TL;DR

I originally just wanted to share some beamshots, but ended up adding a few thoughts on the lights I tested (Olight Oclip, Olight Oclip Pro, Wurkkos HD03, Sofirn ST10, Ruben G5). This isn’t meant to be a detailed or fully systematic review.

Testing these clip lights made me understand why they’re actually useful: you always have a light easily accessible, and hands-free use is a big advantage.

I mainly focused on size, weight, ergonomics, and making sure there’s at least some usable range and red light. While all of them perform well overall, I find the HD03 and the small Oclip the most interesting options. The ST10 and G5 feel a bit too large or heavy and don’t quite handle like typical clip/clamp lights.

Introduction

For a long time, I wasn’t really interested in clip flashlights. That changed when I got my hands on an Oclip Pro. Since then, I’ve tried several models and tested them in everyday use with focus on outdoor applications.

What I tested

Compact clip lights are extremely versatile, but I’m mainly interested in how useful they are for outdoor activities like walking, hiking, camping, or astrophotography.

What matters most to me:

• sufficient range (not just flood)
• usable red light to preserve night vision
• simple, intuitive operation
• compact and unobtrusive form factor

Test scenarios:

• walking in the woods
• hiking and navigating across open terrain
• hands-free tasks at camp
• using red light while running and for astrophotography

I also paid attention to how easy they are to mount in real-world use and how intuitive the controls are.

Comparison & thoughts

For me, beam profile, range, ease of use, and a usable red light are the most important factors. A compact, unobtrusive design is just as important.

Since all of these lights perform well overall (but they are generally in the low-CRI range, with one small exception), I’ll mainly focus on the differences and the things that stood out in everyday use. As always, this is subjective.

While all lights offer good, bright flood output, the differences in range are much more noticeable. I measured their throw, and here’s a small table:

*) Replaceable 14500 USB-C battery

Olight Oclip Pro

The Oclip Pro is the performance winner in this comparison. Spot, flood, and red light are all strong, and it also offers the longest range at 126 m.

That said, I’m not a big fan of reflector-based beams. What I don’t like here is the relatively sharp cutoff at the outer edge of the beam (even though it is a really wide open beam profile), which feels a bit unnatural to me in real-world use. The UI is well designed overall, but in practice it feels a bit fiddly at times. I think the Oclip Pro could be considered the best light in this comparison, but it’s also the most expensive.

Wurkkos HD03

With a range of 111 m, the HD03 takes second place. The TIR spot has a very pleasant beam profile. The floodlight is warmer and supposedly high CRI, which actually shows in slightly better color rendering.

Other positives are the simple control scheme (separate switch for spot/flood) and the easy-to-feel orientation thanks to the round head. The colored light is more of a gimmick, but the red light is still usable but unfortunately offers only pretty low brightness. Additional brightness levels would have been nice for the colored light.

Sofirn ST10

The ST10’s spotlight is fixed straight ahead and could use more throw in my opinion. With 91 m of range, it sits in the middle of the pack.

All three light sources provide solid output. The dedicated 660 nm red light is very bright and offers three levels. Spot and flood have a neutral but rather cool tint. It’s also the only light here with a removable 14500 battery and USB-C charging.

However, size and weight are already pushing the limits for a clip light. The UI is okay overall but not entirely consistent across modes.

Olight Oclip

The Oclip is the smallest and lightest light in this comparison. Its single emitter produces a very well-balanced TIR beam with a good mix of throw and spill.

The red light is usable but only has one brightness level. For many tasks, even moonlight or low mode is sufficient. Operation is simple and reliable, and thanks to its size and clip, it’s the most unobtrusive option.

In testing, the highest mode was occasionally not available, with only low and medium working.

Wuben G5

The G5 doesn’t use a clamp-style clip, but more of a pen-style clip. The rotating head sounds useful, but in practice it adds limited value.

The UI seems well thought out but ends up feeling a bit fiddly. The rotary control for stepless brightness is a nice idea, but it’s not very precise and lacks proper stepped ramping.

The beam is pleasant but quite floody. The colored light is more of a novelty and mainly useful for visibility. The red light is usable but could be brighter. The form factor will depend on personal preference.

Conclusion

For my use cases, the ST10 and G5 are less suitable due to their size and form factor. For me, the appeal of clip lights lies in being able to attach them securely and unobtrusively to clothing or gear.

That leaves the Oclip, Oclip Pro, and HD03:

The HD03 is the best value option: significantly cheaper, strong spot, good range, and a pleasant, warmer floodlight with better color rendering. Form factor and UI are also solid. The main downside is the lack of a dedicated and brighter red light.

The Oclip Pro is the performance winner, with the longest range and a strong overall package. However, in direct comparison it’s slightly less appealing to me, mainly due to the beam profile, controls, and price.

The Oclip stands out for its minimal size, low weight, and very versatile beam. Its output is more than sufficient for most tasks. The red light is decent but could be brighter (could get a second brightness level).

My choice

For most tasks, I would go with the HD03. With a better red light, it would be close to perfect for me.

As an even more compact and unobtrusive option, or as a backup light, the Oclip is my top pick. A stronger red light would improve it as well.

The good thing is, you can’t really go wrong with any of the five lights.

PS: The beamshot of the Wurkkos HD03 (spot) is angled slightly downward, which makes it appear to have less throw than it actually does. I didn’t notice this while taking the photos.