Wurkkos TS26S Flashlight Review
The Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight offers quad Nichia 519a emitters in high CRI. The e-switch has a comfortable user interface and the 21700 gives great runtimes.
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s just one version of the Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight. There are likely other versions of this series, though.
Price
The Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight is listed for an amazingly reasonable $49 with the 21700 cell. That’s very hard to beat!
What’s Included
- Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight
- 5000mAh Wurkkos 21700
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Spare o-rings
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight has an extraordinary level of build quality. I think it’s better than most recent Wurkkos lights, or at least at the very highest level of what’s been out there before. Everything about the build quality here is great!
The tailcap has very smooth threads and a very beefy spring.
Notably, only the tailcap comes off the. Where the cell tube connects to the head seems glued. This is a downside if you wish to remove the pocket clip because that’s where the pocket clip connection is.
Size and Comps
Dimension: 122mm (length) x 35mm (head diameter)
Weight: 108g / 0.24lb(excluded battery)
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
Also above is the light beside a TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!
Retention and Carry
As stated above, the pocket clip is attached to the glued connection between the head and body. It’s a two-way pocket clip and plenty beefy.
Since the pocket clip is essentially glued in place, the hole makes a reasonable place to attach the included lanyard.
A better place, though, is the tailcap hole. The lanyard is really nothing special.
In the tailcap is a magnet strong enough to hold the (fairly large and understandably heavy) TS26s.
Power and Runtime
If you opt for the package (which adds around $4), you’ll get this 5000mAh flat-top 21700 cell seen below. Four dollars is perfectly reasonable (and recommended) for your purchase.
The cell goes into the light in the usual way – positive end toward the head.
If you forget which way to put the cell, you can reference the silk-screen log on the tailcap.
Below are a few runtimes. Wurkkos claims 3100 lumens and this light doesn’t seem to hit that measurement. Otherwise, this boost drivers characteristics are good, providing output that doesn’t fade (fading is my least favorite).
Charging
Wurkkos has USB-C charging built into the TS26S. It has a press-in cover. It’s a good setup.
Wurkkos also includes a USB to USB-C cable for charging.
Charging from C to C or A to C is just fine. Both take around 2.5 hours and charge at over 2A.
Powerbank
I’ve seen reports that the Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight can be used as a powerbank. I did not have that experience on my review copy. Maybe it’s an updated version or maybe I’m just unlucky in that regard… But as the manual doesn’t indicate powerbank functions, and mine doesn’t seem to have that, I would say don’t expect it from your purchased Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight. Update: the manual I received via PDF (now included way up at the beginning of this post) does mention the “reverse charging” (powerbank) features of this light! So there you go!
Update (a day later). I tried just about every testing device I have here at ZeroAir Labs and finally found one that caused the TS26S to work as a powerbank. Once it gets activated (through the tester) for powerbank usage, the output is great! Looks like a steady 2.2A at around 4.8V but it’ll keep upping the current while the voltage dwindles down to the 3.XV range. As with all flashlight powerbanks, I’d say this could be good in a pinch, but I probably wouldn’t use it frequently.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 3100 | – | 1796 (0s) 1555 (30s) |
8.69 |
| High | 750 | 2.5h+2m | 527 (0s) 524 (30s) |
1.54 |
| Medium | 200 | 4.2h | 127 | 0.33 |
| Low | 30 | 68h | 24 | 0.05 |
| Eco | 3 | 325h | 1.8 | [low] |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the modes use PWM. Yay!
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
Control of the Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight is performed through a single e-switch. This is a soft switch and has an indication function in the center. The switch (and user interface) is just like that of the Wurkkos WK03 but has the updated logo in the indicating portion.
The switch can indicate in green and red and flashing. When the Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight is turned on, the switch will indicate the approximate battery level for around 5 seconds. Green means “good” and red means “poor” (or “low”). Flashing red means recharge immediately.
Here’s a UI table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Hold | Moon |
| Off | Click | On (Mode Memory) |
| On | Hold | Mode advance (LMH) |
| Any | Double click | Turbo |
| Turbo or Strobe | Click | Previous state |
| Any | Click 3x | Strobe |
| Off | Click 4x | Lockout |
| Lockout | Click | Main emitter flashes 2x to indicate lockout |
| Lockout | Click 4x | Unlock (to mode memory) |
| Lockout | Hold | Momentary moonlight mode |
LED and Beam
The Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight uses four Nichia 519a emitters. They are coupled with a TIR and offer a remarkably tight beam profile.
I can’t imagine why you’d want to change something from Nichia 519a emitters, but if you did, you can note that the bezel unscrews easily.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Claimed CCT is 5000K and the Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight hits that on average. CRI is also very good. I happen to also love the beam profile, so this is a fantastic light for my tastes!
Beamshots
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.
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. These photos are taken around 18 inches from the door.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
You could say there’s some very tight competition in this quad emitter light category (such as the Emisar D4K). But the Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight offers a great comparatively low-cost option for no-mod-required high CRI output. I would like for the claimed output to be closer to the actual output. Either way, it’s a great quality light for the cost.
The Big Table
| Wurkkos TS26S EDC flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Nichia 519a (5000K) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $48.99 |
| Cell: | 1×21700 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | With or without cell and/or tailcap: all modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 3100 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1555 (50.2% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 5.13 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 191 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 379lux @ 4.901m = 9104cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 190.8 (99.9% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 5000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 4700-5000 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Wurkkos |
| 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 I like
- Great build quality
- High CRI
- USB-C charging
- Complete package is reasonably priced
What I don’t like
- Clicking from turbo doesn’t go off, it goes back to the main group
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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I just got mine in the mail direct from Wurkkos 2 days ago and the power bank function works great. The only complaint I have is that the head is glued to the tube like mentioned in the review as that means I cannot change the position of the clip (as in I just want it rotated around to be at the back of the light) so I guess it’s a luck of the draw on where the clip will be glued when you get it. That’s the only unfortunate thing, well and the brightness being lower than advertised, I thought it seemed less than 3100, so I am glad this confirms it’s not just my mind tricking me. I like that I can run the light on high for a long time and it stays almost ambient temperature for a long time. This is my first light with a boost driver, so this is all new to me. Great review, thank you!
It’s really a fantastic light even with the lower output. Glad you like yours too!