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Wowtac W1 Flashlight Review
I’ve been looking for a budget EDC flashlight for some time now and came across the Wowtac W1. It’s been in my pocket for just over a month now so I thought it was time to write the Wowtac W1 [1] flashlight review to share with you my findings.
The W1 is a very small EDC type flashlight with 6 output modes, the highest being turbo at 562 lumens.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in then stick around while I go over some of the features of this great little pocket flashlight.
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What’s In The Box
This is a complete package so you don’t need to buy a battery or USB charging cable. It’s all in the box ready to go. The battery just needs to be put on full charge.
The list below is an itinerary of what comes inside the box.
- Wowtac W1 EDC Flashlight
- Manual in multi languages
- Charge cable – USB to Micro USB
- Wowtac 650 mA 1640 rechargeable battery
- Spare O-rings x 2
- Spare rubber charge port cover
- 2-way pocket clip
The rechargeable battery is inside the body of the flashlight with the head loosely screwed down during transit. This is for safety and to also prolong the battery life.
Build Quality
Overall the machining and finish is very good quality. I don’t have anything really negative to say.
If I’m being particularly critical I’d say the knurling is a little too coarse for a small EDC flashlight. On the plus side it does add real grip when wearing a pair of gloves.
The head has a silver bezel and a hexagon shape section which houses the user interface (on/off) switch on one side and the USB charge port on the opposite side.
To access the battery the head unscrews to reveal solid internal connections. There’s a large spring at the tail end to ensure a solid electrical circuit.
The screw threads feel well machined to hand, allowing easy access to the battery if needed.
Features
The hexagonal shaped section prevents the flashlight rolling on a flat surface, plus it makes for easy positioning of the head when on a table if required. The tail end also stands up well on a flat surface.
Housed at the tail end is a strong magnet which easily supports the full weight of the flashlight and battery. This is great for working under the hood of a car for example.
When wearing gloves it’s easy to find the user interface due to the slightly raised rubber covering. It also helps that it’s on the opposite side of the charge port.
What’s it like to carry everyday
Attaching the 2-way clip is just a matter of snapping the clip into the recess at the tail end. The machined recess allows you to rotate the clip 360 degrees around the barrel.
I like the 2-way clip on the W1. It has enough friction to hold in place for both up and down bezel carry inside your pocket.
You can of course attach the light using the 2-way clip to a baseball cap or webbing on the straps of a daysack at shoulder level. This is a really nice feature for a small EDC light to have.
This is a very small flashlight with dimensions of 2.68 x 0.96 x 0.78 inches. You really don’t know it’s there when carrying around inside your pocket.
Lasty, there is a small loop for a lanyard at the tail end. A Lanyard doesn’t come supplied unfortunately.
Power & Runtime
For a small EDC flashlight the Wowtac W1 is bright enough for most everyday tasks. In turbo mode the head outputs 562 lumens, which steps down to 215 lumens after one minute for heat management purposes.
Six modes are available via the user interface, firefly being the lowest at 0.5 lumens, high at 197 lumens.
Runtimes are very good from the 16340 650 mAh rechargeable battery that comes supplied. Expect to see around 29 days on firefly output and 95 minutes on high mode.
User interface
Using the W1 is quick and easy to learn. A single click turns the light on and off. When the light is switched off, holding down the switch selects the firefly mode.
Double clicking the user interface (switch) selects turbo mode. Triple click is for strobe and to cycle through the low, medium and high outputs, hold down.
There is also a memory mode that remembers the last light output. A nice feature to have.
Underneath the grey rubber covering of the user interface switch are colored battery indicators that glow blue to red according to the charge remaining in the battery.
LED and Beam
Illumination is provided by the Cree XP-G2 LED. The G2 is an upgrade to the popular XP-G with 29% more lumens.
For a small EDC flashlight this is a great thrower of a flashlight with a bright hotspot. The hotspot doesn’t have much of a fade to it though.
Summary
Overall, the Wowtac W1 makes a great choice as a low cost, budget EDC flashlight. It’s very small and weighs just 57 grams with the battery.
The versatility of the 2-way clip and the magnetic tail end give you options on how to illuminate subjects for all sorts of applications.
Runtimes are impressive at the lower outputs, say if you’re camping and just need low illumination in a tent.
Finally, I’d say the W1 is definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for a budget EDC flashlight.
There are other options out there such as the Thrunite T1 and Olight S1R which I have reviewed in a comparison test. But the W1 is certainly a contender if your on a budget.
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