Wuben T3
At the end there will be a summary for those who like only particulars. In each topic I will bold the key sentences, so it will be easier to notice what's the most important. Enjoy!
I received the flashlight from Wuben for review as a test version, which may (or may not) change to become the final version.
Their official website: https://www.wubenlight.com/
Table of Contents:
- General parameters
- Package content
- Appearance, parameters
- IU, heat dissipation and charging
- PWM
- Waterproofness
- Light pattern, tint
- Beamshots
- Usage and my experiences
- Gallery and Summary
General parameters
LED: CSLPM1.TG
Light Tint: Neutral
Max brightness: 1400 lumens
Optics: TIR shielded glass with AR coating
Modes: 5 continuous modes + 2 flashing modes (strobe and SOS)
Controls: Electronic switch on the head and another, mechanical, on the back of the flashlight ( tail- switch)
Power: 18650 cell included in the set
Charging: Built-in, via USB type C port covered with a rubber cap
Waterproof: IPX8, tested at low depth 6 hours, did not leak
Drop Resistance: 1.5 meters
cardboard box with a few extras, but the final version will have:
- Flashlight + 18650 cell
- Charging cable
- lanyard
- User manual
Personally, I like the design a lot. The aggressive front, the matte steel colored head bezel and other stuff. But one by one:
- There would seem to be TIR optics on the front. But that's not true. There is an AR coated glass on the front that protects the TIR optics. A very good solution! Why? Because plastic optics would get scratched quickly.
- Additionally we don't have the hole in the front. You can see that Wuben learns from its mistakes, because an earlier version using the same opticdidnt havr the glass only the plastic in front.
Can you see it? In the previous version there is a hole, and here there is no hole.
- Next we have a delicate cooling fins that helps to dissipate heat. There is also an illuminated on/off switch, which serves as an indication of the charge level of the cell.
- On the other side is a USB Type-C charging port shielded by a rubber cap.
The cap protrudes slightly beyond the body, but is nicely beveled on the sides and thick
- The tube is heavily and distinctively knurled to provide a very good grip.
- Next, there is a stiff and solid clip mounted, which also has an eyelet for a lanyard.
- We get a rubber tactical ring included, which gives you one more option for holding the flashlight.
- As for the threads, they are well greased.
- The spring is solid on both sides
- On the cap there is an eyelet for a lanyard, and also one more switch- forward type one,also called tactical - it lights up when lightly pressed, instead of when fully clicked as in the reverse switches.
This button is part of a very interesting user control (more on that later).
Generally we have 4 eyelets for a lanyard here, so we have a lot of crammed eyelets. After fitting a lanyard in each of them we can carry the flashlight safely. I recommend it.
IU
One could say that this is a pioneering way to drive. Or rather, I just don't know of another flashlight like this. I will try to describe it as simply as I can:
With each button you can turn the flashlight on and off. The one on the head turns on the last used mode and you can also switch between modes. Whichever mode you are in, even when the flashlight is off, the button on the bottom turns on (only) the highest mode. It is not memorized, so if, for example, you were using mode 1, turned off, pressed the back button (the highest mode is on), then after turning off the flashlight you will still be able to enter mode 1 using the button on the head.
Brilliant! Very intuitive and practical.
Heat dissipation
LED: CSLPM1.TG
Light Tint: Neutral
Max brightness: 1400 lumens
Optics: TIR shielded glass with AR coating
Modes: 5 continuous modes + 2 flashing modes (strobe and SOS)
Controls: Electronic switch on the head and another, mechanical, on the back of the flashlight ( tail- switch)
Power: 18650 cell included in the set
Charging: Built-in, via USB type C port covered with a rubber cap
Waterproof: IPX8, tested at low depth 6 hours, did not leak
Drop Resistance: 1.5 meters
Package content
cardboard box with a few extras, but the final version will have:
- Flashlight + 18650 cell
- Charging cable
- lanyard
- User manual
Appearance, parameters
Personally, I like the design a lot. The aggressive front, the matte steel colored head bezel and other stuff. But one by one:
- There would seem to be TIR optics on the front. But that's not true. There is an AR coated glass on the front that protects the TIR optics. A very good solution! Why? Because plastic optics would get scratched quickly.
- Additionally we don't have the hole in the front. You can see that Wuben learns from its mistakes, because an earlier version using the same opticdidnt havr the glass only the plastic in front.
Can you see it? In the previous version there is a hole, and here there is no hole.
- Next we have a delicate cooling fins that helps to dissipate heat. There is also an illuminated on/off switch, which serves as an indication of the charge level of the cell.
- On the other side is a USB Type-C charging port shielded by a rubber cap.
The cap protrudes slightly beyond the body, but is nicely beveled on the sides and thick
- The tube is heavily and distinctively knurled to provide a very good grip.
- Next, there is a stiff and solid clip mounted, which also has an eyelet for a lanyard.
- We get a rubber tactical ring included, which gives you one more option for holding the flashlight.
- As for the threads, they are well greased.
- The spring is solid on both sides
- On the cap there is an eyelet for a lanyard, and also one more switch- forward type one,also called tactical - it lights up when lightly pressed, instead of when fully clicked as in the reverse switches.
This button is part of a very interesting user control (more on that later).
Generally we have 4 eyelets for a lanyard here, so we have a lot of crammed eyelets. After fitting a lanyard in each of them we can carry the flashlight safely. I recommend it.
IU, heat dissipation and charging
IU
One could say that this is a pioneering way to drive. Or rather, I just don't know of another flashlight like this. I will try to describe it as simply as I can:
With each button you can turn the flashlight on and off. The one on the head turns on the last used mode and you can also switch between modes. Whichever mode you are in, even when the flashlight is off, the button on the bottom turns on (only) the highest mode. It is not memorized, so if, for example, you were using mode 1, turned off, pressed the back button (the highest mode is on), then after turning off the flashlight you will still be able to enter mode 1 using the button on the head.
Brilliant! Very intuitive and practical.
Heat dissipation
Looks good here.
In the max brightness test under room temperature, the brightness graph looks like this:
The flashlight was getting hot though, so I decided to see how it would perform for another 15 minutes. The next graph is a continuation of the previous one, although it looks like the initial power is 100%.
So the graph from minute 10 to minute 25 looks like this:
My curiosity was satisfied, and the flashlight does indeed respond dynamically to temperature increases.
Charging
Through the USB Type-C port on the head. The port is covered by a rubber cap that is tight and fits well. Charging indication is via an illuminated switch on the head.
The flashlight does not work with the charger plugged in alone, without a battery.
PWM
I did not observe any on the lowest mode.
Waterproofness
Declared IPX8, which is full water resistance to immersion in water. Of course, this is not a diving flashlight.
In my review, it dived to 15 cm (not deep, you know) but for 6 fat hours.
The flashlight did not leak anywhere, in the tube, under the glass or under the USB port cap.
Light pattern, tint
TIR optics and a diode with maximum brightness of 1400 lumens and neutral tint. The mentioned optics shapes the light into a narrow beam, but without a clear cut-off at the edges - instead, we have a gentle fade of the light, a very nice effect.
A photo showing the focus of the light and a clear spot:
In the slightly brightened photo, you can see better how the light gradually fades at the edges:
Beamshots
ISO200, t2s, f/3.5 white balance sunlight
A picture of what the forest looks like
Photos of Wuben T3
As you can see, it does not work well under your feet, but if you shine it in front of you, thanks to TIR optics, you have lighted road under your feet
In the distance:
Jak widać nawet na niskiej jasności latarka jest w stanie ledwo doświetlić słup stojący 60 metrów dalej. Przypomina mi to trochę latarkę zoom, gdzie mamy jasny środek, daleki zasięg, ale brak oświetlania boków - tutaj jednak oświetlanie boków mamy.
Usage and my experiences
I really liked this flashlight! Like not many others. The final version may differ from mine, but if it does, it will be cosmetic. While I sold part of my collection, I will keep this one. During a walk in the woods I didn't miss practically anything in it, only one thing: when I was using any mode and I wanted to shine for a moment on the brightest power, so I half pressed the back button (activating turbo), then when I already shone I would like the flashlight to return to the previous mode instead of turning off. Other than that, I have nothing to complain about. Neutral color of light and smooth fading of the spill makes it a pleasure to use.
Gallery
A comparison of the two new versions, the T1 and T3, a review of the former is at my account as well
Summary
The Wuben T3 is a very interesting flashlight. Created as a tactical design, it is characterized by a distinct metal bezel, TIR optics focusing the light and a diode with maximum brightness of 1400 lumens (neutral tint). The use of AR coated glass - to protect the plastic optics - is interesting, as well as the functional driver (more about it above in the section with control). I miss a little the possibility of using bigger 21700 cells (there is 18650) but it is at the expense of thick and armored case. The kit comes with the mentioned cell, lanyard, charging cable, clip(mounted) and rubber tactical ring (mounted). Everything you need to take it straight to the most diverse terrain, because it is protected by the IPX8 standard.
Pros:
+ Waterproof to IPX8
+ Practical and very functional IU
+ USB type C charging
Cons:
- What is missing to make it perfect is a 21700 power supply and an unscrewable head, but maybe it's just me who couldn't unscrew it
I hope you enjoyed!
