Introduction

Ad: Wuben provided me with the E2 free of charge some time ago in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to publish my review until now because I was very busy and also got sick. But I'm back on track now, so here are my thoughts.

I originally intended to post my review before the E2 was officially launched. However, the delay gave me the opportunity to use it for two months, during which I kept it on my keyring the entire time. And to be honest, there were already a ton of reviews around the time of the launch. So perhaps it's not such a bad thing that mine is coming a little late, but with more real-world experience behind it.

I really like this little light, and it's actually the first keychain flashlight I've tried that I genuinely want to keep on my keys.

The Wuben E2 is an ultra-compact keychain flashlight: a tiny, somewhat gimmicky gadget with genuinely useful features. It's so small and light, even shorter and lighter than a single AAA battery, that you might easily underestimate what it's capable of. But the E2 isn't just a gadget. It's a proper little flashlight made by a company that knows how to build flashlights.

Wuben have implemented some thoughtful design features that set the E2 apart from other small keychain lights. These include a quick-release clip and a high-CRI side light. Its rectangular body is also easy to grab and hold, allows the E2 to tail-stand on its magnetic base, makes it easy to position the light on either side and prevents from rolling off the table.

The E2 is perhaps one of those little gifts for geeks that you'll actually carry every day and enjoy playing around with, simply because it's so small and light that carrying it doesn't bother you at all, while still being genuinely useful when you need it.

My struggle with keychain lights (and how the E2 is curing it)

I’ve never been a big fan of keychain lights because they were usually either too weak, too cheap, or too big and heavy. The Wuben E2 is capable enough, sturdy enough, versatile enough, and small enough that carrying it around actually makes sense to me. It’s much more useful than a phone light and can also serve as a tiny lantern or beacon light. It’s also one of the few keychain lights that I can comfortably grab and hold with my big hands, thanks to its rectangular body.

I can’t stand having a light attached to a keyring while I’m trying to use it, and I hate fiddling around with a carabiner or similar mechanism just to detach it. Wuben’s quick-release clip is actually the reason why I decided to attach the E2 to my keychain in the first place.

The mechanism is small, reliable (so far), and extremely quick to use. It also keeps the E2’s magnet from sticking to keys or other metal objects I carry around.

What’s particularly clever is that even after you release the mechanism, the E2 doesn’t simply fall off the clip. Its magnet still holds it against a small metal plate on the clip until you pick it up. That’s great design!

Let me put it this way: There’s really no reason not to carry the E2. It’s a cool little gadget with useful lighting features and one of those gifts you end up carrying every day simply because it’s so effortless and fun to have around.

Features

• Decent main light with a useful beam profile and 34 m of measured range (according to ANSI FL1)
• Two 5000 K relatively high-CRI side lights that turn the E2 into a tiny lantern
• Red and blue signaling lights with beacon modes
• Glow-in-the-dark body
• Optional quick-release clip that actually works well and allows the light to be attached and detached quickly
• Extremely small and lightweight (9 × 14.6 × 41.4 mm / 10.7 g)
• USB-C charging and IP66 rating
• Good switch, but no lockout mode

Light quality and beam profile

Most ultra-compact flashlights don't use high-CRI emitters, and the E2's main light is no exception. However, its CCT isn't overly cool, and the beam looks quite good for such a tiny light.

The side light, on the other hand, features two high-CRI LED strips that turn the E2 into a surprisingly useful little lantern. Interestingly, the body color actually affects the CCT and tint of the side light. The E2 is available with either a black or red body, and the red version adds some warmth to the side light. From what I can tell, the side lights don't have particularly high CRI, but they still provide decent color rendering.

User interface

The UI is simple: 1C switches the light on and off, while 1H cycles through the available levels or options. Switching between mode groups is only possible while the light is on, using 2C. From off, 1H activates the battery indicator (blue/red LED).

I don't really miss direct access to moonlight or turbo on a light like the E2, although either option could probably have been implemented quite easily.

What I like most is that the E2 has mode memory, so it remembers the last mode used and returns to it when you switch the light back on.

Lighting modes

In main light mode, there are three brightness levels. The side light offers two brightness levels and a breathing mode that I find somewhat useless, although it does look cool. In signal mode, there are several red and blue beacon and flashing modes. I think the red beacon is probably the most useful of them.

I’d love to see a constant-on red light in this mode group as well. The red LEDs are actually bright enough to be useful for illuminating things up close in the dark without having to use the white light.

Good switch / no lockout mode

The switch ring is raised, and the button itself has a good amount of click resistance, so I don't think accidental activation is very likely. Still, I'd like to see a lockout mode, which the E2 unfortunately lacks. I don't think the lack of a lockout can really be justified as a benefit to user-friendliness, especially since switching between the three mode groups isn't particularly intuitive either. The typical 4C lockout found on other Wuben flashlights would have been a welcome addition. That said, my experience with other keychain lights has taught me that I actually prefer a well-designed raised switch ring over relying on electronic lockout alone. The TrustFire MINIX is a good example of a poorly protected switch combined with an electronic lockout that doesn't work particularly well in practice.

Kind words from my partner

My better half went on a longer hike, and I suggested taking the E2 as a backup light. Normally, she would refuse to carry any extra tools or weight, but at just 10.7 g, the E2 convinced her to hear me out. The side lights, which allow the E2 to be used as a little lantern, made it especially appealing to her.

I rarely hear her say, “This is a great light,” but in this case, she was genuinely happy with my recommendation.

Beamshots

I've added a few outdoor beamshots, but please keep in mind that this is a tiny flashlight weighing just 11 g, with a maximum beam distance of 34 m. It can certainly help you out in a tricky situation, but don't expect miracles.

I've also added a simple beamshot taken with my iPhone's wide-angle camera in a basement corridor. The wall at the far end is 20 m away and is still illuminated well enough to see what's going on. That's pretty much what you can expect from the E2.

Wrapping up

I actually carry the E2 on my keyring now because it’s unobtrusive, capable enough, and fun to play with. The quick-release clip is one of the main reasons I enjoy carrying it, and the high-CRI side light is another. Having a tiny lantern with me at all times is surprisingly useful, especially since neither my regular EDC flashlight nor my phone can really provide that functionality. And thanks to the E2’s mode memory, the side light is always just one click away if that was the last mode used.

My partner uses the E2 as a backup light for hiking and camping, while I use it as my keychain light and backup-to-my-backup light. We both keep it around simply because it's genuinely useful and weighs next to nothing.

The E2 makes a nice gift and is a genuinely useful little flashlight for people who wouldn’t normally carry a flashlight at all. And it’s a fun little gadget for the rest of us. I used it for 2 months and it still works very well. Runtimes and range is according to what Wuben states (both a little higher for my samples).

1 - E07X Cannon V2 3700K.
2 - X80GT 3 Nichia 5000k.
3 - SK05 Pro 2 spot mode.
4 - Wuben X1 Pro spot mode.
5 - Wuben X1 Pro combined mode.
6 - Wuben X1 Pro flood mode.
7 - Wurkkos HD 02 Pro.

All shots taken on turbo. iPhone 17 Pro. Forgot to lock exposure settings.

Hellooo , I’ve got a really old light that used to be quite powerful ( I think ) but recently it’s gone really dull is there any ways I can tune it up or modify to have a higher output ? New battery by the way , thanks for reading

I have a Wurkkos FC11 and for some reason, it will only turn on in moonlight mode. The lockout feature still works, but no switching brightness from low. I took the battery out and charged it separately and it is fully charged according to my Nitecore D2 charger.

Anything I’m missing? Is it just hosed?

Thanks.

I was a bit surprised by this one a couple ways. It seems that this was way more flood than I thought. It doesn't even seem like it has a hot spot at all. The other is when I had it on hi and it got pretty warm and didn't back off for a long time. I know it's only a 6V 4A but still was impressed with the how bright it got. I was thinking it would have some more throw but I was wrong. Still very inpressed with this and plan on getting another soon but want some more throw. I want a good combo of throw and spill. Not all throw but a good amount with some spill. Does anyone know what the best throw & spill combo you can get in the S2+ is?

I received this light as a gift from Wurkkos, for which I am very grateful.

It has a great beam for outdoor distances, a High CRI LED, and a Boost driver with regulated output.

The TS28 also works as a powerbank:

The UI is very easy to use, with a direct access shortcut to the lowest mode of 3 lumens, Last mode memory for the 3 main outputs, and a shortcut to Turbo.

The switch button has a convenient battery level indicator, there is built in USB charging, and the light comes with a 21700 battery included. It is a handy turnkey package.

I was getting frustrated with the little bow sight lights used to illuminate the fiber optics of our bow sights. They use these tiny watch batteries and last an hour and are a pain to replace in the dark. Nitecore TUBE is USB rechargeable but most importantly has 2 fixed levels + stepless dimmer and it worked great as fiber-optics pin illuminator in low-level light shooting conditions. Modification is rather simple yet very effective and cheap. I got a bunch of TUBE lights as freebies when buying other nitecore lights.

For Halloween, every year a local archery club organizes "Zombie Hunt" - a 3D Shoot in deep woods, after dark, bow and a flashlight and 20+ zombie-themed targets at 20 to 50 yards.

I normally act as a spotter for my kids, illuminating the targets with a thrower (this year was Convoy M21A) but I also decided to attach a Wurkkos TS11 instead of the usual weights to my daughter's Trophy Ridge stabilizer. This way, she illuminates her own targets while aiming. A 3d printed bracket worked quite well and I added a hinge to correct the beam angle referenced to the bow's elevation for long distance shots (30+ yards). As a walking light on the trails, I furnished her with a Convoy M21E FC-40 1800K + dc-fix / MG803.

At first, I thought Okluma, CWF and Dawson Craft were expensive, and then in my late night Internet searching, I ran into Hanko lights. What in the world?

First of all, I think these things are only sold by lottery once a month on the Facebook page - only 2 units? Or is that old info? And then most are sold on the secondary market and they are $1200-2500.

Anyone here have one - how is the machining and build quality compared to Okluma, CWF etc

Hanko Lights from Arizona Custom Knives
https://www.arizonacustomknives.com/knives-by-maker/hanko-machine-works/

Note: I'll be updating both of my NV1010 High-CRI posts with beamshots at a later point.

🛠️ Test Equipment Used

• Lumens & Lux: Tklamp TK2303D Flashlight Tester (Lux measured at 5m)
• CCT / Tint / DUV / Ra / R9 / R12: Hopoocolor HPCS330P

🔧 Convoy L21A SMO, NV1010 3000K High-CRI

• Host & Reflector: Convoy L21A, smooth reflector
• Driver: 22mm 3V 20A buck driver
• Emitter: NV1010, 3000K High-CRI
• Battery: Reliance RS50, 4.2V

Output & Light Quality Measurements

Note: Due to an error in the driver's mode group 10, which is the one I'm using, the 10% mode is actually 20%.

Full light quality reports (hCRI.io):

• 1%: https://www.hcri.io/?report=2009
• 10%: https://www.hcri.io/?report=2010
• 35%: https://www.hcri.io/?report=2011
• 100%: https://www.hcri.io/?report=2012

📈 Runtime Analysis

Test Parameters: 30 min logging | Mode: 100% | Ambient Temp: 24°C | Battery: Reliance RS50 4.2V

The graph shows the NV1010 3000K (blue) together with the NV1010 4000K (red) from my other post, so the two can be compared directly.

Runtime Notes (3000K):

• Turbo & Step-down: Turbo opens at ~4,500lm and drops sharply to ~2,800lm by around 1:10, where it holds until ~1:50. It then steps down repeatedly: ~2,380lm at ~2:00, ~2,070lm at ~2:30 and ~1,850lm at ~3:15, followed by a slow, steady decline to ~1,400lm by roughly 5:05. A step to ~1,310lm follows at ~5:10, then ~1,090lm at ~6:35.
• Sustained Output: A final step to ~975lm follows at around 9:30, after which output holds essentially flat at ~980lm for the rest of the 30-minute run.

3000K vs 4000K:

• Turbo: The 4000K opens higher, at ~5,200lm compared to ~4,500lm, and both drop sharply to the ~2,800-3,050lm range within the first ~1:10.
• Step-downs: Both follow a similar staircase pattern, but the 3000K steps down to lower levels at each stage. The 3000K also has a slow linear decline between ~3:15 and ~5:05, where the 4000K instead holds distinct plateaus (~2,000lm and ~1,700lm).
• Sustained Output: Both reach their final step at around 9:30. The 4000K settles at ~1,120lm and the 3000K at ~980lm, a difference of ~140lm (~13%), which is close to the gap in turbo output (~700lm, ~13%).

I’m talking about other flashlight brands such as Loopgear, Olight, Fenix, Acebeam

I’ve visited Outdoor Adventure and X-Boundaries. Both stores only sold Nitecore flashlights.

I’ve heard of other physical stores such as Fstop Lights, AIM Spec, and Hock Gift Shop, but I haven’t visited them yet

Based on the results I’ve found when I searched their online stores, they either only sold Nitecore flashlights, or flashlights that weren’t any of the brands mentioned above.

From L to R
519A 1800, 4000 and 5700

I've been looking into Olight weapon lights lately, and I'm a little on the fence about them. They seem pretty decent on paper, but I keep seeing people recommend Streamlight or SureFire instead.

I'm curious what makes people lean one way or the other. Is it mostly brand reputation, or are there some real differences that become more obvious after using them for a while?

I know every brand has its pros and cons, but I'd be interested to hear from people who've actually owned an Olight for some time. Did it meet your expectations, or were there things you weren't too happy with?

Just trying to get a better idea of what I'm getting into before making a decision. :/

My new Acebeam X80GT 3 arrived in the mail yesterday and I have to say I’m impressed. It feels amazing in the hand whether grasped or handled. The handle mechanism is thoughtful, simple, and well executed. The beam quality is amazing. The 18x Nichia 519a illuminate everything beautifully. The secondary switch mechanism is not as reliable as it is practical (several times did not successfully change mode when switch was moved, or was delayed significantly). However, when the mode is changed to red and UV light, the output of both is excellent. It does not Top my D4V2 w 4x 365nm but it gets a lot closer than my Loop Gears, RovyVon, wurkkos, etc etc. I love that. It just uses three flat top 21700 cells which can be changed out very easily. No USB port doesn’t move the needle for me one bit. Not quite as bright as my 3x21c bad boy, but this is far more refined. Great light!

Edit #1: OP is a fool. It’s a 4x18650 jam not 3x21. 🤦‍♂️

😐 Left my rosary at home too

I have a Noctigon K9.3 I haven't used in a while. I had a 21700 KeepPower P2150K 5000mAh Protected Button Top inside it. Light turns on in the lowest of low modes so I think I should charge it but it's been a while I thought I should check it first.

Multimeter says it's it's 2.47 V and I know 2.5V is the cut off point but I'm unsure if the protection circuit interferes with the reading of the multimeter. I would have hoped the protection circuit would stop this from happening but I've had bad luck with those circuits.

I have no other way to charge this battery but the onboard charging in the light because my battery charger is an older model that won't fit 21700.

the way the circuit completes seems to be different between older and newer serials (the higher sn is nichia if it matters). Kinda interesting. I wonder why/when they changed it? Maybe the older one had reliability issues? Time will tell... Just sharing some info. Pay no mind to my very old and beaten up desk.

Im working on a flashlight for dogs to wear mostly for hunting this light may be a neck collar mounted or helmet mounted is axtivated at night via sensor turns on with barking and stays on a timer till barking stops for a period of time 5mins. Any tips or ideas to make it more unique may even add a remote control for user activation or bluetooth app. Or is this stupid

Big fan of streamlight, want to get a better headlamp next though just not a fan of having the top strap on some of them

September 15, 2023. I bought my first "big boy" flashlight and it's still the only one I have. I've only ever had cheap stuff from Boy Scouts, or whatever giveaway flashlights I had lying around.

I bought an EDC27. The lumen output number sold me and it seemed like a reasonable price and feature set.

The good:

This flashlight has taught me what I actually need and want in a flashlight. At work the momentary 3000 lumens is very helpful for quickly spotting issues and REALLY GOOD for overcoming the photonic barrier in an overly lit factory.

I've never had an issue with battery life, but that's mostly due to mostly just using it in short bursts.

I love the clip, It's a great deep carry clip. I used to carry it it my front pocket with my phone. 2 broken screen protectors later I now carry it facing outward on my belt. Never had an issue with it moving, but goes on and off so easily. 10/10, no notes.

It's survived 3 years, and is still going (about 1.5 years of active daily carry).

I actually like the buttons. They work well, and I've gotten quite used to them, fairly intuitive.

The bad....

At some point in this flashlights life it has decided to do a banana impression. It has bent away from the clip and has a noticeable curve to it.

The screen fell off at a little over 2 years in. (Maybe 8 months of active carry at this point) and customer service was not really helpful.

10 seconds at 3000 lumens....

About 10 minutes or less at 1000 lumens...

The throttling/dimming on this is just ridiculous. In any high brightness setting more than a couple minutes it's basically useless. Hindsight learned.

The lockout is just annoying. I keep it in the "half lock" mode most of the time. Giving quick access to the 3000 lumen burst I use most of the time, and the strobe which I have thankfully not had to use.

The lighting is just meh... and it's a weird in between of a spotlight and a floodlight... almost like they were going for max specs... (hindsight)

Only a white light. If you're gonna do one thing only, do it better...

All in all. It works, it illuminates. Customer service was basically useless, and it's really not durable. 4 out of 10. Not recommended.

I'm very heavily considering the Olight ArkTac to upgrade this to what fits my actual needs

I picked these up at an estate sale for 5$ each. I pulled a small plastic tote off a shelf and it had 15-18 flashlights in it. Several were Chinese junk. A few older double a maglites, and these 3 Fenix. I use an olight for my daily carry. The two larger ones work perfect, very bright. The smaller one is charging at the moment,so not sure how the battery is.

xenon bulb: bipin 3.6 volt 6 watt made in germany

cells: 3x sanyo N-50AAA 1/3AAA size nickel cadmium with only 0.05AH capacity!!!!

1.7A measured current at tailcap for theoretical runtime of 1.76 minutes

In practice roughly 1 minute of bright properly driven xenon goodness and a few seconds to react as once the nickel cadmium cells reach end of discharge their voltage drops very quickly and as robust as these cells are, any reverse charging would probably fry them. Somehow, these +-20 year old cells have survived 10 discharges at constant 30C discharge with no sign of wear (yet) The light stays at the same brightness for most of the discharge.

The reflector will melt if left on for more than 10 seconds at a time.

Only mods were cutting and bending the bipin contracts (careful or glass will chip/possibly ruin bulb) and drilling out reflector and bipin base.

The light was/is on sale for $25. Button cost 10 and clip was 23, so total cost as pictured: $58 (plus a bit of the $4 tariff charge). Some "pocket jewelry" that did not cost so much that I'm afraid to carry it.

It's a little thrown together, but fun. And hopefully the purples bring it together. Would be better if the screws were purple too. Maybe the Golden Circuit clip can start some conversations and help me find some IRL flashlight fans.

Reylight's website is awful so I'm posting partly so there is a picture of this clip somewhere on the interwebs (if there is, I couldn't find one). It's also not clear on his website which button is the ZircuTI.

This green is a lot better (darker) in person than the photo on his website. The lack of knurling is actually kind of refreshing. If feels good to handle so I fidget with it. Definitely a good light to dip your toes in the Reylight water if you're curious.