Olight PL Turbo Valkyrie Weapon Light | First Look

In today’s world having an illumination source on your handguns is almost a standard feature. The problem is, with so many choices on the market, how do you find something affordable that works well and is well built? Look no further than our featured light the OLight PL Turbo, and its 800 lumens of illuminating power.

I’ve been testing the PL Turbo for the past few months on my Heckler & Kock VP9 Tactical. And with another Alaska winter rolling in right on cue, we have had plenty of darkness to which to test it in. This, believe it or not, is one of the benefits of living in Alaska. A perfect location for weird temperatures and putting gear to the test. Before we get into the specifics of our testing, let’s look at why the OLight PL Turbo is a real contender in the pistol light marketplace.

Olight PL Turbo Weapon Light Overview:

Specifications

Dimensions:

• Length: 3.53 “
• Width: 1.44”
• Height: 1.36”
• Weight: 4.48 Ounces

Materials:

• Aluminum Alloy Body
• Cool White LED

Illumination:

• Max Performance: 800 Lumens
• Light Intensity: 66.300 Candela
• Beam Distance: 1689 Ft
• CR123A Batteries (2 included)
• Run Time: 116 Minutes Estimate
• Strobe feature 13 Hz at 800 Lumens

Other Notes:

• MSRP: $89.99
• Compatible with 100+ Pistol Models
• Controls: Ambidextrous Push Button
• Model with Rechargeable Batteries Available (PL-3R for $99.99)
• Available in Black or Tan

Hands On Impressions

The first thing that jumped out at me about the OLight PL Turbo compared to my other pistol lights was the controls. My old light by another manufacturer used a rocker style switch on the back end of the battery compartment. In comparison, the PL Turbo uses an ambidextrous button set up. Switching over from the rocker to button style even after a few years was very natural for me.

After pushing the controls dozens of times, making my dog see stars for a bit, I went to work examining the mounting system that OLight uses. What makes this different than other lights like the Streamlight TLR-1, is that there are two adapters (Glock and 1913 rail). But the entire mounting system can slide the light into 3 positions along the rail.

This is one of the prime reasons this light is compatible with more than 100 pistol models on the market. As anyone who handles more than one pistol can attest, dimensions can vary wildly. And having one light you can comfortably swap between pistols is an enormous advantage. After trying this light on several pistols, I can say that on some firearms, I moved the light to other positions and adjusted the carrier to get the perfect fit. I enjoyed having the light in the optimum position with my fingers at a more natural distance from the switch.

This could be very advantageous to people with longer fingers and hands rather than my admittedly shorter and stubbier hands and fingers.

Testing and Use

Illumination & Beam

While testing the OLight PL Turbo I compared it side by side with my old Streamlight TLR-1HL. I did this to see what the difference would be between the 800 Lumen output of the PL Turbo and the 1000 Lumen output of the Streamlight TLR-1 HL. What I found was that I can’t tell the difference between 800 and 1000 Lumen during testing in my house. What I did notice was the distinct difference in beam patterns between the two lights.

The PL Turbo has a cool white colored intense center circle that is very noticeable. And dissipates to a larger softer bright beam. This is most likely because the light has a clean path from the single LED through the glass other than the reflector inside the lens housing.

The Streamlight on the other hand has a wider and softer illumination pattern and lacks the intense center light of the PL Turbo. I would attribute this to the additional refractory surface inside the lens housing of the TLR-1 that causes the light to hit the surface and spread to it’s wider pattern.

These comments are not meant to be negative or positive towards either light. But a description of the difference in beam patterns that I noticed. This is because I couldn’t tell a huge difference between 800 Lumens and 1000 Lumens in room testing.

Controls

The ambidextrous push button controls, when they are activated, you can hear the audible click and feel the spring inside engage. The buttons are large, tapered and easy to engage even when wearing gloves like Mechanix Wear gloves. Their size and shape allow the shooter to activate the light even if it’s just with the tip of your finger. It takes very little pressure to turn the light on or off.

The PL Turbo has three modes, constant On/Off, a momentary On/Off and a strobe mode. The default setting is the constant On/Off which operates as expect. To use the momentary On/Off feature all you have to do is keep one of the buttons depressed and it stays on, when you release it, the light turns off. Utilizing the strobe setting requires the user to press both rear buttons simultaneously. The strobe stays on until either of the buttons is pressed once again.

Battery Installation and Door

The PL Turbo comes supplied with (2) CR-123A batteries which is always nice. Installing the batteries was a bit different than my Streamlight which utilizes a latch system. This battery door system seems to be in many other brands of pistol lights. The Turbo PL however uses a simpler system that I wanted to mention.

Located on the rear of the light the access to the two batteries is guarded by a sheet metal lever marked “Pull Open”. Once you pull the tab the entire back just swings off, nice and easy, no pushing or angling of the battery door to remove it. Lifting the tab takes some pressure so it’s not going to easily pop off or get snagged. But it’s a very welcome change to having to fight the battery door. To re-secure the door, it’s just as simple. Pull the lever to its full upright position just past 90*. Push the cap down and return the spring-loaded lever to the closed position. And you are ready to reinstall it on your favorite pistol or rifle.

Final Thoughts

When you get a piece of gear from a company you have never worked with, it’s always interesting. As a reviewer we try to not listen to others who reviewed the product and form our own opinion. Based on your own experiences, testing and use. This was my first product from OLight and I was completely in the dark on the company.

What can I say about the OLight PL Turbo after my testing? I can say it’s far better than some other lights I have tested in the past. It’s a great light at a value price point. Typically 25-40% cheaper than comparable lights I’ve owned and tested. 800 Lumen output might be lower than other lights on the market but for my use and testing it was more than adequate to meet my needs.

It’s slightly heavier (0.16 oz heavier) and longer (0.14” longer) than the Streamlight TLR-1. And has a little less output. However, at $89.99 you can almost buy two PL-Turbos for the price of one Streamlight TLR-1 HL. The OLight PL Turbo has superior controls and a beam pattern that I liked more than the one presented on the Streamlight.

In the end, would I pick the OLight PL Turbo over the Streamlight TLR-1? Yes I would. The combination of controls, price and build quality makes this light a definite purchase for shooters looking for a great light at a stunning price point. At under $90.00 at the time of this article It would be very hard to find a better light for the money.

 I want to take a moment to thank OLight for sending us the PL Turbo and our readers and viewers for taking time out of their days to read, watch and comment on our content.