REVIEW – Lighting options for EDC and hands-free use continue to increase. The latest from Olight, their Perun 2 Mini flashlight, adds a silicon strap for holding the right-angle mini-light to your forehead. I was sent the basic black model, but there are several other colorways to choose from. Let’s take a look.
The Olight Perun 2 Mini EDC flashlight is a small right-angle LED flashlight with a steel spring belt clip and a head strap for hands-free use. Camping Light Bluetooth Speaker
The Olight Perun 2 Mini EDC flashlight is quite a bit different from the original Perun. The knurling along the body has been changed from a large knobby look to a finely sculpted spiral pattern. The headband holder has gone from being a large patch with stitching and a friction lock to being a barely-there mount with a stretchy strap to hold the unit in place. The spring steel two-way clip seems to be the same, but I do not have an original unit for comparison.
It is also available in more colorways: black (the model shown here, and the only color of the original), blue, and desert tan (coming early in 2023).
The first thing you’re going to think when you hold the Perun 2 Mini flashlight is that it’s small. I’m talking smaller than a roll of pennies small! The push button covers the entire top area of the cylinder and activates easily. Holding the button down cycles through the three levels of intensity of the beam. In the photos below, I was standing on my deck and focusing the light on a mulberry tree about 40′ away an hour or so after sunset. Note the sky and other details in the first shot, which are due to computational photography enhancements added by my iPhone’s camera software. At the highest setting, these details are lost, because the focus of the light is more intense. (The camera fails to show how intense the differences are.)
The Perun 2 Mini charges quickly with a magnetic puck that grabs the butt of the light readily. This will also allow the Perun 2 to attach to your car’s fender, hood, or the rack of your wiring closet. There is an LED on the charger to indicate the charging level. (It shows green (full battery) if the charger is plugged in and not attached, which I found a bit strange. If something prevented a good connection, I might think I had a full battery. I’d prefer no light until the unit is actually attached to the charger.)
This is a late-breaking update from OLight: When the light is on, double press the button and it will turn on in turbo mode; when the light is off, double press the button and it will turn on in red light mode. After testing this, I found it quite nice for saving your night vision, as well as a quick way to get the highest power from this little light.
I really like the headband mount of this model. It’s curved just enough to fit your forehead, and the flexible strap stretches just tightly enough to hold the light in place, yet allows for you to twist it to a new position. Some other hand-to-headband models hold the light so tightly that you can’t easily spin it without loosening the attachment.
Operating the light is easy – there is a push button on the end opposite the charging base. A quick push will start it. Holding the button will cycle through lighting intensities. A quick push will turn it off. There is a spring steel two-way clip that is easily adjustable and removable so that you can use the light hands-free clipped to a shirt or jacket.
The main part of the headband holder is stiff plastic, while the strap that holds the actual light is very flexible and soft. These two materials are joined right where the curve of the base starts to rise. It seems a solid melding, but time will tell if stretching when inserting the light into the holder will cause any degradation to this bond.
Powerful high-lumen LEDs can get hot really quickly. Several of the last few lights I have reviewed have fans that come on when you engage certain power levels to avoid overheating and possible fires or burns. The Perun 2 boasts a proximity-sensing capability that dims the light when it is close to something and will turn the light off after one minute if it’s still obstructed. (I was not able to force this to happen during my testing. I left it on and face-down on my work surface for 4-5 minutes at a time and it never dimmed or turned off, so I’m not sure this feature is ready for prime time.) If it works properly, it would be a great benefit to prevent the light from being turned on in a bag and possibly causing a fire or other damage. At the very least, it would prevent it from having a flat battery when you need it.
The Olight Perun 2 Mini is a very compact yet powerful flashlight. It can strap into the headband in seconds and yet be twisted to focus the beam exactly where you want it. The three intensity settings give the user a good range of light for close work or just general illumination while setting up a tent or general activities post-sunset. I’m leaving this in my toolbox for the next time having to work under a sink or desk.
Price: $89.95 – $99.95 depending on the color Where to buy: olightstore.com (currently on sale for only $44.99 until Dec 19, 2022, 23:59:59 EST) Source: The sample of this product was provided by Olight.
Not 2500 lumens. That’s for the Perun 2, NOT the Perun 2 mini.
Also, I don’t believe it has a proximity sensor, like it’s big brother the Perun 2, which you mentioned as a con.
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