Olight Baton 3 Pro Max Review: Tiny EDC Powerhouse

Olight’s latest EDC flashlight, the Baton 3 Pro Max, is an upgrade to the Baton line. And this little workhorse packs a serious punch for its size.

I tested the light for a few days, including submersion, drop testing, and throw testing.

In short: The Olight Baton 3 Pro Max ($90) fits nicely in your front pocket or hangs easily on its included mounting bracket. It’s a great household tool. But it requires the use of a proprietary charging cord which some may dislike.

Olight Baton 3 Pro Max Review

There are very few pieces of gear that I appreciate fitting easily into my pocket. My keys, phone, and wallet are the obvious EDC tools that match those of, well, a lot of folks.

Next comes a pocket knife, of which I rotate between quite a lot of favorites. The next tool, which is in my pocket far less frequently, is a flashlight.

But I certainly appreciate a good EDC flashlight when I need one, which probably happens about once a week. The Olight Baton 3 Pro Max fits this bill quite well.

It has a very easy user interface. Just press the button on the recessed side switch to turn it on. Hold the button to scroll through power outputs.

Baton 3 Pro Max Lighting

There are a few models of the Baton 3 Pro Max available, including Cool White, Neutral White, and Warm White. I tested the Neutral White, which produces light color between 4,000 and 5,200 kelvin. That’s moderately warm, and you get better color rendering than cooler light.

The Neutral White can crank up to 2,500 lumens for one minute in turbo mode. After that one minute, it drops to 800 lumens, which the light can maintain for 240 minutes.

Want more time to run the light? Drop down to level three, or 120 lumens, and the light runs for an impressive 23 hours. For most close-in work, I found that level three is very suitable.

To be clear, this EDC light does not have a very long throw. I tested it on a hillside with a rangefinder. It lit up a broad area very clearly out to about 65 yards as measured by a laser rangefinder. As you can see in the image below, the light really casts a nice broad beam.

For its design, that isn’t a problem. Just be aware you won’t be illuminating far-flung objects with this light.

Charging

My only ding against this light is the use of a magnetic charging cord. Much like other Olights, you can only charge this flashlight using the included cord. Sure, it’s a good fast charging system, and it eliminates a possible water-incursion point.

However, if you forget this cable on a trip, you’re screwed if you need to recharge. I’m a strong proponent of fewer cables. Most brands seem to be moving to USB-C, and I hope to see Olight drift that way soon.

Is this light for you? For those looking for a nice little EDC light that will be great around the house, the Baton 3 Pro Max is a solid choice. It has a long battery life and nice lighting and carries nicely in a pocket.

Check it out at Olight, where you can often take advantage of significant discounts.