Olight Perun 2 Headlamp Review

Olight Perun 2 Headlamp Review

Among other limited editions, Olight has recently introduced was an orange Perun 2.  Not only is the orange a limited version, but the Olight Perun 2 21700 LED headlamp is a new light!  It has a proximity sensor and offers built-in (magnetic) charging.  Read on!


Official Specs and Features

Here’s a referral link to the official product page.

Versions

There seem to be just two versions of the Perun 2.  Black, and orange (seen here).  The orange is limited, so if that’s your jam, you should buy one sooner than later!

Price

The black lists at $89.95, and the orange at $99.95.  Both have special pricing upon entry to the market though.  Black is $62.97, and orange is $69.97.  There’s a bunch of other sale stuff you should read here:

Flash sale date: 8:00 PM November 25th -11:59 PM November 30th EST.

VIP customers(Silver and above) will have the early access to our Flash Sale from November 20th EST.

UP to 45% OFF site-wide

FREE Gift:  i1R2 Rechargeable Keychain Light in random color (Worth $19.95).

(Register or Log in your account during flash sale, a FREE i1R2 Keychain Light will be automatically added to your cart.)

Perun 2 Black, 30% off,$62.97, bundle i3T DT, 40% off, $67.14

Perun 2 Orange (Limited Edition), 30% off, $69.97, bundle i3T DT, 40% off, $73.14

Warrior Mini Ti (Spring 2/ Summer 2/Autumn 2/Winter 2), 30% off, $ 83.97

Warrior Mini Cu (Eternal 2), 30% off, $69.97

Warrior Mini Ti Spring 2/ Summer 2 / Autumn 2 / Winter 2, bundle Warrior Mini CU (Eternal 2), 35% off, $142.94

Coupon Code will work during sales on non-sale listings ONLY.


Short Review

As a headlamp, I don’t dig this light so much.  It’s too big and heavy for great use on a forehead.  As a handheld right-angle light, this is pretty good.  I do not like the sensor, and it really gets in the way of my normal use of the Perun 2, but if you don’t see yourself using the light on higher modes up close, this might not be a problem for you.

Long Review

The Big Table

Olight Perun 2
Emitter: Cree XHP50.2
Price in USD at publication time: $69.97 on sale.  Regularly $99.95
Cell: 1×21700
Turbo Runtime High Runtime
LVP? Vibration warning
Switch Type: E-Switch
Quiescent Current (mA): ?
On-Board Charging? Yes
Charge Port Type: Proprietary magnetic
Chargetime
Power off Charge Port With cell: All modes.
Without cell: No modes.
Claimed Lumens (lm) 2500
Measured Lumens (at 30s) (Sensor prevents calibrated testing)
Candela per Lumen 2.9
Claimed Throw (m) 166
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) 650lux @ 3.552m = 8201cd
Throw (Calculated) (m) 181.1 (109.1% of claim)^
All my Olight reviews!

^ Measurement disclaimer:  Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.

What’s Included

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange what's included

  • Olight Perun 2 LE Orange Headlamp
  • Olight 4000mAh 21700 (customized and proprietary, required)
  • Headband
  • Charge cable (USB to proprietary magnetic)
  • Lanyard
  • Lanyard pull
  • Manual

Package and Manual

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange box opened

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange box open

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange protective cover on lens

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange manual 1 olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange manual 2 olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange manual 3 olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange manual 4

Build Quality and Disassembly

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange laying on side

Build quality is great.  The orange is very good orange anodizing.  It matches the other orange Olights very well.

The head has some deep cooling grooves.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange head cooling fins

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange body detail

The body has the triangle “knurling” Olight’s been playing at lately, and some cross hatch swirling down the side.  It’s an interesting design.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange knurling grooves

The tailcap carries the swirl theme.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange tailcap

In the head, you can see the emitter and also the little sensor.  This sensor is used to dim the light when there’s a lot of bounce-back light.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange emitter photo

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange showing sensor

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange pocket clip

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange two-way clip

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange friction fit clip

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange cooling fins

The lights are serialized.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange profile of switch

An angled head absolutely prevents headstanding.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange can't headstand

Only the head comes off the Perun 2.  It’s really a 2 piece body – head and cell tube.  The threads are pleasantly short and don’t require a ton of effort or twisting to remove.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange head off

There’s a spring in head and tail.  An interesting vibration low voltage warning is featured in this light, and that seems to be located in the tail, not the head!  (That is based on testing with the bench power.)

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange head and tail springs

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange head off and cell out

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange cell installed

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange on low

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange headband

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange installed in headband

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange installed in headband

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange emitter

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange sensor

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange on low

Size and Comps

Weight (g / oz) 161/ 5.68
Length (mm / in) 120.7 / 4.75
Head Diameter (mm / in) 28.6 / 1.13
Body Diameter (mm / in) 27 / 1.06

If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo).  If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll show that here, too (usually the fourth photo).

Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+.  Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple.  A very nice 18650 light.

And here’s the light beside my custom engraved TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light.  I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange beside torchlab boss 35

Like I said above, the orange on these lights really works well.  And matches well too!

Retention and Carry

The light ships with this pocket clip installed, so I’ll consider that the primary carry option.  It’s a friction fit two-way clip, and does work well.

The clip is clearly intended for the one location it’s already installed, but it also fits on the wider bands on both the head and tail.

Next is the headband.  The headband can be used at the same time as the pocket clip, but it’s a bit cumbersome.  Ideally, you’ll probably want to remove the clip before using this as a headlamp.

A nice headband is included.  It has a silicone connector into which the Perun 2 slips and a useful tab on one of the loops is included.  One strap goes over the head and this strap is not removable.  It’s permanently attached to the front.

And as you can see below, also permanently attached to the back.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange headband

You’ll likely want that anyway – the Perun 2 is large enough you’ll need the extra support.

The headband also has some reflective strips.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange headband reflector

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange headband reflecting

Inside the headband is only soft fabric – there are no silicone grippy strips.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange headband

Final mention is the magnet.  Yes, this magnet is primarily used as a charge base connector, but it’s surprisingly strong enough to hold this long heavy light horizontally.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange magnetic tail

Power and Runtime

Olight’s Perun 2 is powered by a single lithium-ion cell.  A cell is included at all purchase levels of this light.  It’s the 4000mAh customized, proprietary 21700 cell.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange headband 4000mAh 21700

This cell has a plastic shroud around the positive terminal, and also has an exposed negative terminal on the positive end, too.

This shroud is tall and will prevent the cell from being charged in most bay chargers.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange headband 4000mAh 21700

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange 4000mAh 21700 with cell out

Installation of the cell is opposite to what I call the “usual” way.  The positive terminal goes into the body, and the negative terminal is toward the head.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange 4000mAh 21700 installed

Here are a couple of runtimes.  Since the bounce feature is so…. aggressive…  I can’t do my normal calibrated runtimes.  So I’ve set the 30 second reading to what Olight claims, and the rest of the runtime profile can still be useful.  The vibration warning for low voltage is interesting.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange runtime graph turbo

Same as above – due to the bounce sensor, this is an uncalibrated runtime, which I have set the 30s value to what Olight claims.  Output is extremely well regulated!

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange runtime graph high

I stopped both tests when the vibration warning had been happening for a few minutes.

Charging

The charge connector is the same as other recent Olights.  It’s the MCC charger, and on this light goes up to (or over) 2A charging.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange mcc charging base

Charging takes around 3 and a half hours, which is pretty good for a 21700 cell!  Notably, the green charge indicator on the charge connector turns green long before the current stops, but even then the cell is at 4.15V or so.  So it’s good or good enough.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange charge graph

Modes and Currents

Mode Mode Claimed Output (lm) Claimed Runtime Measured Lumens Tailcap Amps
Turbo 2500/32%/20% 2m/130m/45m 6.31
High 500/54% 240m/30m 0.82
Med 120 18h 0.18
Low 30 66h 0.04
Moon 5 12.5d ~

Pulse Width Modulation

No PWM on any of the 5 modes.

For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor.  Also, here’s the light with the worst PWM I could find.  I’m adding multiple timescales, so it’ll be easier to compare to the test light.  Unfortunately, the PWM on this light is so bad that it doesn’t even work with my normal scale, which is 50 microseconds (50us). 10ms.  5ms.  2ms.  1ms.  0.5ms.  0.2ms.  In a display faster than 0.2ms or so, the on/off cycle is more than one screen, so it’d just (very incorrectly) look like a flat line.  I wrote more about this Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight and explained a little about PWM too.

User Interface and Operation

A single button controls the Perun 2.  It’s a big pad of an e-switch and sits at an angle on the head.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange button profile

This angle does completely prevent headstanding.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange button no headstanding

The switch has a power symbol and is quite large and easy to find.  Actuation is very positive but absolutely only in the center of the button.  That is, within the power symbol seen below.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange button

Here’s a UI table!

State Action Result
Off Click On (Mode Memory, Moon, LMH only)
Off Hold Moon
Any Double Click Turbo
On Hold Mode advance (Moon, LMH only)
Turbo Double Click Exit Turbo to previous mode (except if previous was high, then results in Medium)
Any Triple Click SOS
SOS Click Off
On Click Off
On Click and Hold (quickly) Timer (Single blink: 3 minutes, Double blink: 9 minutes)
Timer Click and Hold (quickly) Switch between 3 and 9 minute timers.
Off Hold (>2s) Lockout
Lockout Hold (~2s) Unlock (and goes to Moonlight)

LED and Beam

Olight went with a Cree XHP50.2 in a cool white for the Perun 2.  The light utilizes a TIR, with a cutout to allow for the sensor.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange emitter

Unlike some of the other Olight sensor-based lights, it’s not possible to turn the sensor off.  And it’s not possible to cover the sensor as a means of disabling it (in fact that’ll do the opposite here – make it ultra-aggressive.)  So the sensor is a real deal-breaker on this light for me.

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange emitter and sensor

olight perun 2 21700 headlamp orange emitter

These beamshots are always with the following settings:  f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.

Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)

I keep the test flashlight on the left, and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.

I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!

Conclusion

What I like

  • Orange light!
  • Complete package
  • Sensor is very effective (and good if you’re looking for a sensor light to prevent a lot of reflected light)
  • User interface is easy to memorize (or just guess)
  • Great build quality
  • Good for hands-free use (as a headlamp or using the magnet)

What I don’t like

  • Customized and proprietary cell
  • Proprietary charging (but at least it matches other recent Olight charging lights)
  • Probably not the best choice as a running headlamp

Notes

  • This light was provided by Olight for review. I was not paid to write this review.
  • This content originally appeared at zeroair.org.  Please visit there for the best experience!
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7 thoughts on “Olight Perun 2 Headlamp Review”

  1. Very good review! The only thing I can not really understand is why the sensor is a deal breaker. From what I understand, it is a proximity sensor. It dims your light to ‘low’ when you run it in a high setting and there is a surface directly in front of it (~20cm?), so you do not drain your light in your pocket/backpack or even burn your stuff (which this light is very capable of in turbo mode!). Also, if the sensor notices an obstruction without movement for a minute, the light turns off. I never run into situations, where I need maximum brightness close to a surface. I have yet to try if I can run my light in a lower setting with some kind of diffuser for passive flood light without it turning off. However, I can understand that this feature obstructs testing.

    I also really like the magnet, but it only really seems to hold the lights weight directly on proper metal (car, radiator, etc.) It did not hold up on my whiteboard.

    Thank you for your review!

    1. I really don’t want a light to decide for me when there’s too much bounce back, or the reflection is too bright… etc. I want to decide those things for myself.

    2. Peter Lindblom

      I understand why it can be a deal breaker. I did a 10km walk last night (in the rain). Knowing about the sensor I cleaned the lens every time it dimmed. BUT, it turns itself off after a while, happened several times. THAT’S a deal breaker.
      I wouldn’t have bought it if I knew, can’t see it mentioned anywhere, found it in an old review of the Perun 1.

      Not that I prefer walking in the rain so this was many a one off for me, and The Perun 2 sits in my breast pocket as flood light not a primary light.
      A Thrunite Thrower on my head (still good spill, probably why I missed the Perun had dimmed). The Thrunite Thrower is an exceptional headlamp, some may not like it because it’s a Thrower but I love it.

  2. Love the reviews!

    I applied some Sugru over the light sensor and Turbo mode no longer dims even with my hand directly in front of the light.

    We will see how long this lasts but cursory tests show success.

    1. I’m surprised that doesn’t cause the sensor to trip all the time, instead of none of the time.

      1. I was not sure at first since the “finger test” seemed to behave the way you describe. If you have some putty that could work temporality to test on your copies.

  3. Pingback: Wurkkos HD20 Headlamp Review - ZeroAir Reviews

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