Gear Review: Cloud Defensive OWL Optimized Weapon Light

The OWL — Optimized Weapon Light — by Cloud Defensive makes an attempt to push the boundaries of weapon mild design. Even from the skin, the OWL seems to be like one thing completely different than most lights. It’s a 12 o’clock mild that attaches excessive rail of your chosen platform and mounts to the aspect reverse of your assist hand. The rail mount doubles as your activation switch.

Its exterior design is exclusive, however what actually units the OWL aside is the ability it packs. While many firms promote their lights on the lumens they pack, the OWL is all about candela.

Lumens is a uncooked measure of sunshine, however candela is usable mild. The two work along with the OWL to offer you a brilliant and strong long-range mild.

The OWL packs 1,250 lumens and 50,000 candela. The finish result’s illumination that slices via the darkness and reaches out with a function. The OWL has a formidable efficient vary, and to get essentially the most out of if, the sunshine must be paired with an optic.

The OWL is a monstrous powerhouse of a lightweight that lets you see out to 200 yards when mixed with a low powered optic. I used to be impressed after I bought to 100 yards and will see my inexperienced goal in wealthy shade. I simply saved shifting backward, and at 200 yards, I may nonetheless initiate PID on my torso and head-sized goal.

You can see the small print of the goal at that vary to find out if they’re a menace or not.

That’s the impact of the OWL’s strong mixture of lumens and candela. The beam throw is lengthy and intense, with sufficient spill to be helpful. The beam shade is hotter than most excessive powered lights, and this enables for higher penetration of a photogenic barrier. Because I reside in Florida and it’s summer season, it’s just about at all times raining, or nonetheless foggy.

The OWL doesn’t care. It blazes on via each with out subject. That’s among the best options of a hotter beam, at the very least for me, as a result of I reside in an atmosphere what place rain is a continuing companion.

The OWL is an excellent out of doors mild and it really works simply as nicely inside the house. It throws a good and strong beam that can simply illuminate a whole room. The mild is loopy brilliant, but it surely’s not uncomfortably so for the end-user. It produces a nasty guy-disorienting beam that ensures you’ll have the flexibility to see a menace in vivid element.

OWL Ergonomics

The mild is surprisingly easy, and the ergonomics are additionally easy. The OWL has one bug button that runs the size of the mount. The button itself may be activated no matter what place you press it. You don’t need to discover a candy spot to activate the sunshine, simply contact the button someplace.

The light has each momentary and fixed modes which can be decided by how lengthy you maintain the button down. A fast click on is fixed; a barely longer maintain is momentary.

A design that sticks off the aspect the way in which the OWL does appears to current two issues. First, how can lefties use it? Second, should you wanted to change shoulders, may you?

The reply to the primary drawback is you’ll be able to reverse the tail cap and head of the sunshine. Neither sports activities threading, however as a substitute, you get a patented lug system that rotates and releases every finish, permitting you to reverse the sunshine for left-handed use.

In phrases of swapping shoulders, there isn’t a subject. The mild remains to be pure to activate by simply reaching behind it and discovering the button along with your thumb. It stunned me by how straightforward it was to succeed in, and in addition confirmed me how horrible I’m at shooting from my left shoulder.

Build Quality

The OWL is a tank. It’s constructed to be extraordinarily sturdy and exceeds trade requirements for each affect resistance and waterproof design. It may be submerged as much as 200 toes for 24 hours with out subject.

Durability-wise, Cloud Defensive has posted some spectacular take a look at outcomes over their social media. They say beat the hell out of the OWL, and it retains on maintaining on. In my expertise, the sunshine is unaffected by warmth from a gun, regardless that it’s usually positioned proper by the fuel block and muzzle.

When I say this light is a tank, I imply it. It weighs 11 ounces with an 18650 battery. Thats an excellent little bit of heft for a weapon mild, however I don’t thoughts the load after I’m getting all this energy.

The Cloud Defensive OWL comes with two 18650 batteries and an expert grade battery charger. Rechargeable 18650s are widespread, and high quality fashions price lower than ten bucks every. The 18650 batteries are needed to offer all the ability required for the OWL generate the beam it does.

One small function that bears mentioning is the tail cap doubles as a device that can be utilized to connect or detach the sunshine from the rail. It’s a sensible transfer that makes it good for subject circumstances. Lastly, the OWL is made within the good ol’ US of A.

Specifications: Cloud Defensive OWL Optimized Weapon Light

Lumens: 1,250
Candela: 50,000
Length: 5.255 inches
Weight: 11 Ounces
MSRP: $369.99

Ratings (out of 5 stars):

Power: * * * * *
The OWL is a mighty mild that casts its beam brilliant and much. It’s greatest when paired with a magnified optic to get essentially the most out of it. The OWL gives unbeatable vary and energy in all conditions.

Ergonomics: * * * *
The design itself is easy, and the only management is straightforward to press and never choosy about the way you activate it. The mild can be utilized in a number of positions and permits for equal entry to righties and lefties. The solely draw back is the load.

Durability: * * * * *
The Cloud Defense OWL is an absolute beast. It’s a sturdy mild designed to final and is seemingly bombproof.

Overall: * * * * *
The OWL represents the primary in what’s probably going to turn into the brand new commonplace for weapon lights. It’s arduous to return to even premium lights like Surefire and Streamlight when the OWL exists.