Olight vs Fenix!
The main difference between Olight and Fenix isn’t so apparent, so let’s have a look at some of the differences between these highly popular flashlight brands. Check it out!
1: how about Olight?
First of all, it’s no secret that Olight has a very active social media presence, with tons of fans. Their official Facebook page, called Olight World, has roughly 300,000 subscribers. They are quite a bit more active than Fenix, who has a total of sub 200K followers.
Many of its fans have dozens of Olight flashlights, and many flashlights are limited editions, meaning there are only a couple of hundred/thousand made. This makes them quite unique and collectible. Some of the people just buy many new flashlights to earn an extra buck by selling them later for a much higher price.
Each sale, Olight introduces a new model or a new color. And I must admit, their current lineup of flashlights is really amazing.
If you haven’t had an Olight, you better read one of our Olight Reviews, so you can get an idea of what to expect. Their attention to detail is excellent, from the packaging to their UI and even their design features.
Their packaging is far more exclusive than Fenix.
2. how about Fenix?
Fenix is probably most well-known for their Tactical flashlight lineup. They are available worldwide, and have many online and brick-and-mortar stores carrying them.
Although mostly known for the Tactical flashlights, they surely have a great number of flashlights outside that category, including EDC light, and even a bunch of Headlamps.
Packaging:
Left: Olight, right: Fenix. Olight spends more time to make it look and fit perfectly
The differences:
Types of flashlights
It’s fair to say that Fenix has a lot of history, and therefore knowledge, with tactical gear, because they have been producing flashlights for over 20 years. Some of their most well-known flashlights include the PD35, and TK series. They are more into the traditional types of flashlights, with tradition UI’s.
Olight on the other hand, from a reviewer’s and flashlight collector’s perspective, is more into finding new types of flashlights and adding new features. I’m thinking about the O’bulb, O’pen, O’swivel, O’buddy, O’link, but also about a proximity sensor, dial knob switch, etc. In that regard, Olight is more of an innovating brand, finding new types of products to add an LED to, lol.
Types of batteries and charging
One of the most criticized components of Olight is its proprietary charging system, including its proprietary batteries.
95% of all Olight products use an Olight proprietary charging system, that includes the MCC charging cables. That means that most people will have to buy a new charging cable when it breaks, or a new proprietary Olight battery when it dies. You can’t use a regular 18650 or 21700 battery in most of the newest Olight flashlights.
Fenix, on the other hand, accepts regularly available batteries. So if you care about using your hard-earned pile of regular lithium-ion batteries, get a Fenix. These days, Fenix also, often, includes batteries with its flashlights, and they often have a USB port built-in, so you can charge the battery everywhere and at any time, as long as you have a USB power plug (laptop, car, van, airplane etc). That’s another benefit of buying a Fenix flashlight over an Olight.
Why Olight uses a proprietary battery system?
It’s important to note that Olight didn’t just want people to buy their products, but they also want to provide the best experience, with the highest safety and the best performance.
This way, Olight can guarantee their flashlights to perform as advertised. And I also have to note, that from all the reviews we’ve done, Olight’s specifications are usually on the conservative side.
Fenix value vs Olight value
As I mentioned earlier, Olight produces many limited edition models. These types of flashlights keep their value for a longer period of time. And it’s not unlikely to see their prices even increase with very limited runs. Fenix on the other hand also has a few special edition flashlights, but not as many.
Exotic and more expensive materials (including Copper, Titanium, and Damascus)
Although Fenix has a few flashlights that are not made of aluminum, Olight has many models that are made from other types of materials, including copper, titanium, and even damascus.
Every few months, Olight adds a couple of limited edition titanium flashlights, that have a high resale value. Fenix doesn’t do that, so that’s another big difference between the 2.
My tip: if you want to experience an Olight flashlight, get one of the more expensive models, take good care of it, and it will keep a good resale value.
Performance: Brightest Olight vs Brightest Fenix
When it comes to performance, both Olight and Fenix have some high-power flashlights.
One of the brightest Olight flashlights is the Olight X9R. It’s a 25,000-lumen flashlight powered by a built-in battery pack.
One of the brightest Fenix flashlights is the Fenix LR80R with a total of 18,000 lumens.
From just comparing these numbers, the Olight X9R is the winner. But please keep in mind that these numbers only reflect the first 30 seconds or so. If you want to use them for a longer period of time, you’d be looking at around 6,000 lumens for both the Fenix LR80R, as well as the Olight X9R. So in theory, their output is equal for most of the runtime test in Turbo mode.
If you want to see all the flashlights we reviewed, go here: