If you’ve read our gear reviews, you’ve read about Olight’s weapon lights and combination light/lasers. Olight’s latest is the new BALDR S Tactical light. It’s a larger, more powerful version of their BALDR Mini Weapon light (read our writeup of that here).
Everything that was true about the BALDR Mini is true of the BALDR S, so read the review of the slightly smaller unit lined above. The BALDR S is a combination light and laser designed for use primarily on compact and full size handguns.
It attaches to your pistol’s rail with a quick release mount.
The mount attaches in a snap with a side lever. Olight includes rail bars to fit standard Picatinny rails as well as GLOCK’s proprietary rail.
Like the Mini, the BALDR S combines the light and laser emitter in one compact unit. The unit has a slide switch that lets you select from light only, laser only, or both when you use one of the two actuation switches on each side.
Press and hold one of the switches for more than a second and it will turn off when you release it. A quicker flick one of the switches turns the unit on. Press again to turn it off.
The smaller BALDR Mini fits many smaller pistols. Aside from the overall length difference (only ¼ inch0 the two units are the same. Well, that and the fact that the bigger BALDR S gives you 200 more lumens — 800 total — of light-em-up power.
It’s difficult to see the BALDR S’s green laser dot in the image above, but it’s not at all hard to see it in person. The human eye is about six times more sensitive to green light than red light and the BALDR S’s green laser stands out clearly, even in full sunlight.
And like Olight’s other flashlights and weapon lights, the BALDR S is USB rechargeable.
Specifications:
- Output: 800 lumens
- Intensity: 4400 Candela
- Water Resistance: IPX4
- Length: 2.48 inches
- Width: 1 inch
- Weight: 3.35 oz
- Price: $129.95
Olight is selling the BALDR S for $83.52 through their online store right now and including a free 2.5 lumen X9R Cell keychain light.
I’m an Olight fan. They do very well
Holy-crappola. Just bought one 10 minutes ago with their 45% off promotion.
I are be-genius.
So what I found was I saved a ton of money on duty guns in batteries. Then my hunting gun can be charged if needed via solar as I sit. I carry the solar charger in the pack anyway so no extra weight in batteries.
Long term grid down …
“designed for use primarily on compact and full size handguns.”
well yeah, but I’ve been using them on my AR-15’s and they haven’t failed to perform as advertised. The laser zero adjustments are a little touchy though but once you have it set its good to go.
i have one the mini on a yugo ak love o light
I don’t buy Olight products anymore. They used to make great lights, however they have been slowing moving more and more to Proprietary and Designed Obsolescence. I’m guessing cheaper components as well, I’d never heard of CR425 or 18500 batteries until I looked at Olights new products.
I find it interesting that none of the big review sites have had as much as a peep about this trend.
The CR425 battery is a 3.0V Lithium LiMnO2 pin shape battery. Its actually a pretty common battery only people don’t realize it because its one of those industry manufacturing focused things. Its used by industry in thousands of products that are sealed and intended to be thrown away and replaced with new ones when the battery finally goes dead, for example, cheap toys with flashing LED’s. Its got a lot of uses though.
The 18500 is also a common battery, only people don’t realize it because like the CR425 its one of those industry manufacturing focused things only this one is intended to be replaced or recharged. There are two versions, a high power 18500 which is a 3.6 volt 2040mAh battery and the standard power which is a 3.7 volt 1600mAh battery. Both versions are rechargeable Li-Ion batteries. The high power 18500 version is sometimes referred to as “customized” because its the standard power with slightly different chemistry to provide 2040mAh. Generally for a Li-Ion battery of this type of basic chemical nature if you increase mAh the voltage drops a little thus the high power version 3.6v instead of the standard 3.7v of the standard version.
Olight has at times indicated their 18500 is proprietary, but technically its not. Its actually the high power 18500 version made in China rebranded for the Olight brand. Their “proprietary” is its application in their lights, not the battery its self.
The 18500 was originally intended to be used in flashlight/light products and you find them in a lot of imported flashlights as the “original” battery, but today you also find them in cheap import toys and other items from China.
You can replace the Olight 18500 with a standard power 18500 and considering the average frequency of use for its intended purpose as a “tactical” weapon light get about the same life span of use and then you recharge the battery.
Other “tactical” weapon light manufacturers use the 18500 battery only its given a different designation and may or may not be rebranded with the weapon light manufacturers brand.
The 18500 is one of those basic building block platform things used in industry that loves to customize. For example Sanyo makes the UR18500F which is 3.7V 1700mAh and not the standard power 3.7V 1600mAh – and Panasonic makes their version the NCR18500A which is 3.7V 2040mAh.
Now how common is the battery? Its actually pretty common but its most common appearance and form is in a slightly different package form that people know as the CR123 3v 1550mAh battery (CR123 and CR123A are actually the same battery) which is a basic “customized” version of the 18500 battery.
There are many versions of the 18500. For example, there is a 18500 3.2v 800 mAh battery intended to be used in small solar power charger packs and its Li-PO (Lithium Phosphate) and not Li-Ion. The 18500 designation actually refers to the package size which for a standard 18500 is 18mm x 50mm.
note – clarification: I said previously “Its actually pretty common but its most common appearance and form is in a slightly different package form that people know as the CR123 3v 1550mAh battery (CR123 and CR123A are actually the same battery) which is a basic “customized” version of the 18500 battery.” – that’s true but the package form factor is 18650 (18mm x 65mm). The 18650 is a customized version of the 18500.
Also, just for completeness:
The 18500 battery is built for a large number of charge and discharge cycles. Its one of the best in this class.
The industrial element designation is 18500. The main direct analogue designations of the industrial element 18500 for consumers are:
Lir 18500 – has a slightly larger capacity (1400 mAh).
Icr 18500 – also has a high capacity (2000 mAh).
Cgr 18500 – voltage is slightly different (3.6 V).
Ifr 18500 – suitable for size, but the voltage is significantly lower (3.2 V).
NCR 18500 is an analogue of increased capacity (2000 mAh).
You can use an 18500 analog in the Olight’s if the nominal specs are at least 3.6 volts 1400 mAh. Under the expected intermittent use for short periods of time that “tactical” weapon lights are intended for 3.6 volts 1400 mAh will last for ~ 90% of that from the high power version that Olight uses of 3.6 v 2040mAh.
If you are going to use something other than a battery you got from Olight, be sure to get the protected ty. 18500’s come in “protected” and “unprotected” versions. The standard 18500 battery is unprotected, therefore, irreversible changes occur when the product is discharged less than 2.5 volts – a protected battery does not have this issue and will recharge normally. Chargers for this battery are 3.7 volts with a current strength which does not exceed 2 Amps – monitor the charging level to make sure the battery is not damaged but chargers are available which monitor the battery charge level so you don’t need to worry about it.
The best and most widely used battery to replace the Olight battery is the “Keeppower Protected 18500 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery”. This is a industrial grade battery. You can get these in a pack of two from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Keeppower-Protected-Rechargeable-Flashlight-IMR18500/dp/B08Q3PT2RS) for $22.88 – Olight charges $22.95 for one battery.
The 18500 belongs to the classification of high-power battery and for the battery in that class there is the high power version and the standard version.
I gotta an El cheapo light mounted on my pistol rail. Quick detach and quite bright. Made in the same asian country. And it works GREAT. No need for a laser…
The single biggest issue with weapon lights in general is about power. Most are not rechargeable and those that are done with a physical plug. I like that this is compatible with USB. I want to see wireless charging without removal from the gun. Something integrated into some kind of stand or holder that can be put into a safe or drawer. Its the same thing with lasers, red dots, and powered scopes.
One issue keeping me away from rechargeable lights is the ever-present issue of the event that I’m most likely to use one in- a power outage. With something that takes CR123’s, etc., just pop a few more in and keep truckin’. If your rechargeable goes black during a prolonged power outage, better break out the pine pitch and flint and steel. Sure, you can anticipate and prepare, but Murphy likes to hang around.
Olight makes CR123 battery powered weapon lights too. The basic Valkyrie is such with 1200 lumen light. Have two of those and one rechargable PL Pro.
So far no problems and these lights have more lumen for the $$ than the Streamlight lights I’ve looked at. And catch Olights on sale there’s even more savings.
I live in countries where power outages are the norm, and spend weeks on end in the deep bush. Guess what… I only use rechargeable lights. You can charge them off a car’s cigarette lighter, a solar panel, a solar lamp with USB socket, dozens of gadgets that are available even in a village of mud huts…
I don’t want a rechargeable on my EDC or bedside firearm…
The rechargeable Olights keep the charge a pretty long time during non-use.. Close to 1 yr on mine so far and still works fine. In case you were wondering.
Yup can verify. I don’t worry anymore bout it than I do a battery. I was very skeptical at first
Yep. Murphy was an optimist. When you need a torch the most, a rechargable will be dead.
There’s always some who have a dislike for this or that but I have the Olight baldr pro on my AR 300AAC pistol and I really like it.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gV1x2CB6EPHjgpGtLI_pgy8Ynai2eq5D/view?usp=sharing
THANKS FOR INFOR ALWAYS
AGAIN – what is the country of origin? chicomland or the free world?
Chinese. Also, their customer service agents do not have a command of the English language.
Добрый день!
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You’re gonna claim an O-Light doesn’t suck?
How much are they paying you to say that?
I got mines for 85.17. 10 bucks off as a new customer and free shipping. I did not know the switches are downward activation switches.
Bought a BALDR Pro R on 11/29. The switch is defective. A great idea, but a very poor execution. Contacted customer service who requested a video of the bad switch. Once they received my video, they sent me a return shipping label, and then began to delay, delay, delay the shipment of a replacement. Good luck working with their customer svc. English is apparently not their 1st language and it’s hard to get an understandable response from them.
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