Olight PL X GL Review: Flood, Spot AND a Green Laser?

There are plenty of weapon-mounted lights on the market. So when another one shows up claiming 1,000-plus lumens, that specification alone doesn’t necessarily get my attention anymore.

The Olight PL X GL is different.

Yes, we’re talking about a compact weapon light capable of producing up to 1,200 lumens. But after getting my hands on it, the maximum output isn’t the feature I find most interesting.

This little package combines a flood light, focused spot light AND a green laser—and Olight gives you the ability to decide how you want to use them.

Now that got my attention.

Small Package, A Lot Going On

My first impression of the PL X GL was just how much Olight managed to put into a relatively lightweight package.

The housing is metal and feels sturdy in the hand, but the unit doesn’t feel unnecessarily bulky or heavy.

That’s important on a handgun. Adding capability is great, but adding a bunch of unnecessary weight to the front of the pistol isn’t.

The PL X GL strikes an interesting balance between size, weight, durability and features.

And there are a LOT of features.

Up to 1,200 Lumens

Let’s start with the number everyone is going to notice on the specification sheet: 1,200 lumens at maximum output.

That’s a substantial amount of light from such a compact unit.

But maximum brightness isn’t always the answer.

The PL X GL also provides a lower-output/dimmer setting, which I consider an important feature. You don’t necessarily need the maximum 1,200 lumens every time you turn on your light.

Running at a lower output also reduces power consumption and can extend your useful battery runtime.

I like having the option.

Give me maximum power when I need it, but don’t force me to use maximum power when I don’t.

Flood + Spot

This was originally the feature that really caught my attention.

The PL X GL combines flood and spot illumination.

Those two beam characteristics serve different purposes.

A flood pattern spreads illumination across a wider area, giving you more peripheral visibility. A spot beam concentrates more of the light toward the center and provides a stronger, more focused area of illumination.

Instead of looking strictly at the lumen number, I always want to know what a light actually does with those lumens.

Here you’re getting a combination of broad illumination and a concentrated central beam.

But then there’s another feature.

Wait… There’s a Green Laser Too

This is where the PL X GL gets considerably more interesting.

Olight has incorporated a green laser into the unit.

More importantly, you aren’t locked into using the laser every time you activate the light.

A sliding switch on the bottom of the unit controls the operating configuration.

That gives you the ability to run the green laser independently without activating the lights.

Want illumination instead?

Change your configuration.

And with a quick movement of the selector, you can also configure the unit to operate the light and green laser together.

So now we’re not simply talking about a compact 1,200-lumen weapon light.

We’re talking about multiple capabilities packaged into one unit:

Flood illumination.
Spot illumination.
Green laser.
Or light and laser together.

That’s the feature combination I find particularly compelling.

Selector Switch The Controversy

Why I Like The Sliding Selector On the Bottom

Sometimes the simplest feature can make the biggest difference in how useful a piece of equipment is.

For me, that’s the sliding selector.

If I want the green laser without throwing a bunch of light downrange, I can use the laser by itself.

If I want illumination and the laser simultaneously, a quick change of the switch gives me both.

There’s no reason to bury that functionality several levels deep in some complicated control sequence.

Simple controls matter.

What I Don’t Like: The Light Selector Switch

For all the things I like about the Olight PL X GL, there is one design decision I would change: the operation of the flood/spot selector switch.

The flood and spot lighting modes are controlled by a selector switch on the side of the housing. The switch works perfectly well, but its operation feels counterintuitive to me.

The PL X GL has its light sources arranged vertically. However, when the selector switch is moved up, it activates the lower light. Move the selector down, and it activates the upper flood lights.

I would prefer the switch positions to mirror the physical location of the lights:

Switch UP = Upper flood lights
Switch DOWN = Lower light

Why does that matter?

Simplicity.

Under normal conditions, it’s easy enough to remember which switch position activates which lighting mode. But equipment like this should ideally require as little thought as possible to operate. If I’m moving a switch upward, having that movement correspond to the upper light is simply more intuitive to me.

This isn’t a deal-breaker, and it doesn’t diminish how impressed I am with the PL X GL’s overall feature set. It’s a relatively small ergonomic detail on an otherwise very capable light.

But if Olight asked me what I would change in a future revision, reversing the selector logic would be at the top of my list.

Why I do not like the Light Selector Switch

This wonderful light and impressive features of flood and spot lighting controlled by a switch on the side of the housing. For simplicity during stressful situations I would like to see the switch placement mirror the light placement. Today when the switch is in the up position it enables the bottom light. When the siwtch is in the down position it enables the top flood lights.

USB-C Charging

Olight also incorporated USB-C charging, which is something I appreciate.

At this point, USB-C cables are everywhere—my workbench, computer area, vehicles and range equipment.

Being able to recharge the PL X GL with a familiar charging standard makes keeping the unit charged much easier.

Charge it, use it and recharge it.

Simple.

IPX7 Water Resistance

The PL X GL carries an IPX7 water-resistance rating as well.

For equipment that’s going to see regular range use, potentially get wet and occasionally get knocked around, durability matters.

Combine that water resistance with the metal housing, and the PL X GL gives the impression that Olight designed it to be used rather than simply sit in a display case.

The Dimmer Deserves More Attention

With 1,200 LUMENS likely to be the headline number, I think the lower-output capability could easily be overlooked.

I wouldn’t overlook it.

Maximum brightness has its place, but there are plenty of situations where you simply don’t need maximum output.

Lowering the output also means reducing power consumption and extending battery runtime.

To me, versatility is more useful than simply having one extremely bright setting.

A Lot Packed Into One Light

Looking at the entire package, the feature list becomes pretty impressive:

• Up to 1,200 lumens
• Flood + spot illumination
• Integrated green laser
• Laser-only operation
• Light + laser simultaneous operation
• Bottom-mounted sliding mode selector
• Lower-output/dimmer capability
• USB-C rechargeable
• Lightweight construction
• Sturdy metal housing
• IPX7 water resistance

That’s quite a bit packed into a relatively small unit.

DayAtTheRange Final Thoughts

The biggest takeaway from my time with the Olight PL X GL is that this isn’t really a story about 1,200 lumens.

That’s almost selling it short.

What makes this light interesting is how many different capabilities Olight has managed to put into one compact package.

You’ve got a flood beam for wider illumination, a spot beam for concentrated light, and now an integrated green laser that can be operated independently or together with the light.

Then add adjustable output, USB-C charging, IPX7 water resistance, lightweight construction and a sturdy metal housing.

That’s what makes the PL X GL interesting to me.

Specifications are one thing. How those features work together is what really matters.

And that’s exactly why we take equipment to the range and test it for ourselves.

Get out to the range, test your equipment, collect your own data and make your own decision.