Olight Warrior X4 Review: 2,600 Lumens of Tactical Light With USB-C Finally On Board

Introduction

Olight’s Warrior X series has long been one of the strongest bets in the tactical flashlight space, and the Warrior X4 is the newest entry. On paper it improves on the previous Warrior X3 in almost every metric: more lumens, more throw, and more candela. It also brings two long-requested quality-of-life features, a USB Type-C charging port and a battery life indicator, to a series that never had either. The question is whether those changes are enough to justify an upgrade if you already own the X3. Olight is asking $129.99, exactly the same price as the previous model.

What’s in the Box

The Warrior X4 ships with a molded snap-in holster that holds the light securely, a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable, a textured grip ring, the user manual, and safety information. The holster deserves a mention: it is the molded style rather than a loose pouch, and it snaps shut with a satisfying fit.

Notably absent is a magnetic tail charger. For a brand that has built much of its reputation on magnetic charging, shipping a USB-C cable instead is a telling sign of where things may be headed.

Specs at a Glance

The Warrior X4 tops out at 2,600 lumens, reaches a maximum throw of 630 meters, and delivers a peak intensity of 99,310 candela. Those are direct improvements over the Warrior X3’s 2,500 lumens, 560 meters of throw, and 78,000 candela. The light source is a cool white LED with a color temperature in the 5,700 to 6,700 Kelvin range.

Power comes from a 3.6V 5,000mAh 21700 rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The body measures 5.87 inches long with a 1.56-inch bezel diameter, and the light weighs 250 grams with the battery and grip ring installed. It carries a 2-meter impact resistance rating and an IPX8 rating, meaning it is submersible in up to 6 feet of water.

Charging: USB-C Replaces the Magnetic Tail Charger

One of the biggest changes sits under a twist ring near the head. Twist it open and you reveal a brand-new USB Type-C charging port directly on the body. Combined with the included Type-C cable rather than a magnetic charger, it suggests Olight may be moving away from magnetic charging across its lineup, following a similar direction taken with the Baton 4.

Next to that port is a tri-color battery life indicator that glows green above 60 percent, orange in the midrange, and red when the battery is low. It is a genuinely welcome addition, since no previous Warrior X model had any battery indicator at all. The only complaint is that it hides under the same twist cap, so checking your charge level requires an extra step of unscrewing and re-tightening the ring.

Design Changes: Bezel, Tail Switch, and Grip Ring

Side by side with the X3, the X4 shows clear physical changes. Heat dissipating fins near the head are new, and the stainless steel striking bezel is noticeably longer and thicker than before. Interestingly, it looks less aggressive: the crenulated tip drops the window-breaking beads found on the older model. Both lights are essentially the same overall length, and the wider head impression on the X4 comes mostly from the thinner bezel wall rather than extra diameter.

At the tail, the X4 uses a new flat stainless steel switch design. Both models can tail stand, but the flat face wipes metal shavings off easily, a practical touch for a light that may live in a workshop or a holster. The grip ring is removable if you prefer a cleaner profile. Another change many will appreciate: the glow-in-the-dark ring around the reflector is gone. On a tactical light, glowing hardware is more liability than feature, and Olight finally removed it. The reflector also unscrews easily if you want to inspect the emitter.

Modes and User Interface

The X4 offers two user modes controlled by the magnetic stainless steel tail switch. Regular mode has two brightness levels, low and high. Tactical mode has one brightness level, medium, plus strobe as its special mode.

In regular mode, low runs at 300 lumens for 8 hours. High starts at 2,600 lumens for 3 minutes, steps down to 1,000 lumens for 140 minutes, then steps down again to 300 lumens for another 20 minutes. Tactical mode’s 1,000-lumen level runs for 150 minutes before stepping down to 300 lumens for 20 minutes, and strobe fires at the full 2,600 lumens.

The interface is simple: a half press gives momentary low, a full press gives momentary high, and quick presses lock in constant output. Switching modes means turning the light on, twisting the tail cap until it shuts off, then tightening it again. Everything is easy to learn, though the mode layout invites a fair question: why put medium in tactical mode instead of instant access to high alongside strobe? For many tactical users, high plus strobe would feel more natural. That said, switching between modes takes seconds.

Heat and Turbo Behavior

A short stress test showed sensible thermal management. After one minute on turbo, the head measured about 124 degrees Fahrenheit with the body around 92.7 degrees. At the two-minute mark the head reached roughly 125 degrees and the body 97.7 degrees. Those are far from alarming numbers, and running the light on turbo for extended periods will not require gloves. The turbo step-down behaves predictably within the runtime figures listed above.

Beam Performance

Outdoors, the X4’s cool white beam leans toward the warmer end of its rated range, with a well-defined hot spot and a crisp outer perimeter, an expectation the X3’s performance had already set. It is not an extremely floody beam; this is a thrower-lean profile, and the 630-meter rating is no joke, easily reaching distant trees and buildings. At 99,310 candela, eye-shine from wildlife at range is striking.

Compared directly with the X3, the beam profiles are very similar in pattern. The differences show up in reach: the extra 70 meters of throw and roughly 21,000 candela of intensity are visible in practice, even if side-by-side photos understate them. The X3 remains a very capable light, but the X4 clearly reaches further.

Buying Advice

If you already own a Warrior X3, the X4’s improvements are real but incremental: slightly more throw, USB-C on the body, a battery indicator, a tougher bezel, and the removal of the glow-in-the-dark ring. In most cases that is not enough to justify replacing a perfectly good light.

If you own anything older than the X3, or if you have never owned a Warrior X flashlight at all, the X4 is an easy recommendation. It is one of the most complete tactical flashlights in its class, and at $129.99 it costs the same as the model it replaces.

Conclusion

The Warrior X4 is a thoughtful refinement rather than a revolution. Better output, better throw, modern USB-C charging, and a long-overdue battery indicator make it a stronger tactical light than the X3, even if the mode layout and the hidden indicator under a twist cap leave minor room for criticism. For anyone entering the Warrior X series today, it is the obvious pick; for X3 owners, there is no urgent reason to switch.