Review Olight PL 3 VALKYRIE Pistol Light

Olight has been pushing out many new products. In this Olight PL 3 Valkyrie review, let's check out its core specs, beam pattern, control ergonomics, compatibility, battery performance and how it differs from the PL Pro.

Let's check it out...

Olight PL 3 Core Specs

Beam Distance: 225 meters
Max. Performance: 1300 lumens
Candela: 12500 cd
Reflector: Smooth
Laser: None
Strobe: Yes
Switch: Side Switch
Battery: 2X CR123
Waterproof: IPX6
Weight: 4.2 oz
Head Diameter (in): 1.44"
Length (in): 3.19 in
LED: CREE XHP 35 HI NW

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Initial Impression

The Olight PL 3 Valkyrie comes with the following:

Olight PL 3 x 1
Picatinny (Mil-std-1913) Rail Mount x 1
Glock Rail Key X 1
T6/T8 Socket Head Wrench x 1
2 CR123A batteries
User Manual x 1

What's New?

The Olight PL 3 features an adjustable mount positions to either bring the control switch closer to the trigger guard or further. This means the light can go on different firearms that were previously unable.

This is the first Olight pistol weapon light that doesn't feature a quick detach lever. This means the users don't have to deal with the sharp edges of the QD lever, and it also allows holster maker to easily make holsters for pistols with Olight PL 3.

This is a direct competition with the popular Streamlight TLR 1 HL with a better mount design.

Core Features

Beam Pattern, Lumens & Candela

The Olight PL 3 can output 1300 lumens on a max battery charge to provide bright illumination indoor and outdoor. The beam pattern is very similar to Olight PL Pro with a soft hot spot combined with some spill.

The 12500 candela is about 7000 candela less than the PL Pro. For CQB use, the PL 3 offers slightly more flood than the original Olight PL Pro.

The reduced candela could be due to the use of traditional CR123A batteries, as they are older generation batteries that may not have enough voltage output for higher candela

Light Beam Color Tint

The Olight PL 3 Valkyrie features a much brighter Neutral White color tint light beam

It's brighter than Streamlight TLR 1 HL and Surefire X300U.

Neutral White Tint Light Beam:

Most accurate color rendition in low light
Easier on the eyes when punching the light beam through fog
Minimized glare when using in fog
Better color contrast under low light

Activation Switch Ergonomics

The light activation on the Olight PL 3 features the same pressure switch button as BALDR PRO R, PL 2 and Valkyrie Turbo.

The light modes are:

200 lumen or 1500 lumen switch (Double tap to switch lumen intensity)
Strobe Mode (Press and hold one of the switches, then tap the other to activate strobe)

It's not the same toggle switch as Surefire X300U or Streamlight TLR 1 HL, but it works and requires a bit of practice to get used to.

When you press & hold the button all the way down, then release gives you the momentary on.

When you quickly tap the switch the light stays constant on instead of off.

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Battery Endurance

The PL 3 doesn't feature an USB charging port. It's powered by 2 CR123A batteries.

The heat protection system will drop the lumen intensity, and it also prolonged the battery life.

1300 Lumens - Constant on for 1.5 mins
455 Lumens - Drops to 455 lumens for 82 mins
195 Lumens - Lasts about 43 mins
200 Lumens - 270 mins (starting at 200 lumens)

Construction Quality

The light is made with aerospace grade aluminum and the overall feel and coating finish is very solid.

Adjustable Position Mount

Olight PL 3 features a thumb screw mount instead of the QD lever mount. This mount has couple positive things about it:

Low profile
No sharp edges sticking out
Adjustable positions based on rail space

The light comes with an picatinny 1939 and Glock mount keys to fit a variety of firearms.

Final Verdict

The Olight PL 3 is an upgraded version of the PL 2 with significant design changes. It fits on most full size and compact railed handgun frames including Glocks.

Pros

High lumen & candela outputs are outstanding for range use, force on force training & home defense
Adjustable mount positions mount without switching adapters
No sharp QD lever