Wuben X1 Torch Review
Wuben X1 Falcon⌗
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications⌗
| Brand/model | Wuben X1 Falcon |
|---|---|
| LED | 3x CREE XHP70.2 |
| Maximum lumens | 12,000 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 23,000 cd |
| Maximum throw | 303 m |
| Battery | Built-in, 2* 21700 4800mAh |
| Onboard charging | Yes (USB-C) |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 5 |
| Blinkies | Strobe, SOS |
| Reflector | OP |
| Waterproof | IP55 |
| Review date | April 2023 |
Introduction⌗
The Wuben X1 is the bigger brother of the Wuben X2 and it is capable of producing 10,000+ lumens.
It even has a fan with a heatsink to keep it cool!
Wuben sent this torch for review. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch. Thanks Wuben!
Packaging⌗
The Wuben X1 came in a white box with an image of the torch on the front and specifications on the back.
The following was included in the box:
- Wuben X1 Falcon.
- Holster.
- USB-C to USB-C cable.
- Lanyard.
- User manual.
- Optional bike clamp (not included)
Torch in use⌗
I was amused by the idea of a rectangular torch at first. Years of using smart phones with large screens has made me accustomed to using electronic devices in this form factor.
The Wuben X1 is slightly smaller than my phone, albeit much thicker, and it fits comfortably in my medium-large sized hands.
The three emitters and the orange peel reflector produce a smooth rectangular beam.
It is comfortable to carry. The holster is really nice too!
I am tempted to buy the bike clamp that screws into the torch. This thing would be a beast on the front of my bicycle!
Build quality⌗
The Wuben X1 is made of aluminium and this version has a white micro-arc oxidation finish. I could not feel any sharp edges.
There are two mounting holes for a bike clamp. One hole is on the head and another hole on the main tube with the cells. I measured 18.5mm to 21.5mm between the edges of the holes.
The included holster is really good. It is a perfect fit for the Wuben X1. The quality feels nice and it is easy to use.
Sometimes holsters are thrown in as an afterthought but Wuben have obviously done their research.
The holster has a strap with two buttons that make it is easier to attach to a belt or a backpack. Rather than insert a belt through the strap, the two buttons can be used to wrap the strap around a belt.
The electronic side switch has a clicky feel to it but it feels soft when retracting.
The driver is a fancy custom PCB with tiny SMD components.
The heatsink and fan are so cool!
Turbo reached 41.9 C on the head after a minute. The top of the body was 36 C. And the bottom of the body was 30 C after a few minutes. Room temperature was about 17 C.
I measured the temperature with an infrared thermometer.
There is a positive and a negative terminal for each 21700 cell at the head of the torch. The cells are connected series. Two fully charged cells, 4.20V each, will provide 8.40V for the Wuben X1.
The cells are not balanced charged so it is important that matched cells are used or it could become a hazard.
“Do not disassemble” is on the tail end of the Wuben X1.
I went ahead and disassembled it for this review.
The PCB with the battery charger is held in place with two screws.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam⌗
The Wuben X1 has three CREE XHP70.2 emitters and an orange peel reflector to produce a floody beam.
A glass lens with anti-reflective coating sits behind a bezel with a seal to help prevent water from getting inside.
CCT, CRI, and duv⌗
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the torch positioned one metre away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CCT is around 5500K. The CRI is around 67.
The Delta u, v is positive (green).
The beam has an oval shaped hot spot. You can create some interesting patterns on a wall with this torch.
| Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco | 5485 | 67.6 | 0.3329 | 0.3558 | 0.0072 |
| Low | 5510 | 66.9 | 0.3322 | 0.3560 | 0.0076 |
| Med | 5537 | 67.0 | 0.3316 | 0.3547 | 0.0072 |
| High | 5591 | 67.4 | 0.3303 | 0.3519 | 0.0064 |
| Turbo | 5695 | 68.3 | 0.3279 | 0.3468 | 0.0050 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison⌗
Dimensions⌗
I took the following measurements using a vernier caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 129.3 |
| Height | 30.0 |
| Head width | 60.0 |
| Body width | 50.0 |
Weight⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Wuben X1 Falcon | 383.75 |
| Holster | 60.0 |
Size comparison with its competition⌗
From left to right: Wuben X1, Sofirn SP36 BLF, Nightwatch NSX4
From left to right: Wuben X1, Sofirn SP36 BLF, Nightwatch NSX4
User interface⌗
The Wuben X1 has an electronic side switch.
There are four main modes: Eco, Low, Med and High. And shortcuts to: Turbo, Strobe and SOS.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Hold | Low |
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| Off | Two clicks | Turbo |
| Off | Three clicks | Strobe |
| Off | Four clicks | Lock-out |
| On | Hold | Cycle (Low, Med, High) |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Two clicks | Turbo |
| On | Three clicks | Strobe |
| Lock-out | Click | Battery status indicator blinks three times |
| Lock-out | Four clicks | Low |
| Strobe | Click | On (mode memory) |
| Strobe | Three clicks | SOS |
| SOS | Click | On (mode memory) |
| SOS | Three clicks | Strobe |
The torch will flash three times when entering lock-out mode.
Mode memory does not include Turbo, SOS or Strobe.
Strobe⌗
Strobe has an alternating frequency.
Programming mode⌗
You can adjust the brightness of Eco, Low, Med and High modes as follows:
| Mode | Default | Min (lumens) | Max (lumens) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eco | 20 | 20 | 400 |
| Low | 400 | 400 | 1,000 |
| Med | 1,000 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
| High | 2,600 | 2,000 | 3,000 |
To set the brightness for a particular mode:
- Click to turn the torch on.
- Hold and release to select Low, Med or High.
- Click and hold (2H). The brightness will ramp up or down and flash when it reaches the end.
- Release at the desired brightness level.
- Click and hold again to ramp in the opposite direction.
Battery status indication⌗
The indicator LED in the middle of the switch will display the following for 5 seconds when the torch is on:
| Colour | Battery level |
|---|---|
| Blue | Capacity ≥ 90% |
| Blue blinking | 40% ≤ Capacity < 90% |
| Red | 15% ≥ Capacity < 40% |
| Red blinking | Capacity < 15% |
“Red blinking” will continue while the torch is on.
Low voltage protection⌗
I tested low voltage protection by connecting the driver of the torch to a bench power supply and then by lowering the voltage from 8.4V to 0V to emulate two 21700 Li-ion cells in series.
There is low voltage protection. The emitter turned off at 5.69V and the current dropped to 170 µA.
PWM⌗
I noticed visible PWM (flickering) on Eco.
What I like about the UI⌗
- Easy to use.
What could be improved⌗
- It would be nice if two clicks while in Turbo always results in the torch exiting Turbo mode. I noticed that the torch remained in Turbo while peforming two clicks after coming from off, Strobe or SOS.
Batteries and charging⌗
Battery⌗
I unscrewed the tailcap with a 1.5 hex driver to discover two flat top Wuben branded 21700 cells with a capacity of 4800mAh each.
The tailcap had a lot of pressure due to the springs at both ends of the cells. I held the tailcap down with one hand as I removed each screw.
Charging⌗
The two 21700 cells are connected in a series. There is no balance charging. Wuben said that the included cells have been matched from the factory. They do not recommend putting in random unmatched 21700 cells.
The charging cover feels strong enough and tucks away nicely when not in use.
Power supply: PinePower Desktop USB-C PD
USB Meter: AVHzY CT-3 (recommended by LiquidRetro)
Room temperature: 20 C
I charged the Wuben X1 at a rate of 9V 3A after performing a runtime test. It took a little over two hours for charging to complete. The charging status indicator light went from red to blue when complete. I measured a voltage of 4.178V and 4.180V.
Charging stopped early at 3.89V and the indicator light flashed red and blue while using an AVHzY CT-3 USB Meter with the following:
- UGREEN Mini 20W USB-C PD power adapter
- XTAR TYPE-C45IC USB-C PD power adapter
I turned the PD switch off on the AVHzY CT-3 USB Meter and the Wuben X1 charged normally.
Power supply compatibility⌗
I tried the following power supplies with the built-in USB-C charger:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple 61W Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| Google Pixel Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | QC | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | Yes | |
| UGREEN Mini 20W Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| XTAR TYPE-C45IC Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
USB-C to USB-C charging works.
Performance⌗
Specifications from the manual:
| FL1 STANDARD | Turbo | High | Med | Low | Eco | Strobe | SOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 12,000 + 3,000 | 2,600 | 1,000 | 400 | 20 | 3,000 | 200 |
| Runtime | 1min + 1.7h | 2h | 5.5h | 14h | 220h | ||
| Beam Distance (metres) | 303 | ||||||
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 23,000 |
Lumen measurements⌗
| Mode | Specs | Amps at start | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco | 20 | 0.04 A | 35 | 28 | 19 |
| Low | 400 | 0.32 A | 372 | 367 | 362 |
| Med | 1,000 | 0.78 A | 932 | 920 | 907 |
| High | 2,600 | 2.09 A | 2,425 | 2,391 | 2,317 |
| Turbo | 12,000 | 11.37 A | 9,688 | 9,189 | 2,318 |
Standby drain⌗
159.6 µA
Runtime graphs⌗
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
The room temperature was approximately 17 C.
Runtime⌗
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Mode | User manual | Runtime result | Final voltage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1min + 1.7h | 2h 0min 40s | 3.123V, 3.122V |
| High | 2h | 2h 5min 14s | 3.086V, 3.081V |
| Med | 5.5h | 5h 43min 11s | 2.984V, 2.983V |
| Low | 14h | 13h 55min 59s | 3.010V, 3.005V |
| Eco | 220h | 10min+ |
The runtime result is the time until my lumen tube no longer detects more than 1 lumen.
I stopped recording after 10 minutes for the Eco mode because it is expected to last multiple days.
The initial lumen output and the sustained output for Turbo fell slightly short of the claim.
My runtime results were very similar to the official specifications.
Throw⌗
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Eco was measured at two metres. Low, Med, High and Turbo were measured at five metres.
| Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eco | 60 | 15 | ||
| Low | 800 | 56 | ||
| Med | 2,200 | 93 | ||
| High | 5,975 | 154 | ||
| Turbo | 23,000 | 303 | 23,300 | 305 |
Beamshots⌗
I went to a local park and aimed the Wuben X1 Falcon at a tree 70 metres away while using Turbo.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
Wuben X1 Falcon (Turbo)⌗
Nightwatch Chaos NS59v2 9xSFQ60.3⌗
Cyansky P25 V2.0⌗
Conclusion⌗
The Wuben X1 is an awesome pocket sized powerhouse!
Active cooling worked well with the heatsink and fan. The temperature reached 41.9 C at the head while the body did not exceed 36 C.
There are seals everywhere to help prevent water getting in. The fan probably reduces the water resistance rating.
I love how Wuben used two flat top 21700 cells instead of a proprietary battery pack. It would be even better if the two cells were balanced charged.
It would be cool if this had a powerbank feature. I could not get it to charge my phone.
Turbo fell slightly short lumen output claim. 2,318 lm for two hours is impressive for a torch this size!
Pros:⌗
- Excellent build quality.
- Active cooling!
- Holster.
- Floody beam.
- Built-in USB-C charging.
- Flat top 21700 cells used.
- Low voltage protection.
Cons:⌗
- Batteries are not balance charged.
- Visible PWM on Eco.
- UI bug where I can’t exit Turbo with two clicks from off, Strobe or SOS.
Price⌗
The Wuben X1 Black is AU$268.28 after a 11% discount at the time of writing.
The Wuben X1 White is AU$299.93 after a 12% discount at the time of writing.
Wuben are definitely aiming for enthusiasts with this price.
It is a pretty awesome package and the sustained runtimes are impressive.
Product page⌗
Promo code: SG9IP8YKT5PI
liteshop.com.au affiliate link
Promo code: TIM20
https://www.wubenlight.com/collections/everyday-carry?ref=Tim
I may earn a commission if you use an affiliate link or a promo code. This will help fund future torch reviews and tutorials.