Best EDC light? We review Wuben G2 multi-functional EDC flashlight

Survival gear needs to be lightweight and convenient to carry. Otherwise, there is a good chance it will be left behind.

This Wuben G2 may be the EDC light you’ve been looking for.

by Leon Pantenburg 

Disclaimer: Wuben supplied the product for this review. The company had no input in the review, and the following is my opinion.

I was at the Wheeler County (Oregon) Bluegrass Festival recently. After the show I was walking in the dark several blocks from the courthouse stage to the campground. While I didn’t really need a light most of the time, it sure was convenient to have the Wuben G2 in my pocket.

Inside my tent, the G2’s moon brightness level was just right for changing clothes and crawling into my sleeping bag. Then I propped it up so I could read for a while before going to sleep. For that situation the G2 did everything I needed.

I generally carry several lights when I’m guiding on the Mississippi River, hunting or fishing. Last August, on an alligator hunt in the Mississippi swamps, the extreme heat and humidity made my old, reliable Fenix headlamp quit working. There were several backup lights in the boat, so there was no problem.

Point being: A backup light may become very important.

Here are the G2 specs.

• • Utilizes a OSRAM P9 LED with a max output of 500 lumens. Five brightness levels are available: Moon-Low-Med-High-Turbo.
  • Magnetic Tail Design: Features a magnetic tail and a clip design which allows the G2 to allow for different kinds of carrying options.
  • USB Rechargeable: With a built-in 280mAh battery, the unit has a USB-C port instead of Micro-USB port.
  • Lightweight & Compact: The light has a height of 2-1/2 inches and is about an inch wide. It weighs in at about one ounce.

The good stuff

My primary light in the outdoors is a headlamp. A headlamp leaves your hands free and the light is always pointed where you are looking. This becomes very important when you are handling a boat, changing a tire, skinning a deer, replacing a fuse, putting out duck decoys, pulling in trotlines etc.

Here is what I liked about the G2.

Rechargeable: I use rechargeable electronic devices whenever possible. The G2’s universal USB-C port is the same as the great majority of my devices. They all can be charged from the same battery.

I have used several myCharge batteries for several years, and they are exceptionally reliable. My wife takes one when she travels to power her laptop. I include a couple of the smaller units on the Mississippi River guide trips  to power flashlights, computers etc. The batteries can be recharged during the day with solar panels.

The G2 has a blue and red LED battery indicator Continuous blue means over 90% charge, flashing blue 40-90%, continuous red 15-40%, and flashing red means a charge of under 15%.

To maximize the battery life,  Wuben recommends charging  it when the red LED flashes.

Variety of brightness levels: This is wonderful and the tiny light produces incredible brightness for its size. The G2 can produce 500 lumens (which puts it in the spotlight category), but it also has a moon glow setting, which works great inside a tent for reading. In between these settings are three others, which allows the user to pick the brightness that is needed.

The built-in battery will last for a long time, depending on the setting and length of use. Obviously, the highest setting will drain the battery faster.

Size: This light was carried in my pocket all day at the Bluegrass festival, and I hardly knew it was there. This is the light’s best attribute. Because it is easy to carry, the light won’t be left behind. It is easy to stick in a daypack, and forget until you need it. Right now, my G2 is living in my camera case.

As a component of my camera case or daypack, it will always be available to help me adjust a camera setting in the dark or do whatever needs lighting.

Clip design: The G2 could be clipped to a bandana and made into a headlamp. The magnetic tail means the light can be stuck to something made of metal (think side of a car while changing a tire).

Then there is this:

Not waterproof: The only thing I could think of complain about was that the unit is not completely waterproof. This is probably not a deal breaker. But with my propensity to end up in the dark, in the rain, I would like the G2 better if it was waterproof.

There is no estimating the value of a handy, compact backup light. The G2 is not one I would choose as a primary light, but as a backup, it excels.

A G2 retails for about $20.

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