Wuben E18 Flashlight Review
The Wuben E18 is a flashlight that offers a Cree XP-G3 with a smooth reflector and a great switch. Check out the diamond knurling too!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the official product page.
Versions
I only see one version of the Wuben E18.
Price
Looks like these are going for around $28, but the only place I see them is Aliexpress. Here’s a link to the Wuben E18 flashlight on Aliexpress. Here’s a 20% off coupon for wubenlight.com, if the E18 is available there:
zeroair20
Short Review
I like a lot about this little flashlight. I love the build quality. I love the knurling. I do not like Cree XP-G3. Lithium-ion support would be a great addition, too.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Wuben E18 | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XP-G3 (Cold White) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $27.99
Here’s a 20% off coupon, too: |
| Cell: | 1xAA |
| Turbo Runtime Graph | High Runtime Graph |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 180 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 190 (105.6% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 8.9 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 75 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 127lux @ 3.731m = 1768cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 84.1 (112.1% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6200-7400 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Wuben |
| All my Wuben 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
- Wuben E18 flashlight
- Alkaline AA cell
- Lanyard
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
I love the grip areas on the body here.
Threads on the tail end are smooth and not too long. I was unable to unscrew the head – maybe there is thread lock here.
The tail end has a good spring.
On the other end is just a button for positive contact.
Size and Comps
Length: 97mm
Diameter: 23mm
Weight: 63g (with battery) and is
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.
Retention and Carry
First, there’s a two-way pocket clip.
This friction fit clip can connect only on the tail end, but the two-way option does mean you can carry bezel up or down. The pocket clip also has a couple of holes for lanyard attachment.
The tailcap also has a lanyard hole attachment point.
Power and Runtime
Wuben includes a single AA cell with the E18. It’s a primary alkaline. I tested exclusively with NiMH chemistry, but performance between the two should be the same.
The cell goes into the light with the positive end (button) toward the head.
Here are the two highest mode runtime graphs. Performance is not bad, but there are some pretty hefty stepdowns after an initial couple of minutes at the highest output.
The light does shut off, but NiMH is more robust with regards to lower voltage anyway, so around 0.8V is fine here.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 180~50 | 30s~2.9h | 190 | 2.32 |
| Med | 50 | 6.5h | 51 | 0.25 |
| Low | 1 | 240h | 0.00 |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the levels display PWM.
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
The tail switch here seems to be a mechanical clicky. It’s a reverse clicky, too, so mode changes are possible when the light is on.
The switch is proud and domed, so tailstanding is not possible.
I’d like for the light to be able to tailstand, but I do like the switch and cover still. The cover is hard and the action is very positive.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
| Off | Tap | No action |
| On | Tap | Mode advance (LMH) |
| On | Triple Tap | SOS |
| SOS | Tap | Previous steady output |
LED and Beam
The light really shows that it was released in (around) 2020 when we note that it uses a Cree XP-G3. Fortunately, this emitter has fallen out of favor with manufacturers. It does offer great output but the CCT and beam profile are not often favored by flashlight enthusiasts (including me).
The reflector used here is smooth and deep(ish).
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
As the output gets higher, so does the CCT. That’s not great, especially since we’re seeing around 7400K by the highest level. CRI is not surprisingly fairly low.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have 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.
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.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Good build quality
- Simple user interface
- Nice switch with very good clicky action
- Reverse clicky (mode changes during use)
- Diamond (or even “double diamond”) knurling is very comfortable
What I don’t like
- Cree XP-G3
- Doesn’t support 14500
- Cost might be a bit high (but it could be an availability issue since this light is a couple of years old)
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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