Wuben T101 Pro Review: Is It Really A Tactical Flashlight?

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There’s no doubt that Wuben makes great, high-quality flashlights for both everyday use and professional or tactical use. However, a few differences exist between an everyday, around-the-home flashlight and a professional or tactical flashlight. So, with Wuben designing the T101 as a “Hunting and tactical” flashlight, which camp does the Wuben T101 Pro really fall into?

If I had to pick one of those options, I would say hunting, but I’d honestly say it is best suited as a duty flashlight—a flashlight that a beat cop or security guard would have attached to their belt, kind of like the big old mag lights cops used to carry.

T101

SPECS

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When I opened the Wuben T101 Pro, I thought, “Wow, that’s big.” Wuben calls the T101 a hunting and tactical flashlight, and after seeing its size and design, I would say it is definitely not a tactical flashlight but a hunting and what I would call a duty flashlight.

Initially, I thought the design was a little funny because the body of the Wuben T101 is very narrow compared to the head, but as I held it, I realized this allowed me to have a solid grip on it.

I have one of those old police mag lights, and the body on those is quite thick, so that’s what I was used to for larger lights. But after holding the narrow body on the T101 for a while, I began to like it more.

The body, made from aircraft-grade aluminum, feels strong and rigid. The anodized coating gives the T101 a sharp look.

The steel bezel is very aggressive, which is awesome. I have used much less aggressive bezels to break glass, so I am sure I could do it with this one problem.

The tail switch has a solid detent with a firm click at the bottom. The function switch has a much lighter and shorter press but still has a decent detent.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

Wuben has included in the box with the T101 a solid wrist lanyard made of 550 cord, a USB-C charger, a thick nylon belt carrier for the T101 and the charging cable or lanyard if you’re not using it, two extra rubber washers, and, of course, the instructions.

FIELD FIRSTS

The first time I was really able to get the Wuben T101 out, my buddy and I were trying to spot where the deer came in on the back of his property, which was a good distance away.

The T101 Hit the back wall of trees very well and lit up the entire area we were looking at, but it definitely did not have as focused a beam as I thought it would, being called a tactical flashlight.

It was still very bright, but the main beam shot became less defined at a longer distance, and there was more spill.

The T101 performed well as a spotlight at short to medium distances but performed well as a flood light at a longer distance.

I deliberately ran it for over an hour, and it never got hot enough to where I couldn’t hold it.

QUALITY AND DESIGN

BODY

The Wuben T101’s body is made of 6061 high-quality aircraft-grade aluminum. Its hard anodized anti-abrasion finish helps protect the metal from wear and rust.

There is next to no knurling on the T101, which leaves the body quite slick and smooth. This is unfortunate from a tactical perspective as it makes the T101 hard to handle in poor weather conditions.

COOLING FINS

The cooling fins on the Wuben T101 are not very large or aggressive. This is fine, as the much larger head already helps somewhat disperse the heat.

What heat the larger head can’t disperse, the cooling fins help to get rid of. Overall, the T101 never got hot enough to where I had to stop using it or even put gloves on.

SWITCHES

The tactical tail switch has a decent texture and solid detent. The partial press is smooth and easy, with an audible click at the bottom letting you know you’ve fully pressed the switch.

A loose and soft switch screams cheaply made, but the press on the T101’s tail switch is smooth and firm.

The function switch has no play to it; it is either pressed or not. It does have a click, which you can feel when you depress it, but it is very light.

The function switch press is so light actually that it leaves you wanting. A harder press with a firmer click would make the switch feel much nicer.

STRIKE BEZEL

The Wuben T101 has one of those most devastating strike bezels I’ve seen on a flashlight. It is heavy, sharp, and aggressive. I’ve broken glass with much smaller strike bezels, so I know this could do some damage.

This is one of the aspects that makes the T101 such a great duty flashlight. Security guards and police officers could easily use it to enter buildings or vehicles.

BATTERY AND CHARGER

The Wuben T101 uses two 18650 batteries. Together, these batteries give the T101 a maximum run time on ECO of 290 hours and a maximum run time on turbo of 3 minutes.

Wuben has given the T101 an external charging port protected by a silicone cover. The cover provides more than enough cover for the port, as it is quite a tight fit.

Although a very flimsy little flap holds the silicone cover in place, extra care must be taken so that it does not break over time.

An external charging port is nice because you never have to take out the batteries, and yet, at the same time, it provides one more weak spot for water and moisture to get in and wreck the flashlight

LIGHT

The Wuben T101 utilizes a CREE XHP70.2 LED and a double-sided coating anti-reflective optical lens. The XHP70.2 throws a solid 3500 lumens in turbo and has a max distance capability of 500 meters.

BELT HOLDER

Wuben includes a thick nylon belt holder in the package with the T101. The back strap is hook-and-loop, so it is pretty universal and can be strapped to your belt, backpack, or anything else you want.

FUNCTIONALITY

Although the WUben T101 has proven to not be functional as a tactical flashlight, it is an extremely functional duty, hunting, and general-purpose flashlight

The T101 is built to a very high standard with 6061 anodized aircraft-grade aluminum, which prevents rust, gives it incredible strength, and generally makes it a solid performer in any climate.

The T101’s narrow body makes it much more usable for people with medium to smaller hands, unlike the old police-issued mag lights.

Although the body is smaller, the large head and aggressive bezel make it an effective ingress and self-defence tool.

The CREE XHP70.2 LED gives the Wuben T101 an above-average 500-meter throw even though it’s not as narrow and as tight a beam as the Wuben T1.

The lack of a narrow beam is perfectly fine for the T101, as the greater spill from the light will help hunters, explorers, and police better light up their surroundings.

On the other hand, the 10-lumen eco mode is perfect when you need the smallest amount of light possible.

WHAT I LIKE BEST

I was struck by a couple of aspects of the Wuben T101, one of which grew on me.

As soon as I opened the package, I liked the stainless steel bezel. As I have mentioned a few times in this article, it is very aggressive.

The edges are sharp, the teeth are large, and the bezel being left uncoated makes it look slick.

The tactical tail switch has a fantastic press. Initially smooth yet firm, it has a great feel. With that final audible click at the bottom of the detent, it’s a solid switch.

The one aspect that really grew on me was the width of the handle. At first, I didn’t like how narrow it was, but as I played with and used it more and more, it became more comfortable in my hand.

As I said earlier, the narrow handle would definitely make it more functional for a wider range of people.

CONCERNS AND CRITICISMS

Generally, all my concerns with the Wuben T101 are only really concerns if you’re going to consider the T101 a tactical flashlight.

My greatest concern was the size. The T101 is a large flashlight. The size alone takes it out of the tactical flashlight arena. Tactical flashlights are small and compact.

Having a single tail switch and no access to an instant strobe is also a huge drawback. If you’re ever up against an assailant, you need to be able to blind and disorientate them.

Another serious concern is the lack of knurling on the handle. With just the anodized coating, it is as slick as can be, and I would not want to use it in a wet environment.

As a duty or hunting flashlight, this really isn’t an issue, but as a tactical flashlight, this is a huge drawback. The last thing you want is for your flashlight to fall out of your hand in a stressful situation.

The last aspect that concerned me was the Wuben T101’s beam focus or hot spot. Again, this is not an issue as a duty flashlight, especially a hunting flashlight.

As a tactical flashlight, though, having a focused and intense beam is very important. Even though its candela is rated at just over sixty-two thousand, the beam of T101 just isn’t as focused as some other tactical flashlights.

CONCLUSION

In the end, the Wuben T101 is not a tactical flashlight. It is, however, a great duty flashlight, hunting flashlight, and general-purpose flashlight.

It has a very solid build, pushes 3500 lumens out to an awesome 500 meters, and is very comfortable to use with its narrow handle.

The nylon belt holder also makes it very easy to carry in the woods or while patrolling the streets.

If I were breaching a house or confronting an intruder in my house, I would reach for the T1. If I were spring bear hunting or just looking for a flashlight to use around my house, I would use the T101, hands down.

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