Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition Flashlight Review

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition Flashlight Review

The Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight is a new colorway of the Arkfeld Pro! The Pro has a white emitter and offers laser and UV in one package, too!


Official Specs and Features

Here’s a referral link to the Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight product page.

Versions

At least five versions are (or “have been”) available  – Black, Orange, Racing Stripes, Zombie Green, and this Paw Edition. Black is available in neutral and cool white. Orange and Zombie green are only in cool white. Though unlabeled, this Paw Edition also tests as cool white.

Price

The Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition comes in a bundle at an introductory price ($25 off!) of $84.46. This should take anyone who was on the fence needing both a laser and UV but not wanting two lights. Now you can have both in one great package!


What’s Included

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight what's included

  • Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight
  • Charging cable (Proprietary magnetic Olight MCC 0.5A/1A/2A version)
  • Metal pin
  • Manual

Package and Manual

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight box

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight box

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight box

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight packaging

Olight Arkfeld Pro Racing Stripes flashlight manual

Olight Arkfeld Pro Racing Stripes flashlight manual

Olight Arkfeld Pro Racing Stripes flashlight manual

Olight Arkfeld Pro Racing Stripes flashlight manual

Build Quality and Disassembly

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight

The Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight – like the other Arkfelds – has a very vapey feel… That doesn’t take away from the light, though – the Arkfeld Pro has a very robust feel. It’s solid.

One thing you might not notice right away is that this Pro version is noticeably larger than the non-Pro version. That’s not bad at all. But since the light is essentially just scaled up, it’s easy to miss that it’s larger. (In fact, I didn’t even realize it was larger until I held the Pro and not-Pro side by side.)

Of course, there’s no cylindrical cell in there to rattle around or be removed, or whatever. The cell is 100% built-in. That’s good and bad of course. Building the cell in means Olight can get reliable performance, but it also means you can’t change the cell when it wears out in a number of years.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight pets detail

Whatever the case about the battery, the build here is great. I love the anti-roll shape. Not only that but the Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight into the pocket where I normally carry an 18650 light in a much more comfortable way. It’s approximately the same width as my wallet, depending on whether I’m carrying my American Express Centurion Card or not.

Having already disassembled my brown non-Pro version, I did not do so for the Orange Arkfeld Pro version. You’re invited to check out the photos from that review, though. Here’s a link. (Note: I didn’t get too far with disassembly.)

Olight includes a metal pin with the Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight. That’s a new thing for this edition, and it is all about pets!

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight metal pin front

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight metal pin back

Size and Comps

Weight: 3.92 oz (111g) (Battery Included)
Height: 0.63 in (16 mm)
Length: 4.72 in (120 mm)
Width: 1.06 in (27 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).

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight in hand

Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!

Also above is the light beside a TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!

Below you can see the Olight Arkfeld Pro EDC flashlight in orange (left) beside the previous Arkfeld. Again, the Pro is bigger, but I bet you’d never notice it if you didn’t have them side by side.

Retention and Carry

The Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight still has the updated pocket clip, which is so much better than the first edition Arkfeld clip. This clip allows great deep carry, as well as having a two-way option. I don’t care at all about the two-way, but I love the deeper carry. Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight pocket clip detail

This clip also offers a hole suitable for a lanyard! Two advancements in one clip!

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight pocket clip screw and lanyard hole

The only other way to retain the Arkfeld Pro is with the magnetic base. While mostly for charging, the magnet is strong enough to hold the light in place, too.

Power and Runtime

Olight states this as a “built-in 1500mAh Lithium Polymer Battery” and that’s perfectly logical. I was unable to gain any access to the LiPO but I did run a couple of output tests. There is a battery indicator below the switch and it does indicate when the voltage is low. The light finally shuts off, too.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight runtime chart

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight runtime chart

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight runtime chart

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight runtime chart

Output is nice and stable for all but the first few minutes of Turbo and steps down at timed intervals. The light appears to have low voltage protection, too, but I wasn’t able to check the post-run voltage.

Below you can see the battery indicator – two green indicators.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight battery indicator

Charging

There’s also onboard charging, by way of a magnetic charge base and a magnetic charge connector in the tail (both parts are magnetic!). The charging base is the common Olight MCC.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight charging base

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight charging connector

The charger for this Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight is an MCC1A charger.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight charging connector

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight on charging connector

Charging looks pretty good. The max rate is around 0.9A. I would guess the LiPO could handle way more, so I’d love to see this utilize the full capability of a MCC charger.

Notably, this Pro version does not have the “intermittent” or drop-out charging that some of the previous versions had. It also charges more quickly and has a “firmer” cutoff point, too. All of those are very good improvements.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight charging chart

Modes and Currents

Mode Mode Claimed Output (lm) Claimed Runtime Measured Lumens
Turbo 1300-420 4m-126m 1203 (0s)
1195 (30s)
High 420-100 135m+12m 375
Med 100 9h45m 95
Low 15 55h 14
Moon 1 11d 0.65

Pulse Width Modulation

Nothing really to mention here. None of the modes seem to be using PWM. The last mode below is strobe – I thought I’d include that one just for fun.

Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor. Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.

User Interface and Operation

There’s just one e-switch on the Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight. Surrounding that e-switch is a selector knob of sorts, which points to either white LED output, ultraviolet, or laser output. Functionally this is exactly the same as previous Arkfelds, but just with one added output option. The gold-colored clip mentioned above matches the gold-colored e-switch you can see below.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight e-switch detail

The e-switch isn’t proud at all. The selector has one nubs that help flip between outputs.

All of that said, the user interface is basically the same as the Olight S2R Baton II, which I’ve covered before. It’s also basically the same early-generation Arkfeld Pros. But it is not the same. It is the same as the updated Arkfeld Pro (meaning there are two iterations, and this is the newer user interface.)

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight e-switch actuation

Here’s a user interface table! This only applies when the selector is in the LED position. For ultraviolet or laser output, the switch is simply on/off.

State Action Result
Off Click On (mode memory)^
On Hold (release at desired mode) Mode cycle (L, M, H) (no Moon or Turbo)
Off Hold Moonlight
Any Double click Strobe (“Setting 1” – Default)
Turbo (“Setting 2”)
Lockout Click 10x+ and hold Iterate between Setting 1 and Setting 2 (indicated by flashing twice)
Any Triple click Turbo (“Setting 1” – Default)
Strobe (“Setting 2”)
Strobe Click Off
Strobe Hold Previous Mode
Off Long hold (past Moonlight) Lockout (indicated by a single red line on the battery indicator)^
Lockout Hold Unlock to Moonlight
On Click then Click and Hold (quickly)^^ Timer (Single blink: 3 minutes, Double blink: 9 minutes)
Timer Click then Click and Hold (quickly)^^ Switch between 3- and 9-minute timers.

^ Moon, Low, Medium, and High are memorized. Turbo is memorized as High.
^^ The manual states this as “Double click and hold” but I think “Click then Click and Hold” quickly is more accurate. Any form of double click ends in Turbo or Strobe.

LED and Beam

Olight doesn’t state what emitter is in the Arkfeld Pro EDC flashlight. I would guess it’s an Osram P9, but it doesn’t matter too much since we’ll see a characterization of the emitter below.

The emitter is in a small TIR, and beside that is an ultraviolet emitter. In the middle (at the bottom of the photo below) is the laser output.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight emitters

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight white emitter on

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight laser on

When you turn the light on, these indicator LEDs briefly indicate what the general charge state is.

This is the 3R laser version, but I believe some markets may get a different (possibly less powerful) laser. I am not sure how you’d be able to check, but probably start with your local laser laws.

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition flashlight laser detail

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

The CCT claim is 5700K to 6700K and this emitter just about hits that mark. I measure it between 6200K and 6800K. The CRI is mid to low, at around 72. More disappointingly though, is that the Duv is well above the BBL, demonstrating that the output is a bit greenish.

Beamshots

These beamshots always have the following settings:  f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level, and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.

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!

Summary and Conclusion

I liked the Arkfeld just fine. This one is better. I never need a laser, but I need UV even less. So to have both in one package is super convenient, even if I’ll only ever use the white emitter. As far as the white goes, this Arkfeld Pro is (still) very much a flat-shaped Baton, and I love batons. The Olight Arkfeld Pro EDC flashlight is a high-quality product!

The Big Table

Olight Arkfeld Pro Paw Edition Flashlight
Emitter:
Price in USD at publication time:
Cell: Internal
Runtime Graphs
LVP? Yes
Switch Type: E-Switch
Quiescent Current (mA): ?
On-Board Charging? Yes
Charge Port Type: Proprietary Magnetic
Charge Graph
Power off Charge Port all modes
Claimed Lumens (lm) 1300
Measured Lumens (at 30s) 1195 (91.9% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen 2.39
Claimed Throw (m) 102
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) 109lux @ 5.715m = 3560cd
Throw (Calculated) (m) 119.3 (117% of claim)^
Claimed CCT
Measured CCT Range (K) 6200-6800 Kelvin
Item provided for review by: Olight
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 I like

  • Paw Edition is neat!
  • Interesting shape!
  • Good output
  • Meets throw specifications
  • The ultraviolet option is neat (and also easy to avoid)
  • User interface will be very familiar to anyone with a Baton
  • Slips into “the 18650 spot” in a pocket with more comfort than an 18650 light
  • Combining these two secondary output options is a very good move on Olight’s part

What I don’t like

  • Very floody
  • Mid to low CRI
  • Non-replaceable battery
  • Proprietary charging (seriously, USB-C would be fantastic!)

Notes

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