The Olight Sphere Review
Hello, my name is Patrick and welcome to my review. I’m a mid 30’s Australian who likes to collect knives, torches and EDC type gadgets. I am a firm believer in “value for money” which to me means that a product should be something that is reliable, high quality and could potentially last a very long time. I am always searching for the ultimate “Buy It Once For Life” product and things that I can genuinely recommend to other people.
The Olight Sphere isn't something that really falls into the category of products that I regularly collect or review. However, after spending some time with it over the last few weeks, I have discovered a new love for mood lighting. This thing is so awesome! I honestly didn't expect to be so blown away by this little gizmo. But I am! Why? And what might you use it for? Let’s take a closer look at what the Sphere is all about.
Overview
The Olight Sphere is a brand new, freshly launched product and according to their information it is “Olight’s best value light!” A bold claim, but one that I genuinely feel it lives up to.
As the name implies, it is spherical in design and stands approximately 54.5mm (2.15 inches) in height with a body diameter of 60mm or 2.36 inches. To put it into perspective, it is roughly about the size of a cue ball.
It weighs approximately 93 grams (3.28oz) including the built in 3.7v 700mAh Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. So it’s not too big or heavy to lug around and it also means it is easy to mount as it magnetically attaches to metal surfaces. It even comes with a very cool looking adhesive backed metal badge which you can stick to the ceiling or anywhere else you might like to stick it. Within reason of course.
According the manual, the light sources are “High Performance White and RGB LEDs” which lists the following brightness and runtime specifications:
White Light Mode
High = 75 lumens for 100 minutes then steps down to 25 lumens for a further 150 minutes.
Low = 1 lumen for an astounding 40 hours of runtime!
Red Light Mode
High = 12 lumens for 120 minutes then it steps down to 4 lumens for a further 180 minutes.
Low = 0.5 Lumens for a 16 hour run time.
Red Flash High = 12 lumens for 370 minutes then steps down to 4 lumens for another 360 minutes.
Red Flash Low = 0.5 Lumens for a huge 20 hour run time.
Coloured Lights
High = 18 Lumens for 90 minutes then it steps down to 6 Lumens for an extra 130 minutes.
Low = 1 Lumen brightness for a total of 13 hours.
The unit is “Sealed and Strong” boasting an IP56 dustproof and waterproof rating which means it is suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
It also claims to be impact resistant up to 1.5m which is pretty impressive considering how dainty it looks. The manual says it is made of Polycarbonate so it should be fairly durable… But I like it too much to really put that to the test.
But how does it work? And does it live up to Olight’s claim?
I have decided to break down my review into two sections: Presentation and Performance where I will then grade both aspects out of a potential 10 and then offer some concluding thoughts. So without further adieu, let’s begin.
Presentation
The Olight Sphere arrived in typical Olight fashion. A sleek, smooth white box with a nice glossy picture on the front. Being a more “value” item, the box doesn’t come with the magnetic closure flap. However it did have a very easy and fun to use pull tab that zipped the top of the box right open.
Directly inside was the standard yellow plastic “before first use” slip which I personally am a huge fan of. I know there have been plenty of times prior to owning Olight products where I have tried and failed to get something working before eventually having to begrudgingly consult the manual. Olight does a truly great job of catering for consumer needs that’s for sure.
Beneath the yellow plastic was the Sphere itself; covered in a thin sleeve of white foam cloth. It looked like some kind of otherworldly bride hidden beneath a veil. It was at this point I wished I had taken a photo before I had so hastily torn it away.
Picking up the Sphere for initial inspection, I was quite taken back by how beautiful it is. The crystal clear transparent shell shines so vibrantly down to the trademark Olight blue coloured decorative ring that circumnavigates the center of the Sphere like an exquisite sapphire belt. The shell continues down to the very bottom of the Sphere - probably covering about 95 percent of it - then terminates at the pristine white base.
The base features the magnetic charging port - compatible with all Olight magnetic charging cables - and it is also where the switch is located. It’s an internal switch though so you can’t actually see it, which is great for those who like a very clean, minimalistic aesthetic.
I must say that for something that Olight calls a “value light” it certainly is gorgeous. It looks like some kind of fancy, futuristic orb that you might see on the desk of a very wealthy science fiction movie villain. It is very cool looking, but I couldn’t help but think how cute it would look with a set of googly eyes.
Inside the rest of the box was the usual manual and safety documentation that most people would come to expect by now, along with the standard but very innovative magnetic USB charging cable that Olight has done such a phenomenal job integrating into the bulk of their products. It is so handy to be able to charge so many products without actually plugging them in to anything!
There is also a very awesome, exquisitely detailed adhesive backed metal badge - I’d call it a coin - that comes with it. This is for sticking to the ceiling I guess? It’s actually so nice that I don’t want to stick it on anything, I just want to keep it to look at!
Overall it was another fantastic unboxing experience and Olight did a terrific job making the Sphere look and feel much more premium than the amount they are charging for it.
For Presentation I award the Olight Sphere a full 10 out of 10 rating. Great job guys!
Performance
So how does this cool futuristic light orb work? Well it has 7 available modes to choose from simply by pressing the Sphere down and activating the bottom switch. This will take you through the basic white and red mode functions along with a color mode or two. If you press and hold the unit while it is on you can use the stepless dimming function which is great for lowering the brightness at bedtime.
The real fun though comes when you sync the Sphere up to the Olight app on your phone or smart device. Yes it is yet another app to install, but you really do need it to unlock the full potential of the Sphere. It was a very quick and easy pairing process too which makes it feel less like a chore.
The app features a battery indicator, “on/off” switch and even a “Countdown to Off” mode which allows you to set a timer for the Sphere to turn off. Very handy for anyone who needs to sleep with a light on or is afraid of the dark.
Once all synced up, you can use the app to activate one of the 20 different lighting modes. There is also a “Music Rhythm” setting which is supposed to make the light sync up with whatever music you have playing, but I’m not really a party guy so didn’t spend much time testing that out to be honest.
Included in the 20 modes in the app is a “Colour Wheel” mode where you can make the Sphere turn almost any colour you can think of! This could be an extremely useful tool for anyone who is non verbal and wants to communicate the mood they are in.
The other colour modes are various iterations of swirling or fading colours that move around in quite dazzling displays. You can also control the brightness of each display with a slider bar in the app which makes it incredibly easy to set the mood.
Another really neat feature is how the Sphere flashes a different colour when turning off to tell you how much battery is left. It not only looks really cool but it is such a brilliant idea! Olight never ceases to amaze me with their incredible attention to detail and inspired design choices.
There is also a “Cloud Timing” mode which wasn’t available during my time testing the Sphere and a “Bash a Mole” mode which just makes it light up with random colours briefly before returning to the last used mode.
The Sphere is brilliant. I personally have used it every day since getting it. It is fantastic for use as a night light, a party light, mood lighting or even for just setting up some chill vibes while you read a book or play some video games. You can use it with or without the app very easily and its magnetic base means you bring the party wherever you go! Performance wise I award the Olight Sphere a full 10 out of 10 points. Rock on!
Conclusion
The Olight Sphere is a small, cute, beautifully designed piece of gear that is perfect for all kinds of low lumen lighting needs. I can imagine seeing a whole bunch of these all synced up at a party pumping out amazing vibes and incredible displays. If you have kids, get one. If you have an outdoor setting, get one. If you like candles or mood lighting in any way shape or form, you really need to get one or several of these Spheres. Olight has created such a phenomenal little gem here and I really feel like this could be the next big trend when it comes to party lighting.
Also, while writing this review I found a small plastic envelope right down in the bottom of the box underneath everything else… It contained a pair of googly eyes. Yes, I did squeal gleefully and yes they do make it look incredibly adorable!
Well done Olight on launching such a phenomenal product!
