EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Like most everyday carry enthusiasts, I like to change up my carry and rotate out different pocket knives and flashlights, depending on what I’m doing that day or even my mood.
But I keep coming back to one particular flashlight – the Olight Diffuse.
I have fancier lights, more powerful lights, smaller, bigger, you name it.
The Diffuse is not one of Olight’s more popular models. It came out about a year ago and has been billed as a “woman’s flashlight.”
It is about the size of a lipstick and I imagine it would be quite easy to fit into a purse.
For me, there are a couple of things that make this light stand out.
First of all, its barrel or tube is five-sided so it won’t roll off a desk or a work area out in the yard or garage. And there’s no magnet on it or a pocket clip.
There are some situations where you definitely don’t want a magnetic end on your flashlight.
And with this one, you don’t even think about needing a pocket clip. You just throw it into your pocket. I usually keep mine in an “extra” pocket in my cargo pants.
Another important feature – It is rechargeable with five brightness levels (a maximum output of 700 lumens) and a strobe. Its maximum throw is 80 meters.
The downside: You have to take the rechargeable battery out of the flashlight “tube” to recharge it.
Giving this light some added flexibility, you can also use a standard AA battery to power the light in a pinch.
Additionally, it also has a handy power indicator that lets you know how much life you have left in your battery.
All very convenient.
And it adds up to a great everyday carry.
Maybe, I’m an oddball, but I really like this light.
The more I think about it, it really comes down to the “beater” effect.
I had it for about two weeks when I dropped it and it landed on the edge of the curb at my house, leaving a slight chip in the paint near the battery level indicator light.
The light still works great. But that’s the point.
I feel liberated carrying it, kind of like my old 2012 Honda that got caught in one of those El Paso hailstorms a few years ago. Now, nothing bothers me with that car.
Same thing with this light.
I love it and everything, but if I ever lose it, it won’t be the end of the world.
It also fills a great niche. Olight’s rechargeable lights are all either smaller or bigger than this one, now that the i5R is no longer available. The i5R was basically the same size as the Diffuse but with a traditional cylinder tube instead of the pentagon shape that the Diffuse has.
The Diffuse is currently available in red and black at the Olight website for $32.99. The OD green version is sold out (sadness).
No word yet if Olight will add new colorways for this light or make a new version of it.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Olight’s i3T 2, which is the EDC of choice for my friend and mentor OFather EDC (his online name).
The i3T 2 is powered by a standard AAA battery and comes in multiple colorways. You can also use a 10440 rechargeable battery in the i3T 2, though it doesn’t come with one.
They range from $17.99 for an orange version to $26.99 for the “dragon and phoenix” design.
Note: It is not recommended that you use a rechargeable battery with the original i3T version, which are still available.
Here is a link to the Diffuse and to Olight’s home page.
Here is a link to the i3T 2.
A word on Olight. They have a fantastic loyalty program so I always order directly from them, but I do wait until they have one of their frequent sales.
One last thing: I need to give a special shoutout to JB over at Big Red EDC. I first learned about the Diffuse, and frankly many Olight flashlights through his videos on YouTube.
I also won my Diffuse during a pre-Christmas giveaway on his channel, and that light is a regular part of my EDC rotation. The main star in that giveaway package was a QSP Canary with a “glyde lock.” Here is a link to the column I wrote on that knife.
Here are some YouTube channels on knives and gear that I find informative.
The Cutting Edge (Formerly Last Chance Knives)
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