The Wuben H4 is a lightweight headlamp designed for trail runners, hikers and outdoor users. I tested it in winter conditions in both the Netherlands and Sweden, where long nights, cold temperatures and unpredictable weather make a reliable headlamp essential. After weeks of use around the house, evening hikes and while trail running, here is my review.
- Output: up to 800 lumens
- Light Sources: spot light (6,500K), flood light (4,000K), red.
- Weight: 97,4 g / (claimed 80 g/2.82oz) with battery and headband
- Packed size: 60.5 mm x 46 mm x 39.2 mm ( 2.38″ x 1.81″ x 1.54″)
- Power: rechargeable Li-ion battery pack or 3 × AAA
- Weather Resistance: IP68
- Price: € 29,99 / $ 29,99 / £ 23,99
- Extra’s: none
When looking for a reliable headlamp that balances simplicity, durability, and usability, the H4 stands out immediately. With a straightforward interface, solid waterproofing, and a compact design, it aims to be a dependable lamp for everyday outdoor use. During my winter testing – wet, windy nights in the Netherlands and cold, snowy conditions in central Sweden – the H4 proved itself in many areas, but it also has a few limitations worth noting.
Key Features at a Glance
The H4 offers up to 800 lumens – more on this later! – with a neutral white 4000 Kelvin flood beam, a 6500 Kelvin Cool White Led and a red light option. It provides multiple brightness levels suitable for different activities, from camp use to running. The beam pattern is an over 80° Flood lens on the left (when it’s on your head) and a 10° to 20 ° spot lens on the right. The built-in rechargeable battery keeps things simple, and charging is done via USB-C. With its IP68 rating, it is fully waterproof and dustproof, making it more rugged than many competitors.
Packed size and weight
The Wuben H4 comes in a compact cardboard box with a plastic inner box. I rather see a full cardboard packaging like many others do. After unpacking I put the headlamp on my calibrated scale at home and measured a weight of 97,4 grams with the headband and the battery inserted. This is a bit off to the claimed 80/2.82oz grams that Wuben states. The lamp has a packed size that is a bit smaller than a tennis ball but larger than a golf ball. This makes it compact and easy to carry, fitting easily in a jacket pocket or the top lid of my backpack.
Manual
With the H4 comes a small manual. Fold it open and it is a clear instruction on how to use the headlamp. Especially the schematic overview of operation modes and what buttons to push is excellent. It is easy to cary with you for reference on the trail. The manual is in English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and German.
Charging the H4
Charging the H4 is pretty straightforward via the USB-C port on the 1700 mAh battery. All you need to do is open the back of the headlamp and take the battery out. The USB-C port is facing inwards which is a bit illogical to me but it might be a way of weather protection. Even in colder conditions, opening the cover is manageable, although with gloves it can still be a bit fiddly. For removing a battery you will need a nail to stick behind a little notch so no gloves here. Charging takes about 45 minutes to 2 hours and 36 minutes depending on the charger.
The battery indicator on the battery gives a basic idea of power levels: red indicates it is charging, blue according to the manual – mine is green – means it is fully charged. It is simple but functional. From the outside a red or blue LED indicates the battery status too. From full blue to half red in half steps. To see the status you’ll have to press a button and the battery indicator LEDs lights up.
It is also reassuring that the lamp can run on 3 AAA batteries if the main pack is empty and you cannot recharge on the spot.
Light mode operation
The Lumen H4 has two buttons on top. The one on the left is round, the one on the right is a dotted area. The idea is sublime because with bare hands you really feel where you need to be. Gloved up, it’s just left and right and that works fine too. The left round button is the flood light and the dotted one the spot light. Pressing either button short turns either light on and off. Holding either button cycles through brightness levels: Low 15 Lumens, Medium 150 Lumens and High 300 Lumens. Pressing the left or the right button and then pressing the opposite button twice turns on the 800 Lumens Turbo mode.
Auxiliary Red Light
The red light is accessed through a long press on one of the two buttons. Do the same to turn it off. When the red light is on a short press on any button cycles you through Constant on, blinking Beacons and SOS mode. The light pattern is incredibly bright and focussed and that is not to everybody’s liking.
Gesture control on the Wuben H4
On board of the H4 is one very nifty feature: Gesture control. In gesture control mode I just have to wave my hand in front of the headlamp and it turns automatically on. Wave again and the lamp turns off. To activate Gesture Control I just have to press the button of my choice – do I want flood or spot – to turn the light on. Then I press and hold both buttons for 1.5 seconds and Gesture Control is activated. After activation you will see on the bottom of the headlamp a blue light starts breathing. To turn Gesture Control off just press the button shortly. One thing that is not mentioned in the manual is the fact that you can switch between Flood or Spot by pressing the dedicated button. Same for cycling though the brightness modes.
Does it work flawlessly? No, it has its quirks. Sometimes after activating the lamp turns off and the blue light keeps breathing and Gesture Control is active and works. Also pressing 1.5 seconds on both buttons with the headlamp on your head in cold condition is not always easy. Would I miss Gesture Control? No, but it is a nice gimmick to show off when at camp or in the bar of the hut.
Flaw Nr 1: No lockout
A small feature that could potentially grow to a major issue is the total lack of having a lockout mode. A lockout mode should be there to prevent accidental activation in for example a backpack. The only way to prevent the H4 from accidentally draining is taking the battery out. This is what I call a pretty severe design failure.
Lumens versus…
So…in Turbo mode Wuben H4 claims 700 lumen. About Lumens there is a lot to tell. Lumens is a method of measuring how much light is emitted by the light source. The good thing about Wuben is that they are absolutely clear on how they measure it: they test conform to the ANSI Standard. This standard dates back to 2009 and is developed to help us – users – compare for example the Wuben to other headlamps that have been tested with the same standard. Now… Lumen is just a way of expressing how much light – the light intensity – the lamp produces. And that is the whole point with Lumens, it is not that important. Important is the usability in real life. Now let’s talk about Lux.
…Lux
Lux is – like Lumen – a way of expressing an amount of light but with Lux we talk about the amount of light that reaches a certain spot. So this is actually the useful amount of light for your eyes and for visibility. In the past I did quite a lot of testing on headlamps for the magazine I used to work for. We tested headlamps by measuring the Lumens and the amount of Lux that reaches a certain spot in the R&D laboratory of Philips car lighting. In this laboratory we not only measured the amount of Lumen and Lux but also the lighting pattern. After we did this several times, we made our own lab in the basement of the office. You might understand that since I left the magazine I don’t have this possibility anymore so now I do almost the same, but outdoors.
Field lab
For every lamp that I review I measure the amount of light in the different lighting modes that reaches a simple Lux meter at 5 meters, 10 meters and 20 meters. Five meters is the point that I believe is a good distance while running or just looking around your camp. The other two are more important when speeds get higher or when you need the lamp also for exploring the area around you. Although this method is not 100% correct scientifically, I use it as a way to compare in a simple, very cost efficient and reparative way headlamps and torches. I only measure the centre of the beam. For the Wuben H4 in the different lighting modes I measured together with my dearest – this is something I can’t do alone – on a very dark forest road the following values*:
Spot beam
Low: 1.2 Lux at 5 meters, 0.2 Lux at 10 meters and 0.05 Lux at 20 meters.
Mid: 12.35 Lux at 5 meters, 2.85 Lux at 10 meters and 0.6 Lux at 20 meters.
High: 22.8 Lux at 5 meters, 5.4 Lux at 10 meters and 1.35 Lux at 20 meters.
Flood beam
Low: 0.3 Lux at 5 meters, 0.1 Lux at 10 meters and 0.0 Lux at 20 meters.
Mid: 2.7 Lux at 5 meters, 0.6 Lux at 10 meters and 0.1 Lux at 20 meters.
High: 5.15 Lux at 5 meters, 1.2 Lux at 10 meters and 0.3 Lux at 20 meters.
Turbo: 28.6 Lux at 5 meters, 7.5 Lux at 10 meters and 1.8 Lux at 20 meters.
*Measured with full rechargeable Wuben battery
Maximum throw
Together with my dearest I also measured the maximum throw of the H4. She had the headlamp and I walked away from here with a reflective beanie on my head. The moment the beanie was not visible anymore is for me the practical throw of the Wuben. We measured about 40 meters and that is less than the 66 meters Wuben promises but is in line with Wubens number that is a calculated value conforming to the ANSI/PLATO-FL1 standard.
For so far the numbers, but how practical is this on the trail or around the campsite?
Pro’s – What Stands Out in Real Use
The simplicity of the H4 is one of its biggest strengths. The buttons with either its own profile works well with cold hands and even with gloves although you will not feel the circle or dotted profiles. I like that pressing it short once turns the light on cycling through the lightmodes is easy
The headband is comfortable, breathable and stays in place while running. There is a silicon ridge on the inside at the front that is grippy when wearing the headlamp on my beanie. On bare skin it prevents sweet dripping down in my eyes. It does not feel uncomfortable.
The headlamps can be tilted over a 90 degree angle. This is good because you can point the beam forward or even downwards if you are for example reading a book or cutting a cup out of a piece of wood on a long dark Swedish winter night. Clear notches indicate that you are tilting the lamp. They also keeps the lamp firmly in your chosen angle.
The neutral 4000 Kelvin flood light is by far my favourite. I like the warmer color over the colder 6500 Kelvin spot light. The beam pattern is wide and even – like a big soft box in front of you – making it ideal for close-range tasks around camp and general movement when I like to have an overview of my surroundings. The colder spot light is fine when hiking and keeping a close dedicated look at the trail.
When it comes to the light intensities I think they are mostly pretty well chosen. The Low mode in Flood is more like moonlight than really enlightening the area. But when it is dark and you give your eyes the time to adjust, it is perfectly fine. Hiking with a full moon is never a problem for me in relation to seeing where I am going. The Spot beam in Low… I don’t really get it unless it is for dedicated tasks when I am making some kindle for example.
That said… I do think that the step from High to Turbo – 300 Lumens steps up to 800 Lumens – is too big. I notice my eyes react in a WOW-like manner and that is not always comfortable.
Performance in Winter Conditions
Performance in winter conditions was very solid. In the Netherlands, the H4 handled rain, mud and wet forest trails without any issues. In Sweden, sub-zero temperatures did not noticeably affect performance. The IP68 rating gives confidence that the lamp can handle harsh environments without problems. The lamp worked well over a beanie or winter hat and the headlamp is stable during running. Inside the tent in Mid Flood mode and hanging it from the washing, it provides a nice even warm lighting. It is not a real soft box of course. If you want that look for the Nitecore UT27 that I reviewed.
Wuben H4 Battery Life
Battery life on the H4 is solid and appears to match Wuben’s stated runtimes. At around 20 °C I measured in Turbo mode a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes to almost 3 hours and 21 minutes until the moment it died completely. Wuben claims 1 min + 2.3 hours and I didn’t find this very clear. What the headlamp does: in Turbo mode it runs in 800 Lumen Turbo for 1 minute and then powers down in 2.3 hours ( 2 hours and 36 minutes) to 350 Lumens. So be aware that Turbo is not 800 Lumens constant.
After this test I charged the battery to the brim and then I put it outside to freeze to – 5 °C. Outside it ran in high power mode for 2 hours and 13 minutes and I think that is pretty astonishing. Why is this even important? Well if you are camping in below freezing conditions it is good to know that the H4 will still be usable and does not need to be kept in the warm sleeping bag.
Does it run hot?
No it does not. I have been running several tests with my infrared thermometers. At room temperature of 20 °C the maximum I measured on the front was 40.0 °C. On the rear I measured 25,4 °C and when I averaged all my measurements, it was about 34 °C and the headlamp always felt comfortable to the skin. The headband prevents a lot of heat from passing through. Outdoors at -5 °C I measured a maximum unit temperature of 7,3 °C.
IP68 Waterproofness
The H4 is rated IP68, which means it is fully protected against dust and can withstand submersion in water for 1 hour at a depth of 2 meters. In real-world outdoor use, this makes it extremely reliable in heavy rain, wet snow, and muddy conditions. During testing, it handled all weather conditions without any issues.
Major flaw 2: Don’t wear glasses!
To be clear: I do like Wuben H4 but for somebody who wears glasses it is a horrible headlamp too. The lower part of the Wubens housing is made of transparent plastic. It might need to be because this is also where the Gesture Control sensors and the battery states indicators are positioned. With a light on – no matter if it is Spot or Flood – the light emitted by the LEDs shines through the bottom of the housing. Depending on the tilt of the headlamp this results in a glare in my glasses. Not tilted it is acceptable but partly tilted it becomes very irritating. A carefully placed piece of black tape is the solution but it’s not ideal. Just be aware of this if you are like me depending on glasses.
Exemplary Service
During the review process there were some things that the Wuben website nor the manual did answer. The response from Wuben was always fast and to the point. Even on the flaws I mentioned in the review process I got understanding answers. I also requested a second H4 because I had the idea that something in the Lumen department was not right. I got it and the results in the Lumen testing were in line with what I measured with unit one. In all cases the support I had from Wuben was exemplary.
Verdict
After several months of testing the Wuben H4 in real winter conditions, I can say that it stands out as a simple, rugged, and reliable headlamp. What I appreciate most is its ease of use and durability. It does not try to do everything, but what it does, it does well.
In real use, the lamp performs almost exactly how expected. It’s comfortable, stable, and handles cold and wet conditions without any issues. The buttons are super and gesture control can be practical when wearing thick winter gloves. The choice of two beams is fine; wide when you need a general overview and spot for more dedicated tasks around camp or when running.
That said, it’s not perfect. The maximum output is limited compared to headlamps with the same output. I would prefer more lumens in High when speed increases. Changing the battery can not be done with gloves and it misses a lockout function which I regard as a major flaw. And… if you wear glasses… you’ll need tape to block the glare coming from the bottom of the transparent housing.
Overall, I find the H4 to be a dependable and thoughtfully designed headlamp that performs well in real-world conditions. Its strengths lie in simplicity, durability, and usability. The limitations are clear, but for many users, they will not be dealbreakers especially because with a price of € 29,99 / $ 29,99 / £ 23,99 it doesn’t break the bank. That’s why I rate it at 7 out of 10.
🔥 Grab the Wuben H4 here
- Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3LNFMtL
- Official Store: https://bit.ly/47Dwqtr
- Amazon EU: https://amzn.to/3WETMIK
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