It’s a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
Wuben seems to be making a habit of making some of the most exciting flashlight designs we’ve seen in recent memory, and they’re doing it by thinking out of the box for the boxiest form factors out there. The X0 and X2 delivered futuristic designs in handy sizes, utilizing a 90-degree design and a side-by-side triple LED configuration, respectively, while offering plenty of output and thoughtful features that made them excellent everyday lights.
Their latest design, the X3, is both a hybrid and a superlative of both designs, offering a literal twist on its functionality with a 180-degree rotating head. This allows the X3 to be a forward-facing regular flashlight, then transform into a right-angle task light as needed. You can choose between two configurations for its dual LEDs: a Samsung LH351D + 670nm Luminus red light for a high-CRI and night vision-preserving setup or a dual white OSRAM P9 pairing for more power at a max of 1,200 lumens.
But a head-turning design isn’t the X3‘s only neat trick, as it comes with several unique features on top of that killer feature. There’s an OLED digital display that lets you see its modes at a glance. The body has both a glow-in-the-dark variant and ambient “breathing” lights that supplement its main output, and even a magnetic tail to maximize its versatility and cover all your lighting angles.
The light itself comes in a larger module that serves as its charging station as well as a way to diffuse its light when you need softer illumination—oh, and it’s also a 3000mAh power bank to top off your devices in a pinch. Last but not least in Wuben’s clever use of all its tools, the X3’s carrying lanyard hides an integrated charging cable, saving you from having to carry an extra one in your EDC.
What we like: Wuben has outdone itself with the X3, and literally packed a useful feature into every aspect of its package, from the light itself to its lanyard cable. Oh, and as part of the launch campaign, they’re offering it for under 60 bucks, making it a crazy value.
What to watch out for: Standard crowdfunding disclaimer here, so just be aware of how pledging on Kickstarter works, but as of this writing, Wuben is nearing double their crowdfunding goal.
Final verdict: Wuben does it again with one of the most feature-packed and versatile lights we’ve gotten our hands on.
