Olight S10-L2 Baton

Review: Olight S10-L2 Baton

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The Olight S10-L2 Baton is a powerful yet very compact Everyday Carry sized light with a magnetic base for hands-free use.  Powered by a single 123A lithium primary battery or RCR123 (16340) lithium-ion rechargeable cell, the S10-L2 is rated to provide up to 400 lumens of output with its Cree XM-L2 emitter.

A side mounted switch on the body allows access to any of the five operating modes (4 output levels plus strobe) through combinations of button presses and holds.  The S10-L2 Baton used in this review was provided by OlightWorld and typically retails for around $50.

Olight S10-L2 Baton – Overview

The S10-L2 arrived in a clear presentation style retail package which provides a full view of the light.  Accessories and other less exciting bits are hidden away at the top of the package.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

The contents include the light, a removable and reversible pocket clip, lanyard, split ring, spare O-rings, non-magnetic tailcap insert, and assorted paperwork.  A battery is not included.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

The S10-L2 is constructed of aluminum with a matte black hard-anodized finish.  The body and tailcap are machined with a checkered pattern for improved grip.Olight S10-L2 Baton

The business end is capped off with a smooth stainless steel bezel ring and glass lens.  A smooth reflector is used to shape the output from the Cree XM-L2 emitter.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

The slightly protruding side-mounted switch has a bright blue plastic button with stainless steel surround.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

The use of a side-mounted switch results in a more compact overall design and an almost completely flat tailcap suitable for tail-standing.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

Removing the tailcap reveals anodized square cut threads on the body.  The S10-L2 can be “locked out” to prevent accidental activation by loosening the tailcap a fraction of a turn.

In addition to the spring, the tailcap also houses the removable magnet which allows the light to be attached to a steel surface.  If needed, the magnet can be removed and replaced with the included non-magnetic silicon tailcap insert.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

A second spring at the head is used to maintain electrical contact and helps hold the battery securely in place.  When fully assembled, there is absolutely no battery rattle and the S10-L2 boasts an IPX8 rating against water ingress (submergible to a depth of 2 meters).

Olight S10-L2 Baton

The pocket clip snaps onto the body and may be removed completely or configured for bezel-up or bezel-down carry.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

Olight S10-L2 Baton - Manufacturer's Specifications

 S10-L2 Baton
High Output (Runtime)400 lumens (1.25 hours*)
Medium Output (Runtime)85 lumens (7.5 hours*)
Low Output (Runtime)5 lumens (108 hours*)
Moonlight Mode (Runtime)0.5 lumens (360 hours*)
Beam Intensity2,700 candela
Length2.75 inches (70.5 mm)
Diameter0.9 inches (23 mm)
Weight (without battery)1.48 ounces (42 grams)

* Powered by one 123A lithium primary battery until output drops to 10%

Olight S10-L2 Baton – Operation

Five operating modes are available including four constant output modes and one flashing strobe mode.  All operations and mode selections are accomplished using the side-mounted switch.  The S10-L2 has mode memory and will return to the last mode used when the light is first turned on.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

When the light is off:

  • A single press of the side-mounted switch will turn the light on at the last output level used.
  • A rapid double click will activate HIGH mode
  • Pressing and holding the switch for approximately 1 second will activate MOONLIGHT mode
  • Pressing and holding the switch for 2 or more seconds will electronically lock the light, preventing accidental activation.
  • If locked, pressing and holding the switch for 1 second will unlock the light and enter MOONLIGHT mode.

When the light is on:

  • A single press of the side-mounted switch will turn the light OFF
  • A rapid double click will activate the STROBE mode
  • Pressing and holding the switch will advance the output modes (LOW – MEDIUM – HIGH) until the switch is released

Olight S10-L2 Baton – Performance

The S10-L2 uses the big Cree XM-L2 emitter to achieve up to 400 lumens of output, which is quite respectable considering the light’s compact size.  Combined with a smooth reflector, the XM-L2 produces a beam that has a large but noticeable center hotspot and fairly intense spill beam.  Overall reach is limited due to the small size of the reflector but the beam is still reasonably effective to 50 yards and beyond.

Despite the small size of the reflector, the beam is clean and free of artifacts, save for a slightly brighter ring at the very edge of the spill beam.  The beam has an overall cool tint with an almost creamy white center hotspot and corona.  There is a slight tinge of green in the corona but it is not nearly as noticeable as a lot of other XM-L2 equipped lights I have used.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

The following slides show the Olight S10-L2 Baton compared to a variety of other lights, all larger in size, to give some perspective with regard to output and beam profile.  The images can be compared across their full width using the slider and additional comparisons may be viewed using the navigation buttons in the bottom-right corner of each image.

The following lights are shown for comparison:

  1. SureFire EB1 Backup (Review)
  2. SureFire E1D Defender (Review)
  3. Elzetta Alpha with LFP123 battery (Review)
  4. Malkoff M61 SHO
  5. SureFire P2X Fury (Review)
  6. Elzetta Bravo with AVS head (Review)

Beamshots – 40 Yards to Swing

Runtime

Runtime tests of the high and medium output modes were conducted for comparison to the manufacturer’s claims.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

Battery Station 123A lithium primary batteries and AW 16340 (RCR123) lithium-ion batteries were used for all tests.

Olight S10-L2 Baton Runtime

In its highest output mode, the S10-L2 maintained its initial level of output for only a few minutes before stepping down to a more sustainable level.  A single 123A lithium primary battery provided more than an hour of additional runtime at this lower level before declining as the battery was depleted.  Overall runtime exceeded the manufacturer’s rated 1.25 hours until output dropped to 10%

The lithium-ion battery provided a slight boost to the initial output followed by nearly an hour of runtime  of overall runtime before its overdischarge protection activated.  Due to the programmed reduction in output, the light did not become excessively hot during continuous operation.

Olight S10-L2 Baton runtime

Both battery types provided virtually identical output levels in medium mode.  The lithium-ion rechargeable battery provided nearly 3.5 hours of runtime while the 123A lithium primary cell powered the light for more than 6 hours.  Runtime in medium mode came up short compared to the manufacturer’s rated 7.5 hours but the output level appeared to be greater than the advertised 85 lumens.

Olight S10-L2 Baton – Conclusions

The Olight S10-L2 Baton is, pure and simple, a little powerhouse of a flashlight.  It provides a substantial amount of output in a tiny package, considerably smaller and lighter than single 123A powered lights I have used before.  Although it is a lightweight flashlight its construction seems more than adequate for EDC uses  that most people will encounter.  The light performed well over the course of the review period.

In addition to its impressive performance, the multiple output modes and convenient user interface allow the user to quickly access the right level of light needed for a given task.  Overall beam reach is limited due to having a large emitter paired with a small reflector but the somewhat floody beam is very effective for close-in work and general activities.

Olight S10-L2 Baton

The reversible/removable pocket clip holds very securely, not just onto the flashlight body but also any pocket it is clipped to.  Straight out of the box, it was actually too tight for me to easily clip the S10-L2 into a jeans pocket but some minor adjustments made it work much more smoothly.  If the light is not locked out, the protruding switch makes it possible to accidentally activate the flashlight while in the pocket, but I was able to keep this from being an issue with more careful pocket placement.

I have never been a big fan of this style of light and I can honestly say I would have never purchased one for myself.  I generally prefer a slightly larger light that won’t get lost in my hand, that has a bit more reach, and usually with no more than two output modes.  Having said that, my time with the S10-L2 Baton has been an eye opening experience as I found that I actually enjoy using it.  The side-mounted switch arrangement works much better than I expected on a light this size and the user interface allows access to the most useful modes without a lot of extra button presses.  The magnetic tailcap has also been very useful.

For more information about the S10-L2 and other members of Olight’s family of Baton flashlights, be sure to check out the OlightWorld website.  The S10-L2 is made in China.

FlashlightGuide is an Amazon affiliate site and stands to earn a small commission on purchases made after using any of the Amazon links on this site.  This provides funds to help support the site at no additional cost to the customer.  If you are shopping for the S10-L2 be sure to check it out at Amazon.

S10-L2 Baton Strengths

  • Compact size
  • Useful and effective beam for close-in tasks
  • Very stable regulation with primary and rechargeable batteries
  • Magnetic tailcap (magnet can be removed if necessary)

S10-L2 Baton Concerns

  • Limited throw due to small reflector
  • Pocket clip is very tight (could be a strength to some)

Thank you to the kind folks at OlightWorld for providing the S10-L2 for review and Battery Station for providing the 123A batteries used for runtime testing!

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Posted in Flashlight Reviews, Other Products and tagged .

2 Comments

  1. Excellent review. Do you think lights this size compromise longevity or reliability due to the extreme brightness? Do you feel this LED is being overdriven?

    Awesome little light none the less, I’ve thought of purchasing one for awhile.

    • Smaller size does mean there is less room for the electronics and less mass for heatsinking. However, output is pretty conservative for an XM-L2 (starts at 400 lumens and soon drops to around 300), so it doesn’t appear anything is being driven particularly hard.

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