Pocket Rockets: Olight Warrior X Pro 3, Olight Warrior 3S, and Fenix TK20R Flashlights

Hello, my name is John and I’m a flashaholic. As a kid I had a lot of anxiety about darkness. Today I enjoy the night, in part thanks to tools which take away the darkness from those who would exploit it to victimize me or others.

In my world, flashlights get used many times each day to see things or find things as I don’t have 18-year-old eyeballs anymore. And then there’s the role they play in the use-of-force continuum.

In the 2010s, EagTac products rode in my pockets, but they repeatedly failed with hard use. Sure, they had a “lifetime” warranty but you had to ship them to China or Taiwan to collect on that. Even then the “repaired” products came back less than marvelous.

Fast forward: I did some research and settled on a Fenix and an Olight. The Fenix did super well. And the Olight Warrior X, although a great light in most respects, was just too much to carry in any pocket…even in 5.11s.

In 2022, I wrote a review of those two state-of-the-art lighting tools. After it, folks at Olight contacted me and asked if I’d review a couple of their products if they provided them. “Sure,” I said. They then hounded me for the review, as if having it for a week or two will give me a real sense of a light’s utility and function in real life. These are hundred-plus dollar flashlights, after all. They represent real expenditures for working class folks and deserve more than a cursory evaluation.

 

 

Warrior X Pro 3

They sent me the (very substantial) Warrior X Pro 3. It sells for about $120 and it’s way too darn big for comfortable EDC pocket carry. I’m used to carrying capable lights, but nobody I know wants this much bulk clipped in their pocket, especially if you wear jeans. (Ahem, is that a flashlight in your pocket?) Ladies aren’t going to want to put this monster in their purses, either.

For a tote bag, tac vest (thinking police style) or as a rifle-mounted light (a pressure switch is about $40), it’s hair-on-fire brilliantly bright. Worth repeating: It cranks out an obnoxious amount of light in a very tight beam. If you need to light up something or someone a hundred (or even a couple of hundred) yards away, and do it well, this is your baby.

The Warrior X Pro 3 has stood up well to use and abuse, as have my other Olights of the past, something the EagTacs can’t say.

It runs on a massive 21700 lithium rechargeable battery and charging is easy with the Olight proprietary magnetic tail charger that’s used for most Olight products.

Read on for one big, deal-killing shortcoming it shares with the Warrior 3S.

 

Warrior 3S

The Warrior 3S is a smaller diameter light that’s better suited to everyday carry. It also has a wider beam that’s better suited to general use. A soft touch on the rear switch gives you plenty of light (300 lumens) and a harder press gives an insane 2250 lumens. I’ve been happy with its performance with the exception that it’s prone to sliding out of my back pocket even  when clipped on. Swing with the kids or grandkids on a playground? Wrestle around on the floor? Going on carnival rides? Bottom line: the Warrior 3S is an awfully nice light to leave behind you on a playground.

But here’s my biggest complaint, one that borders on deal-killer status. If you don’t hold your momentary press long enough (about a second) you may enter into the “hard” on mode that requires a second press to extinguish the light. When this failure to turn off happens, no matter what you’re trying to do, the Olight harshly resets your OODA loop. That would be no bueno in a gun fight, both from the distraction angle and how lights can act as bullet magnets.

Fenix TK20R

The first thing everyone notices is how the TK20R has two buttons on the tail cap, one large and one small. The small one gives instant access to a 3100 lumen strobe light. This is a “WHOA!” moment the first time you fire it up, especially indoors. It may disorient some aggressors and even allegedly cause seizures. I love having that option instantly available. Remember that use-of-force continuum thing?

The much larger button, with a light press, serves a momentary activation switch. When conditions require a LOT of light, there are over 3000 lumens inside just waiting for you to set them free. A harder press gets you into a “hard” on/off mode. Loosen the front end of the light a smidgen and you get a more manageable, but still crazy-bright reduced output.

Criticism: Yes, the TK20R is a little on the large side. It has some heft which can help with DNA core sampling when judiciously applied to a bad guy’s noggin to dissuade aggressive behavior, further assisted by the scalloped bezel.  Yes, you can carry this inconspicuously enough in your support hand at night. If your Spidey senses become triggered you can have it instantly available to give a big surprise to an aggressive panhandler or any other sketchy would-be mopes.

Another criticism: In a small room with light colored walls, you’ll blind everyone including yourself with light splashing back if you’re not judicious in using it. Or in everyday carry use, if you press the wrong button by mistake, like in a dark restaurant trying to read the menu, you’ll instantly become the center of attention. In this case, your temporary blindness will preclude noticing the annoyed looks from everyone in your section of the restaurant.

Even from a distance it will also really screw with the pitcher in professional baseball games, even when not pointed at them. Ask me how I know. (It probably wouldn’t help a kicker in an NFL game either.)  Also, one almost needs two hands to switch brightness modes, but it’s manageable.

I know a hundred-plus bucks for a flashlight represents big-time money for most of us regular folks. That’s real money. On the other hand, these are real lights, not the alkaline battery-powered toys found in big box retail stores. If you have the coin and you don’t mind a larger body flashlight, you likely won’t be disappointed with the TK20R. You might even be dazzled by it. Literally. It has earned its spot as my primary carry light now.

As for the Olights, they’re relegated to backup status for the time being. They’re nice, but that switch problem nags at me.