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What does a 12,000-lumen flashlight actually look like at night? The Olight X7R Marauder is the brightest light I’ve ever owned.
It’s also the most I’ve ever spent on a flashlight. Here’s the unboxing, the modes and how to use them, and an outdoor night test. The X7R isn’t sold anymore, so the box below links the current Olight Marauder.
- Insanely bright with a huge, wide flood
- Feels great in the hand despite its size
- USB-C charging
- Mode memory and a nightlight mode
- Solid holster and accessories included
- Expensive
- Big and heavy (about Coke-can size)
- Gets hot fast on high
- Not zoomable
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
What’s in the box
The box has a magnetic closure. Inside is the light, about Coke-can size with real mass and heft, plus a manual, a Velcro holster with a MOLLE/belt strap, a short USB-C cable, a paracord lanyard and a USB charging block.
Build and design
The head has three textured, polished reflectors with four LED elements each, 12 in all, plus a sensor. There’s blue anodized trim around the head and the power button, which sits right under your thumb.
The base twists to open a hatch with a reversible USB-C port. It has fluting, knurling, heatsink fins and finger grooves, and it feels like a block of metal.
How to use the modes
- Unlock: it ships locked; hold the button a couple of seconds.
- On/off: tap. It remembers your last mode.
- Low/medium/high: press and hold to cycle.
- Nightlight: from off, hold more than 1 second.
- Turbo and Turbo S: double-click, then double-click again.
- Strobe: triple-click.
Even indoors, the indirect light burned into my vision, and on high I could feel the heat in my hand almost instantly.
Night test
Outside in a drizzle, even high lit up the grass and trees in the distance, plus about 10 trees on either side of where I was aiming. It felt like stadium lights.
On Turbo a willow far out was totally lit up, and on Turbo S I spotted a skunk way out there and could see its eyes. Even low is better than most flashlights.
Who needs this much light?
Search and rescue, first responders, patrolling a ranch or big property, or checking on cattle or crops. Where most flashlights make a pencil beam, this lights up a huge area.
If I can only take one light, this is the one. It’s like bringing an artificial sun with me.
FAQ
How bright is the Olight X7R Marauder?
Up to 12,000 lumens on Turbo S; Turbo is 7,000.
What batteries does it use?
Four rechargeable 18650s.
How do you charge it?
Through a USB-C port behind a twist-open hatch in the base.
Does it have a low mode?
Yes, plus a nightlight mode from off by holding the button over 1 second.
Does it get hot?
Yes, quickly on the high settings.
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