REVIEW – The Olight Marauder Mini 2 is a compact flashlight with 10,000 lumens and 750-meter beam distance, powered by a 7,500 mAh battery. It offers five lighting modes, dual charging options, intuitive controls, and is about the size of a 12-oz. can. I have one to review; read on to see what I think!
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $175.99 (discounted from $219.99)
Where to buy: Olight and Amazon
What is it?
The Olight Marauder Mini 2 is a compact, high-performance flashlight delivering up to 10,000 lumens with a 750-meter beam distance. A removable 7,500 mAh rechargeable battery powers the flashlight. It features five versatile lighting configurations: floodlight, spotlight, combo floodlight and spotlight, red light (night vision preserving light), and side light or desk light. Mode selection is easy with two three-position switches, an intensity scroll wheel, and a pushbutton to turn the light on and off. LEDs indicate the intensity and battery reserves. The flashlight is field-ready – It has an IPX8 rating so it can withstand immersion at depths beyond 1 meter for 30 minutes, it has a premium-feel, textured silicon grip that fits naturally in your hand, and it has a lanyard that doubles as a USB-C cable, so it is always ready to be recharged. The Marauder Mini 2 comes with a dedicated Pelican-like storage case, keeping your flashlight protected and well-organized.
What’s included?
- Marauder Mini 2
- Dual USB-C Wrist Strap Cable
- Plastic Protective Case
- User Manual
Tech specs
- Body Material: A6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy
- Head Diameter: 2.60 in (66 mm)
- Body Diameter: 1.69 in (43 mm)
- Length: 5.24 in (133 mm)
- Weight: 16.38 oz (465 g, battery included)
- Beam Distance: 2,460 ft (750 m)
- Max Performance: 10,000 lumens
- Max Light Intensity: 140,000 candela
- Battery: Customized 3.7 V, 7,500 mAh, 27.75 Wh, 32650 rechargeable lithium battery
- Charging Type: USB-C / MCC (Magnetic Charging Cable)
- Runtime (Moonlight Mode): Up to 50 days (floodlight), 95 days (spotlight), 40 days (combo), 35 days (red light), 150 days (side light)
- Lighting Configurations: Floodlight, Spotlight, Combo (Flood + Spot), Red Light, Side Light
- Operation Controls: Rotary selector, toggle switch, rotary knob
- Lens/Reflector Type: Converging Lens & TIR Lens
- Waterproof Rating: IPX8
- Working Temperature: 0–40 ℃
- Use Cases: Outdoors, search and rescue, home lighting
- Packaging: Plastic Protective Case
Design and features
Unboxing
I received the Olight Marauder Mini ahead of general availability, so I was surprised to find inside the shipping box a Pellican-like armored plastic storage box. The box appears to have an automatic purge valve to adjust for pressure changes, but it is only a threaded plug. The top of the plastic box is labeled with the Olight logo, and the base is labeled with the manufacturer’s information. A separate label includes the serial number.
Inside, there is a foam cutout for the instructions, the USB-C lanyard, and the flashlight. The flashlight is covered by a cardboard warning to remove the protective film from the internal battery (so it will start) and the lens (so it won’t melt).
The box makes a wonderful gift presentation and ensures that the flashlight is expertly stored so that it is available when needed. I very much doubt that this flashlight will be stored for the long term, but if that is the case, saving the battery isolation film so that it can be reused should be considered.
Design
The Olight Marauder Mini 2 is the second iteration of an already well-designed flashlight. The design review considers the construction and features from the lens to the battery cap.
The lens is a work of art. It has a large central domed area that is used by the spotlight to focus the beam tightly. It is surrounded by 12 smaller LEDs that are used by the floodlight and red light modes. There are 10 LEDs for flood and 2 LEDs for red light. Each of the smaller LEDs shines through a flat section of the lens, and small angles between the lenses allow for the rounded shape. In this respect, the front glass resembles a steel pan instrument from the Caribbean. The lens is framed in a plastic guard with a toothed edge, allowing light and heat to escape the flashlight if it is placed down, turned on, and onto a flat surface. The teeth extend just barely past the dome of the spotlight lens. It would be great if Olight, or an industrious maker, could design a shroud that could protect the lens with sacrificial polycarbonate while still permitting heat dissipation and optical clarity. The lens is so beautiful that I would hate to see it get scratched or damaged.
The area surrounding the lens is laser-engraved with the Olight logo and the caution symbol and warning “hot Surface” on the opposite side. During operation at the highest setting, the temperature of this area reached a maximum of 122ºF. After extended use, the whole flashlight becomes warm and acts as a heat sink for the high-temperature areas. Below this ring are seven protrusions that, in combination with the ring around the base, allow the flashlight to be placed down without rolling.
The flashlight changes diameter between the lens and the main cylinder. Spanning this gap is a ring of 13 coiled flutes that look like the vanes of a pump impeller. Nestled along one of these flutes, to the left of the power switch, is the LED of the side lamp. This LED appears to have a mottled cover that scatters the light. One thing I noticed in my testing is that becuase this LED is so close to the lens that the area can get very hot. My thermal camera only registers 120ºF, but I suspect that the actual temperature is a lot warmer.
Most of the shaft of the flashlight is covered with a silicone grip that features a faux leather pattern. The side of the grip opposite the buttons has three scalloped areas for finger placement, although my fingers never seem actually to hit those areas. The area to the right of the buttons is labeled “10000LM 750M” and the area to the left is labeled “MARAUDER Mini 2” in a stylized font.
The button area looks intimidating at first glance, but the layout is designed for usability and simplicity. The top control is a combination scroll wheel, button, and 3 selector switch. The selector switch changes the operation of the flashlight from side lamp, flood/spot, and red light. The scroll wheel adjusts intensity and is speed-sensitive, allowing slower movements to provide more precise control over the output. The scroll wheel is also the default method for unlocking the flashlight, so that it is not turned on unintentionally. The wheel must be rotated 60º before pressing the power button will turn on the lamp (the instructions provide a method to change this to holding the power button down to unlock).
The buttons do not appear to have any waterproofing, yet the flashlight has an IPX8 rating. How can this be? The warnings that accompany the instructions indicate that the switch is a magnetically sensitive component. Olight must use hall sensors in the electronics and rely on magnets to activate the electronics through a water-impenetrable barrier. A light brown dot is visible on the magnetically sensitive paper when it is held up to the switch.
The buttons also have some easter eggs as indicated in the instructions. When the flashlight is unlocked by rotating the button, quickly double-pressing the button will activate the flashlight at maximum intensity. (There are other methods for push-and-hold unlock.) When the flashlight is unlocked by rotating the button, holding the button in the power-on position will activate the flashlight in moonlight mode. When the flashlight is in the white floodlight mode, quickly triple-pressing the power button activates a disorienting strobe mode.
Below the buttons is a very generous lanyard hole. The lanyard hole is large enough to accommodate a wider paracord, or you can use the Olight lanyard with a hidden secret: it is a USB cable in disguise. The cable looks like a thick 8″ long woven nylon cable with a silicone rubber wrist lock, but the ends of the woven nylon can separate from the plastic connector at the base. By pressing on the tabs located on the sides of the connector, the USB plugs can be exposed. It looks as if there is a rubberized mat at the base of the connector, but it is hard to be certain if it will keep the plugs dry. Magnets in the base of each cable help keep the assembly intact. I have a hard time convincing myself to treat USB cables like lanyards, but it is an interesting out-of-the-box solution.
The base of the flashlight is completely removable. The threads machined into the base and battery are very smooth and well-lubricated. There is a single o-ring to protect water from ingress into the body of the flashlight. The removable base contains the magnet and contacts for the MCC Magnetic USB Charging Cable, as well as a USB charging port on the side of the bottom cap.
The USB charging port features a plastic dust door, but using a rubber port plug might still be worth the extra protection from getting dirt in the USB port. There are magnets in the base for the MCC, but they are not strong enough to hold the flashlight against a steel plate.
The battery is a customized Olight design that features a negative terminal on each end and a positive terminal at the top. The battery charges at about 11 Watts.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
The Marader Mini 2 flashlight comes partially charged, and the battery was fully isolated in the box, so there was no vampire draw occurring before it arrived. Fully charging the flashlight from an empty state takes approximately 3 hours.
Performance
The Marauder Mini 2 has excellent balance and grip. These features make the flashlight easy to hold for long periods and reduce the chance that it will be dropped.
The technical performance of the flashlight is measured by its intensity and the shape of the beam pattern it produces. Scientifically measuring these items requires specialized hardware. The link here has test results from calibrated instruments that demonstrate that the light output matches or exceeds the manufacturer’s claims.
To test the light in the real world, I went to a soccer field after dark. The field is unlit, and using the floodlight on this field lit it as if it were dusk. The flashlight cast a wide arc of illumination, lighting up the trees on the other side of the field about 170 meters away.
The spotlight generates a bright beam of light. It is an inspiring amount of illumination in the palm of your hand.
To test the spotlight, I went to an unlit clearing and aimed the spotlight at the treeline. The illumination was truly impressive, lighting a treeline at least 770 meters away.
The red lamp is great for illuminating your way at night without ruining your night vision. The red lamps allow you to see without depleting a critical protein in the eye responsible for night vision. Because using this light preserves night vision, it does not need to be as bright to allow you to see well in the dark. I tested the red lamp too. It has a lower brightness, but it still did a great job illuminating the field.
The side lamp is a fantastic feature, and if the optics and brightness of the main lamps were not so astonishing, this would steal the show. This lamp fills all the times that you wish you had something more powerful than a mini-maglight but less powerful than a lantern.
Final thoughts
The Olight Marauder Mini 2 arrives in a rugged plastic storage box with foam cutouts, making for a premium unboxing experience. Its design features a striking multi-LED lens, silicone grip, and controls with intuitive scroll-wheel operation. Performance testing reveals powerful floodlight coverage up to 170 meters and spotlight reach exceeding 770 meters, validating its impressive specifications. There are many smaller flashlights available as well as larger ones. I think the Marauder Mini 2 is a perfect size for the ideal amount of illumination.
What I like about X
- great optics
- good size
- Bright mode lasts for about 2 minutes
What needs to be improved?
- no protective cover
- Debris can get into the USB port
Price: $175.99 (discounted from $219.99)
Where to buy: Olight and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Olight. Olight did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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