Preface
The Olight PL-PRO Valkyrie (Olight PL-PRO) is the newest model from the PL weaponlight series and is the rechargeable option for the Olight PL-2 Valkyrie model.
Let’s check out the merits and demerits of this new generation Olight PL-PRO model.
Notes:
- Unfortunately (or fortunately) guns or rifles are prohibited for civilian carry/usage, in our current country of residence. Hence, we will be unable to showcase the PL-PRO on any of such weapons in this review.
- The model reviewed here is the Black version.
Packaging & First Impressions
This is what the light will come with as shown below.
- The weaponlight is sealed from factory, with no access to the battery compartment.
- The 2 tail electronic switches require a fairly firm and deliberate press to activate and helps in preventing any unwanted activation of the light.
- The 2 ambidextrous switches are made specially for left or right hand dominant users.
- Anodizing of the light is uniform without any missing specs, as expected from Olight.
- It can be easily attached to handguns or rifles with the provided Glock rail adapter and 1913 (Picatinny) rail adapter.
- The Glock rail adapter is pre-installed at factory.
- Both rail adapters are secured down by 2 x T6 Torx screws which can be easily removed with the provided T6/T8 Socket Head Wrench.
- The magnetic remote pressure switch (optional accessory) can be connected to the magnetic charging port, for easier activation when attached to a rifle.
- Scanning the QR code with your phone/tablet on the box’s back would bring up the Olight PL-PRO’s product page.
Note: The weaponlight will arrive with the Electronic Lockout activated. See below “Electronic Lockout“, on how to deactivate Electronic Lockout.
Front:
Back:
Sides:
Top:
Bottom:
Box Contents:
Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)
- Body Material: HAIII Aluminium
- Colour Options:
- Black (as reviewed)
- Desert Tan
- LED: Cree XHP35 HI NW
- Battery Format: Built-in 3.6V 900mAh battery
- Output & Runtime (with built-in 3.6V 900mAh battery):
- Low (300 lumens / 1h 30min)
- High (1500 lumens / 1min 30sec) -> (600 lumens / 45min)
- Lockout Mode – Momentary Output only (~100 lumens)
- Note: Max brightness is dependent on battery level – at ~40%, the max output is 600 lumens and at ~10%, the max output is 300 lumens.
- Max Beam Distance: 280m
- Beam intensity: 19,600cd
- Waterproofness: IPX-6 Standard
- Impact Resistance: 1m
- Dimension: 83mm (length) x 37mm (breadth) x 33mm (height)
- Weight: 92g (including batteries)
- Accessories Included:
- 1*Built-in 3.6V 900mAh battery
- 1*Magnetic Charging Cable (MCC)
- 1*Glock Rail Adapter
- 1*1913 (Picatinny) Rail Adapter
- 1*T6/T8 Socket Head Wrench
- Optional Accessory:
- Magnetic Remote Pressure Switch (RPL-7) [MSRP: ~$30]
- MSRP: ~$130
UI (User Interface)
UI for this light is suitable for weaponlight tactical usage as it is rather simple and straightforward to use.
Switching ON and OFF is done by the 2 tail electronic switches on the light, so momentary activation is possible.
Note: There is 1 blinky mode for this light (STROBE only) and no SOS or Beacon modes.
Normal Operation
From OFF:
- HOLD (Either Switch) – Direct access to MOMENTARY LOW or MOMENTARY HIGH (dependent on last brightness level used – last mode memory).
- HOLD (2 Switches) – Direct access to STROBE.
- 1 Click (Either Switch) – Light will switch ON to last brightness level used (last mode memory).
- 2 Clicks (Either Switch) – Direct access to HIGH.
From ON:
- HOLD (2 Switches) – Direct access to STROBE.
- 1 Click (Either Switch) – Light will switch OFF.
- 2 Clicks (Either Switch) – Mode change with every 2 clicks (light cycles through LOW, HIGH ⇒ LOW, HIGH).
Normal Operation (with Optional Magnetic Remote Pressure Switch)
From OFF:
- HOLD (Pressure Switch) – Direct access to MOMENTARY HIGH.
- 1 Click (Pressure Switch) – Light will switch ON to HIGH.
From ON:
- 1 Click (Pressure Switch) – Light will switch OFF.
Low Battery Indicator
When the battery is low, the Red Indicator (circled in red below) located at the bottom of the weaponlight will light up. This indicator signifies that there is about 5 minutes of runtime left from the battery.
Do recharge the weaponlight at the earliest possible time.
Electronic Lockout (Partial)
As mentioned earlier, the PL-PRO is shipped with the Electronic Lockout activated.
The “Electronic Lockout” is as best a partial one as a MOMENTARY MODE (~100 Lumens) can still be activated.
To deactivate Electronic Lockout, the following instruction has to be carried out.
From OFF:
- HOLD (2 Switches): Output will increase from ~100 lumens to LOW Mode (Electronic Lockout is deactivated).
To activate Electronic Lockout, the following instruction has to be carried out.
From OFF:
- HOLD (1 Switch) for ~0.5 sec followed by HOLD (Other Switch): Light will switch ON for ~2 secs before it will switch OFF (Electronic Lockout is activated).
Note: Both switches has to be held down after the initial ~0.5 sec hold of one of the switches, for proper Electronic Lockout activation.
Form Factor
For weaponlights that are intended to be used as a weapon-mounted light, form factor is important.
This light is relatively light and should not make the handgun or rifle overly front end-heavy.
The PL-PRO can be weapon-mounted with the following instructions:
- Install the correct Rail Adapter (Glock or 1913).
- Open PL-PRO’s Swing Arm.
- Push the Swing Arm to easily fit the insert into the handgun’s or rifle’s rail notch.
- Close PL-PRO’s Swing Arm.
The magnetic charging port is located on the bottom of the weaponlight, so charging can still be carried out even when it is already weapon-mounted.
The 2 ambidextrous switches on the tail end of the weaponlight ensures that left or right hand dominant users will be able to operate it with ease, especially when under duress.
It can double up as a normal flashlight as it is able to tail-stand perfectly when not weapon-mounted.
Removing/Installing the Rail Adapter:
Open/Close Swing Arm:
Other pictures of the Olight PL-PRO:
Charging Process
With the provided Magnetic Charging Cable (MCC), the battery was charging at ~0.85A.
The light can operate on any modes (including STROBE) when charging, at the expense of a slower charging rate. However, it is recommended to limit the usage to “LOW” mode only, to ensure that the battery does get charged.
Solid RED indicator on the TAIL portion of the MCC Charger depicts charging in progress.
Solid GREEN indicator on the TAIL portion of the MCC Charger depicts charging has completed.
Notes:
- Charging the weaponlight will not deactivate the Electronic Lockout.
- The provided MCC Cable is not backward-compatible to the Olight PL-MINI & Olight PL-MINI 2 models.
Beam Style/Beamshots
For this light, the spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the TIR optic. The LED is covered under the TIR (Total Internal Reflection) optic. With the LED used, the beam is still sufficiently “throwy” for recognising items in the near to mid-range distance.
The above beam profile is a rough interpretation of what is seen when white wall hunting.
The beam has a fairly distinct hotspot with some slight corona and a fairly wide spill, with most of the lumens output focused into the hotspot. There are some beam artifacts when white wall hunting but not visible in real world usage.
All of the beamshots taken below are done so with the following camera settings (LOCKOUT Mode: 1/2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 1/4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and HIGH: 1/8sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB).
Some pictures have been adjusted slightly to depict as close as to what is seen in real life. The distance of the light from the door is 4.6m.
Control shot:
LOCKOUT MODE (~100 lumens):
LOW (300 lumens):
HIGH (1500 lumens):
Mode (Output) Spacing
Mode spacing appears to be progressively brighter to the eye and the modes are well spaced enough to be able to know which mode one is currently in. With that in mind, TLR tend to view mode spacing as battery life indicators (amount of runtime left) rather than the specific output (lumens).
There is no moonlight level (sub-lumen or 1 lumen) option available as the LOW mode comes in at 300 lumens. However, since this light is primarily a weaponlight, moonlight usually is not a priority here. Ease of access to fewer modes (2 in this case) is more important, especially when under duress. That said, when Electronic Lockout is activated, there is an option to access a lower LOW mode of ~100 lumens in momentary function.
On a side note, the LOW mode (300 lumens) could use a slightly lower output of say 250 lumens to ensure a cooler & longer runtime – as the difference in output is almost imperceptible to most human eyes.
Note: Operating the weaponlight in LOW mode for an extended period in warmer temperature areas (e.g summer period), will cause it to be slightly warm.
Tint & CRI
Olight did not disclose the tint (color temperature) and/or the CRI (Color Rendering Index) for the LEDs used in their light. For this light, a guesstimate would be in the 5000K and 75CRI ballpark.
However, there is slight tint shift in the beam profile. The hotspot is a neutral white tint whilst the corona possess a slight yellowish green tint; and the spill having a neutral white tint.
This is not noticeable in real life usage.
Waterproofness
As the weaponlight is IPX6 rated only, it was subjected to being left under room temperature running water at full blast whilst running on HIGH.
No signs of water intrusion in the head, body or switches was seen.
Lockout Capability
No mechanical lockout but electronic lockout is possible when needed, like during transportation in a bag.
See above “Electronic Lockout“, on how to activate and deactivate Electronic LOCKOUT.
Note: Charging the weaponlight will not deactivate the Electronic Lockout.
Quick Comparison to Olight PL-2 Valkyrie Model
| Description | Olight PL-PRO Valkyrie | Olight PL-2 Valkyrie |
|---|---|---|
| HIGH Mode Output | 1500 Lumens | 1200 Lumens |
| LOW Mode Output | 300 Lumens | No |
| Output (Excluding Strobe) | 2 + 1 Lockout Momentary (~100 Lumens) Output | 1 Only |
| Max Beam Distance | 280m | 235m |
| Beam Intensity | 19,600cd | 13,800cd |
| Magnetic Charging Cable (MCC) | Yes | No |
| Magnetic Remote Pressure Switch | Yes (Optional Accessory) | No |
| Battery | Included (Built-in 3.6V 900mAh battery) | Included (2 x CR123A 1600mAh) |
| Low Battery Indicator | Yes | No |
| Length | 83mm | 82.5mm |
| Breadth | 37mm | 36.5mm |
| Height | 33mm | 32.5mm |
Scale Comparison (Ruler)
Summary
To sum up, we believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same weaponlight to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this light, it is a definite YES, if the proprietary battery is not an issue for your usage.
The straightforward UI with Direct Access to HIGH or STROBE from OFF, simple 2 modes interface, Magnetic Charging Cable (MCC) capability, easy swap between Rail Adapters (Glock and 1913 – Picatinny) with the provided T6/T8 Socket Head Wrench, ease of attachment with the Swing Arm and Magnetic Remote Pressure Switch option (for easier activation when attached to a rifle) are all plus points for this weaponlight.
That said, the built-in battery might seem as a major disadvantage to some but it helps to decrease the overall size of the weaponlight (to make space for the MCC-charging capability) and having a full weaponlight package (weaponlight + battery + MCC cable) is always a good option for gifting purposes and/or personal usage.
Here is a bonus size comparisons with some of the other similar sized flashlights which we reviewed previously.
From Left to Right: Olight S1R II Baton, Olight PL-PRO Valkyrie, ReyLight Ti Dawn, Oveready Ti BOSS 35, Olight M1T Raider, Okluma Ti DC1 and Streamlight ProTac 90.
As with all gears, two is one and one is none.
Stay safe,
The Lite Review
Disclaimer: Weaponlight was provided for by Olight (manufacturer) for this review. No other compensation was provided.
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Olight PL-PRO Valkyrie
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