Olight i1R 2 PRO

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Olight i1R 2 PRO specifications

Brand/model	Olight i1R 2 PRO stars & stripes
Category	Keychain flashlight
LED	N/A
Max. Lumens	180 lm
Max. Beam intensity / distance	580 cd
Battery config.	Built-in
Onboard charging	USB-C
Modes	2
Blinkies	N/A
Reflector	TIR honeycomb
Waterproof	IPX8
Review date	June 2022

Do you love stars & stripes? And are you looking for a new keychain light? Well, then this review might be for you.

Olight upgraded the Olight i1R 2 EOS with the Olight i1R 2 PRO to increase the maximum output from 150 lumens to 180 lumens, while the lowest mode stayed at 5 lumens. Besides the increased maximum output, Olight upgraded the charging port from Micro-USB to USB-C, and also made The one in this review has the exact same specifications as the i1R 2 PRO, but with a unique coating. So even though this review is for the limited Stars & Stripes edition, it should perform the same as the original ones.

If you’re into they tiny lights, don’t forget to check out our buyer’s guide of the best small flashlights.

Package quality.

While Olight ships most of its flashlights with interesting and good quality packaging, the i1R 2 PRO uses a rather simple one. But for the price point, I don’t really complain. So, what’s inside the package?

• The flashlight: Olight i1R 2 PRO
• USB-A to C cable
• Keychain attachment ring
• Manual

These flashlights have a particular use case in mind: hang it on your keys. The battery capacity and size won’t make it an everyday use, but you can carry it in your pocket any day, and anywhere you want.

This is great as a backup light, finding something in your car, truck, or when you drop something at night. It’s still much better than a phone light, because it has a much nicer beam, throws farther, and you can drop it.

The twisting for activation and mode switching is quite easy, but since it’s such a small flashlight, it might be a bit uncomfortable handling. I wished they added a magnet at the bottom so you can attach it to metal. You can buy a unique hat clip and a magnetic mount for the i1R at Etsy, but I don’t think it fits the PRO version? Even though it’s pretty small, it’s still bigger than its predecessor.

Also, this limited edition light is almost too nice to put on your keys.

You can’t disassemble the i1r 2 PRO, since that would expose the battery and the internals. That would also void your warranty, and likely increase the risk of breaking something. Everything is tightly packed on the inside, so I wouldn’t recommend trying to open it.

The keychain ring is the only thing you can remove from the light. It’s adequate enough for on your keychains.

The anodization seems to be a bit sensitive for wear and scuffs. I noticed some spots after just a bit of use. It doesn’t look like I can remove them, so if you want to keep it in pristine condition, put it on your shelves.

When you unscrew the 2 parts of the flashlight, they are held together with some sort of invisible ring. The USB-C port is now uncovered and you can charge the light. At first it looked like there is no room to inswer the USB cable, but the included cable has no problem attaching.

Olightstore Warranty:

Orders can be returned for any reason within 30 days from the date the order was received. Returned items must be in the same condition, unworn and in the original packaging. Once you apply for a refund or replacement, we will send you a return label to return the item to us, no need to pay for the shipping cost. Free or promotional items must be returned along with the original item when being fully refunded.

Once your return is received, a refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your original payment method. Please note that it might take 2-5 working days for a refund to show up on any bank statements. For your replacement, we will re-send a new item to you as soon as possible (within two weeks.)

For items purchased from third-party platforms within 30 days, we recommend you contact the original seller first, so they may take care of you. If you have any issues with them, please contact us.

Within 2 or 5 years of purchase: please contact our customer service at [email protected] or click here to apply for the warranty work. We may need your serial number, the date of purchase and a simple description about your issue. If your item needs to be returned for repair or replacement, we will provide you an RMA case number and application form to return the defective light together. You will need to cover the shipping cost, no need to pay for the repair.

Nope, Olight doesn’t mention the brand, type, bin or anything of the emitter used in the i1R 2 PRO. Some people might be able to tell what type of LED it is by looking at it, but I’m not 100% sure.

But fortunately, I have a little tool that can measure several things, like CRI, CCT etc. I’m talking about the Opple Light Master III (or PRO). So it can give a good indication of what kind/quality of light it produces.

If you just look at the beam, you can see a very clear hotspot and weak spill. Althought the drop off isn’t too harsh, you can clearly see where the edge of the hotspot is. And if I look carefully, I can see a slight tint shifting in some parts of the hotspot.

Anyway, here are the measurement with the Opple:

• CCT: 4952K
• Ra (CRI): 70.9
• DUV: -0.0006

These numbers show that the beam temperature is relatively cold, with a normal, low CRI, and DUV just below the BBL.

Dimensions: 

	Millimeters	Inches
Length (turned off, shortest)	52.3 mm	2.06 “
Length (turned on, shortest, high mode)	51.56 mm	2.03 “
Length (fully extended)	62mm	2.44 “
Head + body diameter	16.3 mm	0.64 “

The body and head diameter are the same. The shortest length would be with high mode activated, so carrying the light would mean it’s about 1 mm longer.. not really much different.

Weight: 

	Weight in grams	Weight in Oz.
With battery	22.4 grams	0.79 oz.

Keychain Flashlight comparison

Size compared the some of the best keychain flashlights

Group 1: Olight i1R 2 EOS vs Olight i1R 2 PRO.

Group 2, from left to right: Nitecore TUP, Lumintop GT Nano, Olight i1R 2 PRO, Fenix E03R, RovyVon A9 cu, Nitecore Tini2, Olight i1R 2 EOS.

Just like the previous version, the PRO has only 2 modes. It’s a twisty: tighten the head slightly to enter Low, and tighten completely for High.

Available modes:

• Low, High

From OFF:

• Tighten slightly: low mode
• Tighten completely: high mode

From ON:

• Unscrew to turn off

Shortcuts:

• No shortcuts

Mode memory:

• No

Blinky modes menu:

• No

Low battery warning:

• The light reduces output, so you have enough time to recharge the battery.

Lock-out mode:

• No electronic lockout, just unscrew the head to turn it off

PWM:

• Not visible by eye

Olight upgraded from Micro USB on the i1R 2 EOS to USB-C on the i1R 2 PRO. That’s a good choice, because USB-C is a much safer type of connecter because you can connect it both ways, unlike a Micro-USB connector, which only fits 1 way.

The included cable is a USB-A to USB-C, and that’s totally fine for me, because most USB ports on cars, airplanes, busses, RVs, trucks, laptops, desktops, printers, monitors, TVs, etc. have USB-A.

There is a red indicator LED lit during charge, and it turns green when finished. After a while, the green light also turns off.

The battery is built-in and has a total capacity of 130mAh, which is pretty low. Therefore, according to specs, the runtime on High is less than 30 minutes, and 12 hours on Low. And according to the technical details, it’s a 10220 type lithium-Ion battery.

Charging a pretty drained i1R 2 PRO takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and the charge current is about 100mA. About 150mAh went into the battery, according to my USB meter.

Lumen measurements:

All output numbers are relative to my homemade Integrating Sphere. It is set up with an Extech SDL400 Lux Meter for measurements including a Kenko PRO1D ND-16 filter. The base measurement is done with a Convoy S2+ that has been tested at 255 lumens.

Mode	Specs	@ turn on	30 seconds	10 minutes
Low	5	8.52	8.52	8.52
High	180 lm	226 lm	209 lm	151 lm

My unit performed quite a bit better than specs. That’s unlike the predecessor, that claimed an output of 150 lumens, but measured at 122 lumens. The output was still over 200 lumens after 30 seconds.

Parasitic drain:

• Impossible to measure

Runtime: Battery life

The runtime test was done with the 50cm integrating sphere, including the Kenko Pro1D ND-16 filter and Extech SDL400 data logging Lux Meter.

Mode	Specified	Measured runtime (ANSI FL1)	Time till shut off
Low	12h	13h 36min	15h 31min+*
High	23min	28min	2h 04min+*

ANSI FL1 standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turn on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. * If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries. It is not recommended to run batteries flat, because that could damage the batteries/battery.

Throw Measurement: Peak beam intensity and beam distance

Measurements were taken indoors at 3 meters with a Hagner E4-X Lux Meter. The lowest mode is too weak to measure at 10 meters, or even 5 meters. They were taken 30 seconds after turn on, in line with the ANSI FL1 standards.

Mode	Specs	Candela measured	in meters	in yards
Low	–	27	10	11
High	580cd	729 cd	54	59

Extra info: Peak beam distance according to ANSI FL1 standards: The calculated value of distance in meters at which the flashlight produces a light intensity of 0.25 lux. (0.25 lux is about the brightness of a full moon shining on an object).

For the following beamshots I used a Canon EOS 5D Mk2 and a 50mm lens. manual settings: ISO1600, 1/30sec , F4, 5000K

The wall is about 5 meters away, and the fence about 4 meters.

btw. I repainted the wall a few months ago, so the latest images are looking a bit different. Also, the white isn’t perfectly white, but a little greyish, compared to the previous white painting.

Disclaimer: This flashlight was sent to me for review at no cost by Olight. I have not been paid to review, nor have I been holding back on problems or defects.