REVIEW – Flashlights keep evolving. There is a strong, active group of companies that keep pushing things forward in the EDC light category. (Search for “EDC flashlight” if you don’t believe me!) Today’s entry from Wuben is their X4, newly shipped from their Kickstarter. It features an adjustable brightness level, and side lighting. Let’s dig in…
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Wuben Webstore and Amazon
What is it?
The Wuben X4 is a rectangular rechargeable flashlight with LEDs on the side as well as in the front reflectors. All have adjustable brightness with a thumb wheel.
What’s included?
- Wuben X4 flashlight
- 1m USB-A<=>USB-C cable
- Lanyard
- instruction sheet
Tech specs
Powerful Main Light – Up to 1500 lumens with customizable output, flood + spot beam, and a 205m throw.
Versatile Side Light – Easily switch between RGB modes or 4000K warm white, with smart RGB signaling for any situation.Built-in 10-lumen RGB with 7 colors and flashing mode for ambient lighting, visibility, and safety.
Compact & Lightweight – Just 1.47″ × 1.04″ × 3.77″ and only 89.7g—perfect for everyday carry.
Long-Lasting Power – USB-C fast charging, up to 720 hours of runtime, and user-replaceable batteries.
Flexible Control – Dedicated Lock, Side Light, and Main Light modes for quick access.
Hands-Free Use – Magnetic base, pocket clip, and stand-up design for maximum convenience.
Tactical Switch – Ergonomic side button for fast, reliable activation.
Expandable Accessories – Compatible with bike mounts and red diffusers for more versatility.
Durable & Waterproof – Rugged metal body, IP68 waterproof and impact-resistant.
Design and features
The Wuben X4 is at once familiar and different. Wuben long ago departed from the “cylindrical, palm-sized” category of light. This new rectangular little brick is 1.47″ × 1.04″ × 3.77″ and only weighs in at 3.16 ounces (89.7g). The front reflectors have both spotlighting and wide floodlight aspects. There are LEDs along the side under a white diffuser, as well as a colorful signaling LED. Along one of the narrow edges is a sliding four-position switch. This controls which LED system is active. More on this in Performance. When the slider is in the most forward position, a USB-C charging port is revealed.
Between this slider and the front reflectors is a thumb wheel that is used to control the brightness of the active lighting system. (No more clicking through every level over and over! Yay!!) Both the front LEDs and the side LEDs can go smoothly from moonlight to quite bright. The front ones are a bright, white light, while the side ones are very warm. The alert LEDs are bright and can be red, blue, or green. The brightness of these signaling LEDs cannot be adjusted.
At the opposite small end from the reflector, there is a tail switch and a rather complicated-looking locking battery access flap. (Above and below) The 18650 lithium battery is replaceable, but is fully rechargeable while in place. It is one of those with a built-in USB-C port on the side and an LED for charge level on the “+” pole. (These things are my favorite lithium battery!!)
On one of the large sides there is a spring steel clip that opens toward the reflector. It has a channel down most of the center, which I used to attach the lanyard. I have no idea if this is the correct/expected placement of the lanyard. It’s just included with no comment. (The body is too sparse for a dedicated lanyard attachment hole like on the X2!)
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Make sure it is charged, and you’re good to go. You may want to read over the flowchart of what the buttons do for the alert feature.
Performance
The performance is typical of Wuben – intuitive and powerful, once you get the hang of it. The slider has four settings: locked, side lighting, front lights full, and front light “moon glow”. On the right side of the slider, as you’re holding it with the front light pointing forward, there are four small icons and a tic mark on the slider to indicate these settings. The furthest is a crescent moon, which turns the front light on to the lowest setting and does not change.
The next position back is the front-facing light. The black dial that is also the on/off button rotates to adjust the brightness of this array smoothly, from moonlight to 1500 lumens at 205 meters.
The next position back is for the side lighting. This gives off light from 6 LEDs behind a white diffuser and can illuminate a large area. It is also adjustable with the black thumbwheel. There are also alert lights that can be accessed using various button presses on the thumbwheel.
The final position, pulled all the way back, is fully locked. No lights come on when it’s in this position.
The tail light button is kinda cool. In either of the middle two slider positions, the tail switch is an intermittent beam of the highest output through the front reflectors. If you double-click, it becomes a strobe. This is really bright. And triggering, if you have an aversion to flashing lights. (Consider yourself warned.)
In the far forward position, the tail switch turns on the moonlight. No strobe, no intermittent light. Just turns it on or off. What this means is that, in total darkness, you can slide the slider all the way forward and hit the tail switch and not be blinded or give away your position.
The tail piece is also magnetic and can stand flat on its own. This allows use (especially of the side light!) in a lot of different situations. Because it is a rectangle, the light doesn’t roll across your table, desk, or the floor of the cabin while you’re trying to light the kerosene heater. You put it down, and it stays where you place it.
Final thoughts
I love the versatility of the dial, and the control of the slider. Knowing which of the two systems will turn on by the position of the slider is great. Having a continuous range of brightness through the dial is far outside the norm in most EDC lights today. They have specifically determined levels, and there is only a click between them. But what if I wanted 15% more than 50%? With the old clicking style, I would be out of luck. With the X4, it’s just part of the smooth range of brightness offered.
The Wuben X4 flashlight feels good in hand, and is small enough that it can slide into nearly any little pocket. The belt clip would keep it from drifting around in your bag.
I’ve enjoyed Wuben’s rectangular form factors for a while now, and can’t believe other EDC lighting developers haven’t copied it in any way. I can’t think of a squared-off light that I’ve seen from another company. I love how it stays in place, and can throw light in two different directions with just a flip of a slider.
What I like about the Wuben X4 flashlight
- Rechargeable battery with two ways to recharge.
- Great slider switch to change between LED systems
- Adjustment wheel for changing lighting intensity
- Rectangular form factor is unique and helpful in many situations.
What needs to be improved?
- Tell/Show us how you expect the lanyard to attach!
- I’d love a little bit more resistance in the slider. A nice solid click would help.
Price: $49.99
Where to buy: Company webstore and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Wuben. Wuben did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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$37.99 (as of October 12, 2025 18:49 GMT -04:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
