Olite is a European flashlight brand that cators to the needs of law enforcement and government agencies. The S1 is the smallest flashlight in the S baton series but definitely not the least brightest.
Specifications
Output and Runtime
The Olite S1 has 3 brightness outputs:
- Low: 0.5 lumens
- Medium: 80 lumens
- High: 500 lumens
The medium brightness output mode at 80 lumens should be good for the majority of your general-outdoor use.
Maximum Throw Distance
The S1 flashlight has a maximum throw or beam distance of 110 meters (m). The Baton S1 has a very shallow reflector and TIR lens, giving a very balanced and nicely diffused beam.
Peak Beam Intensity
The Olite S1 Baton has a peak beam intensity of 3,000 candela/lumen (cd/lm). It’s about in between what a flood or a spot flashlight would have. It has a good amount of spill without having a super strong hot spot.
Functionality
The Olite S1 uses a single side-switch button functionality. You can click it to turn it on and off. It starts at low mode (0.5 lumens) and you hold the switch to cycle through the other outputs. It has a nice memory feature so it’ll remember your last output setting if you turn it back on within ~2 seconds. There’s an option to go straight into high mode by double clicking it from off.
You can access strobe by clicking 3 times and double click while its on to access a 3 min or 9 min timer.
The timers are pretty useful for saving battery if you’re using it as a worklight, and often forget to turn it off.
There is a strong magnet in the tail-cap making it very convenient for hands-free work. It can also be used as a tail-stand.
We’re pretty happy with the overall functionality. It’s pretty easy to use and flexible enough that you can access key functions without much hassle.
The Olite flashlight has overheat-protection that they call the thermal management safety program, which will gradually drop in output to prevent it from burning the electronics.
Material and Durability
Size and Dimension
The Olite S1 is definitely smaller and lighter than competing compact EDCs like the Streamlight MicroStream, SureFire Sidekick or Titan Plus.
The side-switch is recessed and made of silicon to prevent it from turning on accidentally.
It is very well-built and the threading on the tail-cap feels like its very high-quality.
The S1 has a small amount of knurling so it doesn’t feel slippery - although we think it could use some more. Given the its small size, we gave it a pass on that one.
Water Resistance / Water Proof
The Outlite S1 Baton is surprisingly IPX-8 rated for waterproof. It can be submerged underwater up to 2 meters (m) while still functioning normally.
Impact Resistance
The S1 is very sturdy with all metal stainless steel and is impact resistant up to 1.5 meters (m).
Battery
The Olite S1 uses only one CR123A battery. Non-rechargeables generally have longer runtimes but we would still opt for rechargeable ones. The S1 Baton also has standard reverse polarity protection - which is pretty useful for the case of this particular light.
Unlike other flashlights, the positive-end of the battery faces outside, towards the tail-cap. It’s likely one of many reasons why it can have such a compact design. There’s an indication on the light in case you forget, as well as reverse polarity protection.
Conclusion: Our Olite S1 Review
Being such a small flashlight, it’s hard to believe that the functionality on the Olite S1 is so user-friendly and flexible. The fled lashlight is easy-to-use, very bright and its runtime lasts long enough for most EDC settings. The S1 Baton is functionality underwater and can handle a beating with its all-metal body design.
The Olite S1 is definitely on our list for the best compact flashlights on the market.