Don’t get lost in the dark – the new Wuben X1 Pro proves that even a small pocket can be used to carry an impressive amount of light. It gives users the choice between a spotlight with long range, a wide flood beam or a combination of both. Active cooling with a fan extends continuous operation at high brightness. The batteries can be easily swapped and in an emergency it can also be used as a power bank.
You can find the German version of this review on my website: SammysHP Blog › Wuben X1 Pro
The flashlight was provided by the manufacturer for this review. Thank you very much!
Hardware
The X1 Pro comes in a sturdy box, with small compartments for the accessories to keep everything organized. The tripod adapter arrived in a separate package and likely isn’t part of the standard contents. There’s also a bike mount available, though I didn’t receive one.
- 2× Wuben “ABD4800” 21700 Li-ion battery (4800 mAh, protected, 3.82 V at arrival)
- Combined lanyard and charging cable
- Replacement screws for fan (4 pieces)
- Belt holster (“Blet Holster”)
- Manual (EN, CN, DE, ES, PT, PL, JP)
- Tripod mounting plate with four screws (optional)
The multilingual manual includes color diagrams, a written description of the functions and a table listing the technical specifications.
Notable is the wrist strap, which also doubles as a USB-C charging cable. By pressing the two clips together, the cable can be released from the cap, which stays attached to the light. It’s a practical accessory since you always have a charging cable on hand, though the strap itself is fairly stiff because of the cable.
The light is available in black as well as in white with black accents. The body is made entirely of aluminum and is held together with various screws.
With its flat shape, the X1 Pro’s design clearly stands out from “classic” cylindrical lights. The edges are beveled in various directions and are perfectly chamfered and deburred.
At 373 g, the X1 Pro is no lightweight. It’s comfortable to carry in a jacket pocket, but less suitable as an EDC for your pants – though it still fits without any trouble. Considering the performance of this light, however, it suddenly feels much more compact.
Length: 138 mm
Width: 47 – 59 mm
Height: 28 mm
Weight (without battery): 232 g
Weight (2× 21700 battery): 141 g
Weight (total): 373 g
In my collection I have two lights with a similar design, but they’re made for 18650 batteries and are therefore smaller than the X1 Pro with its 21700 cells. In terms of performance, however, the X1 Pro is clearly ahead.
Loop Gear SK05 Pro | Wuben X1 Pro | Nitecore EDC37
On the narrow side, you’ll find the charging port, a button and the latch for the battery compartment. The air intake for the cooling system is also visible near the button.
Three long grooves on the top surface create an accent in the design and add some depth to the area. At the front, you can see the switch for channel selection.
On the battery cover at the rear you’ll find various compliance markings, the serial number and information about the capacity of the included batteries (which may be relevant for air travel).
The build quality is excellent. Everything feels solid, with many parts held together by screws and the edges are perfectly deburred. Only the cover for the charging port doesn’t quite match the otherwise premium appearance.
This model only achieves an IP65 rating, meaning it is protected against water jets. This is probably mainly due to the relatively exposed fan. In practical terms, the light should handle rain without issues, but it’s best not to drop it into a puddle.
Attachment
At the rear end, there is a hole for attaching a wrist strap or lanyard. Thanks to the generous 4 mm diameter, even thicker cords can easily be threaded through the opening.
An optional adapter plate is available, which attaches to the back of the light using two screws. It allows you to mount the light on a (also optional) bike mount and includes a 1/4"-20 UNC tripod thread.
With this adapter, the X1 Pro can be mounted on a tripod or, as in this case, on a “magic arm,” allowing it to be positioned precisely.
There is no belt clip, but there is a belt holster (also referred to as a “Blet Holster” by the manufacturer). The lamp is secured by pushing it through an elastic loop and fastening it with Velcro – an operation that requires both hands and a bit of dexterity. The design of the clip ensures that the light cannot accidentally detach from the belt. For more comfortable carry or belt use, the clip can be rotated in eight positions. One noticeable drawback is a strong chemical smell coming from the holster.
Overall, the holster feels somewhat bulky and impractical. A simple metal clip could easily be mounted using the two screws on the back. A rigid hard-shell holster would also be a more suitable alternative.
Cooling
Even with modern LEDs, a significant amount of heat is generated at high output. To dissipate this heat and enable sustained high brightness, the X1 Pro features a sophisticated cooling system.
A fan in the head of the light draws air in on one side, moves it through cooling fins and blows it out on the other side. Although the airflow feels rather weak, it has a noticeable effect on the light’s cooling performance.
After loosening four small T4 screws, the 20 × 20 × 6 mm fan can be easily removed for maintenance and cleaning. The electrical connection is made via two small spring contact pins.
The fan is held in place in its frame by only a strip of foam and is soldered to a circuit board via two wires. As a result, it can be replaced relatively easily if it fails.
However, active cooling also has its drawbacks: dirt and moisture can enter the fan and potentially damage it. It also produces noise – while not particularly loud, it is noticeable in quiet environments.
Power supply
The light is powered by two 21700 Li-ion batteries. A flip cover at the tail allows for quick and easy battery replacement. The locking mechanism includes a safety switch to prevent accidental opening.
The two batteries are connected in series and should therefore have identical characteristics and always be used as a matched pair. A center contact allows the cells to be balanced during charging.
A spring is used at the negative terminal. The positive terminal, on the other hand, is a flat, slightly recessed metal contact surrounded by a plastic insert, meaning only button-top batteries can be used. This also serves as a mechanical reverse-polarity protection. The light comes with protected batteries; unprotected cells may be too short for the light and might not make reliable contact.
An integrated USB-C port allows the batteries to be charged directly inside the light. While charging also works with a basic 5 V power supply, it takes quite a long time – over five hours. Using a high-power PD charger is significantly faster: in my test, charging at 20 V with up to 28 W was completed in just 2:20 hours.
The charging progress is indicated by an LED in the switch, which changes from red to blue when charging is complete. Strictly speaking, it switches to blue slightly earlier – likely while a final balancing phase is still taking place. During charging, the light can still be used in the two lowest output modes.
A silicone cover protects the charging port from water and dirt. Unfortunately, the cover is awkwardly positioned and tends to open unintentionally quite easily, especially when using the button. This risk can be reduced – and usability improved – by cutting off the small tab that is intended to make opening easier.
The X1 Pro can also be used as a power bank, including PD support for fast charging. With a total battery capacity of just over 35 Wh, this feature is more than just a gimmick.
User interface and handling
The X1 Pro is primarily operated via a button on the side of the head. It is used to turn the light on and off and to adjust the brightness. Due to its exposed position, short travel and relatively light actuation force, there is a certain risk of accidental activation. At the same time, the smooth, flat surface makes it difficult to locate by touch, which can complicate operation.
Switching between spotlight, floodlight or a combination of both channels is done via a sliding switch on the wide side of the head. It clicks nicely into all three positions. It is based on Hall sensors, so a strong magnet can temporarily interfere with its function.
The flashlight’s UI is simple and well thought out. Both the lowest and highest brightness levels can be accessed directly. The last used brightness is remembered (except for Turbo mode). Switching channels does not affect the active mode or the selected brightness level.
| State | Action | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Off | 1 click | Turn on (previously used brightness except Turbo) |
| Off | 2 clicks | Turbo |
| Off | 3 clicks | Strobe |
| Off | 4 clicks | Lockout |
| Off | 5 clicks | Turn fan on/off |
| Off | Hold | Eco |
| On | 1 click | Turn off |
| On | 2 clicks | Turbo |
| On | 3 clicks | Strobe |
| On | 5 clicks | Turn fan on/off |
| On | Hold | Change brightness (Eco → Low → Med → High) |
| Turbo | 1 click | Turn off |
| Turbo | 2 clicks | Previous brightness |
| Turbo | 3 clicks | Strobe |
| Turbo | 5 clicks | Turn fan on/off |
| Turbo | Hold | Eco |
| Strobe | 1 click | Previously used brightness or turn off |
| Strobe | 2 clicks | Turbo |
| Strobe | 3 clicks | Switch between strobe and SOS |
| Strobe | 5 clicks | Turn fan on/off |
| Lockout | 4 clicks | Unlock and turn on in Eco |
By quickly pressing the button five times, the fan can be activated for five minutes at any time – even when the light is turned off. It can be turned off again in the same way, provided the lamp is not too hot.
In strobe mode the frequency alternates roughly every two seconds between 9 and 14 Hz. Both strobe and SOS modes take the selected channel into account.
Locking the light is confirmed by three bright flashes, which can be disruptive in dark environments. When the button is pressed afterward, only the status LED flashes a few times. It would be nice to have a momentary low mode available while the light is locked.
After switching the flashlight on, a status LED in the button indicates the approximate battery charge level for five seconds. At a critical battery voltage, the LED flashes red periodically while the flashlight is on.
| Color | Battery level |
|---|---|
| Blue | 90% – 100% |
| Blue blinking | 40% – 90% |
| Red | 15% – 40% |
| Red blinking | < 15% |
For users with smaller hands, the X1 Pro may feel a bit uncomfortable to handle. However, from glove size 8 onward, the light should fit well. Reaching the switches should then also be effortless. Thanks to its slight waist, the light sits securely in the hand, but otherwise feels somewhat smooth. I might try adding some self-adhesive anti-slip tape to certain areas.
Illumination
The light is produced by a total of five Cree XHP50.3 LEDs: four for floodlight and one for spotlight. The floodlight uses the “High Density” (HD) version with a dome, while the spotlight uses the “High Intensity” (HI) version without a dome. The dome affects an LED’s efficiency by improving the optical transition between the LED and air. At the same time, it changes the beam pattern, making the light slightly more floody.
All five LEDs produce a cool white light with relatively low CRI. In both channels, the spot is slightly warmer than the spill.
The surface of the two reflectors is partly smooth and partly covered with fine concentric rings. For the spotlight, these rings are located in the center, while for the floodlight they are positioned toward the outer area. They likely serve to reduce artifacts in the beam pattern. I’ve seen a similar structure in other lights as well. The reflectors are protected by a glass lens with a magenta anti-reflective coating.
The beam is exactly what you would expect: the spotlight produces a narrow, fairly sharply defined spot surrounded by a faint corona and a relatively bright spill. The floodlight can be described as center-weighted. The spot – if it can still be called that – is wide and diffuse, with brightness gradually decreasing toward the edges. The combination of both channels offers a good compromise when you can’t decide on a single beam profile.
Which channel is more suitable depends on the situation. The spotlight offers greater throw distance, while the spill adequately illuminates the near field without causing glare. If only the immediate surroundings need to be lit, the floodlight is clearly the better choice, as it provides a more even and wider distribution of light.
Links to individual images:
[ 1A 1B 1C ]
[ 2A 2B 2C ]
[ 3A 3B 3C ]
[ 4A 4B 4C ]
Driver and runtime
The X1 Pro is advertised with a brightness of 12,300 lumens. In continuous operation, it is also said to sustain 3,000 lumens. For a flashlight of this size, that would be an impressive performance.
| Mode | Brightness¹ | Runtime¹ | Intensity¹ (Throw²) | Current³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spot » Turbo | 3650 / 2000 / 1200 lm | 1 + 1 + 222 min | 5.07 A | |
| Spot » High | 1200 lm | 4 h | 1.06 A | |
| Spot » Med | 500 lm | 11 h | 0.37 A | |
| Spot » Low | 200 lm | 28 h | 0.15 A | |
| Spot » Eco | 10 lm | 455 h | 0.01 A | |
| Mix » Turbo | 12300 / 5000 / 3000 lm | 1 + 1 + 102 min | 42025 cd (410 m) | 14.50 A |
| Mix » High | 3000 lm | 1.8 h | 2.49 A | |
| Mix » Med | 1000 lm | 5.5 h | 0.74 A | |
| Mix » Low | 400 lm | 14 h | 0.29 A | |
| Mix » Eco | 20 lm | 220 h | 0.02 A | |
| Flood » Turbo | 8650 / 3000 / 1800 lm | 1 s + 1 + 168 min | 11.00 A | |
| Flood » High | 1800 lm | 3.1 h | 1.37 A | |
| Flood » Med | 500 lm | 11 h | 0.36 A | |
| Flood » Low | 200 lm | 28 h | 0.15 A | |
| Flood » Eco | 10 lm | 365 h | 0.01 A | |
| Fan | 45 mA | |||
| Off | 36 µA |
¹ According to manufacturer ² ANSI FL1 ³ Measured
However, the runtime test clearly shows that this promise is not achieved in Turbo mode. Brightness begins to drop continuously almost from the start, over a period of about two minutes. This affects all channels equally. Assuming that the output later stabilizes at the manufacturer’s stated 3,000 lumens, the Turbo level is likely closer to 9,000–10,000 lumens rather than 12,300 lumens.
After the initial reduction, the brightness is fortunately kept almost constant until the end. This suggests that continuous operation at 3,000 lumens is indeed possible.
The following three charts show the brightness of the three highest levels for mixed, flood and spotlight. In High mode, the brightness remains constant from the start and matches the later output level of Turbo. The only difference between the two modes is therefore during the first one to two minutes.
In Turbo mode the temperature rises quickly to up to 50 °C. After about 15 to 30 seconds, the fan switches on automatically to cool the light.
In High mode significantly less heat is generated, so the fan only activates after about four and a half minutes. The activation point is clearly visible in the temperature curve.
Additional cooling does not appear to affect the brightness curve. In both cases, brightness is reduced at the same rate and maintained at an identical level. Runtime is also nearly the same. However, the temperature curve shows a clear difference. The impact of the integrated fan becomes evident in the test with external cooling, especially when it shuts off toward the end.
Heat is mainly concentrated at the head of the light. When under full power, you should better not touch the head to avoid burns
Thermal images with Zoyi ZT-R02
All brightness levels are regulated without PWM. However, depending on the mode, a varying amount of ripple can be measured with an oscilloscope. The frequency is 20 to 30 kHz and is therefore not visible to the human eye.
The driver does not appear to be fully stable in some cases. For example, on the Low setting in spotlight mode, the level of ripple drops abruptly shortly after switching the light on. Again, this is not visible to the eye.
When switching from Turbo to Eco in floodlight mode, it takes about a second for the brightness to stabilize. The effect is also audible, as the driver produces a faint high-pitched whine in Eco mode.
The manufacturer does not provide much detail about the driver type. Based on its behavior, it is likely a buck converter: it operates from an input voltage of up to 8.4 V from two cells in series, shows a small high-frequency ripple and maintains a regulated, constant brightness that only drops at the end of the runtime and in Turbo mode.
Once the batteries drop below about 5.6 V – i.e. 2.8 V per cell – the light automatically shuts off to prevent deep discharge. In my tests I did not connect the center contact, so I cannot say whether it monitors each cell individually.
Conclusion
I have not seen more light from a flashlight of this size. Thanks to its flat form factor, the Wuben X1 Pro fits easily into your pocket. With spotlight, floodlight or a combination of both, the light can be adapted to any situation. Active fan cooling allows for longer operation at high brightness. The batteries can either be charged directly in the light via USB-C or quickly replaced if needed.
However, the specified 12300 lm output is not fully achieved and also drops quickly within the first few seconds. After that, 3000 lumens are maintained consistently for about 1.5 hours. With heavy use, the fan could be affected by water and dirt, but it can be replaced relatively easy if needed.
Got curious? The Wuben X1 Pro can now be ordered here at wubenlight.com.