We had just put out an APB on a suspect that was considered armed and dangerous when one of our deputies located him. He was in a truck in a rural part of our county. To everyone’s surprise (I’m being sarcastic) the bad guy didn’t stop when the deputy turned her lights on. Instead, he led her on a several-mile vehicle pursuit that went through someone’s yard, fence, and cornfield before he got stuck in a ditch. The deputy approached the truck and ordered him to get out. Instead, he stomped on the gas, trying to get the truck to move.
At this point, the deputy smashed in his window with her Glock 17 and helped him out of the vehicle. She gave him a free ride to our county bed and breakfast before turning in her Glock to be inspected. The gun was fine, but the light was smashed in on the front edge and the glass was broken out of it. To our surprise, however, it still worked and was very bright. Her light was a department-issued Streamlight TLR-1. We gave her a new light, but the broken one became the talk of the department for a while. It took a lickin’ and kept on tickin’.
Having a good weapon-mounted light is important for any self-defense or tactical weapon. Brightness, runtime, and functionality are important aspects to consider when selecting one The best gun in the world is useless if you can’t see anything. Olight is a brand that is starting to be used more often. Let’s look at the two and see which one is the better light.
Streamlight TLR-1 and TLR-1 HL
Streamlight is a household name in the tactical world. They are the Glock of the flashlight kingdom. They are made in the USA and have the reputation people look for in a quality light. The TLR-1 runs on two CR123 batteries, giving the 300-lumen light a lot of power. They also make a TLR-1 HL that has 1,000 lumens but only 1.5 hour run time as opposed to 2.5 hours with the regular model. Both versions are identical except for the lumens and run time. The TLR-1 has a quick mount clamp for the 1913 Picatinny rail and can work with a remote switch.
The activation switch is one of the things I like the most about this light. It uses a rocking arm that can be pushed down to the left for temporary activation. A push to the right will turn it to constant until it is turned back off. The location of the activation switch makes it easy and natural to control on most handguns. The heavy-duty aluminum frame has a rubber seal around the battery compartment making it waterproof.
Streamlight TLR-1 Specs
- Lumens: 300 or 1000 with HL model
- Runtime: 2.5 hours or 1.5 hours with HL model
- Battery Type: CR123
- Weight: 4.18 ounces
- Average Price: $125 or $160 for HL model
OLight Valkyrie PL-PRO
Olight makes a lot of products and has started to become more popular in the tactical field with several weapon-mounted lights on the market. They take a different approach and use a rechargeable battery. Overall, the PL-Pro is slightly slimmer than the TLR-1. The activation switch for the PL-PRO is mounted on both sides of the light so the button can be pushed in from the right or left side. When pushing in, the light activates and turns off when you let off the switch. When pushed in quickly, the light will stay on until the button is pushed again.
As I mentioned above, the PL-Pro has a rechargeable battery. The cool thing about this design is the magnetic charging port also doubles as the remote switch port. This makes it easy to pull off the charger and snap on the cord to the remote switch. The 1,500 lumens make the Olight brighter than the TLR-1 HL. The PL-Pro can be set to use low or high beams and has a run time of 45 minutes on high and 90 minutes on low. It is waterproof and appears to be durable although I have not had any deputies smash in a window with one.
OLight Valkyrie PL-PRO Specs
- Lumens: 600 on low and 1,500 on high
- Runtime: 90 minutes on low and 45 minutes on high
- Battery Type: Rechargeable Li-Ion
- Weight: 3.25 ounces
- Average Price: $130
What’s the verdict?
The Streamlight has been around for a while and is a tried and tested light. The Olight does not have the history behind it but can be customized to some extent by the user. I am torn between the battery types because I like rechargeable things. I’m a die-hard Milwaukee tool fan and haven’t used anything else for years. Buying batteries gets expensive if you have very many toys that use them.
On the other hand, I have learned the hard way that a rechargeable light is worthless when you need it right now and it is dead. I have replaced batteries on the scene of calls before because we keep an extra set in our patrol cars and the compartment of the pistol grips of our rifles. One is more convenient, and one is more practical if you use the light frequently away from home.
Streamlight TLR-1
I like the remote pressure pad that works with the PL-PRO. It’s magnetic and can be removed easily without unscrewing anything. But this also means it can be pulled off easily during an altercation when you don’t want it coming off. The run-time on the TLR-1 is longer and from my experience so far, is probably more durable. The price point is close on both lights, but the run-time would go to Streamlight. Lumens however goes to Olight along with the ability to change from high to low. For someone wanting a self-defense light, either one would be a great choice.
The Olight is great because it is rechargeable. But I can’t ignore the durability and time-tested history of the Streamlight. Also, Streamlight is made in the USA, and Olight is made in China. My choice between the two is the Streamlight TLR-1. It has been proven, there are gobs of holsters designed for it, and it’s made by Americans. Make your own choice, but don’t get caught in the dark.
