REVIEW – We’ve done a lot of Olight reviews over the years and I have always been impressed with their products. Their newest item which I’m showing you today is the Olight Arkfeld flashlight. Let’s see why it’s my cat Ozzy’s favorite flashlight.
What is it?
The Olight Arkfeld is an LED flashlight that is available in two color temps: Neutral White LED (4000k~5000K) or High-Performance Cool White LED (5700K~6700K). This flashlight also has a built-in laser pointer function.
What’s in the box?
- Olight Arkfeld flashlight
- Magnetic charger
- User manual
Flashlight specs
Light Source – High-Performance Neutral White LED (4000k~5000K) or High-Performance Cool White LED (5700K~6700K)
Maximum lumens – 1,000
Light Intensity (candela) – 2,560
LEVEL 1 (lumens) – 1,000~300
Run-time LEVEL 1 – 4+110 minutes
LEVEL 2 (lumens) – 300~60
Run-time LEVEL 2 – 126+34 minutes
LEVEL 3 (lumens) – 60
Run-time LEVEL 3 – 11 hours +50 minutes
LEVEL 4 (lumens) – 15
Run-time LEVEL 4 – 41 hours
LEVEL 5 (lumens) – 1
Run-time LEVEL 5 – 8 days
Strobe – Yes
SOS/Beacon – No
Beam Distance – 331ft / 101m
Mode Operation – Central button and selector
Charge type – MCC3 Magnetic USB Charging Cable
Compatible Batteries – 1050 Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery
Waterproof – IPX7
Weight – 3.07 oz / 87 g
Length – 4.33 in / 110 mm
Width – 0.98 in / 24 mm
Height – 0.59 in / 11 mm
Design and features
Like other Olight flashlights that I’ve reviewed in the past, the Olight Arkfeld has an aluminum alloy body. This particular flashlight is available in Black (shown here), OD Green, Desert Tan, and Blue.
Instead of a round shape, the Arkfeld is flat and rectangular. The top surface has the controls and the Olight logo.
Flip the Olight Arkfeld over on its back and you’ll find the pocket clip.
The side view gives you a better idea of the unique shape of this light.
The sides are slightly beveled to add to the comfortable grip.
The business end of the light has a contrasting ring around the light’s bezel.
And the butt of the flashlight has Olight’s magnetic charging base. Fun fact: You can use this magnetic base to attach the light to the underside of your vehicle’s hood or any steel surface to turn it into a pseudo handsfree worklight.
The included magnetic USB charger has an LED that glows red while charging and turns green when fully charged.
When you turn on the flashlight or laser pointer, you’ll see a row of 5 battery level LEDs below the selector switch at the head of the flashlight. In the image above, my light had a 50% – 75% battery level.
The power button and selector switch are easy to activate with your thumb while holding the Olight Arkfeld flashlight. The selector switch has 2 positions. It’s either set to laser mode or flashlight mode.
The center button toggles the laser on and off and in flashlight mode, it toggles the flashlight on and off when pressed once. If you hold the button down while in flashlight mode, it will cycle through low, medium, and high brightness levels. To activate turbo mode (1000 lumens) you have to double-click the center button, to activate strobe mode, you triple-click the center button, and to activate moonlight mode, you hold down the center button when the flashlight is off. A single click deactivates the turbo or strobe modes.
Note that the Olight Arkfeld will remember the last mode (except for Turbo and Strobe) and will revert to that mode the next time you turn on the light.
The Olight Arkfeld flashlight can also be used as a laser pointer. Just set the selector to laser and press the center button to turn on the green laser. Press the button again to turn off the laser. The laser is great for meetings or if you have a cat as I do, it makes for a fun chase toy for him (and me since I don’t have to run around and can just point it at the floor). Just don’t shine the laser in your kitty’s eyes or make the laser the only toy you use as it doesn’t give the cat anything to actually “catch”.
Back to the flashlight! Let’s check out some pics showing the brightness modes.
You can click the images above to see a larger image. The pictures were all taken with an iPhone 13 Pro Max in my basement at about 9pm. Even the lowest lumens mode – Moonlight was able to light up the room enough that I could find my way around.
What I like
- Available in 2 color temperature versions
- Built-in laser pointer
- Easy-to-use controls
- Rechargeable battery
What I’d change
- Nothing
Final thoughts
Olight hasn’t disappointed me in the past and the Arkfeld flashlight hasn’t changed that. This small light combines easy-to-use controls, with handy rechargeability. With a max of 1000 lumens, this light packs a punch and the built-in laser makes it a handy tool for meetings too. Oh, and the laser is a great way to keep cats busy! 😉
Price: $89.99
Where to buy: Olight
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Olight.
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I would change the way it charges to standard USB-C and not have their proprietary charger.
I get where you’re coming from. I like their chargers but yes, it would be nice if you could just plugin a standard USB-C or even an old-school microUSB cable.
Likewise! The magnetic base is really convenient for home, but if I’m taking this as my backup or convenience light while out on the trail, recharging it can be a pain. If they had both options, the ability to have BOTH light and laser on at the same time, and a reversible clip on the pocket clip so that I could mount it onto my hat, this would be my all time favorite light. That being said, I’m keeping mine and think it’s going to work great as my new EDC for the next year or two. Also, great review, Julie! Aside from my above mentioned comments, you nailed it. I appreciate your educational info about it as a cat toy, too! 🙂
Thanks Brad. I will make sure to think more like someone who goes outside at night with my next flashlight review 😉 FYI, I’m not a camper.
An Oport on a keychain will take care of this issue. Uses a type c cord but charges the olight with magnetic base.
Hello Julie,
Is the light short enough to clip to the bill of a baseball cap? I use one of their smaller lights when kayaking at night.
Thank you.
Craig, the clip is oriented so that clipping it to the bill of your cap will cause the light to face backward instead of forward.
Just get an Oport and you can use a usb typ c charging cord while away from home.
No single flashlight can be and do everything we want, so I ended up adopting a two-light strategy. (You know what they say: two is one, one is none.) The Arkfeld is my primary EDC flashlight, and I really love it. But I also carry a RovyVon A1x as a backup. It’s a tiny keychain flashlight about the size of my little finger. The A1x cost me a mere $19.95, but it can do almost everything the Arkfeld can do, just not for nearly as long (because it has a much smaller battery). It doesn’t have the 1000-lumen turbo mode or a laser, and it can’t magnetically stick to things. But it weighs just 0.59 of an ounce, and it has a reversible clip, so it’s perfect for attaching to the bill of my cap if I need hands-free lighting. And it charges with a standard mini USB cable. Between the two of them, the Arkfeld and the A1x have all the bases covered.