When it comes to lighting solutions, I typically prefer headlamps to torches, purely for the hands-free functionality the former offers, but with the recent leap forward in range and technical capability of the best flashlights on the market (from brands like Olight), I’m fast changing my approach. I tested the incredibly compact (and very cool) Olight Baton 4 last year, and its capability completely blew me away.
Of course it doesn’t need to be a binary decision anyway: Lightweight headlamps from brands like Biolite are brilliant for running in the dark, while technically advanced models from Petzl are superb for activities like caving. But for Everyday Carry (EDC), general camping, night hiking and myriad other outdoor activities, a compact handheld torch is perfect.
They’re almost always much brighter, with a longer throw and better glow time, and you can direct the beam more easily, and position the light wherever you like – including well away from your body. And, with the addition of a simple clip, such as the one included on the ArkPro, a handheld flashlight can be attached to a cap to transform it into a headtorch.
Suffice to say, I’ve been excited to get my mitts on the new Olight ArkPro, and it hasn’t disappointed.
Olight ArkPro review
Price and availability
Available directly from Olight and various other outlets now, the ArkPro is offered in three iterations: the standard 1,500-lumen version (as tested and described here), the 1,200-lumen ArkPro Lite and the 1,700-lumen ArkPro Ultra. In the United Kingdom, the standard Olight ArkPro has a full-price cost of £99.99, while the ArkPro Lite is £79.99, and the ArkPro Ultra will set you back £129.99.
In the United States, the standard Olight ArkPro has a list price of US$109.99 (US$79.99 for the ArkPro Lite or US$129.99 for the ArkPro Ultra), and in Australia, the corresponding prices are: AU$154.95 / AU$123.95 / AU$199.95.
Specifications
- Weight: 115g / 4.05oz (Including Battery)
- Body colours: Mat black
- Materials: Aluminum Alloy (6061)
- Settings: 4 Lights,7 Configurations
- Max lumens: 800 (spot) / 1,500 (flood)
- Maximum range: 205m / 672ft
- Run time: 14 days (Moon setting) / Pure Flood: 72 hours; Spot: 66 hours (low setting)
- IP rating: IPX7
- Dimensions: 124 x 27 x 16 mm / 4.88 x 1.06 x 0.63in
- Best for: Night hiking, camping, EDC, working after dark
Design and materials
Made with cool-touch aluminum, the ArkPro is a flat, rectangular torch designed and scaled to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, with contoured textures to improve grip. It’s lightweight, ergonomically shaped and evenly balanced, so it doesn’t have the top-heavy feel of the traditional flashlights. This means it’s rubbish for koshing intruders (sorry security guards) but is perfect for EDC and sliding into the pocket of a coat, fleece jacket or backpack, and is very easy to carry.
The torch has a two-way clip on the underside, so it can be attached to a pocket or the peak of a cap for handsfree use. Alternatively, you could hang it from a line on the inside or outside of a tent or backpacking shelter, and turn it onto flood mode, for ambient camping lantern-like lighting.
The operating system is dead simple and highly intuitive to use. A single easy-to-locate button turns the light on (and off), and a thumb-operated dial allows you to switch smoothly through the three main beam options: white-light flood (for wide-angle illumination), white-light spot (for long range and precision) and Blue UV (for reading maps and locating things without trashing your natural night vision).
By holding the on/off button down for a few seconds, you can toggle through the brightness options for each of these beams (Low, Medium and High). A separate button on the side of the torch activates the laser, sending a highly concentrated green beam that can be used to point things out. The laser can be used independently or concurrently with the main beam. (There is no laser on the ArkPro Lite, which features a red light option instead.)
Aside from the three standard brightness settings, there is also a ‘Moonlight’ setting (activated by long-holding the main button for 1 second while the torch is off) and a Turbo setting, which you can fire up by double-clicking the main button. There’s also a Strobe function (set to the S.O.S. configuration on the ArkPro Lite), which you can turn on by triple-clicking the main button. To avoid accidentally activating any of the beams, the torch can be locked (and unlocked) by holding the main button for 2 seconds.
Indicator lights around the edge of the control dial tell you what setting the beam is on and how much charge is left in the battery. And when you need to recharge the unit, you just place it on a magnetised base connected to a Type A USB cable and plug it in. If this seems a little outdated, don’t worry, there is a Type-C USB port on the side of the torch (although no cable appears to be provided for this yet), protected by a flip-up cover. This feels like a potential weak point, but the ArkPro has been stress-tested and has an ingress rating of IPX7, which means it can be fully submerged in a metre of water for half an hour without sustaining damage.
Performance
I have been testing the new ArkPro flashlight extensively over the last month, as daylight has increasingly been squeezed between ever longer and darker nights. Mostly, I have been using the torch to light my way during night hikes and early morning excursions, but I have also called it into action for one mid-winter camping trip, when I needed all the illumination I could get my hands on. When walking, especially in technical terrain, I tend to use the clip to attach it to a cap, so I can keep my hands free. It’s easily light enough for this to work well.
I love the pocket-friendly portability of this flashlight, and have taken to popping the ArkPro into my coat or my daypack even when I’m not expecting to be caught by nightfall, and on more than one occasion it has proved very useful when I’ve encountered a cave while walking along the coastline where I live.
The range of the spotlight is super impressive for the diminutive size and small weight of the torch. It’s hard to imagine ever needing a beam with a longer throw than the Turbo setting on the ArkPro delivers. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Moonlight mode is very handy for maintaining ambient light in a small space, like a tent, and a single charge will literally last for days on this setting.
Especially on clear nights when the stars are sparkling, I like to use the UV light for quickly checking maps or locating something in my pack, without completely blowing my night vision. I’m sure it has myriad other uses (beyond this and crime scene investigations…), but I’m still exploring them.
Likewise, the laser is fun to play with (the beam of light is perfect for teasing cats) and can be really handy for directing people’s attention to things, but I’m sure some people will find far more serious applications for this feature than I. (Do be extremely careful not to let children mess around with this torch unless it’s securely locked – it might be small and innocuous looking, but it’s far from a toy and some settings can cause real damage.)
I appreciate both the battery-level indicators and the ease of recharging the ArkPro, whether from the mains or a portable power pack, but I was slightly disappointed that it didn’t come with a Type-C USB cable. My only other real quibble is that there is no lanyard.
Verdict
I rate this little pocket-rocket of a flashlight very highly for its fantastic features and advanced functionality, plus its ease of use, versatility, sturdiness, and extraordinary capabilities, all of which are even more impressive given its small size and weight. I’m not sure I would part with the considerable extra outlay for the Ultra version (which offers a brighter flood light, but no extra range on the spotlight), but the standard and Lite iterations of the torch are excellent value.
Also consider
If you’re looking for a seriously big beam with a range that can reach over a kilometre into the night, and you don’t mind carrying a bulkier and heavier flashlight, then the Acebeam P20 is an incredible piece of kit.
Alternatively, diehard Maglite fans might want to consider the compact MAG-TAC rechargeable torch, which is another everyday carry-suitable option that delivers decent light (although it lacks the versatility of the ArkPro).
