Olight ArkPro Sets a New Standard for Compact Flashlights
Over the last few years, we’ve reviewed several Olight flashlights. We appreciate them for their sleek design, intelligent design, and durable build. The Olight ArkPro flashlight is the brand’s most recent release, and I got my hands on one to see if it could back up the hype. I had some questions about what makes it stand out from the other models in Olight’s lineup, so I’ll walk you through what I discovered.
Olight ArkPro Flashlight Performance
- Model: Olight ArkPro
- Max brightness: 1500 lumens
- Max throw: 672 feet
- Runtime: 144 mins (Turbo), 14 days (Moon)
Light Output and Modes
The ArkPro makes a few design shifts from the Arkfeld flashlight models. The main change is in the mode control switch. Instead of an all-encompassing flashlight mode, the ArkPro features standalone settings for the spotlight and flood modes. We’ll get into more of the design differences later on in the review.
The ArkPro has five brightness settings: Turbo, High, Medium, Low, and Moonlight. All of these settings can be accessed in both the flood and spotlight modes. In turbo mode in the Pure Flood setting, it reaches up to 1500 lumens of light output, which it can throw up to 672 feet (205 m).
There’s a single power control button, which requires different combinations of pressing and holding to reach your desired brightness setting. This is the same configuration we saw in many of Olight’s previous flashlight models.
Pressing once turns on the flashlight, and from there, you can hold the power button to toggle between low, medium, and high. To engage Turbo mode, press the button twice from any brightness level. There’s also a strobe mode, which you can access by tapping the button three times.
The moonlight setting has a brightness level of only 1 lumen. This is useful in situations where you need to quickly see something in the dark without putting out too much light. To engage this mode, hold the power button from the off setting for one second.
Runtime
For any flashlight with multiple modes, the maximum light output will offer a shorter lifespan than the lowest setting. Since the Turbo and high modes on the ArkPro tend to produce a lot of heat, the flashlight will also automatically step down the output mode after a few minutes to protect the battery from heat damage.
Here’s a rundown of the runtimes you can expect for each brightness mode on the ArkPro:
| ArkPro Lumens/Runtime Flood Mode | ArkPro Lumens/Runtime Spot Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1,500 lumens for 4 min -> 520 lumens for 140 min | 800 lumens for 4 min -> 400 lumens for 130 min |
| High | 520 lumens for 155 min -> 100 lumens for 10 min | 400 lumens for 125 min -> 100 lumens for 10 min |
| Medium | 100 lumens 13 hours | 100 lumens 10 hours |
| Low | 15 lumens 72 hours | 15 lumens 66 hours |
| Moonlight | 1 lumen 14 days | 1 lumen 14 days |
Laser and UV
Like Olight’s Arkfeld flashlights, the ArkPro is equipped with a UV light and a green laser pointer. However, unlike past models, each mode has two brightness settings, which is a nice step up in performance.
The UV light puts out up to 1200 -> 580 mW (5 -> 300 minutes) in the highest setting and 360 mW (8 hours) on low. For the green laser, you can toggle between Class 3R and Class 1 settings by holding the laser button and releasing on your desired setting.
Olight ArkPro Flashlight Design
While the ArkPro has a very similar form factor to its predecessors, Olight’s design team introduced several quality-of-life improvements. One of the biggest differences, as I touched on above, is the actual flashlight controls.
In past models, including the Arkfeld flashlights, there was a setting for each of the flashlight, laser, and UV light modes. You would turn the dial to set your mode and then engage it using the power button.
With the ArkPro, you still have the same mechanism for selecting the modes. However, instead of the laser mode being in line with the rest of the settings, it’s moved to its own designation on the side of the flashlight. This means that you can now use the laser and the flashlight/UV light simultaneously.
Both flashlight modes (spotlight and flood) have their own designated setting on the control dial. In past models, there was only one setting, so I like having the ability to light up a whole room with the Pure Flood mode, or concentrate on a smaller area with the spot setting.
You can also put the flashlight into Lockout mode by holding the power button for two seconds. In this mode, a lock icon will display to prevent the flashlight from turning on accidentally. To turn off Lockout mode, just hold down the power button again for two seconds.
Charging
Like Olight’s other flashlights, the ArkPro comes with a USB charging cable that connects magnetically to the base of the flashlight. However, Olight took it a step further, including a USB-C port on the left side of the body as a secondary charging point, letting you plug in a USB-C cable (not included) for charging in a pinch.
The ArkPro’s battery meter is different than what we’ve seen on past models. It’s located on the right side of the power button to help you keep track of your current charge. There’s also a brightness meter on the left side of the button that displays the illumination level of your selected mode while it’s powered on.
Size and Weight
The ArkPro features a unibody construction, CNC-machined from a solid block of aluminum. This design achieves a solid, sturdy structure, while the aluminum keeps the weight to a minimum. It weighs just 115 grams, which is right around the weight of the Arkfeld Ultra model we reviewed last year.
The ArkPro is just 16 mm in thickness, which is plenty small to stay out of the way in your pocket, toolbox, or glove compartment. A heavy-duty pocket clip helps stow it securely when you want to keep it close at hand.
Colorways
Olight offers seven colorways/configurations for the ArkPro flashlight. Here’s a breakdown of your options:
- Silver Graphite CW (Cool White) – $110
- Matte Black CW – $100
- Matte Black NW (Neutral White) – $100
- OD Green CW – $100
- Orange CW – $100
- Phantom Squadrom CW – $110
- Phantom Squadrom CW + Oclip Pro Phantom Squadron – $150
Olight ArkPro Flashlight Price
The ArkPro base model retails in the range of $100 to $150, depending on your preferred colorway. You can find it, along with the Ultra and Lite variations, on Olight’s website or through authorized sellers like Amazon. Olight backs your purchase with a lifetime warranty.
The Bottom Line
With as many improvements as Olight packed into the ArkPro, it’s easy to recommend to nearly anyone looking for a versatile EDC flashlight. It carries over the details that I appreciated most, like a slim, out-of-the-way profile and multiple illumination settings, while enhancing the design for an easier user experience.
To sweeten the pot, the base ArkPro model that I reviewed is also $20 less than the Arkfeld Ultra, offering a good bang for your buck. Combining all of these elements, the ArkPro is now my top recommendation in Olight’s flat EDC flashlight lineup.
