Wurkkos HD20 Headlamp Review
I have today my very first Wurkkos flashlight, the Wurkkos HD20 21700 headlamp. It’s quite a beast, actually, offering every feature I can really think of. Dual emitters (one high CRI, one flood). USB-C charging. USB-C powerbank(!!). Magnet tailcap. It’s just really a full-featured headlamp! Read on for some testing.
Official Specs and Features
Wurkkos doesn’t really seem to have an official website yet. I believe the aliexpress page is about as official as it’ll get for now.
Wurkkos HD20 21700 Headlamp Versions
I only see one available (black), but I believe there’s an “army green” body available too. The HD20 is available with or without a 21700 cell.
Price
These are going for $48.99 on Amazon (referral link) right now, and that includes the 21700 cell!
Short Review
The feature set for under $50 is ridiculous and completely worth the price. I really can’t name anything this light should do that it doesn’t do, and most of what it does, it does very well.
Long Review of the Wurkkos HD20 21700 Headlamp
The Big Table
Three tables, here actually, with testing on all three emitter options.
Wurkkos HD20 21700 Headlamp (referral link) | |
---|---|
Emitter: | Cree XP-L HD and Samsung LH351d (Both Emitters) |
Price in USD at publication time: | $48.99 on amazon (referral link) |
Cell: | 1×21700 |
Turbo Runtime | High Runtime |
LVP? | Yes with switch warning |
Switch Type: | E-Switch |
Quiescent Current (mA): | 0.1 |
On-Board Charging? | Yes |
Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
USB to USB-C Chargetime | USB-C to USB-C Chargetime |
Power off Charge Port | with cell: All modes technically – but lower modes alternate in brightness as the switch blinks red without cell: All modes technically – but lower modes alternate in brightness as the switch blinks red |
Claimed Lumens (lm) | 2000 |
Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1213 (60.7% of claim)^ |
Candela per Lumen | 5.6 |
Claimed Throw (m) | 144 |
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 717lux @ 3.276m = 7695cd |
Throw (Calculated) (m) | 175.4 (121.8% of claim)^ |
All my Wurkkos reviews! |
Wurkkos HD20 21700 Headlamp (referral link) | |
---|---|
Emitter: | Cree XP-L HD (Spotlight) |
Price in USD at publication time: | $48.99 |
Cell: | 1×21700 |
Turbo Runtime | High Runtime |
Power off Charge Port | with cell: All modes technically – but lower modes alternate in brightness as the switch blinks red without cell: All modes technically – but lower modes alternate in brightness as the switch blinks red |
Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1300 |
Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1137 (87.5% of claim)^ |
Candela per Lumen | 7 |
Claimed Throw (m) | 141 |
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 674lux @ 3.456m = 8050cd |
Throw (Calculated) (m) | 179.4 (127.2% of claim)^ |
All my Wurkkos reviews! |
Wurkkos HD20 (referral link) | |
---|---|
Emitter: | Samsung LH351d (Floodlight) |
Cell: | 1×21700 |
Turbo Runtime | |
Power off Charge Port | with cell: All modes technically – but lower modes alternate in brightness as the switch blinks red without cell: All modes technically – but lower modes alternate in brightness as the switch blinks red |
Claimed Lumens (lm) | 700 |
Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 505 (72.1% of claim)^ |
Candela per Lumen | 1.2 |
Claimed Throw (m) | 44 |
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 73lux @ 3.036m = 673cd |
Throw (Calculated) (m) | 51.9 (118% of claim)^ |
All my Wurkkos reviews! |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What’s Included
- Wurkkos HD20 Headlamp
- Wurkkos 4800mAh 21700 cell (standard)
- 21700 to 18650 plastic adapter
- Pocket clip
- USB to USB-C Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Headband (three-point)
- Spare o-rings (2)
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The build quality of this headlamp is very good. It’s a solid light. By solid, I mean all the things: Solid as in well build. Solid as in heavy.
A heavy light isn’t one you would probably want on your forehead as a headlamp. But that’s becoming more and more common, so it is what it is. Either you’re ok with it, or you’re not. Olight is making 21700 headlamps too (see: Perun 2), so you can expect them to be completely acceptable sooner than later.
There are two emitters – if I was complaining about anything on this light, it’ll probably be this. I don’t actually need the flood option at all. The main (spot) (bigger) emitter seen above suits my needs completely, and if I need flood, I’ll just manually diffuse the spot emitter.
There are ridges on the body, very suitable for a headlamp.
The tailcap has reeding, which helps with removal. You might never even choose to remove the tailcap though since the light has charging built-in.
The switch is on the “top” of the HD20, and so headstanding is problematic.
The head also has some unusual reeding. It seems out of place, until you use this as a headlamp, and realize this helps with adjusting the angle of the light. It’s extremely well planned.
There’s minimal printing on the light, but it does include a label for cell direction. This image doesn’t really look like the included cell though (the positive isn’t quite as clear on the included cell – see below!)
The threads on the tailcap are very smooth. square-cut, moderately lubed, and anodized.
Both the head and tail are removable from the cell tube.
They both have beefy springs, too.
This is just for fun. They don’t screw together (of course.) But wouldn’t an HD20 this size be fun?
Size and Comps
Officially 122mm x 30mm, and 130g without cell.
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll show that here, too (usually the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
And here’s the light beside my custom engraved TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats.
Below is the HD20 with the Olight Perun 2. The Wurkkos is a little bigger, but overall I’d say a much better light.
Retention and Carry
This is labeled a headlamp, so I’ll start there. A three-point headband is included – that means there is a strap over the head, too. This strap isn’t removable.
The top strap isn’t really removable, nor would I recommend it. You’ll need that for full support.
No grip strips or anything is on the inside of this strap.
The HD20 slips into the headband easily, but not while also using the pocket clip.
Speaking of the pocket clip, here it is. It’s a friction fit two-way clip and connects in the grooves of the headlamp. It’ll go on the mid-body part, and also can go on the tail end, too.
Also included is a magnet on the tailcap, which is (surprisingly) strong enough to hold this light horizontally.
And finally, the lanyard connection, which is in the tailcap.
Power and Runtime
A single lithium-ion cell powers the HD20. The proper size is 21700, and one can be included with your purchase if you opt for that package. The cell is a 4800mAh 21700, and is not special or proprietary or customized in any way (except the nice Wurkkos wrapper).
This does mean that other 21700 cells can be (fully) used in the HD20. They’ll power the light, they can be charged in the light, and they can be used with the powerbank function.
An adapter for using a single 18650 cell is included. This is a simple plastic sleeve, useful for only centering the cell and nothing more.
As depicted on the tailcap cell orientation image, the cell goes into the light in the “normal” way – positive end toward the head.
I performed a number of runtime tests. The only real issue I saw with performance is that when using both emitters, the output isn’t really all that much higher than using just the spot emitter. So I’m not sure what the point is really, but it is what it is.
That said, here are two runtimes with both emitters. The temperature regulation is extremely active, which is a little surprising, but still acceptable.
Aside from the thermal regulation above, the output is unregulated. Sorry but on this test I apparently forgot to activate my temperature logger.
Here’s a runtime on turbo with just the spotlight. You can see the active thermal regulation here as well.
High with just the Spot emitter is unregulated, again.
Output on turbo of the flood emitter is of course much lower and differently regulated.
All in all these tests are ok. What would really set this light off is regulated output. The outputs also don’t quite meet the specification.
Low voltage protection is observed at least in some of the runs. The light didn’t always shut off, but the switch indicated in every case that the voltage was low. The switch will also indicate the power level for around 5 seconds after the light is turned on. Indications are as follows:
Green: >30% power
Red: <30% power
Flashing Red: Low power
Charging
Another feature of the HD20 is built-in charging. There’s a USB-C port in the head, which has a press-in cover. This cover is quite thick, and when installed properly, very secure. It has a thick edge and must be deliberately pushed into the opening.
An appropriate charge cable is included. It’s USB to USB-C. Note that USB-C to USB-C works as well, but always just at 5V.
Here’s a charge graph with the USB to USB-C setup. It’s fairly normal, and charges at well over 2A. The cell should handle that easily – it’s under 0.5C for a cell of that capacity.
And here’s a graph with USB-C to USB-C. Note that the dropout around 70 minutes was my fault – I knocked over the setup. Charging here goes to almost 2.5A!
Powerbank
This light has one more incredible feature to offer – a powerbank function!
It looks to be rated at 1.6A output and of course, that’s USB-C output. So I tested it at 1.6A out. The powerbank feature does include low voltage protection, too. I tested this to well above 1.6A for what it’s worth, and the HD20 will actually output over 3.5A, but still really maintains around 11W. So at 3.5A out, the voltage is WAY out of USB spec (at around 3.3V). Still interesting that it’ll go that high in current!
First is the full graph, until the end where the shutoff happened. My setup kept trying to restart, which explains the massive mess at the end.
And here’s the initial minute or so, where I pushed the output as hard as I could.
Modes and Currents
Both:
Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
---|---|---|---|---|
Turbo | 2000 | 1h44m | 1213 | 5.90 |
High | 850 | 5h19m | 532 | 1.24 |
Medium | 260 | 22h13m | 178 | 0.50 |
Low | 85 | 56h23m | 54 | 0.17 |
Moonlight | 2 | 960h | ~ | ~ |
Floodlight:
Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
---|---|---|---|---|
Turbo | 700 | 1h44m | 505 | 2.90 |
High | 350 | 5h19m | 170 | 0.67 |
Medium | 110 | 22h13m | 55 | 0.26 |
Low | 35 | 56h23m | 20 | 0.08 |
Moonlight | 1 | 960h | ~ | ~ |
Spotlight:
Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
---|---|---|---|---|
Turbo | 1300 | 1h44m | 1137 | 2.98 |
High | 500 | 5h19m | 375 | 0.64 |
Medium | 150 | 22h13m | 116 | 0.26 |
Low | 50 | 56h23m | 37 | 0.09 |
Moonlight | 1 | 960h | ~ | ~ |
Pulse Width Modulation
There is PWM on all modes – even Turbo. But even at the lowest setting, it’s not PWM that I can call “noticeable.” It’s plenty fast. Interesting that the PWM of “both” is individual. I’m not really certain what this means, and it’s neither a good or a bad thing. Just a fun novelty.
Both:
Floodlight:
Spotlight:
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor.
Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
A single switch is used to control the Wurkkos HD20. It’s on the head, and the light can be setup in the headband where that’s the right or left side.
The switch is slightly proud of the body, so prevents headstanding.
The action is very low – probably under half a mm of travel.
As mentioned above, the switch is an indicating one, with both red and green emitters.
Here’s a user interface table!
State | Action | Result |
---|---|---|
Off | Click | On (Mode memory) |
On | Click^^ | Off |
Off | Hold | Moonlight (of previously used emitter) |
Any | Double Click | Turbo (of previously used emitter)^ |
Turbo (any emitter combo) | Double Click | Strobe (both emitters) |
Strobe | Double Click | SOS (both emitters) |
SOS | Double Click | Beacon (both emitters) |
Off | Triple click | Cell check (same check as turning the light on, but the light doesn’t turn on in this check) |
Off | Click 4x | Lockout |
Lockout | Hold | Momentary moonlight (both emitters) |
Lockout | Click | Spot emitter blink 1.5x |
Lockout | Click 4x | Unlock (previously used mode) |
On | Hold | Mode advance (LMH only) |
On | Click and Click Hold | Switch emitter (Flood > Spot > Both) (advances to last used mode for that emitter) |
^ differs from the manual’s claim
^^ If you access turbo from an on state, clicking when in turbo will send you to the previously used mode. Otherwise (and in all cases, I think), clicking turns the light off.
I think that’s pretty much all for the user interface. It’s pretty well featured. It seems like when going to “Both” emitters, they’re set to match on “Low.” That’s a pretty good setup, and means you won’t get mismatched outputs.
LED and Beam
There are two emitters on the HD20. They’re both 5000K in temperature. In the photo below, the top emitter is a Cree XP-L HD neutral white emitter, with a big TIR. It’s surprising as the “Spot” option that this isn’t the HD version of the XP-L emitter. Even better would be an XHP35 HI.
Below that in the smaller opening is a Samsung LH351d, with a dimpled TIR. This emitter is high CRI, at 90 CRI. The CRI is really the only reason to include this emitter. This is the flood emitter.
The emitters can be used in just about any setup – Just the flood, just the spot, or both at once.
These beamshots are always with the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Both:
Floodlight:
Spotlight:
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left, and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.
Both:
Floodlight:
Spotlight:
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion on the Wurkkos HD20 21700 Headlamp
What I like
- Complete package for under $50
- Incredible feature set
- Dual emitters – both 5000K
- One high CRI emitter
- Indicating e-switch
- Fairly comprehensive user interface
- Powerbank feature works well
- USB-C charging is good at >2A
- USB-C to USB-C charging even works!
What I don’t like
- Flood emitter is really not that useful
- User interface can be a little confusing going from spot to both
- Cree XP-L HD instead of XP-L HI is an odd choice for the spot output
Notes
- This light was provided by Wurkkos for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
- Use my amazon.com referral link if you’re willing to help support making more reviews like this one!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!
The spot LED turns on 15 μs after the flood LED in my test. It might be intentional to reduce the rapid change in current. Maybe they use a microcontroller with multi-phase PWM support. Or it’s just how two timers are implemented in the microcontroller.
Pingback: Holiday Flashlight Guide 2020 - Should You Buy These? - ZeroAir Reviews
What would you recommend between hd20 and wuben h1? I saw the wuben have really good stabilization and regulation.
If not considering the price which in your opinion is better? I don’t need the powerbank function.
Tough call. If size truly does not matter, I’d go with the HD20 regardless if you need all the features it offers. If you think 21700 might be too big at all, then I’d go with the H1.
The wuben H1 is able to give constant 480 lumen for around 2 hours using the included batteries according to your measurements.
I’m interested in the runtimes. It seems wuben h1 have better runtimes compared to wurkkos hd20. Although wuben really goes down after those 2 hours. The wurkkos still going but very much dimmer.
Pingback: Flashlight News: Phreaky Briefing Issue 39 – PhotonPhreaks
There’s a big negative that you didn’t write down:
The efficiency is very bad when using the flood emitter, only about 50 lm/W according to your tests.