Wuben X4 vs LOOP SK05: Best Flat EDC Flashlight

Your phone torch is bright enough until it is not: dead battery at a lock, washed-out spill under a car hood, or a dark sidewalk where you need throw and still want one hand free. That gap is why flat all-in-1 EDC flashlights stopped being Kickstarter curiosities and became the default pocket brick for a lot of people in 2025-26.

This is not another TINI-class keychain roundup. If you want something that disappears on a keyring, read our best tiny flashlights for keychains guide. This piece is about pocket-flat dual-beam tools: main flood/spot up front, usable side light, USB-C, and - on the heavier option - a real power bank. Two campaigns defined the category. Wuben's X4 raised about HK$3.37M from roughly 6,470 backers. LOOP GEAR's SK05 series raised about HK$1.63M from roughly 2,209 backers. Retail is out; the street question is simple: daily pocket or duty/power-bank slab?

Why Flat Lights Won 2025-26

Tube lights roll off hoods and fight jeans. Flat bodies sit still, clip cleanly, and leave room for a side COB or RGB strip without growing a second tool. Crowdfunding trained buyers to expect replaceable 18650s, USB-C under a cover, magnets, and channel switching (front vs side, spot vs flood) instead of a single turbo button.

The tradeoff is honesty about size. "Pocket flat" still has two weight classes. Sub-150 g bricks behave like everyday carry. Dual-cell slabs closer to 240 g behave like glovebox / bag / work lights that can also charge a phone. Mixing those jobs is how people end up disappointed.

Hero A: Wuben X4 - Daily Pocket Brick

The Wuben X4 is the lighter answer. Official dimensions are about 1.47 × 1.04 × 3.77 in. Wuben lists roughly 89.7 g; independent reviews with the included cell land closer to ~137-141 g, so treat the marketing number as optimistic or without-battery depending on how you read it. Either way, it is the one that survives jeans-pocket carry without reminding you it is there every step.

Claimed front output is 1500 lumens with a combined flood + spot array and about 205 m throw. Independent measurements disagree on the peak: ZeroAir recorded about 839 lm at 30 seconds on turbo (claimed 1500), while other reviewers have seen front peaks closer to ~1300 lm under different conditions. Plan for useful mid-hundreds sustained after thermal step-down, not a permanent 1500 lm wall. Side channel adds warm ~4000K white flood plus RGB signaling - handy for map reading, tent vibes, or a fridge-magnet work light when the tail magnet holds (some owners say the proud tactical switch weakens true magnet mount strength).

UI is a mode slider (side / front / moonlight-and-charge / lock), a ramp dial, side e-switch, and a tactical tail paddle. USB-C hides under the slider when you park it in the moonlight/charge position. Power is a user-swappable protected 18650 (Wuben includes a ~3400 mAh cell). Rating is IP65 - rain and dust, not submarine. Street price sits around $49-$50 on Wuben's store (listed $49.99, was ~$64.99) and roughly the same on Amazon as of this writing.

Buy the X4 if you want one flat light that lives in a front pocket every day, you swap cells occasionally, and you do not need to top up a phone from the light.

Skip the X4 if you need throw-heavy duty output, waterproofing for wet work, or USB-C out as a bank. That is the other hero.

Hero B: LOOP SK05 Pro 2 - Duty Flat + Power Bank

The current street SKU to shop is the LOOP GEAR SK05 Pro 2 (sometimes styled SK-05 II Pro), not the earlier non-Pro or sealed Helm variants. It keeps the series dial: rotate for flood, spot, or side; click the center button for on/levels/turbo. Spot and flood are separate channels, so you are not stuck cycling one mixed beam. Amazon and LOOP marketing claim up to 5000 lm with both channels; independent testing is kinder than most lumen wars - 1Lumen measured about 4,412 lm flood turbo at turn-on and about 5,078 lm combo at 30 seconds on a Pro 2 sample, while ZeroAir's SK-05 II Pro sample landed closer to ~3,600 lm at 30s on combined turbo. Use claimed 5k as ceiling marketing; expect multi-thousand-lumen bursts that step down hard.

Body is still flat, but denser: about 107 × 42 × 23 mm and roughly 245 g with dual cells (1Lumen). Power is two replaceable ~4000 mAh 18650s in parallel (can run on one). USB-C in/out is the headline: original SK05 Pro campaigns advertised ~20W bank behavior; current Amazon Pro 2 copy says 22W phone charging. Independent charge graphs often measure mid-teens watts depending on the wall brick - useful emergency top-up, not a laptop charger. Side light upgraded to high-CRI white (Ra >90 in marketing) plus RGB. Build claims IP68 and a strong magnetic base (reviewers note magnet strength varies with orientation and weight).

Street pricing: LOOP's official store shows Promotional variants from about $105-$120 (compare-at higher); Amazon Pro 2 listings with holster bundles have recently hovered around $109-$114. That is roughly double the X4 and buys capacity, weather sealing, and bank duty.

Buy the SK05 Pro 2 if your "EDC" includes a bag or truck, you want one tool to light a worksite and charge a phone, and weight is acceptable.

Skip the SK05 Pro 2 if you refuse anything over ~100 g in a front pocket, or you already carry a dedicated bank and a smaller light.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Numbers above mix manufacturer claims and published third-party tests. Where they disagree, trust the measured column for planning, and re-check live listings before you buy - flashlights and Amazon prices move.

Who Should Buy Which (And Who Should Skip Both)

Get the X4 for commuting, apartment EDC, and "always on me" carry. It is the flat-light lesson learned without dual-cell bulk. Pair it with a separate slim bank if you need phone juice.

Get the SK05 Pro 2 for camping kits, roadside kits, and anyone who already abandoned pure jeans EDC. Spot for path finding, flood for working under a hood, side high-CRI for color-accurate fixes, USB-C out when the phone dies at the trailhead.

Skip both if you only need lock-finding brightness: a tiny keychain light still wins. Also skip if you want a classic tube thrower with a simple clicky - these UIs are feature-dense on purpose. If you're choosing between the Olight Arkfeld and the Streamlight Wedge instead, see our Arkfeld vs Wedge comparison.

FAQ

Is the Wuben X4 actually 1500 lumens?

Wuben claims up to 1500 lm. Independent ANSI-style 30-second readings have landed lower on some samples (hundreds of lumens under claim). Use the claim for shopping filters; use sustained mid-output for real tasks.

Which LOOP SK05 should I buy in 2026?

Shop the SK05 Pro 2 (current dual-emitter Pro refresh with swappable cells and power bank) unless you specifically want an older sealed Helm or first-gen Pro on clearance. Confirm the listing says Pro 2 / dual 4000 mAh / USB-C bank.

Can the SK05 Pro 2 replace a power bank?

For emergency phone top-ups, yes - marketing cites about 20-22W USB-C out depending on the page. It will not replace a high-watt laptop bank, and discharging the light's cells for the phone trades runtime for light. Carry a spare pair of 18650s if both jobs matter.

Flat EDC vs keychain: do I need both?

Often yes. Keychain covers fumble-light moments. Flat all-in-1 covers work light, throw, and (on the SK05) backup power. Different pockets, different jobs.

Are Kickstarter flat lights safe to buy at retail now?

X4 and SK05 Pro 2 are past campaign fulfillment and selling through brand stores and Amazon. Retail still means check return windows, cell authenticity, and firmware/UI quirks in recent reviews - crowdfunding polish is not magic.

Bottom Line

Phone torches fail at the exact moment you need a free hand and a beam that matches the job. Flat all-in-1 lights fixed that for 2025-26 buyers who outgrew keychain micros but refused tube clutter. Wuben X4 is the ~$50 daily pocket pick: flood+spot front, warm side, replaceable 18650, no bank. LOOP SK05 Pro 2 is the ~$110 duty pick: dial spot/flood, high-CRI side, dual cells, IP68, and USB-C power bank. Buy the weight class that matches where the light will actually live - pocket or bag - and ignore the lumen billboard until you have checked a measured review.