Olight PL-3 Mini Valkyrie | A brand new 600Lm mini light

It’s no secret that the world is becoming a more dangerous place and the need for personal protection has spawned a new evolution of easy to carry pistols. One concern that has grown at the same pace is the need for illumination on these smaller CCW pistols. Well, that’s where Olight has stepped in with the introduction of their newest pistol light the PL-Mini 3 Valkyrie light.

We were lucky enough to get our hands on a pre-production version of $129.98 PL-Mini 3, and so far in testing this little light packs several features that we really enjoyed. And think it would be an excellent companion for a number of compact pistols on the market. Let’s take a look at the specifications and features shown below.

Olight PL-Mini Valkyrie Video Review:

Dimensions

• Height: 1 1/2”
• Width: 1 1/8″
• Length: 1 3/4″”
• LED Diameter: 0.70 ” (roughly the size of a U.S. Dime)

Weight

• 68 Oz / 68 grams including battery

Light Source

• One Cool White LED
• 600 Lumens
• 65 Minute battery life
• 100 Meter illumination distance
• 2,500 Candela

Features

• Rechargeable battery
• IPX6 Water resistance
• Passes 1 Meter drop test
• Aluminum alloy construction
• Lifetime warranty
• Available colors: Black and Desert Tan
• Designed to specifically to work with Sig P365 (X and XL versions), Glock 43X MOX and Glock G48 MOS
• Production models will feature a strobe setting and come with a 2^nd battery
• MSRP: $129.98

Impressions / Design Features

Despite its small size there is a lot to take in and analyze with the PL-Mini 3 Valkyrie pistol light. The first obvious feature we noticed was the compactness when compared to other Olight offerings like the PL Turbo. This light is very specifically built for its target audience, the micro compact conceal carry pistol crowd.

Mounting Features

Outside of the physical dimensions of the PL-Mini 3, one feature that grabbed our attention was the adjustable mount that Olight incorporated into this light. A feature we’ve recently seen released in the Baldr series of lights. This new mounting arrangement uses a sliding carriage system that allows the user to mount the base of the light to any position on the pistol rail. Giving shooters the option to slide the body of the light to a position forward or backward of the base.

This seemingly small detail opens choices for shooters and allows them to tailor the placement of the light and its controls in a way that fits their ergonomic needs. We all know that not all shooters are built the same. And things like finger length in terms of handgun manipulation can frustrate or hinder shooters. In a nutshell, no one wants to use a pistol or lights that put them in awkward positions. And Olight is trying to minimize these issues with their carriage system.

Once the shooter has the light positioned where they like, all they need to do is tighten down the screw locking mechanism on the side of the mount. And the PL-3 Mini locks into the pistols picatinny rail nice and tight. No need for thread lock or heavy torquing, just a simple screwdriver will work. After testing this on both pistols that I own which have picatinny rails, I think the system really is a stroke of genius from the design team at Olight.

Controls

Almost as important as the illumination power of the light, controls will play a critical role in any weapon light. If the controls are awkward or hard to use, no one will want to use the light. With the PL-3 Mini, the team at Olight kept things simple. The light is operated by simply depressing one of the two tail switches located on the rear of the light. These tail switches do feature a few small, recessed grooves on them to prevent your fingers from slipping off and they get the job done.

Our pre-production models only illumination settings are the standard On/Off configuration. But on production models the PL-3 Mini will feature a strobe setting that will be activated with the same controls on the rear of the light.

Batteries

Here is another eye opening feature that Olight decided to incorporate into this light. It does not use CR123 or any other off the shelf battery set up. Instead, the company chose to use their own proprietary removeable 260 mAh lithium polymer battery. Using rechargeable batteries is nothing new for Olight as the company has several models in the PL-Turbo and Baldr series that use rechargeable batteries. And they have had a history of good results with these systems.

One thing work mentioning about the PL-3 Mini battery is that the user must remove the battery from the light for charging, which is different from the other lights the company produces with rechargeable batteries. Now this isn’t the end of the world or detracts from our feelings about this micro pistol light, but it is something worth noting to users.

When it comes time to recharge the battery, it’s straightforward and easy. The user will slide the battery lock from the locked to the unlocked position on the bottom of the PL-3 Mini and pull the battery straight down and away from the light. Another ingenious design feature of the light regarding its battery is that the battery can only go into the light one way. This eliminates any worries about improperly installing the battery back into the light.

To recharge the battery, simply use the supplied IMCC magnetic charging cable. Attach one end of the charger to the bottom of the battery and plug the other end into the nearest USB connection. The light on the cord will turn on indicating the battery is recharging. And when it’s green you know your battery is at 100% charge. It really can’t get much easier than that. We noticed that the charging cable for the PL-3 Mini looks like the same one’s Olight use with their older and more tested pistol lights such as the Baldr and PL Turbo lines. This means that if your recharging cable gets damaged or loss replacement should be a relatively easy process.

Illumination

The specifications sent to us from Olight with this pre-production unit lists the PL-3 Mini as having an output of 600 lumens / 2,500 candela. This is projected to allow the light to cast a beam of light out at least 100 meters (328 ft). This is more than adequate to handle the needs of it’s target audience. While 600 lumens might seem underpowered in some people’s minds, I consider 600-750 lumens to be the normal range for pistol lights.

As I mentioned several times, this particular demo light is only On/Off. But production versions will have a strobe feature that is reported to pulse at 13 Hertz at 600 lumens. This falls just over halfway in the range of 1 – 20 Hertz that is considered to induce the Buchea effect. This is the effect that can cause an imbalance in brain cell activity and can induce disorientation, nausea and can mimic low grade epilepsy in sensitive people.

Overall Impressions

During our testing and evaluation of the PL-3 Mini Valkyrie, we have found it to be an impressive little light that is custom fit for the micro pistol market. It offers a respectable amount of illumination when compared to other lights and does so in a smaller package. The team at Olight expanded on past successes with the carriage mounting system and increased the end user’s ability to use this light across multiple pistols. Which is a huge win for the company.

This light doesn’t re-invent the wheel in terms of pistols lights. But it does combine the 17 years of experience Olight has in the illumination market and offer a feature packed microlight at a price that wont hurt users on a budget. Doing it all while giving users what they want. Which is affordability, reliability and innovation that doesn’t result in an overly complicated light.

If you carry a CCW pistol with an accessory rail, I might suggest you take the time to check out the Olight family of lights. The brand new PL-3 Mini Valkyrie may be just what you need.