Olight Warrior 3S is the best EDC on the market! 

I’ve just discovered a whole new race of people while trying to see if this was a “good flashlight”

I here what your saying but for this project alone just to get a nicer tint in an olight, a user would have to purchase; the new emitter, the grip tool x2, soldering iron, hot plate, solder, thermal paste, tweezers, on top of purchasing the light itself. If they already have all that then my point is moot but not all if many have all that equipment. Great video as always though Cheule and thank you for taking the time to make them.

That's my EDC light. Admittedly, I dont use Olight for any other flashlight need I have, but it is a Jeep of a flashlight. If their proprietary batteries had a USB-C charger built in (to the cell itself) to get you a non-proprietary charging option, even if it takes opening it up...and if the full-press tail was NOT disabled on lockout, it would be perfect, IMHO. It's also the only light I have seen take a shotgun hit (buckshot) and be pretty much fine (with dents). I dont think that is super important, but still kinda neat.

Nov.2024 just bought a Warrior 3s for my non-pocket use light and a Warrior Mini 3 as my EDC light. That magnetic charging is a game changer so I know my light is always fully charged and ready, no guessing anymore. The UI with tail switch & side switch is pretty nice too, access to both turbo, turbo strobe AND low are essential in my line of work. I’m an ex-night time commercial truck driver and my flashlight might be my most important tool, turbo for exterior Pretrip inspection, turbo strobe in the rare event I require non-lethal defensive tools but a dependable low output is critical in the cab not to interfere with night vision, I use low all the time. It’s taken over 10 years to find a light I like better than my prior EagTac D25LC2 but I think these Olight Warriors have won me over..

The UI is easily the best for a mix of tactical and EDC purposes IMO. Not many lights have instant turbo AND allow you to change modes after using it. Most lights with a dedicated turbo tail have to be turned off and turned back on with a side switch to change modes.

I work nights and take walks on my night out. I have a surefire and a streamlight and got this so they would be dedicated pew pew lights. The olight warrior 3s was way better than I expected. It’s really functional and easy to use. I’m not as into it as you guys but out of box it has been my favorite.

This video is a perfect reason as to why you have won my subscription to your channel. Thanks for doing what you do, and doing it with quality!

The reason many people prefer USB C over the magnetic charger is that USB C is a real standard. You're unlikely to find yourself without a USB C cable, with the proprietary charger you're limited to the one in the box or spending extra to get more. Whether you like to be able to charge your light while traveling or want to be able to charge it in more than one spot, the reality is that you need a specialised piece of gear that isn't shared with any of your other tech that you need to keep a track of. You can carry one USB C cable in your bag and charge pretty much all your tech, but not your EDC light. Sure magnetic charging is neat, but the benefits of three seconds saved not having to actually plug your flashlight in aren't worth the trade offs to everyone. That's doesn't mean that magnetic charging is worse, just that there are good reasons people have certain preferences.

This was an awesome review, wanted something in depth before i made this purchase. This went above and beyond. Thank you!

All in all. I love O light. Their products are innovative, beautiful, practical, and the improvements with each generation have been well thought out. I currently own almost all of their products and many of my pistols or rifled have O light wml models on them. They are all excellent! If they would just realize that they really need to offer each product they make moving forward in all the available colors and that people really do want the neutral white emitters to be an option with every new release, they would be unstoppable. Keep the tactical tailswitch on as many models as possible and phase out the puck charger with one waterproof magnetic USB C port so we can all just use one standard charger cable for everything and O light would be unstoppable.

Thank you for the help, just finished up doing the same swap as you. Looks so much better than factory which I thought was acceptable yet had room for improvement.

Nice video! It would really be nice though if Olight just offered that LED as a stock option. It might be easy to swap, but most people buying Olights aren't going to do that. Also, I disagree that this is the best EDC when the Warrior Mini 2 exists ;) Personally I still disagree though with your statements on the proprietary cell, for all the reasons everyone else has already mentioned. The magnetic charging is great though, I honestly wish Olight would allow other brands to use their system so it could become a standard of sorts (after all, the Armytek system is already nearly identical, but with reversed polarity)

Great video! You really can't beat the quality and functionality of the Warrior 3S, for the price. I own one and I don't leave home without it attached to my body. It has literally become an appendage. I have literally gotten a mile or so down the road and realized it wasn't in my pocket and turned around to get it. I plan to purchase one for my mother very soon, because she keeps commenting on how great mine is.

Its a very good light, no doubt but there are serious issues with the tail button if you work in environments that have lots of dirt,dust, and especially metal shavings. The gaps in the button can seize up or even stay on. For EDC...fantastic but its not as bulletproof as I wish it could be.

Great review an amazing modification! I just got this light yesterday in the speckled camo finish which is cool. I realize that enthusiasts like to do this sort of upgrade but in my world there's so much of variance in the environment that changing the color temperature or quality of an emitter is a moot point for me. I have a number of neutral color temperature flashlights and actually find that I prefer the cooler bluer light for its reach and contrast in the dark. I'm sure there are others for whom this won't work, but each of us has his own use case scenarios. By the way, for those who complain about no USB-C Olight does make a cool little magnetic connector which utilizes that cable so you only need to carry the connector on a keychain and use any USB-C cable!

Hey Cheule, is there a benefit to the tint of the light? For example, I work in a natural gas processing plant and I want to know if a certain light will allow for better detail of gauges and certain items like that or is it just personal preference.

I quit buying olight because of their loyalty program. I've spent a ton of money on olight products but the loyalty points that I earned still weren't enough for a certain light that I wanted. Apparently it's set up for ebay sellers. I also don't like the proprietary charging system.

Cool, would you make a video showing it outside? Trying to decide if I want warmer than that emitter. If I did want warmer what emitter would you recommend?

Thank you for the awesome product review! I saw another video on RU-vid which convinced me to cancel my order for the SureFire 6PX and order an Olight Warrior 3S. Your video confirms I made the right choice. Can't wait to see my dad open his gift on Christmas!

Awesome review sir! And thank u

Hmmm now you got me wanting to swap something into my warrior mini. I don’t use it just because the light is so crappy. I’ve never done a swap and I’m not keen on trying it and stuffing it up. How do you know which led will work? Size wise. Voltage wise. And any other consideration I don’t know about. Does the led have a polarity it needs to be put onto the board?

how do I retrofit a Acebeam L19 Tir onto the GPS navigation bar of my motorcycle and run off the bike battery via the battery tender plug? it’s an SAE plug but through the battery tube of the Acebeam

I have just replaced my streamlight strion with the warrior 3s as my edc. I saw another one of your videos where people say the warrior 3s was "too big" but my strion was easily an inch longer and thicker (mostly at the head). I am loving the warrior 3s so far and I'm not that picky about emitters yet. I like how the warrior 3s has all the features of my old light plus more and I am looking into getting the L bracket to slap onto the side of my toolbox

Hey, this looks like a really cool mod. I am wondering how the emitter doesn't short on that plate thing you put it on, it seems like the contacts were connected via solder.

What's the part number of the replacement emitter diode you used? There's a few xhp50s ;-;

Is there any after market glass lens that can be purchased to upgrade from this plastic scratch-magnet that came stock?

Loved the innuendo in the closing comments on wireless charging.

Interesting review, but actually I don’t have all these instruments to rebuild and change the color temperature: it’s rather simple to fix this :just get a color adjustment filter sheet from Lee ,cut it into the right shape,unmount the bezel and put it in place.😊you can even change into other different color options if necessary

Hi,I'm a welder,and need my edc .i like my new olight,BUT the tail cap magnetic pulls in metal dust,and plugs up switch. Is there another tail cap i can buy to put on after i charge it? THANKS

Nice light and info. Thanks. Like your vids and gave you a sub. You touch on info others don't and you really know your stuff.

Awesome video, could I potentially use a hot air solder station instead of a hot plate to heat up the board to swap the emitters?

Best EDC light? Controversial subject for sure.Personally after years of owning many Olights I have come to the conclusion that the proprietary Olight batteries do not last as long as most name brand cells. That has been my experience. Put on top of that, Olight no longer tells you what LED they are using. Really Olight you can do better. My vote for best EDC light for 2022 Thrunite TN12 pro. Oh and I get that the point of the video was emitters. For me I prefer CW.

They make amazing gift lights for laypeople who have no awareness of CRI or appreciation for warmer tints. My family prefers icy cold like their EV's headlights. They live in opposite land and love to stare at eye searing blue lights for fun and set their home lighting and electronic displays to the least healthy configurations imaginable. They also consistently put the toilet paper rolls in the wrong orientation on the dispenser. If I handed my sibling an unprotected Molicel they'd probably lick the positive end like a lollipop.

Yet another great presentation as always, may I ask for your opinion on Nitecore lights? I've had an MH 10V2 for a couple years now and it's honestly the best light I've ever purchased. Thank you again for the great presentation and consideration for my suggestion.

excellent vid. thanks for your review

that's a really great emitter. what emitter would you recommend for the WM2? I currently have an SFT40 in 5700k ready to go into it, but I was thinking of putting a dedomed SST-40 in 5000k instead. any other suggestions? WM2 is my favorite size.

Can you mod it to take ordinary 21700s or mod a 21700 to work in it?

Excellent information. I have many olights and learned a bunch👍👍I also really like the magnetic charging. I think those who complain just haven’t tried it potentially.

Hi, Have you reviewed the warrior mini 2?

Can i open my thrunite tn12 head like that...my lens too dirty inside there.

How much candela does this flashlight output?

Just got my first olight baton3 in a pakage with a baldor s weapon light.I always just figured them to be just "flashlights" until I watched this video, I guess I was wrong,more to it than II will ever grasp but It should be fun trying and maybe I'll end up an enthusiast?

I have one in the royal blue among others and love them all.

BATON 3 PRO vs WARRIOR 3S ?

Do you do emitter swaps for people who are less skilled and tool equipped? I would love to do this to mine.

In your video you're talking about having found a 80CRI version. However, the article number you've mentioned in the notes is a 90CRI version. Shure that this is the one you've used? Thank you in advance

Can you do the emitter swap on the Warrior Mini 2 ?

Just ordered the Camo.Im retiring my Surefire Defender Ultra after 5 years because it eats cr123's.How will this one compare to the Surefire? This is my first Olight.

Do you like it more than the Acebeam E70?

I consider the Warrior Mini 2, a slightly smaller version of the 3S, the best EDC light. The main reason is that 3S is just a bit too big and heavy to clip to a hat brim.

Do you provide a service for this emitter swap? If so what is the cost?

Great video, all great points about the wireless charging and the proprietary battery....just common sense. Love it. Thanks

can there be a video on how to disassemble the black head and lamp body? Thank you

they make a usb-c mcc cable as well

Is this a steel or aluminum bezel? Having a hard time finding an answer online.

Great video. I love my Hank lights and anduril lights but I always have a couple of olight baton 3s pon me due to the magnetic charging. ( normally also have a dm1.12 in my big bag )

Nice video, question for you. What can I do for this to make is super floody? DC fix is not enough. Can this be made into a triple with a wide optic and a frosted optic?

I’ve just stumbled across this video. I’d love to attempt an emitter swap. What hot plate do you use please…?

So, I have the M2R Warrior. Bought it maybe 2-3 years ago. If I wanted to upgrade to a model in its class would this be the one? Thanks. Awesome channel. Great enthusiasm.

This is too deep of a rabbit hole for me right now. Maybe another day I try doing this. But not today.

Oport can charge any olight on usb c

I love cool white lights maybe neutral just came stand the orange warm white

What a light!! What a review!! That magnetic end was just 😂🎉

From one teacher (ex-secondary science) to another - great video once again!

Where does one buy emitters from? Soldering irons and flux.. Any home Depot... Heh. Curious... Odd there isn't aCW version of the W3S offer S3 Pro.... There is for the B3 Pro

What a great video. Cheers.

Great review! One little thing ... Methinks it would have been cool if you could have juxtaposed the stock beam next to the modified one so as to let folks see the difference between them. Also, might you recommend some quality grease to put on the threads of flashlights (and which won't cause rubber o-rings to disintegrate)? Thanks much and keep up the great work!💥👍

I actually buy olights for the charging system. For an edc it’s perfect, I have the cable command stripped to my nightstand so I know exactly where it is in relation to the edge. And for a tactical light, I’d argue usb c is better. But I’d also argue that the $10 usb c to mag charge keychain by olight is worth it. Keep that in your backpack or something and you’ll always be able to charge the light with a c cable. If they made one with both that would be cool… but hey, it works

Great video. Can you please share with us where you got the emitter for this swap along with some of the specific supplies needed?

Great review sir. Im not really an olight fan, but having the baldr's magnetic charging, i could put this ecology into my edc lights. Currently using a fenix ld12 for its abilty to swap out AA cells and 14450. Now, look what have you done, you've convinced me to change my edc hahaha.

Why do you all leave out the part where the turbo only works to seventy five percent I was severely disappointed when I turned it on turbo and it went to 75 percent battery and instantly stepped down from turbo everytime you hit it

Olight definitely did a really good job with this light. Output, UI, and features are very good. Size is subjective and all, but I personally think a 21700 size light is not an edc light, Iv tried it but there’s definitely more times than not I’m reaching for a smaller light. This warrior stays in truck. Game changer if they would make this in an 18350 size. As I usually reach for an 18350 modlite just about every day. Keychain light for my admin purposes. Iv debated hard on buying a warrior mini 2 but I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Hi great video, I'd like to try an emitter swap, do you have a link to the emitter you used? Thank you!

Thank you Cheule for such a great video. I honestly didn't know the magnetic charger was so easy to connect to the flashlight. The only complaint I got about olight's properitary batteries is that as much as I probably wouldn't need to buy another one for my flashlight, I personally like to have all 21700 cells work in all of my flashlights. But if the Olight is your only flashlight, it wouldn't be a problem.

Great review. 👍 🔦

Personally I'm not happy at all with voiding my warranty on a light of this price just because they didn't make any effort to so much as give us the option for an LED with a good tint or CRI. I have had to return an M2R Pro a year into its service because it just stopped working and they replaced it quickly and for free, that would have been a significant amount of money to replace had I modified it. But I am going to say, in my opinion, that the M2R Pro is their best light in the series and is better in my mind than its "upgrades" because it comes with a great neutral LED and doesn't have any annoying proximity sensor.

Do you provide this emitter-swapping service for a fee? If so, how much?

I always wondered what strobe was for. Great video!

I don’t know about an Apple analogy. However,you cannot argue that Olight locks you in with their proprietary batteries and charging cables. Even in terms of practicality, you could be out there somewhere and you lose your charging cable so you’re pretty much done. That is not very consider all light especially if you were in an extremely challenging situation in the wilderness or wherever. Honestly, Olight would vastly increase their already considerable following by diversifying their charging options.

I totally agree about the charging i absolutely love the magnetic charging,as u said no fumbling around trying to remove a tiny rubber flap covering the usb port its to easy and if u buy one olight i think as i did u will buy more and have plenty of spare cables .

I have never considered Olight in the past as I have seen many people on HK gun groups imply they are junk, but I got a Warrior Mini 2 and I see that is not correct. They seem to be more like DJI. Nice quality and with some actual innovation rather than being a clone company. Had I known the Olight had a proprietary battery I probably wouldn’t have bought it. Now that I have one, i like the UI and feature set more than my Fenix PD36R, so I don’t plan to return it. I will take the magnetic charger over USBC. Especially given that I use iPhone and don’t have many USBC things anyway. Just my Sony headphones. I like how the UI doesn’t cycle through brightness levels. I have a choice of two plus turbo. Sounds good to me. But, I do already have lots of Sanyo 18650 and was looking forward to having a few 21700. For sure wish Olight worked with them. I can’t think of any upside to them using their own.

The warrior I do think is a contender, and I have, but have had issues with it, is the Warrior Mini or whatever it’s called

I think that white liner inside is to stop the ano colour in the head from making it into the beam periphery. I know without one, my dm11 definitely has a colourful bright green is the very outer spill

used this magnetic conector and its a fail.. dirt comes between center pin and ring [so if used where dirt is resident...]

You should provide this as a service. I’m sure a lot of people would be interested.

For what it's worth, at least the Seeker 2 Pro works with batteries other than Olight's proprietary one. The catch is they need to be rather narrow, 21.4mm wide at most, or they won't fit. And it probably needs to be a button top. And you need to put the battery in there "backwards", with the button sticking outwards. And you definitely should not try to charge non-proprietary batteries within the flashlight with the magnetic charger. Other than that, it's all good. Not sure how universal this is to 21700 Olights, though.

The best EDC flashlight for me would be if my Warrior Mini2 had a quick release belt holster. I LOVE my WM2 but NEED that holster. For me, its the right size, color output n UI.

I love my Olights, all of them. But for professional use, I prefer Ledlenser.

At about 9:45, you state that the new LED is 80 CRI. Yet it's 90+ according to the Sekonic. Why the discrepancy?

Lots of lights out there, in my opinion of all the lights I have, which is only 20-25, the best out of the box edc light for the money is the Wurkkos FC12.

I'm an Olight fan, I have quite a few of their lights and will continue to purchase them, but I do wish they would just release all their lights with the option between Neutral and CW. I have the M2R Warrior 2 which is neutral, but decided against the W3 because of its tint. I just recently purchased the Arkfeld in 5000k, and I would have probably bought the new Seeker Pro (I have the Seeker 2 Pro) and Warrior if they have offered them in 5000k. Don't get me wrong, I have some lights with cooler tints as well that I like, but I still like my higher CRI lights more. CW just washes colors too much.

Hi Cheule. I apologize for my spicy comments the last day and i am here to state my personal opinion on what the perfect edc flashlight is without getting into the argument if this Olight is the one this time. So... The perfect edc flashlight needs to have the following characteristics: Lumens 1000 and beyond is fine in my book Size, smaller diameter than 27mm, and this is optional, not to be taller than 10-11cm. 18350 cell fits the bill better or 18650. The height is important so when you are clipping the light into your pocket it doesn't mess with your smartphone, keys or coins in it and you have free access to all your items unobstructed. The diameter is also important cause the tightest pants are the most common types of jeans. For tight jeans i would say that even 25mm head diameter is on the limit of edc-able lights. Yeah if you wear anything else even a 35mm diameter light is pocketable, like i do with my kr1. So the size of the light can be a personal thing altogether or a choice depending on the type of pants you wear every time. For larger pants I'll take my kr1 with me. For tighter ones I'll take the sc31pro. But only the smaller lights can be used for edc by everyone Beam profile, a combination of throw with great flood with emphasis to flood for everyday carry. Candela around 20.000 is great for seeing at 150+ meters. This will sound silly but some zoom lights have the advantage on the beam profile as you can choose to have either throw or flood, the best ones are the ones that don't have the twist motion zoom but the push pull one as you are able to use them one handed. Unfortunately those smaller in size zoom lights are rather weak, i am soon expecting the Sofirn s11c to test it out though it is a twist zoomie i expect it to be just bright enough to edc. It ticks out almost every characteristis that i think the perfect edc light must have. The same happens with the dual channel lights from Hank that you can have combined emitters for throw and flood. Noctigon Kr4 and emisar dv2 dual channel anduril 2 lights have this option but unfortunately they don't run a simple ui Tint: 4000-5700k with high cri Pocket clip, either a two way or at least 2 slots in the tube for reversing a regular one. Light needs to be small and not heavy for being able to be used on a cap as a headlamp when needed Being able to tailstand easily, and not only on perfectly flat surfaces. For example my wurkkos fc12 though it can tailstand on a flat surface it doesn't do it with ease it can be wobbly, and even a small breeze could take it down so this light doesn't fit the bill for the perfect edc flashlight either. Strong magnetic tailcap. I consider a strong magnet the one that can keep the light attached firmly parallel to the ground and won't fall off with the slightest bump from this position. I've used plenty of times my shorty sc31pro as a reverse light for my truck on our farm at night. Usb type c built in charging port and be able to take in any type of battery is a huge plus Ipx8 is perfect. You're gonna drop your edc light often so it needs to be able to withstand the abuse and have some waterproofing too Easy ui, just a ramping mode plus a stepped mode with a strobe and moonlight is a great start. I love anduril, but even i that know anduril well when i sometimes forget about it it gets frustrating to use the light. So simple ui is the best option. Recessed or a tough to accidentally be pressed button: This is so important. If the light turns on accidentally the light is a Huge no no. Even if it has a lockout mode it's still useless for edc. You need a firm button that doesn't accidentally turn on the light in your pocket so you can be able to use the light fast and easy without clicking 4 times before using it and another 4 times when you're finished using it. Unscrewing the tailcap for locking is also a no no as that prevents the light to be used fast and with only one hand when needed. How to tell if your light has the perfect button? Easy. Have you ever took your light off your pocket and it was turned on? Does that happened more than one time in a long time of usage? If yes then this is not a good light for edc-ing Somekind of a small attack bezel, not something crazy and dangerous, just something protruding just a tad to keep the lens safe from droping/or intentionally smashing it onto something should be fine. If someone can think of some other essential characteristics for the perfect edc light feel free to respond to this comment with your answer. My personal favourite edc light that also covers all of the above characteristics besides the protruding bezel and simple ui is the Sofirn sc31pro with the short 18350 tube, a magnetic tailcap and the original pocket clip attached to the light's head reversed for usage on a cap as headlamp. Sofirn sc21 and wurkkos ts10 are even better fits in my opinion than my current set up cause of the simple ui. Fortunately i use anduril lately a lot and my sc31pro is still my favourite edc. So please feel free to add any other characteristics for the perfect edc light that I've might forgot Cheers to everyone

It's too big for edc. That's ridiculous. But it's easily one of the best lights in its size right now. Although I'd argue a SFT 40 light is probably gonna perform a bit better. Have my eyes on the weltool t2 but the mode spacing is a bit weird. Also no way to show the voltage...

The Reddit screenshot has my post about my little girls shoes! How fricken cool! 😎😎😎

this format video is pretty fun. sharing community sentiments is oddly entertaining to listen to. haha

I have plenty of lights with amazing tint but I honestly love my olight and it’s ugly tint it’s perfect for normal edc and I don’t king the bad tint on it because of its other features

It’s a shame there isn’t someplace I could send all 4 of my Olights for an emitter swap.

Do you own a Zebralight? I would be shocked if you still prefer Olight.

2:11 Is that an FA-5 Apollo light replica? Such a classic design.

What is your job/career that you can afford all that stuff?