Wuben X4 First Impressions

Received a review sample of the Wuben X4. It is smaller than I expected. It weighs 140.4g including 18650 battery.

There is a very sturdy pocket clip that carries the light with the Front LEDs pointing UP, out of the pocket.



There is a 4 position slider switch, the options are: Lock, Sidelight, Frontlight and Moonlight.

There is a momentary Turbo lever on the tailcap. Turbo works when the slider is in either Sidelight or Frontlight, only when those lights are Off.

The momentary Turbo lever acts as an On Off switch when the slider is in Moonlight position.

Near the slider switch there is also an On Off button, with a rotary dial under it. The On Off button will also turn Moonlight On and off. The rotary dial has no function while in Moonlight mode.


The rotary dial works after the switch button is pressed to turn on the light, when the slider is in either Sidelight or Frontlight position.

There are two sidelight modes, one is RGB, and the rotary dial will change the color.


If the switch button is held down while in RGB Sidelight mode, the light will switch to Sidelight white LEDs. The rotary dial will change the brightness of the sidelights. The Rotary Dial works very well.


The light can be switched off either by pressing the side button, or by moving the slider switch to a different position. The last used output of each slider position is memorized.

The features are easy to use. I find the light most convenient to operate while held in my left hand. Because this puts all the controls at the top of the light where I can see them, and aims the sidelight away from my palm.

The white LEDs are cool white and Low CRI. The smooth ramping rotary dial works very well to change brightness of the White LEDs, or to change the color of the RGB LEDs. Double clic from off, while in Sidelight mode gives access to two color RGB flashing modes, including Red and Blue.

My favorite feature is the Rotary Dial when used to change the brightness of the white LEDs.

The Tactical Tailswitch works well for Momentary Turbo, and a double clic from Off provides Constant Strobe. These modes are available when the slider switch is in either Sidelight or Front light position.

The front lights are made up of Four separate LEDs, with different lenses. They all turn on and off together, so the beam is a blend of Flood and Throw. The combination works well.

For more complete operating details, here is a link to the Online Manual.

The Wuben X4 has an interesting form factor. I enjoy handling it. I like the sidelights for use on a table top, and the front lights can work well for walking outdoors.

The rotary dial is actually kinda silly on this one. The output isn't stepless! There are like 5 intensities to select from. It would have worked much better with 2 "clickers"; up and down. With the dial it's only confusion: "Am I turning up or down?", which depends on how you're holding the unit.

The moonlight mode is way too bright to be called that, plus the lowest setting in the regular mode gives the same output. So, the Moonlight mode is almost pointless, IMO, but I do see some logic behind having it that way in this flashlight.

The charging indicator is confusing, and next to useless. Also, the USB-C port, implemented like that, makes me nervous about moisture getting inside the unit. *I really love the magnetic connector on my Fenix E30R, btw.

The X4 feels heavy and chunky, which was my very first impression when I took it out of the box.

The bike mount is pretty pathetic. Honestly, the way it's designed feels like it was an afterthought. It's a shame, because that's what I bought the X4 for: headlight for my bike(s), primarily. I do carry it into the field when on foot, but then I almost never use it (I always have other lights with me). *I was really happy with my Fenix E30R as a bike light (plus other uses), and the ONLY reason I had it replaced with the X4 is because, at lower settings, the E30R isn't floody enough for me. Not the light's fault; it wasn't designed to be on a bike.

I'd say, overall, the X4 isn't a terrible purchase, especially if you can get it on sale. I only wish this model was also offered w.o. the battery, for a lower price. I would have gladly gone for an empty X4 instead, if it meant saving even 5 bucks, because I already have so many excellent 18650 cells, that I'm not using!

PS: The magnet is a pain in the rear to remove.

PPS: Almost forgot. I don't care for the tactical switch. I understand that some people need it, I don't. I wouldn't be saying nothing, if the X4 could do a PROPER tailstand. With the tail switch, the way it is, it's very unstable! Yes, you, can have this unit stand on the nose, for all those fancy side LEDs, but what if what you want is to bounce the main light off the ceiling, to fill up the room? Do better next time, Wuben.

I like the dial and love the feel of the light. I don't like the slide switch or the button for that matter. they both need to be much stronger and clicky. the slide barely has detents and the button has very little travel and both are easy to be moved accidentally.

the tail switch can't be used to signal. if you double or more click it like you were signalling it does other functions. A big mistake on what should have been a no brainer. it does have a tail magnet which is handy.

a special slide switch position for moon mode is not that useful. you can ramp moon up and front down with the dial so they are redundant IMHO.

The front has several emitters and both a spot and flood lens that are used together rather than one at a time. Maybe moon mode could have been used for selecting which front emitter to use.

The side white is a single LED instead of a COB or the W of the RGB strip but it otherwise works fine. the side blinkies are actually useful for biking (unlike some other lights with stupid features like S-O-S mode).

Don't get me wrong, I find a lot of nits with this light but it has been with me every day since I got it. As I mentioned it has a nice feel and heft and is surprisingly small for an 18650 light.

cdm-dude said:

The output isn't stepless! There are like 5 intensities to select from.

Click to expand...

youre right! I checked on my light meter and the dial does in fact always go to the same outputs, it is not infinitely variable.. Thank you for taking the time to figure that out and share info.

newts said:

you can ramp moon ...with the dial

Click to expand...

agree.. confirmed on my light meter.. 4 lumens front moonlight is the same as front white beam minimum.. fwiw on the side light the minimum is 0.4 lumens, and the other modes are also consistent fixed outputs...

I agree the moonlight setting is redundant.. i also dont like that the Tactical Momentary switch turns moonlight on and off.. I could do without the moonlight setting, or have it be repurposed as you suggest, to only give the Flood LED..

newts said:

I find a lot of nits with this light but it has been with me every day since I got it. As I mentioned it has a nice feel and heft and is surprisingly small for an 18650 light.

Click to expand...

thanks for including helpful feedback that may be useful for Wuben to improve the product ;-)

I like the RGB features.. and they can be used as a marker. With the clip holding the light, the side lights face outward in a useful way..

I considered bringing the Wuben X4 on an upcoming trip to help mark myself when waiting to be picked up by my ride from the Airport, using the Red Blue strobe.. I hesitate mainly because the white LEDs are not High CRI.

Someone on BLF has modded the front white LEDs to 4000K High CRI

I almost picked this up.. but the lack of high CRI lighting stopped me.

Is this light powered by a single 18650? Because that seems like an awfully bulky package for that cell.
I'm a bit surprised that you like this light, Jon, because I know you are a big Zebra fan, and the design aesthetic here is almost the opposite of theirs.
The Zebra philosophy is: how can we make the total package just slightly bulkier than the cell itself? Well, what if we make the UI completely digital, and operate it with a single button?
Here, the philosophy is: let's distribute the UI into separate physical interfaces and spread them around the body of the light. Separate commands and levels will have separate sliders, dials, switches, etc., with no master button to control them all. The volume of the light is going to double, but that's a price that we'll pay.
This account is unfair to Wuben in that they have also packed in side-lights and other emitters. But those other emitters do not take up as much real estate as all of the dials and sliders do.
I do think the result is cool and distinctive, and good for Wuben for trying new stuff. But for me, a light has to be easily pocketable, and this would be too bulky for a pocket. The only reason for a light that won't fit into a pocket is if it's a multi-celled monster, a pop-can or bigger, and at the end of the day this is just a single 18650 light.
Thanks for the review, Jon!

The clip is solid.. could go on the outside of a belt or backpack, so the sidelights are visible, such as when riding a Bicycle :-)

Yeh I have used it on my jacket while biking home in the evening. It has a good pulse blink that I like for bikes instead of slow beacon of others that I have.

I must second Mr. Depeche Mode here; never in a million years would I consider to EDC the X4, or even a different light of similar physical properties.


The design of the clip isn't great, but it's OK, I guess. The 2 tiny screws holding it do make me nervous,.. especially for this reason:

There's no dedicated attachment point for a lanyard on the X4! If you want a lanyard:

A: You have to attach one to the clip.
B: You have to have the clip installed.
* Also, the lanyard that arrived with my X4 was pretty pathetic. I've attached a different one, from an old Nitecore light.

Why do I even need a lanyard? Backup. When the X4 is on my bike’s handlebar, the lanyard is looped around the phone mount. I've had it this way with all my previous "bike lights" too, in case there's a failure of some kind (and there's plenty of room for that to happen).

When trekking on foot at night, my primary light is a headlamp, but there's always a backup within immediate reach. The X4 is it (currently). I loop the lanyard through a D-ring on the left shoulder strap of my backpack, and then I clip the light to an attachment point on same shoulder strap. I've had it this way with many other flashlights... Stuff can and does happen to me on the trail. I sometimes bump into rocks and tree branches, also with my shoulders... If that poor clip fails, the light goes down, because its "safety net", the lanyard, is attached TO the clip!... Poor design... My X4 can end up in a river, or in a deep crack between some rocks, where I can’t reach it, or at the bottom of a ravine, hundreds of feet below.

If I was MADE to carry the X4 all day in my pocket, the clip would be going so fast... Unfortunately, I have to live with it.

The side LEDs are useful for signaling (among other things). For example, if the primary blinky light on my bike(s) failed, for some reason, which is very unlikely, I could have the X4 clipped to my backpack, blinking away, announcing my presence to the traffic on the highway. Again, I'll probably never use the X4 for that, but the scenario has crossed my mind when I was weighing all its features. I try to have backups for EVERYTHING in life.

cdm-dude said:

I must second Mr. Depeche Mode here;

Click to expand...

Tee hee! I like it. Not how I came up with the name, but not bad, either.

lampeDépêche said:

Tee hee! I like it. Not how I came up with the name, but not bad, either.

Click to expand...

Honestly, it was because I couldn't type "lampeDépêche". Didn't think to copy & paste, like I did just now. I love Depeche Mode, btw.

jon_slider said:

Received a review sample of the Wuben X4. It is smaller than I expected. It weighs 140.4g including 18650 battery.

There is a very sturdy pocket clip that carries the light with the Front LEDs pointing UP, out of the pocket.
View attachment 87358


There is a 4 position slider switch, the options are: Lock, Sidelight, Frontlight and Moonlight.

There is a momentary Turbo lever on the tailcap. Turbo works when the slider is in either Sidelight or Frontlight, only when those lights are Off.

The momentary Turbo lever acts as an On Off switch when the slider is in Moonlight position.

Near the slider switch there is also an On Off button, with a rotary dial under it. The On Off button will also turn Moonlight On and off. The rotary dial has no function while in Moonlight mode.
View attachment 87357

The rotary dial works after the switch button is pressed to turn on the light, when the slider is in either Sidelight or Frontlight position.

There are two sidelight modes, one is RGB, and the rotary dial will change the color.
View attachment 87356

If the switch button is held down while in RGB Sidelight mode, the light will switch to Sidelight white LEDs. The rotary dial will change the brightness of the sidelights. The Rotary Dial works very well.
View attachment 87355

The light can be switched off either by pressing the side button, or by moving the slider switch to a different position. The last used output of each slider position is memorized.

The features are easy to use. I find the light most convenient to operate while held in my left hand. Because this puts all the controls at the top of the light where I can see them, and aims the sidelight away from my palm.

The white LEDs are cool white and Low CRI. The smooth ramping rotary dial works very well to change brightness of the White LEDs, or to change the color of the RGB LEDs. Double clic from off, while in Sidelight mode gives access to two color RGB flashing modes, including Red and Blue.

My favorite feature is the Rotary Dial when used to change the brightness of the white LEDs.

The Tactical Tailswitch works well for Momentary Turbo, and a double clic from Off provides Constant Strobe. These modes are available when the slider switch is in either Sidelight or Front light position.

The front lights are made up of Four separate LEDs, with different lenses. They all turn on and off together, so the beam is a blend of Flood and Throw. The combination works well.

For more complete operating details, here is a link to the Online Manual.

The Wuben X4 has an interesting form factor. I enjoy handling it. I like the sidelights for use on a table top, and the front lights can work well for walking outdoors.

Click to expand...

Nice review Jon, I was pleasantly surprised by this as it’s not a brand I tend to even look at. It’s nicely made, smaller than expected and nice UI. The loopgear pro is nicer all round, but with the x4 being a fraction of the cost, it puts it there imho. For a flat novelty edc light with a fun UI, hard to find much fault. Beating able to change the battery too if and when required is a bonus over the bore core offerings with built in batteries.

My only disappointment and it’s quite a fair one too, not being able to select the led options separate. Instead of all coming on, it would have been nice to have a couple of options along with dual use. For example cool throw and neutral / high CRI flood.

ven said:

Instead of all coming on, it would have been nice to have a couple of options along with dual use. For example cool throw and neutral / high CRI flood.

Click to expand...

agree!
the Moonlight switch could better serve to separate flood and throw..
what I miss the most is High CRI LEDs

jon_slider said:

agree!
the Moonlight switch could better serve to separate flood and throw..
what I miss the most is High CRI LEDs

Click to expand...

So far the EDC09 is what this x4 should have been . That is my preferred out of the 2 and it’s not really close. Still the x4 has its place as an EDC beater, some positives, some negatives but for the money, it’s decent and no regrets.
The EDC09 just feels more polished, more flexibility with colour temps . Smaller and feels lighter , how much by not sure. Maybe similar for all I know. The nitecore I think you would like, providing you can move past the proprietary battery. I have , in life there are many things to care about and are important, for me that’s well low down . Benefits is a lighter more compact light. No hinged doors that could wear out (had it many times on vape mods so it does happen). Again pros and cons.