Wuben X4 vs LOOP SK05: Best Flat All-in-1 EDC Flashlight 2026

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

| Spec | Wuben X4 | LOOP SK05 Pro 2 | | --- | --- | --- | | Role | Daily pocket flat | Duty / bag flat + bank | | Claimed max output | 1500 lm (front) | 5000 lm (spot+flood combo) | | Independent snapshot | ~839-1300 lm class on turbo (varies by reviewer) | ~3.6k-5.1k lm class on combo/flood turbo (varies by sample) | | Weight | Claim ~89.7 g; reviews ~137-141 g w/ cell | ~245 g w/ dual cells | | Cells | 1×18650 (~3400 mAh incl.) | 2×18650 (~4000 mAh each) | | Power bank | No | Yes (~20-22W claimed USB-C out) | | Side light | 4000K white + RGB | High-CRI white + RGB | | Ingress | IP65 | IP68 | | Street price (Sep 2026) | ~$49-$50 | ~$105-$115 |

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.

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.