Wuben PL01 Featherlight Flashlight Review
The Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight is high CRI and neutral white and has a very simple user interface. The complete package is low-cost, too! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight product page.
Versions
I believe there’s just one version of the Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight.
Price
The Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight is available on Amazon.com right now for a limited-time deal price of $19.98.
What’s Included
- Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight
- Wuben 10880 cell
- Lanyard
- Charging cable
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The build quality is fine. It’s not expensive, at $20, but the build quality supports this price.
Only the tailcap can be removed. The threads are unanodized.
Size and Comps
5.31″ x 0.59″ and 1.59oz with battery
If the flashlight can headstand, I’ll show it here. If it can tailstand, I’ll also show that here!
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 in the photo above, my Standard Reference Material (SRM) flashlight is the Hanko Machine Works Trident, an 18350 light. While I have not reviewed or tested the Gunner Grip version seen here, I have tested a Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass. I love the Trident, and it’s a striking contrast to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, another great SRM.
Retention and Carry
A friction-fit pocket clip ships attached to the light. It can only go on the tail, as seen below.
A lanyard is included. It can attach only to the pocket clip.
Power and Runtime
Wuben includes a 600mAh 10880 cell. The Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight will also run two AAA cells!
The 10880 or two AAA cells go with the positive end toward the head.
Below are a few runtime tests. There’s nothing super surprising here. Sustained output is around 100 lumens.
The temperature lines in these charts are included as general context, not precise measurements. The values represent the range (min to max) during testing, but should not be taken as exact readings. Temperature sensors are attached however feasible and not always on the bezel or hottest spot (assuming that can even be clearly defined). Even with ideal placement, too many variables affect temperature to definitively state a specific max value.
Charging
The included 10880 cell has USB-C charging built into the positive end.
A USB to USB-C charging cable is included.
Charging works fine from C or A sources, and finishes in around an hour and a half.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 650-150 | 1m+1h | 485 (0s) 432 (30s) |
3.04 |
| Medium | 150 | 2.5h | 120 (0s) 117 (30s) |
0.51 |
| Low | 50 | 7h | 43 | 0.21 |
| Moon | 1 | 125h | 0.62 | [low] |
Pulse Width Modulation
Every mode uses PWM.
Click here to 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 Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight uses a mechanical tail reverse clicky.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Tap | Mode advance |
LED and Beam
Wuben just calls this a “315D” emitter.
The Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight uses a small, smooth reflector.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Wuben does state that this is a >90 CRI emitter and that’s approximately true (I tested it to be around 89 CRI.) CCT is neutral too, which is good – around 5000K.
CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) refers to the measurement of the color appearance of light, expressed in Kelvins (K), which indicates whether the light is warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish). A lower CCT (below 3000K) is considered warm light, while a higher CCT (above 5000K) gives cooler, bluish light.
CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measure of how accurately a light source renders colors in comparison to natural sunlight. Scored on a scale from 0 to 100, higher CRI values indicate that colors appear more true to life and vibrant, similar to how they would look under the sun.
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. 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
For $20, the Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight is a perfectly reasonable penlight. or “Featherlight” penlight. I’m happy that the CRI is around 90, and being neutral white is a bonus. The Duv is positive, so you might see the beam as a bit green. The light will run on two AAA cells, so that’s a huge bonus!
The Big Table
| Wuben PL01 featherlight flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | “315D” (CRI >90) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $19.99 |
| Cell: | 1×10880 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C (On cell) |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | – |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 650 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 430 (66.2% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 3.6 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 110 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 78lux @ 4.649m = 1686cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 82.1 (74.6% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 5000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 4700-4900 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 I like
- Low Price
- High CRI
- Neutral white
What I don’t like
- Positive DUV
- Misses output claim
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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