I saw the first pictures of the light a long time ago. Since then, it was clear that I would be doing this review. So, you won’t hear anything bad from me regarding the design, that’ what I can tell you in advance. As for the rest - let yourself be surprised by what Wuben has conjured up!
All my reviews can be found on my website.
Disclaimer: Wuben provided this light to me free of charge. This had no influence on the review.
All measurements were done using hobby-grade equipment, inaccuracies and deviations are therefore possible.
The X5 is available, as seen here, in black and in a silver-grey version with black accents.
You can buy the light directly from Wuben’s website (no affiliate link!).
Package Contents and Impressions
The light comes in a two-part, white-blue box, which immediately gives a very high-quality impression. Inside is a fair amount of black foam, in which the light and the charging cable, which is also the lanyard, are embedded.
Also included is a small hex key, with which you can swap the clip to the other side of the light. Great detail, this allows you to adapt the light to your preferred way of carrying and hand!
Wuben’s designs, especially the X-series, are all angular/edged-futuristic, and the X5 is no exception. In combination with the silk-matte black, the light looks rather martial at first glance. However, once you have it in your hand, that impression vanishes. In the fist, the light is very comfortable, the edges are neatly deburred and chamfered.
I couldn’t find any flaws in the workmanship. The anodizing is uniform and without blemish. There are no threads - like with almost all Wuben X-series lights, there is a flap at the tail instead. The opening mechanism with the lock is a great toy and pops open vigorously when you press the button.
Since the tabs on older models supposedly broke occasionally, Wuben has improved them and screwed them on, so that a new one can be mounted if necessary - commendable, repairability always gets a plus point from me.
If you open the flap, you will find a battery pack underneath, which can also be replaced by 4 AAA cells. A pictogram on the side shows how to insert them. The battery has mechanical reverse polarity protection - it can only be inserted the right way around, it simply won’t fit otherwise. Inserting the AAA cells incorrectly had no effect on the light, and after inserting them correctly, it works without any problems. With the battery pack, it has protection against deep discharge. I cannot say whether this is integrated into the light or the battery - I would guess the battery, however.
Interestingly, the battery pack does not fully utilize the space in the light. The tracks for the batteries remain empty. On one hand, it is nice that primary cells can be inserted so easily, on the other hand, a bit more battery capacity would probably have been possible - how much that really makes a difference and whether a suitable battery pack would have even existed, I don’t know, of course.
If you look at the tail, you see two switches. A flatter, deeper one that exclusively turns the laser on and off. And a second, higher one, which is responsible for the white light. This one is two-stage and has a good tactile click.
On the side of the light, there is a selector wheel. This locks the light completely when it is in the middle position. Depending on the direction it is turned, it activates white or UV light. The wheel can be operated with one hand, but it is stiff enough so that it definitely won’t adjust itself.
Below that, there is a battery/charging indicator in the form of a round, recessed cover with a red/blue LED underneath. This shows the charging process with red and full charge with blue.
Let’s jump a bit further towards the bright end of the light. There is a slider that hides a USB-C port. This offers good resistance and will not open by itself - whether it also seals the port or only protects it against the ingress of coarse dirt, I do not know. The light is protected according to IP65, so rain is not a problem, but you shouldn’t submerge it.
If you look into the light from the front, you see the green laser, the UV LED (2W power, not specified in further detail), and the main LED (Luminus SST36F, 5000K). Both sit in small, smooth reflectors, which form one unit together.
Modding shouldn’t be a problem, the bezel can be taken off with 4 screws. I can’t promise anything, though, as I didn’t take it off.
Olight Arkpro, Lumintop Moonbox 3.0, Wuben X5, Wurkkos TD11, Ultrafire S3, Acebeam K1
My scale puts the light at 129g, including the included battery.
I tried to illustrate the size of the light in the following pics.
Lanyard: The lanyard is already known from the X1 Pro and is also a USB-C cable. It is a bit stiffer than most lanyards, but holds the light reliably.
The lanyard can only be attached to the clip - I’d prefer to have an attachment point at the light itself, so the clip can fully be removed. It works flawless with like it is as long as you use the clip.
Clip: The clip is wide and has good tension. The opening is comfortably large, there are no screws in the way - even thicker jeans hems are absolutely no problem. It is not deep carry, the light sticks out quite a bit. That is not as discreet, but the light is easier to draw. As previously described, it can also be mounted on the other side of the light with little effort.
Magnet: There is no magnet included.
(Jacket)pocket: Clipped into the trouser pocket, the light is absolutely discreet if it isn’t too long for you. In a jacket pocket, or as seen above in the side pocket of the backpack, the light is barely noticeable due to its flat profile and low weight.
The UI is definitely unusual - after I got used to it, I quite like it, but that certainly won’t be the case for everyone.
The selector wheelif the wheel is at, the light is locked. Every button press is ignored, there is also no indicator for the lock. If it is at white light is activated, and if it is at UV, UV light is activated.
The laser button ⌖: As long as the light is not locked, this button turns the laser on and off independently of all other light sources. This means both white and UV can be combined with the laser. The laser does not have momentary light - the first click turns it on, the next one off.
Tthe main light button : The main light button is a two-stage switch with a rather interesting way of working. It behaves like a combination of a forward and reverse clicky.
| State of the light | Aktion | Result |
|---|---|---|
| off | half press | momentary on, last used mode |
| off or half pressed | full press | constant on, last used mode |
| on | half press | next mode |
| on | full press | off |
| on | double half press | Strobe |
This leads to an interesting side effect: If the light is on and you want to turn it off, you “switch” the brightness level for a moment. This takes some getting used to at first and I was afraid it might be distracting or possibly blinding, but honestly, while using the light, I simply didn’t notice it anymore.
Overall, I like the operation of the light. It is simple, straightforward, and clear - and yet something new. Only the lack of shortcuts to the lowest and highest brightness levels is a bit of a pity, but acceptable for a not-super-bright EDC.
All measurements were done in my 30cm integrating sphere. The temperature was between 20 and 24°C. Additionally, an Opple Light Master III and a TASi TA636B lux meter were used. Please note that this is hobby equipment, so inaccuracies and deviations are possible!
The beam pattern is very clean. With a large hotspot and a visible, but not too sharp, transition to a wide spill, the light is optimally suited for the area in front of the feet up to about 50, maximum 100m. The levels are well chosen. However, the spill and spot differ in light color - the spot is neutral white, the spill slightly purple and colder.
The UV light is not filtered and has a significant amount of visible light, but it is powerful, has good distribution due to the reflector (similar to the white light), and therefore also some throw.
The green laser, I have the non-EU version, is powerful and cleanly focused. The EU version will be somewhat weaker due to the lower power, but otherwise comparable.
| Eco | Low | Med | High | Turbo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spec | 1 | 50 | 150 | 350 | 1300 (930 with 1,5V AAA) |
| Meine Messung | <3lm | 54 | 164 | 380 | 1331 |
I measured 5000cd at one meter, so 140m. That is a bit low compared to the specs.
Turbo output quickly drops, after that the light is regulated really good until the end of the runtime. There is no further stepdown, it just shuts off, warning you with the battery indicator beforehand. Turbo with AAA is really good, too!
All modes are regulated equally good. I didn’t test eco.
Compared with other lights, the X5 is not bad at all!
| Low | Turbo | |
|---|---|---|
| CCT | ~4600 | ~4700 |
| CRI | 67 | 65 |
| DUV | LMIII varies between 0,008 and 0,011 | 0,006 |
Flicker is in the green area.
Click here for all screenshots from the Opple Light Master III.
PWM: I could not detect PWM with my eyes or a camera.
Let’s start with the Laser. A beamshot of the one light alone isn’t too helpful, that’S why there is a comparison, too. The three call 3R lasers are on the same level, the Arkpro (0,5mW - EU-Version) is quite weak compared to them. The red laser on the Ultrafire S3 is weaker than that of the moonbox, but this review is about the X5.
Olight Arkpro (EU-Version), Ultrafire S3 (rot), Acebeam K1, Lumintop Moonbox 3.0, Wuben X5
Of course there are “normal” beamshots of all those lights, too - indoor, this time, but in the nice dining area of my vacation stay.
All single images can be found here!
Batteries and charging
The capacity also seems realistic. Unfortunately, my charge analyzer has some trouble with accurate readings, which is why that data isn’t included in the curve."
The X5 is definitely a welcome addition to the market of flat EDC lights. If I wanted a flat multi-function EDC until now, I almost always reached for the Arkpro, because it brought the fewest disadvantages. With the arrival of the X5, that has changed.
Thanks to the tail switch and selector wheel with lock, simple UI, and a really good clip, I preferred the X5 over the significantly more expensive Arkpro - unless I valued the UV light. Not that the UV light of the X5 is bad, but the filter of the Arkpro gives it a slight advantage here.
Due to the great performance with primary cells, the X5 remains usable even when there is no charging possibility in sight - and even if the battery is not a standard part, it is replaceable. If you combine that with the USB-C charging possibility, it also becomes a very good overall package in this point. At this point, I would also like to briefly praise Wuben for listening to the multiple feedback from users and deciding on a neutral white LED!
Design is always a matter of taste - and I like the designs of the Wuben X-series a lot. This also applies to that of the X5, although this one fooled me a bit. Because the first impression is rather martial and tactical, yet the X5 is a quite civilian EDC light that is a good alternative to the previously available competition for everything from office presentations to geocaching and dog walks, as well as for traveling.