Contents

• Pricing & Availability
• What comes in the box?
• Design & Construction
• Size & Measurements
• User Interface
• Emitter & Beam
• Mode Chart
• Runtime
• Driver & Regulation
• Switch
• Carry & Ergonomics
• Batteries & Charging
• Competition
• Conclusion

Pricing & Availability

Olight sent me this light in exchange for making an honest review of it and including some information about their upcoming Halloween sale (Oct. 24-26) where this light will be discounted. Here are links to their website, the official product page, and the temporary bundle page where you can see current pricing. Those are affiliate links that let them know I sent you, but I’ve chosen not to earn any commission. Code “tgreviews” is 10% off most items that aren’t otherwise on sale. All customers can get a free Halloween themed i3E keychain light during the sale as well.

What comes in the box?

This is the simpler of Olight’s two box designs. It’s made of folded white cardstock with high-quality printing showing details about the light. Inside, the contents are held in place by a vacuum-formed plastic insert.

• The light itself
• Battery (inside the light)
• User manual
• Magnetic USB charging cable
• Steel L-bracket

Design & Construction

Warrior Nano looks exactly like a Warrior Mini 3 with a shorter body tube and slightly smaller pocket clip. It’s got a lot going on but Olight did a good job making it look clean. It’d be nice if this black version didn’t have the blue accents though.

The build quality is excellent, as I’ve come to expect from Olight. The machining and anodizing are top-notch. It’s got a feeling of quality that you just don’t get from budget brands like Sofirn or Convoy. Below is what the inside of the tail looks like if you’re curious.

Size & Measurements

Acebeam Pokelit AA | Skilhunt H150 | Olight Warrior Nano | Skilhunt H300 | Mini Maglite

Measurement	Measured (mm)
Bezel Diameter	23.0
Maximum Head Diameter	25.0
Length	80.9
Tail Switch Diameter	17.7
Tail Switch Proudness	1.1-2.2
Side Switch Diameter	10.9
Side Switch Proudness	-0.1
Body Tube Diameter (internal)	19.2
Body Tube Diameter (maximum)	23.3
Body Tube Diameter (mode)	22.2
Ride Height (sticking out of pocket) Bezel-down	10.8
Pocket Clip Space (for pants material) Bezel-down	2.5-4.3
Pocket Clip Space (at mouth) Bezel-down	2.5
Ride Height (sticking out of pocket) Bezel-up	9.1
Pocket Clip Space (for pants material) Bezel-up	3.6
Pocket Clip Space (at mouth) Bezel-up	2.9
Pocket Clip Width	7.2-5.3
Pocket Clip Thickness	0.9
Tailcap Diameter	23.3
Driver Diameter	u/m
Included Battery Length	39.6
Included Battery Diameter	18.4

Weight with included battery: 86g

User Interface

Half Turbo. Out of the box, pressing the tailswitch will go to a 600lm “Half Turbo” mode instead of full Turbo. It’s supposed to prevent pocket burns, but I can’t imagine anyone will actually want this feature enabled. Full-Turbo should be the default out of the box, not Half-Turbo. Thankfully, you can enable full Turbo access by putting the light on a charger and then entering lockout mode. I did that right out of the box and I think most people will do the same. For the rest of this UI section, I’m just going to ignore the existence of Half-Turbo because I don’t think anyone actually wants it.

This is an excellent user interface for an EDC light with a tactical/duty flare.

State	Action	Result
Off	Half press and hold	momentary Medium
Off	Half press and release	constant Medium | momentary Medium
Off	Full press and hold	momentary Turbo | momentary Strobe
Off	Full press and release	constant Turbo | momentary Strobe
On (constant)	Press and release	Off

The tailswitch UI is excellent and I wouldn’t change a thing. Having access to constant or momentary, Medium, or Turbo all from the same switch with ONE press is awesome. It’s also great that you can switch to the more tactical mode group to get momentary-only Medium and Strobe.

The following actions are # of presses followed by a hold (H) or a release (C). So, “1C” is one click and release. “2H” is two clicks but you hold down the last one.

State	Action	Result
Off	1C	On (mode memory, mostly*)
Off	1H (short)	Moonlight (memorized)
Off	1H (long)	Lockout
Lockout	1C	Battery indicator glows red
Lockout	1H (long)	Unlock (to Moonlight)
Moonlight	1H	Low
Any	3C	Strobe
Any	2C	Turbo (not memorized)
Turbo	2C	Return to previous mode (mostly*)
On	1H	Cycle mode (low-med-high)

What they got right (side switch UI):

• 1C on/off and 1H to cycle modes. This is the basis of most good e-switch UIs.
• Dedicated shortcuts for Moonlight, Turbo, and Strobe that provide quick access. It’s great that they are shared with most other manufacturers so there’s no learning curve when switching lights.
• There are 5 brightness levels (once you disable Half Turbo). That’s the perfect balance between options and simplicity.
• Turbo isn’t memorized. It has a dedicated shortcut so it doesn’t need to be memorized and using it won’t override your memorized mode.
• 2C from Turbo returns to the previously used mode (mostly, unless it’s High). That’s a really handy shortcut for when you need a quick burst of light to see “what’s over there?” and then return to a lower mode.
• 1H from Moonlight goes to Low. That’s critical for situations where Moonlight is too dim, but you don’t want to blast High mode first to get down to low.
• The proximity sensor doesn’t get in the way of normal operation… because there isn’t one. I don’t mind having a sensor, but it can’t be a nuisance. Warrior Mini 3 is the only Olight I’ve used with a sensor that has never been a nuisance.

What they got wrong (mildly annoying, but no deal-breakers):

• High mode isn’t really memorized: If you turn it off High mode and then wait a few minutes it will forget the mode memory and go to Medium the next time you turn it on. It also goes back to medium mode if you start on High, jump to Turbo, and then jump back to the “memorized” mode. That’s inconsistent and annoying.
• Moonlight is memorized and it should not be. There’s a dedicated shortcut for Moonlight so you can always access it when needed without relying on memory. As it is, accessing moonlight will override your memorized mode.
• Lockout: 1H to escape lockout is too easily done by accident when the light is in a bag or pocket or is accessed by a small child. Lockout should require multiple clicks to unlock. A few other manufacturers are using 4 clicks to unlock and that works well. It’s worth noting that mechanical lockout (loosening the body a bit) does not work.
• No timer function: this isn’t critical, but I find the timer function useful on other models from Olight and other makers. I wish it was included in this model, especially considering how EDC-friendly it is.
• Medium is too dim at 52 lumens. It’s too close to Low (12lm) and too far from High (350lm). ~100lm would have been better.
• If the light is on, using the tail switch turns it off. TimMcMahon pointed this out to me. If the light is on medium mode via the side switch, then you fully press the tail switch for turbo, it will turn OFF when you release the tail switch. It would be nice if it returned to medium mode instead.

Emitter & Beam

I think the LED here is an Osram P9, different than the Luminus SFT40 found in Warrior Mini 3. I’m surprised that Olight changed the LED when the rest of the head is virtually identical to Warrior Mini 3. I think the cool white, standard CRI Osram P9 is a great choice for most users because it’s bright and efficient. However, I wish Olight also offered a neutral white, high CRI, Nichia 519A option for people who want nicer color properties. That would appeal more to me, personally.

In theory, it should be easier to find a replacement LED for emitter swaps, but P9 is a strange 3737 footprint that isn’t perfectly compatible with the standard 3535 footprint. If you decide to reflow the LED, it may be tricky. I didn’t try to disassemble the head but my friend Cheule was able to get his apart using two strap wrenches in his video review and he also released a 519A swap video.

The beam is balanced and good for general-purpose EDC tasks. The hotspot is a flat circle with a defined edge. There’s some tint-shift in the corona and some faint rings in the spill but you’ll only notice those things when white-wall-hunting. I would have liked a bit more throw.

In the beamshots below, the basketball goal to the right of the hotspot is 39M away and the power pole in the center is 185M away.

Mode Chart

Disclaimer: All of my measurements are taken at turn-on. Lumen measurements were taken on a Texas Ace 3.5″ Lumen Tube. A candela measurement was taken at 10 meters with an Opple Light Master III on the highest brightness, and other candela figures were calculated relative to that. CRI, CCT, & DUV data were taken for each mode from a few feet away at the center of the hotspot with the Opple Light Master and Waveform DUV Calculator. Runtime tests were performed with the Ceilingbounce app on my smartphone. All of these tests were performed with a fully charged included battery unless otherwise specified. I cannot measure moonlight directly, so moonlight readings are calculated based on the brightness relative to the next-lowest mode. None of this is professional equipment, so take all of these measurements with a grain of salt.

Above are the official specs, followed by my own measurements below.

Level	Lumens	Candela	Throw (Meters)	CRI (Ra)	Color Temp. (K)	DUV (Tint)
Turbo	1100	5100	143	72	6640	0.0039
High	350	1623	81	70	6460	0.0047
Medium	52	241	31	69	6220	0.0057
Low	12	56	15	70	6270	0.0056
Moonlight	0.3	N/M	N/M	N/M	N/M	N/M

Runtime

Performance: Performance is great for such a small light. Sustained output is a respectable 350 lumens and that lasts for over an hour. Turbo lasts nearly 2 minutes before entering a timed stepdown.

Thermal regulation: Timed step-down from Turbo only. No active thermal regulation. That means the light will perform very consistently but may also overheat in hot weather or leave some performance on the table in cold weather.

LVP (Low Voltage Protection): The light has low voltage protection built into the driver so it will shut off before the battery gets too low. There’s also protection circuitry inside the battery in case the driver protection fails. The light can be re-activated temporarily in an emergency after low voltage shutoff, but you may need to remove and reinstall the battery first.

Driver & Regulation

Since Warrior Nano uses a single 3.7V Li-ion battery, a single 3V LED, and it has some regulation, it must be using a Buck or Linear driver. Based on the sustained output and Olight’s history, I think it’s safe to assume it’s a Buck driver. That’s great because Buck drivers are efficient and have good regulation.

Regulation is good. Turbo is only achievable when the light is mostly charged. All the other modes are largely unaffected by battery voltage. This is exactly what I like to see because it tells me that Olight is really pushing the LED and battery for maximum Turbo brightness.

I also like that Turbo becomes completely inaccessible when the battery isn’t charged enough. Other makers will still let Turbo work but at a reduced brightness and that somewhat hides the fact that the Turbo performance is reduced. Here, Olight makes it very clear to the user that you need to recharge for maximum brightness. When the battery isn’t charged enough and you try to access Turbo, it’ll just go to High instead.

PWM: No PWM is visible to my eyes nor audible to my ears. My phone camera was able to pick up some flickering on Low, Medium, and High modes.

Parasitic Drain: I was unable to measure parasitic drain because of the proprietary battery.

Switch

Warrior Nano has two switches that are totally independent; one on the side and one on the tail. They are identical to the switches on Warrior Mini 3, which I reviewed previously.

There’s a side switch that works like most other Olights. You can use it to turn the light on and off and change modes. Unlike previous versions, this switch has a hard boot. Instead of silicone, this is made of plastic or metal. There’s an LED right in the center that glows to indicate battery status.

• Green (60-100%)
• Orange (10-60%)
• Red (5-10%)
• Blinking Red (0-5%)

I don’t like those steps very much. I’d much rather have steps in 25% increments (100-75%, 75-50%, 50-25%, 25-0%). Even better would be a bank of dedicated battery indicator LEDs like the ones found on Warrior 3S. Perhaps that’s something they can add in the next version.

The tailswitch is metal and slightly concave. It’s not quite as tactile as previous generations of Warrior series lights, but it works well and makes tail standing easier. It’s also easier to clean if you get it dirty. There’s a strong magnet inside the tailswitch that allows you to stick the light to ferrous surfaces.

Carry & Ergonomics

The ergonomics are fairly good. It’s too short for me to comfortably use a reverse grip with my large hands, but a cigar grip, forward grip, and pencil grip are all very comfortable. There are no hotspots or sharp edges, and the milling on the body tube provides plenty of grip.

This is a small light so it carries pretty well, especially if you like bezel-up carry. It’s great for that. Bezel-down is not so great. It’s difficult to get the clip started because my pocket often either snags before it reaches the mouth of the clip, or it’s too thick and I have to manually open the mouth of the clip to get it over my pocket. With some practice, I can pocket it fairly easily now, but I wish that the clip was redesigned (as shown below) or that the Warrior Mini 3 Bezel-Down Clip Adapter was included in the box because it works with this light.

The tailswitch is wide and flat so the light tailstands nicely. There’s also a strong magnet in the switch so you can stick the light to any ferrous surface securely.

Olight includes a small L-shaped piece of steel in the box. It’s got adhesive on one side and the idea is to stick it somewhere that you want the light to live. Then you can magnet the light to it and it will always be there ready for you to use. It’s a neat idea, but I wish it had a pass-through for charging like the dock accessory Olight used to sell (shown below).

Batteries & Charging

Warrior Nano uses a proprietary, 18350 size, 1100mah battery. I prefer non-proprietary batteries, but this proprietary battery is what allows for all the cool tailcap functionality in such a tiny light. I’m pleased that they used an 18350 here instead of the 16340 cell they’ve been using in the Baton series for awhile. 18350s offer about double the capacity and current but are only slightly larger. No other battery will work in this light and this battery is fiddly to charge in an external charger.

Charging is facilitated by Olight’s proprietary magnetic tailcap charging system. A USB-A charging cable is included that magnetically snaps onto the tailcap of the light. The puck has an LED indicator that glows red while charging and glows green when not charging. It’s easy to see but it’s a little too bright to have on your nightstand at night. The light is usable while charging.

This magnetic charging system is tremendously convenient if you have a designated spot where you always charge your light because you can just wave the light near the charger and it will connect. When you’re finished, just grab the light and pull. It’s not very convenient if you like to charge in different locations or on the go because you have to have that proprietary charging cable. It’s worth mentioning that I haven’t found these magnetic charging systems to be as reliable as a traditional USB port. On rare occasions, they just don’t work for no apparent reason.

Competition

There is nothing else that really competes directly with Warrior Nano. There are lights of similar size and performance, but they only have one switch. There are other lights of a similar size with dual switches but they don’t perform as well and the switches aren’t independent. Other small lights often don’t have any integrated charging. Nothing else has nearly this much functionality in such a small package. If you aren’t willing to accept the proprietary battery and charging system, then you don’t really have any alternative options.

Conclusion

Olight knocked it out of the park with this addition to the Warrior line. They took everything that’s made their Baton line so popular (compact, lightweight, good UI, convenient charging, etc) and added what’s made the Warrior line so great: that incredible two-stage tail switch. I’m not usually into lights with batteries smaller than 18650 but this one is excellent. If I were looking for a mini EDC light, this is what I would carry.

Thanks to Olight for sending me this light for review!