim the above measured lumens as authoritative nor an indication of over/under-stating the number given by manufacturer. It's calibrated against some known light output (e.g. SureFire, Elzetta, etc.) so take it with a grain of salt and just as a relative reading.

Runtime on High mode:

...and the first 5 minutes runtime:

In my opinion, I think it's incorrect for Olight to quote the High mode runtime at 2 minutes when in actual usage Warrior X Pro could only sustain the High mode for 1.5 minutes and "gradually" stepping down.

and here is where the 21700 battery in Warrior X Pro makes a huge difference compare to Warrior X:

In conclusion, Warrior X Pro is a good tactical light release from Olight, I have use it to hunt down insects and deactivate house-fly in a "tactical manner"... it works wonder in those occasions. What I would like to see from Olight is to release Warrior X in true Cool White tint and if they decides to continue with Neutral White, at least choose a bin that are not "Greenish". Also, the beam throws far for its size and form factor as I have it to annoy some night creatures during this lockdown period.

 

[gsteve]

most impressive sgl cell light ive bought

 

[jimpatrick]

Re: [Review] Olight Warrior X Pro - Proprietary 21700 NOT TACTICAL Flashlight

Wished I'd read some of your fine print, since Olight doesn't list these critical pieces at all. The good part is an awesome-if-temporary high power, and a truly wonderful beam profile. On low you can easily see animals to 200+ yards, and on high it fully colors a coyote at 200 yards. Has a very concentrated cone that will fill the field of a rifle scope on 5X-6X, but also a much broader spill or side light. This is covered above. On turbo and high my light is a bright white without any color tint. On low power the LED has a yellow tint, very similar to a high-powered filament bulb. Awesome optics that I love.

The bad part about the Warrior X Pro is that it's not a weapons light, not a tactical light, and not a hunting light. After using the light its bezel gasket glows in the dark; very brightly and visible to 100 feet or more. If you use this light and turn it off, any person or animal can clearly see your position for the next 5 minutes or so. With eastern coyotes, figure on 15 minutes and 100 yards. Olight has no replacement bezel gaskets.

The gas-pedal tail switch is also a problem since there's no click or tactile feedback. Maybe other people can memorize how much to push for low-beam, but I've had consistent problems turning it on, or turning it off without going to turbo. Trying to get it right in a crunch won't work. If weapons mounted this is a disqualifier. To make matters worse, the remote switches are magnetically mounted to the tail. This might work on a 22 or 223 at the range but the magnet won't stay on under heavy recoil and can easily get snagged or brushed off during hunting or tactical situations. Another 'not tactical, not weapons, not hunting' light. Duct-tape can probably hold the magnet, but it's a terrible design decision; it needs a screw-cap that can't get dislodged.

I found out quickly to let it charge extra long --after the charger light is green-- to get a full charge and that's not a problem for me. Same with a $27 battery; I'd like to pay less, but will put out the money to get this beam and duration. But I bought it for night predator hunting based on Olight's advertising and it's unusable for that. Truly disappointed by this, especially because it has such a wonderful beam.

 

[jmclfrsh]

Re: [Review] Olight Warrior X Pro - Proprietary 21700 NOT TACTICAL Flashlight

I recently purchased a Warrior X Pro and it is now one of my favorite flashlights, and I own about 25 high-end LED flashlights at this point.

I find the throw is awesome, and the amount of light it produces in such a small package is incredible.

It is a very usable light, a little practice and one can master the low light 1/2 push technique, and I have mine set now with the silicone band installed like in his last photo. Very comfortable to use that way, too.

I guess "one man's trash, is another man's treasure" in this case. I really like this light!

I was able to see critters in my field last night a LONG way away using this light, and didn't have to break out the Fenix TK75 2018 Edition, which is not "pocket-able" like the Olight Warrior X Pro is. The TK75 is also a magnificent light IMO.

 

[Swedpat]

Re: [Review] Olight Warrior X Pro - Proprietary 21700 NOT TACTICAL Flashlight

Thanks for review! I like the design and features with this light. It's made for hard use when you want to have something filling up your hand for better hold.
The low mode runtime of 8 hours for 300lm(or 270) mode is very good. But I wish the high mode was about 1200lm or so, it had been fully adequate and with the massive head allowed for a stable runtime of around 90min without stepdown instead of a stepdown to around 1000lm after a few minutes.
Multimode lights have their use but I like the no nonsense function with this light. Low and a high mode, that's it. The low mode is good for allround use and adequate for most tasks. And if you need to really see what's out there at distance you can instantly put on the high level.
It's also tailstandable which is very good. And no strobe to be annoyed about!
Other advantages are neutral white tint(if it's not too greenish) and the vibrating battery indicator. A drawback is that it can only be used with Olight's special battery.
I just wonder: is it possible to mechanically lockout? Answer found: it is.
And can the Olight 21700 battery be charged in a standard charger which takes 21700? Answer found: it is not.
I agree with you about the bad with the charger turning green already at ~90% of charge. Have you any idea about how long the charging will continue after that until it's fully charged? And what happens if you let the light be left in the charger for prolonged time? Answer found: nothing happens, you can do it without problem.

 

[Swedpat]

Re: [Review] Olight Warrior X Pro - Proprietary 21700 NOT TACTICAL Flashlight

I wonder more about this light. If you turn it on high until the stepdown to ~1000lm and then turn it off and directly on again: will it go back to 2000+lm for another short while or back to ~1000lm? And if you turn it on high when the battery is a bit low, will it still put out 2000+lm, or does it require almost fully charged battery for that? Anyone who knows?

Almost no discussion about Warrior X Pro at CPF so it seems it has not got much interest among flashaholics... But I have viewed probably ~20 reviews at Youtube(the most with good opinions) about it so it's a bit confusing...

 

[Swedpat]

Re: [Review] Olight Warrior X Pro - Proprietary 21700 NOT TACTICAL Flashlight

I have noticed there are two versions of Warrior X Pro: one with 2250lm and another with 2100lm.
These also have significantly different runtime graph at high mode. See the difference here. Both have active cooling during the test.
https://www.valostore.se/produkt/ficklampa_olight_warrior_x_pro/
https://zeroair.org/2020/10/20/olig...t-review-the-best-cree-xhp35-2-hi-flashlight/

And in another review the 2250lm version has another graph than in the review above:
https://1lumen.com/21700-reviews/olight-warrior-x-pro/

So what I know there are now actually 4 different measured runtime graphs for this light. Any comment to this?

 

[rookiedaddy]

Re: [Review] Olight Warrior X Pro - Proprietary 21700 NOT TACTICAL Flashlight

I have noticed there are two versions of Warrior X Pro: one with 2250lm and another with 2100lm.
These also have significantly different runtime graph at high mode. See the difference here. Both have active cooling during the test.
https://www.valostore.se/produkt/ficklampa_olight_warrior_x_pro/
https://zeroair.org/2020/10/20/olig...t-review-the-best-cree-xhp35-2-hi-flashlight/

And in another review the 2250lm version has another graph than in the review above:
https://1lumen.com/21700-reviews/olight-warrior-x-pro/

So what I know there are now actually 4 different measured runtime graphs for this light. Any comment to this?

Olight uses the "traditional" method of timed step-down, instead of active thermal management that are used by manufacturers like Fenix, NiteCore, etc in recent years. So the Turbo step-down is and should be similar for all runtime plotted (unless there is a battery problem). The after stepped-down from Turbo runtime is where different environment setup will have an impact. Some will have longer runtime at higher brightness while some at lower brightness.

The two versions of Warrior X Pro is due to availability of the CREE LED. The later version upon the release of Red/Green/Blue "limited" edition recently is using the newer XHP35.2 while the older, the one in the above review is using first gen XHP35. There were some confusion at their official FB page where someone were misinformed and mistakenly share that the difference between the two is the older LED is Cool White while the newer is Neutral White, this is not true as both are Neutral White (this was reconfirm with their engineer). However, as with most LED used by mass manufacturer, the CCT tends to differs between batches, and with first and second gen, some variance are to be expected. Hope the above helps to clarify some of the doubts.