The Olight Arkfeld Pro was recently introduced as a first-of-its-kind, rechargeable EDC flashlight. Now, when I think of EDC, it’s usually a compact pistol or a pocket knife. But this is just as much a tool for your daily kit. It combines three essential lighting functions into a single unit that’s both compact and versatile. Simply put, the Olight Arkfeld Pro was designed to be the go-to lighting solution for any situation. Is this a tool you should be carrying in your pocket? Read on to find out more and decide for yourself.
Olight Arkfeld Pro 3-in-1 feature list
- Powerful 1,300 Lumen White Light: Illuminate your surroundings with exceptional brightness. An ideal companion, perfect for around the house or shop as well as outdoor adventures.
- Sharp Green Laser Sight (Class 3R): Use the green laser for your 1990s-style presentations or to amuse your pets. I find it’s most effective for those romantic nights involving astronomy too.
- Enhanced 900mW UV Light: The Arkfeld Pro’s superior 900mW UV light (365nm wavelength) offers professional-grade detection of fluid leaks, pet stains, and other invisible elements that you may not want to know about.
Feature-packed and user-friendly
- Sleek and Comfortable Design: The Arkfeld Pro features an unconventional (for a flashlight) rectangular design that fits comfortably in the hand and isn’t too bulky for a pocket.
- Intuitive Circular Selector: Effortlessly switch between the white light, green laser, and UV light using the round, recessed selector.
- Long-Lasting Performance: The Pro edition is powered by a 1500mAh Lithium Polymer battery. That’s 42.9% more capacity than the previous Arkfeld model. On its lowest setting, it provides a max runtime of up to 11 days, making recharges less frequent recharging. Four green LEDs display the battery charge state each time one of the lighting options is activated.
Olight Arkfeld Pro by the numbers
Dollars is not a measurement, but the MSRP is $99.99. That gets you the max output of 1,300 lumens of 5700-6700k light with a max throw of 334 feet. For you flashlight nerds, the max intensity is 2,608 candela. At 4.72 x 1.06 x 0.63 inches, it weighs just 3.91 ounces with the non-replaceable battery installed. That battery provides up to 315 minutes of UV lighting, 61 hours of green laser, or 264 on the low “Moonlight” mode. Obviously, the runtime on the brightest setting will be much shorter, but I suspect that normal usage will yield a decent amount of battery life.
According to the manual, it takes about 2.5 hours to charge using the included magnetic USB charging cable Olight is known for. I’ll take their word for it. During my week of testing, I thought I used it a lot, but the battery level only dropped one bar. My conservative estimate is 3-4 weeks between charges based on my usage.
My time with the Olight Arkfeld Pro
I had about a week or so to try out the Arkfeld Pro, and it actually surprised me. While it’s a bit larger than I expected, that wasn’t an issue. It’s not too bulky, and with the built-in pocket clip, I forgot I had it until I needed it for most of the testing period. The control wheel is slightly recessed, with a bump that my thumb found intuitively. This design works well in use, and seems reasonably immune to accidental discharges. Its U-shaped clip can be used to store in a pocket, and it can be clipped to a hat for hands-free work. The texturing on the side adds a little extra grip as well as visual appeal.
Truthfully, white light got used the least. We have some cats, and one thoroughly enjoyed the laser. I was equally amused when using it to point out objects in the sky to my wife. That green beam is really bright in daylight, and impressive at night. Less amusing was trying out the UV light. It’s also got more output than I expected. We could see the hard water stains on the bathroom walls from an ineffective vent fan. And it turns out that the cats have gotten into the guest room. It definitely revealed more than I wanted to know when checking the carpets. I’m excited to try it out for some scorpion chasing this summer too.
Accessing the settings
Simply push right for the UV light, center it for the laser, and push left for the white LED. It’s got some neat tricks in between. For instance, while in laser mode, a double tap turns on the white light too. Pretty slick. In white light mode, a double tap switches it to strobe, or a triple tap puts it in the super bright “Turbo” mode. You can also hold the power button down for a second or two to get into the “Moonlight” mode. Or you can just hold the button down and cycle through the options. Which are remembered the next time you turn it on. It’s also possible to change the light intensity while the laser is on, but I’m not likely to memorize all the options.
The verdict?
While $100 might be too much for some people, it’s pretty reasonable for a 3-in-1 tool, if you plan on using all three functions. I can see it appealing to those who appreciate gadgets and useful tools. So it would make a good EDC light for them, as well as homeowners or mechanics with the need to track down leaks. Pet owners may or may not want to know about carpet stains and other pet misbehavior. It would also be handy for camping and the previously mentioned astronomy. I’d probably toss one in my 72-hour kit too, since it’s so versatile. They’re available in black, orange, green (as shown) or with an engraved dragon. Find them on the Olight website.
As always, I’d like to thank Olight for providing their Arkfeld Pro 3-in-1 flashlight for my testing and evaluation.