Review: Olight S1R Baton I Everyday Carry flashlight
I discovered the Olight S1R flashlight while looking for an everyday carry flashlight, and it's my second flashlight from Olight. The other one I use is the Olight S30R III that I reviewed and both flashlights belong to the same product family: The "Baton" family of flashlights.
Table of Contents
- Requirements for an Everyday Carry flashlight
- What's in the Olight S1R box?
- Difference between the Olight S1R Baton I and Baton II?
- The verdict
Note that this review is about the S1R Baton I that I own and use. Meanwhile, Olight released a new version, the S1R Baton II, and I'll cover the differences between those two versions in this review.
My requirements for an Everyday Carry flashlight
As I own the "bigger" brother, the S30R Baton III, I looked at the S1R Baton I to see if it would meet my requirements for an everyday carry flashlight and if I could use accessories from the S30R with the S1R and vice versa. My requirements for an Everyday Carry flashlight are:
- As small as possible for carrying in the pockets of my trousers, Scotts eVest, or daypack.
- It should be as bright as possible with different brightness levels, including a" low light" mode.
- Long-lasting battery (for the small form factor of the flashlight)
- Battery must be chargeable inside the flashlight without the slightest disassembly. I don't want to fiddle around.
- Water-resistant; not the" scuba diving" water-resistant but more the "dropped it into a wet spot and still works" thing.
- Somehow attachable to other things without needing additional bulky accessories.
Let's discuss each of the above requirements one by one.
The Olight S1R Baton I is genuinely a small flashlight
The packaging makes the S1R flashlight look bigger than it actually is because the bottom of the packaging contains the charging cable, clip, pouch, and the wrist strap.
Olight S1R Baton I Packaging
The Olight S1R flashlight is really small. With a length of 2.59 inches, it's the size of my little finger, and its diameter is smaller than a 10 (Dollar) cent coin. The entire flashlight fits in the palm of my hand. That small form factor makes it a perfect Everyday Carry flashlight that doesn't add much bulk if you carry it in your trousers or the pocket of your jacket.
Olight S1R Baton I size
With the included clip, you can attach it to all kinds of pockets, be it your trousers, inside your jacket, or in a pocket in my Osprey Farpoint carry-on compliant backpack.
How bright is the Olight S1R Baton I?
This small flashlight has five brightness levels, three "normal," and two turbo modes.
The brightest one is called "Turbo S" and delivers bright 900 Lumens for 1.5 minutes. Then, to prevent overheating, it automatically reduces the brightness to 300 Lumens and runs for almost an hour.
To enter the turbo modes of the Olight S1R:
- Short press the side button to turn the flashlight on
- Double press the side button quickly to enter the first "Turbo" mode with 600 Lumens.
- Double press the side button repeatedly to enter "Turbo S" mode with 900 Lumens.
It also has what I call a low light mode (Olight calls it a moon mode). In this mode, you'll get just a little light to find the keyhole or adjust something on your tripod in darkness. This mode is also great for camping or if you need a night light in a hotel (or hostel) with bunk beds.
How long does the S1R Baton I last at the brightest level?
At the brightest setting, the Turbo S mode is 900 Lumens for 1.5 minutes before it automatically switches down to 300 Lumens, and the Olight S1R Baton runs for about 50 minutes. And that's almost 12 minutes longer than its successor, the S1R Baton II.
If you only use the 600 Lumens turbo mode, you get 600 Lumens for the first 1.5 minutes, followed by 300 Lumens. In this mode, the S1R Baton I will run for 55 minutes.
And finally, the Olight S1R Baton I has a 300 Lumens mode that will give you a 1-hour total runtime. The successor, the S1R Baton II, lacks this mode completely.
And those numbers are impressive, given the small size of this flashlight.
From some real-world experience, I can tell you, that this is pretty much enough for many Everyday Carry use cases, including the exploration of a few rooms of an abandoned building I discovered by accident.
Olight S1R Baton I Battery and Charging
The Olight S1R Baton I has a removable 550 mAh RCR123 battery that can be charged inside the case. No disassembly is required. This was an essential feature for me as I wanted to avoid fiddle around to remove the battery and charge it with an external charger I would have to carry.
You know I love to travel light and strive to avoid all the extra stuff I need to carry.
Note that in-case-charging, you need to use the included RCR123 battery. Other batteries (brands) of the same model will work, but you need to remove it for charging.
Is the Olight S1R water-resistant?
Olight advertises the S1R as being water-resistant up to 2m. I have yet to test that (but probably never will), but that sounds like it will survive an hour in the rain or drop into a wet spot.
Speaking of dropping: Olight states that the S1R will survive a drop from a height of up to 1.5 meters.
Attaching the S1R to any metal surface with the magnet on the back
One nice thing about the S1R and other flashlights from the Baton family is their magnetic tail cap. Using that magnet, you, can attach the light to anything metallic, like your tripod, a tent pole, a metallic handrail, and so on.
What's in the Olight S1R box?
Describing the package contents for Olight flashlights in general and the Olight S1R specifically is difficult. There are many offers that add a second battery or a second charging cable and stuff like that.
But in the basic version of the Olight S1R that I bought, I found the following:
- The Olight S1R Baton I
- A pouch
- A clip
- An original Olight wrist strap
- Charging Cable
Olight S1R Baton I Box contents
What's the difference between the Olight S1R Baton I and the Olight S1R Baton II?
In 2018, Olight released a new version of the S1R Baton. I still use the "I" model, but for the sake of completeness, I've added the main differences between the two versions here:
Specs Olight S1R Baton I Olight S1R Baton II Dimensions 2.6 x 0.78 x 0.78 in 2.48 x 0.83 x 0.83 in Weight 1.28 ounces 1.76 ounces Max Lumens 900 1000 Runtime Turbo 900 LM + 300 LM after 1.5 mins.: Total 50 min. 1000 LM + 300 LM after 1.5 min.: Total 38.5 min. Run Time normal 60 Lumens: 4.5h 60 LM: 3h 40 min Battery 550mAh RCR123 550mAh 3.7V 10C IMR16340
One notable difference in the runtime is that the Olight S1R Baton I has a mode for 300 Lumens that will last for 60 minutes. The S1R Baton II lacks this mode completely.
Also, in the turbo modes, the S1R I will run a few minutes longer than its successor, though the S1R Baton II has a few more Lumens than its predecessor.
So, if you need a long-running everyday flashlight, I'd still buy the S1R Baton I.
If you need 100 Lumens more, which comes at the price of reduced running time, then go for the S1R Baton II. The Olight S1R Baton I is still available at Amazon.
The verdict:Final thoughts on the Olight S1R Baton I
There's not much I could complain about; Maybe only that the "Turbo S" mode, which delivers 900 Lumens, only lasts for 1.5 minutes. But as the S1R automatically reduces the brightness after those 1.5 minutes and still runs for almost an hour, that's no issue for me - for an Everyday Carry flashlight.
For a more extended exploration inside dark areas like lost places, I use my Olight S30R III, which I've reviewed.
So the Olight S1R Baton I flashlight is what I was looking for. And I'd rebuy it. It's a perfect flashlight for everyday carry. As the Olight S1R Baton I is not available any more, you can get its successor, the Olight S1R Baton II from Amazon.
