Olight i3E EOS AAA Flashlight Review
Olight has released a new colorway of the Olight i3E EOS AAA flashlight. This little twisty has one mode and a great output level! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Olight i3E EOS AAA flashlight product page.
Versions
There are many versions of the i3E EOS. This specific one is an OFan gift though, so that makes it a bit different. This color appears to be called “Olight Blue.”
Price
This light is actually free! You’ll have to buy something else, but when you do, just add the Olight i3E EOS flashlight to your cart and the price will be $0.00! The light can be purchased for $12.99, though.
More important than this i3E EOS AAA flashlight that’s just been released is this Olight Baton 3 Pro in Black Lava that’s just been released! I’ll have a full review (and photos!) of it soon but for now, go on and click through on that referral link and buy yours!
Short Review
This is a fun little light! For the price of free, I don’t think you can beat it. I do think you should grab an Olight Baton 3 Pro to accompany it, though!
Long Review
The Big Table
| Olight i3E EOS AAA Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Philips Luxeon TX |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $12.99 at olightstore.com (referral link) |
| Cell: | 1xAAA |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | No |
| Switch Type: | Twisty |
| On-Board Charging? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 90 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 102 (113.3% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 5.52 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 44 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 25lux @ 4.744m = 563cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 47.4 (107.7% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6000 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Olight |
| All my Olight reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: I am an amateur flashlight reviewer. I don’t have $10,000 or even $1,000 worth of testing equipment. I test output and such in PVC tubes!! Please consider claims within 10% of what I measure to be perfectly reasonable (accurate, even).
What’s Included
- Olight i3E EOS flashlight
- AAA cell (primary)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
As this is a twisty light, you’ll want nice beefy and smooth threads. The Olight i3E EOS AAA flashlight has that! They’re even long enough that you shouldn’t have to worry about the head falling off, too.
The head also has a bit of grip in the right direction for usability, too.
The tail end has a spring, but the head has just a button.
Size and Comps
Weight: 0.68 oz (19.4 g)
Length: 2.38 in (60.5 mm)
Head Diameter: 0.55 in (14 mm)
Body Diameter: 0.49 in (12.5 mm)
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in 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.
Also above on the left is a new feature light!! Laulima Metal Craft sent this titanium Todai for some size comparison photos like the ones above. Laulima has a bunch of incredible items. I’ve tested one (the Laulima Metal Craft Hoku) (the official site for Hoku is here) that was a Friend Fund Friday review. I was impressed enough by that Hoku that I bought a Laulima Metal Craft Diamond Slim (also in tumbled aluminum) (review is upcoming!) These lights by Laulima have impeccable build quality and not only that, they’re quite configurable. There are some (great, actually) default configurations, but Joshua Dawson (of Laulima Metal Craft) is open to ideas and emitter options and the like. I haven’t reviewed this Todai, but I have to say, it feels absolutely fantastic and I love it thus far. (Notably, I love how warm and eggy those emitters look through the TIR.)
Retention and Carry
While there is a place for a pocket clip and some packages of the i3E EOS do come with a pocket clip, the only included means for carrying this version is the split ring, which you can see below.
Power and Runtime
The Olight i3E EOS flashlight runs a single AAA cell. A primary alkaline cell is included, but my testing was performed using a NiMH AAA cell.
The positive terminal goes toward the head in this light.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On | 90 | 70m (with NiMH) | 102 | 0.56 |
Pulse Width Modulation
No real PWM is seen. This chart actually seems a little different from the previous i3E EOS I tested. It also didn’t have PWM but seemed to have some SMS ripple or something.
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, with 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
The Olight i3E EOS AAA flashlight is a twisty light. Twist the head for on, loosen for off.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Tighten head | On |
| On | Loosen head | Off |
| Off | Tighten and loosen head quickly 250 times | Probably nothing. Possibly singularity. |
LED and Beam
Other colorways of this light indicate the i3E EOS uses a Philips Luxeon TX emitter.
There’s also a TIR in place.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The CCT is cool at around 6000K. CRI is not high, too, at around 73.
Beamshots
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
- Simplicity
- Low cost (even on the ones that aren’t free, they’re only around $10)
- Includes a cell
What I don’t like
- Just one mode – I would love a low on this light, too!
- Low CRI output
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
- Please use my Amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!
I bought the clip and got the light free. Hahaha
That’s a good deal!