Olight has introduced a new LED flashlight, the Seeker 4 Pro.
Olight sent over two Seeker 4 Pro LED flashlights for testing. While I’d like to use them more before sharing my final opinion, now seems like a good time to share my early thoughts.
The Seeker 4 Pro follows closely in the footsteps of the Seeker 3 Pro, which launched in mid-2022. I tested the Seeker 2 Pro, Seeker 3 Pro, and now the Seeker 4 Pro. I’ll provide a brief comparison later in the post.
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To start off, here’s what you need to know about the Seeker 4 Pro in as few words as possible:
4600 max lumens
260 meter throw
6 modes – moon, low, medium, high, turbo, strobe
Rotary mode selection dial & power button
USB-C charging via the holster
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IPX8 waterproof
21700 5000 mAh battery (included)
Cool White (5700-7000K) and Neutral White (4000-5000K) options (certain models)
The Olight Seeker 4 Pro can be charged via USB-C through the holster. The Seeker 3 Pro can fit the holster but will not charge. Olight says that only the Seeker 4 Pro can be charged via the holster.
The connection between the Olight Seeker 4 Pro and its holster is magnetic, via the tailcap. This means that you can also charge the Seeker 4 Pro via their MCC3 charger, which is not included. A USB-A to USB-C cable is included with the light.
The holster is, in no uncertain terms, extremely versatile. It feels light, but sturdy.
The only complaint I have so far about the Seeker 4 Pro holster is that there’s a large cutout at the bottom, either for heat dissipation or so that you can visually confirm it’s making contact with the charging terminals. I somehow pinched a fingertip in there when sliding the flashlight back in.
When in the holster, the flashlight’s brightness level is limited to 600 lumens, which Olight says is to ensure user safety.
Unlike the Seeker 3 Pro, the flashlight does NOT have any proximity detection. Meaning, if the flashlight is set to its turbo max brightness mode, the emitter lens and head unit can get very hot. Foolishly, I tested this with my hand.
I never had a problem with Olight’s latest flashlights, which have a proximity sensor and auto dimming mode. But, I also do like the elegance of the flashlight’s max power being reduced when it’s in its holster.
Olight Seeker 4 Pro vs Seeker 3 Pro Flashlights
The first difference I noticed between the Seeker 3 and 4 Pro flashlights is their different LED indicator lights.
Olight says that the brightness mode selection dial has been improved. Objectively, they’re right. Subjectively, I mostly use flashlights with my bare hands and not gloved hands, and so the differences aren’t very important to me.
I do like the new LED indicator lights, which are made using a series of 1200 laser microperforations.
Neither would drive me to upgrade so quickly, but if I had to choose one over the other, the Seeker 4 Pro has a slightly more mature design, if that makes sense.
The Seeker 4 Pro is also said to be a little brighter than its predecessor.
The Seeker 4 Pro is included in Olight’s O-Fan Day flash sale, which ends at 11:59 pm EST 9/23/23.
Additional Opinions
I have the Olight Seeker 3 Pro – also provided by Olight – in black. My test samples for the Seeker 4 Pro are in matte black and neutral white, and midnight blue in cool white.
The matte black Seeker 4 Pro has a more aesthetic less reflective anodizing than the black Seeker 3 Pro. “Matte black” does seem like a good way to put it.
I like that the light can still be turned on when in the holster.
It took me some time to realize it, but the flashlight can be turned when in the holster. So, you can align it so the charging indicators are exposed, and then insert the flashlight, or insert the flashlight and twist it to a front-facing orientation if needed.
In theory, I miss the proximity sensor of the Seeker 3 Pro. In practice, you have some protection against unintentional activation.
The Seeker 4 Pro has a neat lockout mode where you cannot simply press the button – unintentionally or otherwise – to turn it on. You have to rotate the dial and then press the button, or press and hold the power button for more than one second.
The lockout feature is available for the light when handheld or in its holster. If handheld, it activates 10 seconds after the light is turned off and its indicator lights turn off.
When removing the flashlight from its holster, it’s ready to go without having to be unlocked. Putting it back in the holster resumes lockout mode without the 10 second delay.
The Seeker 3 Pro had a similar lockout.
I consider the holster an integral part of the light. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it seems very well thought out, but you won’t be able to take advantage of all the Seeker 4 Pro’s features without it.
A horizontal holster is available separately (regularly $14.99).
In addition to the holster, there’s a holster fixing bracket, which provides a place to temporary mount the holster to via its belt clip. You can buy additional mounting brackets separately (regularly $3.99).
Olight changed a couple of things about the flashlight housing, compared to the Seeker 3 Pro, with the biggest difference being the rubbery grip. The Seeker 3 Pro had 2 inlays, whereas the Seeker 4 Pro has an inlaid grip section that spans the majority of the light.
Replacement vertical holsters don’t look to be available yet. The vertical holster included with the Seeker 4 Pro seems very robust. It’s not vital to the operation of the flashlight, but does provide functionality, such as USB-C charging and the auto lockout feature.
The introductory launch price ($98) is lower than what the Seeker 3 Pro sold for when it launched ($105). The regular price is said to be the same ($140).
I have plenty of USB-C chargers, as well as Olight’s specialty magnetic tailcap charger.
The USB-C charging worked flawlessly, and it seemed very quick.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes
- Bright, broad beam
- Intuitive user controls
- Finally a useful holster I won’t toss in the spare accessories bin
- Neutral white is my preferred choice
- Comfortable grip
- Feels durable
- Deeper user controls if desired
One thing I really like is that there are further customizations for users that care. For example, there are two auto shutoff timers, 3 minutes and 9 minutes. Some users might not like that you can’t disable this.
Dislikes
- Holster bottom slot is a pinch hazard if you’re careless
- In theory I miss the proximity auto-dimming feature
- No in-flashlight USB-C charging
Awaiting Verdict
I wasn’t expecting for the holster to be such a big part of the user experience. Beyond it doubling as a charger, the holster is also needed for lockout mode – to prevent unintentional operation – and auto-dimming, which prevents overheating in case of unintentional activation.
Thank you to Olight for providing the test samples.
Fazal Majid
The problem with Olights is they use LEDs with ghastly color rendering index of around 70, barely better than a fluorescent tube.
When you can get a Sofirn S32 HCRI or a Wurkkos FC11 with high-quality Nichia 519A LEDs for around $20 (and with built-in USB-C charging) or a highly efficient 519A Zebralight (the 18650 SC65c HI or the petite AA SC53c N), there is no reason to get an Olight unlesss you are swayed by their admittedly formidable marketing.
MoogleMan3
Yep. Their typically low CRI along with use of proprietary batteries has turned me away from olight for good.
I know that getting into things like emitter types, CRI, battery types and the link can seem daunting at first, but even to a total light noob, 20 minutes of research on budget light forums or r/flashlights will set one in the right direction. We probably spend far longer than that researching hand/power tool.
It’s very difficult to go back to olight’s nasty greenish tints after seeing a 5000k nichia 90+CRI light. Two just added to my collection are the pokelit AA and wurkkos TS10; both excellent lights.
Not a dig against Stuart; as you said, olight nails the marketing. It’s just that for olight money, one can purchase a far superior light.
@Stuart, worth looking into as a possible topic post in the future maybe. Many of the lights we’re speaking of are just as plug and play as olights (included batteries, usb charging, etc.), and the complication of subjects like emitters, CRI, batteries and chargers is worth perusing given the quality of light at the bottom of the rabbit hole.
MoogleMan3
Also worth mentioning there’s amazing reviewers dedicated to lights out there; zeroair, 1lumen, grizzly’s reviews, etc.
Along with the aforementioned sites, the rabbit hole is deep, but well worth jumping into head first.
carl
Agree, I once questioned this sites focus on Olight. I’m not typically a fan of theirs for the reasons mentioned, along with the constant “sales” tactic they use.
If similar coverage were provided to other brands it’d be better, but I see no reason we shouldn’t see an explainer on the basics of what makes these Olight flashlights less ideal in some circumstances.
Low CRI lights can put out more light more efficiently, sure, but their horrible color rendering can make identifying things more difficult. That, and it’s just not terribly pleasant to look at.
Magnetic charging is a mixed bag, at least if the battery is removable you aren’t hosed if you lose the cable. I have one Olight and a couple Skilhunts that have magnetic charging. It’s one of those “nice, but” features. My favorite in-body charging designs have an actual USB-C port concealed behind a threaded cap/body segment (instead of behind a rubber flap).
Blocky
I reluctantly mostly agree. I have two hcri olights – the blue i5 hcri is probably the only one currently available in the entire lineup. It’s a crying shame to pair excellent machining with a mid-performing emitter, at least in this crucial regard.
Hcri lights are my most used, help my eye to differentiate materials quickly, and sometimes are required for critical applications, such as condition-reporting of museum objects in the field.
If I’m reaching for a light, I need an augment to my own visual capabilities. That spectral information is more information, not just louder information (brightness), and it comes in the same form factor.
I’m a fan of Olight. It doesn’t bother me that most of their offerings don’t suit me, but I do think this is an achilles heel for them.
Jp
Never owned a sofirn but I’ve been looking. Got a seeker 3, don’t use it. Hate the brightness controls and so I use a much simpler and very bright thrunite as edc. I generally don’t think olight is worth it. But I do like my marauder.
James+C
CRI is good to know, but for me I’d argue DUV is more important. DUV touches on the tint of the light (overly simplified). A high CRI light can still have an ugly green tint. So what you really want is high CRI with a DUV near 0 or even negative.
Unfortunately DUV is never mentioned and can vary between batches of the same LED; however, Nichia 519A are high CRI, close to 0 or negative DUV, and consistent at that. Just keep it simple and find a 519A light in your preferred color temp.
MoogleMan3
One of my pokelit AAs uses a 519A 5000K and it’s amazing. My emisar, knoctigon and other pokelit AA use 219s and they’re just as nice.
Randy
That’s one heck of an asterisk on “USB-C Charging”
I’m not sure if I just fell for Olight’s clickbait or Stewart’s
James+C
Haha but “USB-C interface to proprietary charging port” doesn’t have the same ring to it.
I think the thing that annoys me the most is when companies call it a rechargeable light but it’s actually a non-rechargeable light that comes with a USB-chargeable battery.
Robert
Off topic. KC Tool is having a “staff picks” sale. 10% extra at check out.
https://www.kctool.com/staff-picks/
What may make it worthwhile is some of these are combos that may be uniquely what someone needs. Like a small electronic tinkering set with 6 Wera micro screwdrivers in a pouch, a Gedore side cutter, and a Knipex 6.3 needle nose pliers.
https://www.kctool.com/nicks-electronics-tinkering-set/
There’s also a Halder mallet with 5 interchangeable faces. I don’t see that mallet with 5 faces normally, but I could be wrong.
https://www.kctool.com/zachs-happy-hammer-set/
At least some of the staff picks are already with a nominal discount (a though not the Halder mallet) and the 10% should stack on top of that.
mikedt
I would pass on any flashlight that needs a proprietary charging dock/cable/etc. Too many out there that just use a generic USB cable to put up with that. Maybe I’d tolerate it in a special use flashlight – like a diving light waterproof to several atmospheres – but not for a general use one.
BigTimeTommy
I like Olight less every time I see one of these ads for a “sale”
Jp
+1
Mark M.
Reasonable flashlights for everyday use have gotten so inexpensive, and even ones I initially considered to be throw-aways have lasted for years. If I need a light for a critical reason I’m going to buy Streamlight or Surefire. These mid-tier brands like Olight do absolutely nothing for me. And even if they did, the proprietary charging via a holster is a deal-killer.
Jason T.
The one thing about Olight and why I have shifted away from them is runtimes. Their runtimes are not great. On this particular light (and I had to look it up since it wasn’t in this review) 4600 Lumens for 2.5 minutes! If I am paying for a 4600 lumen light it better run at that level for more than 2 minutes!!! Most other Olight flashlights have similar runtime charts. Max brightness is for a short period of time on all of their lights.
Stuart
It is physically impossible for this light to deliver sustained output of 4600 lumens. No light of this size and comparable form factor can do that.
So the question is, is it better to have a brighter turbo mode or not?
MoogleMan3
Also worth noting the stepdown from high/turbo isn’t exclusive to olight. Pretty much all high lumen lights have some stepdown, some within seconds.
Jp
I am not an Olight fan. But to be fair, this is a common practice among major mfg. Whether it’s a problem depends on your views. I look at the run times on the highest non-max (non turbo) settings across brands.
Jason T.
I understand the reasoning behind the stepdowns, but some manufacturers do it better than others and have better runtimes. Instead pushing for 4600 lumens, maybe try to stay more realistic and go for 3000 lumens at 20 minutes?
Stuart
Then don’t use turbo mode.
Turbo mode is the “give me max brightness!!!” setting that you deliberately have to toggle outside of the typical brightness selection process.
Jared
This Seeker 4 does 135 minutes at 1200 lumens. That’s a lot of light for quite a long time.
JR Ramos
On many/most of their lights, the *run time* is actually excellent – depends on the model but they do like to use good quality boost or buck/boost drivers in their lights. The step-down you mention, and as folks mentioned already, is simply a function of physics and heat. If you want a sustained 4600 output for more minutes or many more minutes, you’re going to need a host that can dissipate the heat and/or forced cooling…so goodbye pocket sized flashlight.
This max level (more often called turbo) was never ever intended for operating for more than a moment. It’s a nice way to dump a lot of light for a better view of something and then settle back to a sustainable output. Back in the day before we designed or asked for smarter drivers, a full FET driven turbo mode or just a high regulated current would simply allow the light to cook (and skin to cook as well…for real) if the user wasn’t paying attention and turned if off. Now we have a few approaches of heat mitigation within the firmware on the driver – some work better than others, but none of them can work the magic you’re expecting. There are several lights now that can put out a legitimate 1200-1500 lumens for an hour or close to double that time, but they’re a tad larger – that’s really good, though. For typical lights getting a sustained +/- 700 lumens is more realistic but many can’t even do that well. This all depends on a regulated output driver, though.
So don’t knock max/turbo because it does serve a nice purpose, but no, of course it isn’t feasible for continuous operation in such small devices. I am not a fan at all of Olight for a number of reason but they do deserve applause for using boost buck/boost drivers in so many lights. Now if only they would care about light quality with nicer emitters…but a big haha on that one, still.
JR Ramos
Also note that these boost and buck/boost drivers, while they do work magic, it does come at a little cost in terms of power source. Harder on batteries especially when you’re attempting to boost voltage up appreciably from a sagging/depleting battery…more heat, can reduce their lifespan and performance somewhat. But you do get better performance that many people enjoy a whole lot more than the typical steadily diminishing output that unregulated drivers have (same as old school incandescent alkaline lights).
Rcward
Wow, a bunch of Olight haters on here. Never had any issues any of you mentioned. Olight are high priced but so are many others.
Jared
Me neither. I own a few. What I like about Olight is that they are a good stepping stone into the flashlight enthusiast arena. If you’re game to learn about discharge rates, CRI, color temperature, UIs, buy components separately, etc., you can absolutely “do better” than an Olight. Olight makes it simple though.
If you’ve been buying flashlights at the hardware store, Olight products will seem like a revolution. If you’re an enthusiast with specific preferences, I suspect Olight won’t cut it.
MoogleMan3
That’s the thing about the flashlight market though; it’s been very easy as of late, to not need to necessarily fall down the enthusiast rabbit hole to end up with a good light that easily puts olights to shame. Specifically, their light quality, not the hardware. Aside from their proprietary batteries, they do have some very nice designs.
MoogleMan3
Not really “issues”; just poor quality emitters compared to many others. Olight is like the apple of the flashlight world, though they don’t deliver on the quality you’d expect from their marketing, unlike apple.
Georg
Want to charge the olight battery in a regular charger? Get a small magnet. Don’t want to carry an extra charge cable for the light? Get an Oport, fits on a keychain, problem solved.
Peter Fox
I have long been a part time flashlight enthusiast. Every 3 to 5 years I spend some time to see what has changed and pick a few new ones to add to the collection. Over the years I have leaned heavily towards mid level easily available lights. Brands such as Streamlight, Pelican, Maratac Ect.
My mainstay for about 10 years was the Streamlight Strion LED, unfortunately in the last 5 years they have fallen quite far behind and have not been as reliable as they used to be. Several months back I decided that it was time to start the search for its replacement.
Olight was pretty high on the list of brands to consider, at least partially because of the extensive marketing and coverage here. They looked quite good. I almost purchased a Baton 3. However after digging deeper into the enthusiast forums I found that there is a huge range of options that were not available or proven last time I really looked years ago.
Coming from the Strion I knew that I wanted a light that had onboard charging, Previously that all but guaranteed that you needed a special charger, battery or both. Outside of several lower powered lights like the Streamlight Microstream and Bandit I was unaware how common USB and USB-C charging had become. Nor was I aware how common lights that took standard Li-ion cells were.
Once I was aware of how many more options I had to pick from, Olight pretty much fell off the list. I put up with having to charge the Strion in its dock and use batteries specifically designed for it. When it was introduced there wasn’t much else to pick from. But now that I know better I doubt I will ever consider going back and putting up with those limitations.
I ended up getting a couple of Sofirn SC31 Pro’s and a Wurrkos TS11 along with a pile of accessories. I am amazed with the performance and value that is available today. They blow my old Strion out of the water, for a fraction of the cost. While I realize that they are not high end or anything overly special they have really moved the goal post for me for what I expect. If I was planning on buying a light in the price range of Olight products I would be expecting more performance than what Olight is offering.
Lastly, now that I have gotten used to a better user interface I doubt I would ever consider going back to something more limited and basic. The ability to configure and tailor its operation to my preferences is far beyond what I ever imagined was possible in an inexpensive light. The idea of an open source flashlight UI even existing let alone being adopted by multiple companies just blows my mind. The level of thought and effort put into making it powerful yet reasonably easy to use really shows how much of an afterthought the UI is to most larger manufacturers.
Oleg K
How long can it sustain maximum brightness for, 30 seconds or 45? All these ‘monster’ flashlights have the same exact issue: unfounded claims of superiority. Yes, it has a clever magnetic charging dock and sure, it’s pretty but it’s very overpriced and the maximum SUSTAINED output is far less impressive than the one being advertised.
My very overpriced, gigantic Imalent SR32 can output 120000 lumens!.. But only for 45 seconds, WITH 4 fans engaged at all times. Same goes for my Nitecore flashlight that is CAPABLE of outputting 4000 lumens but it also melts clothes, overheats in 30 seconds and drops down quickly to a more manageable 1000 lumens.
My point is: This isn’t a 4200 lumen flashlight, it’s probably an 800 lumen flashlight, maybe a 1400 lumen one. Besides, who wants a flashlight that will only last a few minutes anyway? All these superlatives are clouding-up the very reason a flashlight exists: to light up the darkness, occasionally. Not to have a cool, colorful case, a dope holster your bro’s will go ape shyt for, all sorts of other bells and whistles, it should be able to light stuff up when needed and not be too big, with enough brightness to be able to make out where you’re going and what you’re doing in the dark. That’s it.
Stop making every single gadget a lifestyle accessory.
Mike
So much hate. I went down the Olight rabbit hole cause I wasn’t impressed with other rechargeable options. Once you have a few you can have chargers wherever you need. They have a nice multi dock which is great for home you can just drop on whatever you carried on and it will charge overnight. Run time is great in the mode you actually spend time, cause most of the time you only need a few lumens. Who really worries about CRI in a flash light? If I’m using anything for more than a few minutes working I’m getting some larger better light.
Derek P
I’d be curious if using the holster as a standby charging cradle will cook the battery like the R50 Pro/LE did.
I’ll echo the other posts about poor CRI, tint binning , proprietary cells etc. You can do better than Olight.
They’re an ok light, but nothing great, these days they’re a color of the month club .
Yes I own a few, but they aren’t my daily drivers.
Franco Calcagni
I have quite a few Olight’s, they are good quality. But as I buy other brands, Olight is losing a bit of its luster. They are falling into the “you can get much better at this price level” or “you can get equivalent costing much less.
As is usually the case, if you buy the “featured” products they have every sale, usually 2-3 items, they are decent deals. Everything else at full price is expensive, and during the sale there will be 10%-20% deals, which are still on the expensive side.
Some brands mentioned above, such as Sofirn, is very much top quality, at close to half what you pay for Olight.
Rovyvon, very innovative and excellent quality. Noctigon & Emisar, again excellant quality. Convoy, plain, simple, one of the best. Fireflies, Folomov, Mateminco…there are tons of not good, but great flashlights, all of these give you more than Olight, for less cost. Depending on which website you shop them, they all offer different emitters, if having a high CRI is important to you
If you go to Battery Junction, a US based retailer, they carry a very wide selection of brands and models.
https://batteryjunction.com/
They have US made Surefire, as well as Nitecore, Streamlight, Olight, Thrunite, Acebeam, and many other of the well known brands. They also carry many of the great brands that are less familiar to most, but are top of the line.
Olight probably has better marketing than just about all the other brands. They pop up on YT and many other websites, but the other brands less to non existent marketing.
All that marketing and all of the freebies they give out to 100’s of websites (Stuart gets monthly flashlights to evaluate), needs to be paid somehow.
Stuart
Did you have anything to say about the specific flashlight this review is about?
Maybe pick one comparable flashlight you like better than the Seeker Pro 4 specifically, and mention it by name or model number?
Did you even read the review, or did you see “Olight” in the title and decide to rant about the brand a bit?
Franco Calcagni
Interesting, only Jared specifically mentioned something about the Seeker 4.
Many did ask or kind of wonder why you always do so many Olight articles, but you never addressed that.
I commented, like many about Olight in general, as a company, and I might add less harsh than others. To comment specifically about the Seeker 4, I can’t say much. I have a couple of Seeker 2.
In the past year or 2, Olight comes out with less really new stuff, just an updated model that has new colors, or a slightly different switch, or add a couple of lumens, to what is otherwise the same as the previous model.
It is mainly marketing, in the next 12 months, every month they will have something new. But maybe 1 or 2 actual new models, the rest will be a “new” model that is an update to a previous model, but they can feature as that months special.
So, out of 34 comments, the majority on the negative side about Olight, they all made comments, but I made a rant.
Did my comment, excuse me, rant, hit a nerve?
Stuart
I’ve answered the question in the past – go back and read the discussions in the other posts. You’ve participated in MANY of those discussions, often praising Olight with comments such as “Their machining and quality is as good as any out there,” ” For the non-enthusiast who wants an enthusiast type flashlight, Olight is a great brand to start with,” “I prefer Olight’s magnetic tail charger. I find it so easy,” “I guess competition and keeping up with them has resulted in a multitude of new products.”
Predictably, you dodged every question I asked you, throwing out a bunch of red herrings to distract from this.
What strikes a nerve is that it seems you saw “Olight” in the title and skipped straight to the comment section to rant. Again.
Frankly, I don’t care if you like a brand or product. But this isn’t an open forum or your own personal social media for you to use as a soapbox to rant about whatever you please.
This has been a recurring pattern for you. If you want to rant on-topic, great. If you want to soapbox without reading the post or talking about the tools or products it’s about, you’re welcome to do so elsewhere.
MtnRanch
Never ever buy a flashlight that uses a proprietary battery unless you are prepared to throw it out when the battery finally dies – they will all die sooner or later.
john David Phillips
I would like to know if the seeker 4 pro is intrinsically safe.
No mention of it in any of the paperwork with mine, so I assume it’s not.
Stuart
I haven’t seen any suggestion of this.
As you implied, flashlights not specifically advertised as being intrinsically safe should never be considered intrinsically safe. Streamlight might have some options, but I’m not familiar with any rechargeable models that are similar to the Seeker 4 Pro.