WUBEN X5 Compact EDC Flashlight
WUBEN X5 Compact EDC Flashlight
WUBEN sets a high bar with their new X5 flashlight—an everyday carry (EDC) 3-in-1 flashlight that packs massive brightness and high-end versatility for less than $100.00. Whether you’re a tradesperson working on the job site or a homeowner prepping for a power outage or a camping trip, this compact light should earn a permanent spot in your pocket.
Specifications
- 3-in-1 pocket flashlight: white light, 2W 365nm UV flashlight, and Class 3R green laser pointer
- Five brightness settings: from 1 lumen to 1,300 lumens
- Dual power design: an included 1200mAh rechargeable battery or 4 AAA batteries
- Slim flat-body: 137.05 mm long, 35.05 mm wide, 21 mm thick and about 128g in weight with battery
- Fast, intuitive controls
- Built for everyday use: CNC-machined 6061 aluminum body, cooling slots, and 1-meter impact resistance
- IP65 water and dust resistance plus 1-meter drop resistance
- 5 years of free repair service for product quality issues, excluding accessories and batteries.
- 30 day return policy
- Available online for $79.99 (normally $99.99)
Compact Size
The WUBEN X5 is 137.05 mm long, 35.05 mm wide, 21 mm thick, and about 128 grams in weight with the rechargeable battery installed. Its flat design means it won’t roll off your table, and more importantly, the flat design means it will fit more comfortably in your pocket.
I was especially impressed by the rugged, 3 inch pocket clip because it allowed me to securely attach the X5 to my pocket and my backpack. The pocket clip can also be removed entirely with the included Allen wrench, or placed on the opposite side of the X5’s body, which I thought was a nice design choice.
The WUBEN X5 includes a very durable lanyard that you can attach to the slot located on the pocket clip. The lanyard was more than big enough to slip over my wrist so it could hang down and be at the ready near my hand when walking outside. This lanyard includes an ingenious feature that I have never seen before—the lanyard doubles as the USB-C to USB-C charging cable after it’s unclipped from the metal clasp. This was an inventive way to keep the charging cable always at the ready, though you must provide your own USB-C charging block.
A Rugged Body
The WUBEN X5 touts a CNC aluminum body, which means its metal body is shaped using a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine. Extreme precision is used to carve the body out of a single piece of metal. This provides you with several benefits, including: creating exact dimensions, eliminating weak points, and carving cooling grooves into the metal to dissipate heat from the powerful LED.
The exacting construction of the X5 also provides you with IP65 water and dust resistance—it is dust-tight and it can handle heavy rain and splashes, but not full submersion in water.
Finally, the X5 is 1-meter impact resistant. I dropped it several times by accident, and there were no dents or ill-effects.
The only thing that I wish it had was a magnetic body to conveniently attach it to a refrigerator, door, or other metal surface during a home project.
Dual Power Options
The WUBEN X5 arrives with a 1200mAh rechargeable battery for daily use. The battery port is at the back of the unit and it includes a sliding door lock to ensure the battery doesn’t fall out. The battery must remain inside the flashlight to be charged through the USB-C port on the flashlight’s body. This USB-C port is also covered by a sliding door to protect the flashlight from dust and moisture.
In my opinion, a rechargeable flashlight is the ideal since it reduces adding more dead Alkaline batteries to landfills. However, a rechargeable flashlight does you no good when you are in a dark home or deep woods campsite and you don’t have the means to charge it. Thankfully, WUBEN solves this dilemma by adding the ability to use 4 AAA batteries to power the X5. With a large supply of AAA batteries on hand, the X5 could seemingly last all night when you’re deep in the woods. I think offering dual-power options is a game changer for those that rely on their flashlight to always work when and where they need it.
Battery Life
The WUBEN X5 provides 5 different choices of brightness, and each one gives you a different run-time. The ECO mode gives you 1 lumen for up to 200 hours. The Low setting provides 50 lumens for up to 15 hours. Jumping up to the Medium power setting at 150 lumens provides you with 5 hours of runtime. On the High setting, you get 350 lumens for up to 2 hours. I found the Turbo setting to be the most exhilarating because it emits 1,300 whopping lumens. The Turbo setting’s brightness is so much fun to use, but the battery quickly diminishes in life–less than 30 minutes in many of my tests–and the flashlight itself gets very hot, despite the cooling slots located on the two flat sides.
As the battery reaches the end of its life, a red LED on the side of the flashlight begins to blink. I appreciate flashlights like the X5 that give you a warning that the battery is diminished so you can prepare to swap out batteries, if possible.
Recharging the battery requires you to disassemble the lanyard in order to use the included USB-C to USB-C cord, unless you have another USB-C cord of your own. The red LED stays on while charging and it turns blue when fully charged. In my testing, the battery typically recharged from 0% to 100% in 75-90 minutes, which was a little longer than I anticipated.
Three Modes – Lock, On, and UV
The X5 has a mode wheel on the side of the body that allows you to switch between three modes. The included logos make it clearly apparent which mode you are currently in so you don’t need to guess. However, you will be unable to see these logos in a dark space, so you might need to fumble with the wheel to find the one you need.
First off, I really like having a mode that “locks” the ability to turn on the flashlight. This lock prevents the X5 from powering on in your backpack or purse by accident. I hate it when a flashlight is on and drains the battery without your knowledge, so bravo to X5 for including a “lock” position.
You must switch the wheel to the “light” mode in order to use the laser pointer or LED flashlight. Only in this mode will these lights work.
Finally, there is a UV mode that works at a 365 nanometer wavelength, and provides 2 watts of power for up to 2 hours of run-time. A 365 nm UV light emits nearly pure UV light with a dull, faint white/blue glow, making it the industry standard for causing materials to fluoresce. While many homeowners might not envision having a daily use for a UV light, it would allow you to detect stains, pet urine, counterfeit markings, hidden residues, and leak traces. Checking for pet urine accidents will be a blessing for many cat and dog owners. When I travel and stay in a hotel with my family, I always bring a flashlight as a safety measure, so the X5’s UV light will be a nice addition to check how clean the room is before we unpack.
A Mighty Laser Pointer!
WUBEN included a Class 3R green laser pointer in their X5 and I was stunned at how strong it was. This Class 3R green laser pointer operates in the 508–525nm range wavelength. Green beams like this one appear up to seven times brighter than red lasers at identical power. Class 3R lasers carry a low risk of injury during brief, accidental exposure, but they should of course never be pointed directly at the eyes of a person or pet, though our cat Milo loved following it across the floor of our house!
The green laser pointer has an independent tail button to operate it, which is great since you don’t need to cycle through other modes to find it. The power button for it is slightly lower and more depressed compared to the raised power button for the flashlight, which makes it very easy to find with your fingers. If desired, you can operate both the laser pointer and the flashlight at the same time, which can be a real benefit when working in particularly dark locations or during a blackout.
When you take the X5 outside on a dark night, the power of the laser really shines. The beam it produces is a pin-point line that slices through the darkness. I marveled at how I could see the green laser clearly impact a tree from more than 200 feet away. The laser beam also notably has up to 24 hours of run-time.
After teaching for 35 years, I could definitely see a teacher or professor enjoying this incredibly powerful beam to point out important pieces from a lesson. A home inspector or contractor could confidently use it to point out features in a home that need attention.
Powerful Performance
Having the WUBEN X5 in your hand provides you with a lot of versatility on a dark night. Five choices of brightness is empowering since you can choose the brightness you need for the task at hand. Another bonus is you can also choose if you want the flashlight on for a moment, or on constantly. WUBEN includes a “tactical momentary-on” feature where you only have to slightly depress and hold the power button to provide light for as long as you hold the button in. I really appreciated the momentary-on feature because sometimes you just need a quick burst of light to illuminate your surroundings.
If you want the X5 to remain on without your finger on the power button, perform a hard press of the power button until you hear it “click”—pushing the power button all the way down again until it clicks will shut it off. The flashlight will always select the last power setting you used when you turn it on.
Once powered on, a light press on the power button quickly cycles through the five brightness levels, from Eco to Turbo. First-time users might experience a slight learning curve with the button interface for constant vs. temporary activation, but the controls quickly become second nature. Once you get the hang of it, the versatile brightness modes and momentary-on feature make it a joy to use.
I took the X5 on a trip to New Hampshire and put it to work on a pitch-black late-night walk. On Medium and High, it easily floodlit the entire width of the road for at least 30 feet. Flipping it to Turbo unleashed 1,300 lumens, lighting up the entire road and pushing visibility out past 60 feet–see the image below for proof! The flood-style beam casts a much wider net than a traditional spotlight, making it fantastic for open spaces. My son, an avid camper, even noted how perfect it would be for campsites and exploring caves where he lives in Bend, Oregon.
Another standout feature of the WUBEN X5 is its strobe mode. Double-clicking the power button from any of the five brightness levels immediately triggers a highly intense and disorienting 1,000-lumen strobe. It’s formidable enough to ward off human or animal attackers, or signal for help in an emergency outdoors.
Final Thoughts
As a dedicated flashlight enthusiast, my ideal EDC flashlight needs to be portable, rechargeable, feature-rich, and exceptionally bright. The WUBEN X5 meets every one of my requirements seamlessly, packing more than enough power to impress any lumen lover.
I had the opportunity to test two other WUBEN flashlights previously and their reviews are included below:
