Olight Warrior Mini – The Best EDC Flashlight?

Olight seems to be cranking out an endless supply of new and improved flashlights. Their latest Warrior Mini may be their best EDC flashlight to date. We have already reviewed their Valkyrie Pro and Baldr Mini weapon lights. The Warrior Mini is more of an EDC flashlight, and what a flashlight it is!

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I do have a criticism of this light, however, so read on.

Warrior Mini Flashlight Specifications

This flashlight packs a lot of punch in a small package. In typical Olight fashion, the have (compared to competitors) delivered a quality light at a very competitive price. Of course, lights of this nature are by no means “cheap”, but if it’s a high-quality everyday carry light that you are in need of, it’s hard to beat this one.

The USB charging cable is one of my favorite Olight features. I can plug it in for a recharge virtually anywhere, and there is no need to worry about cycling out batteries, stocking batteries, etc. For regular use, this becomes a cost saver in the long run. I don’t know how often I am changing the AAA batteries in my headlamp, but it’s often! (See 4 Ways to Store and Organize Batteries.)

Check out the specs:

Why This May Be the Best EDC Flashlight

Olight seemed to go straight for an EDC light with this design. It has a slender tube; a strong, removable clip; various settings; and light weight compared to the power. It is truly designed for everyday use. The clip itself is meant for this purpose where it is a two-way clip, meaning it can be clipped right side up or upside down. If the clip doesn’t work for your carry strategies, it also comes with a lanyard.

It is waterproof down to 2 meters, and survives a drop test at 1.5 meters. It has a battery level indicator and lockout mode. They also pitch it as a “self-defense” flashlight because it has what they describe as a “strike bezel,” but… I’m not convinced of its self-defense aspects. Regardless, Olight also delivers a 5-year warranty on the light.

Criticism – Various Lumen Power Settings

The Warrior Mini has a variety of settings, and this is my primary criticism of the light – there are too many settings! It took a bit, and a few read-throughs of the instructions, to figure out all of the various options. Don’t get me wrong, I like having various settings and options, but when I have to start remembering “one click” or “click and hold” or “light push” or “combination of this button and that button” it becomes too much. I appreciate simplicity as much as I appreciate options, and in this light’s case, too many options cut into the light’s simplicity. This light has 5 modes!

Mode 1 is 1 lumen.
Mode 2 is 15 lumens.
Mode 3 is 120 lumens.
Mode 4 is 500 lumens.
Mode 5 is 1500 lumens.

I don’t need that many different settings – three modes would be plenty! I like Mode 1’s ultra small 1 lumen, Mode 4’s 500 lumens, and Mode 5’s “light-er-up” 1500 lumens. Creating 5 modes is unnecessary and makes for too many clicks to get it where you want. That said, they do try to make it easier by offering two switches, with one switch being a “press and hold” to cycle through the first 3 modes. The light also has a “memory” so when you turn it on, it will turn on at your last setting.

Warrior Mini, Valkyrie Pro, and Odin Comparisons

Sometimes the best way to get a feel for a light is not to look at it in isolation, but to compare it to other lights. In this case, I’m focusing on power only as they are all very distinct lights with different intended purposes. Read more about the Valkyrie Pro here and see the Odin light here. Here are the three lights sitting side by side.

Lumen Comparison

You can see, when compared to the much larger Odin light in particular, the Warrior Mini has a big shine. The Valkyrie PL-PRO is actually my favorite of the three lights as I appreciate the less “LED-ish” shine to it. This is clearly displayed in the comparison photos.

Cheek Comparison

There is not a significant difference here in the lights if your objective is to simply light up your cheeks. Just be careful if you try this, because you will temporarily blind yourself when you pull the light out and it hits your eyes.

Now, if Olight could make a way to attach the Warrior Mini to a rifle, it would expand its versatility even more, because it certainly has the power needed to light up a target.

Check out the Olight Store to see the many options they have for EDC and tactical flashlights.

What’s YOUR favorite EDC flashlight?