The jury is out - Olight M2R Warrior Rechargeable Pocket-Friendly Tactical Flashlight

I did a whole lot of research on the various “tactical” or “EDC” style (or size) flashlights on the market today and settled on the M2R. It’s hard to find a negative review on this thing and I can see why. My experience with it over the last week or so has been pretty positive. I gave it 4 stars simply because it is lacking in light intensity. I find that manufacturers love to tout high lumen numbers for their flashlights but the real test is the light’s ability to project that lumen level at distance. I live on a fair amount of property in the country (no real ambient light from nearby cities) so it’s a good indicator of a light’s ability to project its beam. The width of the beam from this model is good- maybe a little too wide perhaps. The “hotspot” at the center of the light is good at 100 yards- it lights up a tree line pretty well- but I just feel like the actual intensity at all light levels is lackluster. I do not agree with Olight’s statement that the light is “effective” at any distance beyond 100-150 yards or so. Now- THAT ISN’T BAD! I just expected more based on reviews saying this was “the one light to replace them all” and Olight’s own marketing for this light. I’d say most people would love this light for it’s good light output and fantastic charging system (seriously great). The quality of the light itself is great- fit and finish are top notch. The tail switch is also a great feature. Here’s the kicker.... I ordered an S1R Turbo S the same day I ordered the M2R. The super small (I’m not really a fan) S1R is rated at 900 lumens in turbo mode. I charged them both fully and tried them simultaneously in various situations. In a dark room you can not tell a noticeable difference between the light level of these 2 lights. Maybe a selling point for the smaller S1R! My overall conclusion- I’m happy with the M2R. It’s good in a lot of situations and seems to hold a charge fairly well. It just doesn’t throw the sun like so many of the reviews seemed to indicate. It will definitely see time in the truck and on the front of an AR. Olight ALMOST had the perfect light with this one!