REVIEW – This is the second Olight flashlight I’ve reviewed. The first was the Olight Seeker 4 Mini, a small but incredibly useful flashlight. The brand-new Olight Javelot light is about twice the size of the Seeker 4 Mini, but not twice as powerful. This made me wonder why anyone might prefer the Javelot, especially when the price is similar. Well, there are a couple of notable differences worth getting into.
What is it?
The Olight Javelot EDC (Everyday Carry) is a handheld flashlight useful for tasks around the house—as well as some tactical uses.
It is an upgrade from the Javelot Mini (Olight has a few Mini versions of flashlights).
The Javelot measures approximately. 5.4 in. long x 1.5 in. diameter—just about perfect for holding in a hand. Weight is a minor 7 oz.—including the battery. The model is new enough that I don’t have all the specs, but that info will be available on the Olight website when the Javelot is on March 12, 2024.
A single LED provides the light, ranging from .5 lumen to 1,350 lumens with a throw range of 800 yards (almost 3 football fields). The light is split into 5 ranges: Moonlight (.5lm), Low (15lm), Medium (150lm), High (650lm), and Turbo (1350lm). The shell is a light metal that feels like aluminum. Olight includes a handy nylon holster with a clip for a belt or backpack strap.
The Olight Javelot flashlight has an internal 5000mAh battery that is charged by a proprietary magnetic charger. It’s nice that this charger will also charge the previously reviewed Olight Seeker 4 Mini.
Olight claims that the Javelot has improved the “tactical tail key” making it more compatible with magnetic gun clip and rail mount. I don’t own any tactical rifle, so I’ll take their word for it.
Specs
- Aluminum Alloy body
- USB Magnetic Charging Cable
- Lighting levels: 1,350~650~150-15-.5 lumens
- High performance LED
- IPX8 waterproof rating
- 4.5 hour charging time
- Weight: 7 oz.
- Length: 5.4 in.
Design and features
Before I go into my thoughts, I want to mention that this review is quicker than the usual Gadgeteer review. I’ve only had it for a few days, so the review can run on the day this new light becomes available.
It’s interesting how LEDs have reinvented flashlights. My old—but deadly self-defense club—Maglite had a small incandescent bulb that pales when compared to even the smallest LED flashlight. The world of lighting has never been brighter (get it?).
There’s a term used when describing flashlights—throw. It simply means how far a light beam can be seen—or thrown. On a dark night, a throw of 800 yards will easily pinpoint something on a street or in a forest (although, you may not want to see certain things in the woods at night!). As a comparison, the Seeker 4 Mini has a much shorter—but still respectable—throw of 100+ yards. However, the Seeker 4 has a much wider dispersion of light. I never thought about these things until I compared flashlights.
The Olight Javelot flashlight has its On/off switch along the barrel near the front—where you would expect it to be. This button allows the light to be set at 5 levels of brightness. These settings are achieved by either a number of presses and/or how long the button is pressed. At first, all the variations of pressing and pressing/holding can be a bit of a learning curve, but with repeated use, it becomes second nature. A triple press of the On/off button brings up a strobe. There is no SOS morse code to select, but the strobe is bright and off-putting—which is exactly what you want in order to be seen if lost.
Olight has added tactical thinking in the Javelot. There is an additional “Tail Switch” at the base of the light. This is good if the light is being held above the shoulder with the thumb resting on the light’s base—much like you might see cops do. This button can control some—but not all—of the same functions as the main button on the barrel. The Tail Switch is an intuitive way to control the light settings with a simple press of the thumb.
Charging the Javelot is as easy as can be, even if it is Olight’s proprietary charger. Just plug in the USB-A cable and magnetically snap the opposite circular end to the Javelot’s base. Charging from 0-100% takes about 4.5 hours. Battery life can last from 155 minutes (Turbo – 100-40% power) to 72 days (Moonlight).
A light on the charging connector indicates the charging status: 60-100% power remaining – green, 10-60% – orange, and 5-10% – red. If the charger blinks red, it’s time to recharge.
Moonlight is an interesting setting. It’s quite faint but can be useful for trying to see without being seen. It all sounds cloak-and-dagger to me. All of the light settings work well indoors, but the Turbo setting works best outdoors. It’s bright for such a small light making it easy to see when walking the dog, taking out the trash, or maneuvering a dark camping site.
The Javelot’s brightness can be subjective. When purchasing a flashlight, you should ask yourself, “How bright do I expect this light to be?” One person’s bright may be another person’s not bright enough. If you have another flashlight and know its lumen output, you can decide if 1,350lm is enough. I recently reviewed the Imalent MS12 Mini. Its lumen output is 68,000lm! It’s heavy, hot, and exceedingly bright—too much for everyday normal use. But it does provide an idea of how bright flashlights can get.
What I like about the Olight Javelot flashlight
- Lightweight
- 5 Brightness level choices
- Easy to re-charge
- Long-lasting battery
- Useful nylon holster/clip included
What I’d change
- Make the charger cable USB-C.
Final Thoughts
The Olight Javelot is sized just right for 85% of my needs. It’s bright, light, and easy to just grab and go. I’ll save the ridiculously powerful 68K lumen monster for special use or just to show off. The Javelot (as well as the Seeker 4 Mini) is the flashlight I’ll actually use.
Price: $104.99 and $79.99 during St. Patrick’s Day sale – must login for discount. The special price expires on 3/14/24 11:59PM EDT
Where to buy: Olightstore
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Olight.
