The Weltool W5R Pro throws a beam 2,898 meters, about 1.8 miles, from a light you can hold in one hand. On high it puts out 920 lumens at 2.1 million candela, making it one of the longest-throwing handheld LEP flashlights you can buy.
It is the rechargeable version of Weltool's popular W5 Pro. The big addition is a sealed USB-C charging port built into the head, so you never have to pull the batteries to top it off. Here's what it does well, how it compares to the older W5 models, and who should buy one.
What is an LEP flashlight?
LEP stands for laser excited phosphor. A small blue laser hits a phosphor element, which glows a bright white. Because that light source is tiny, the reflector can focus it into an extremely tight beam.
A regular LED flashlight spreads light into a wide hotspot with lots of spill. An LEP like the W5R Pro does the opposite: almost no spill, just a narrow, pencil-like beam that reaches far beyond what an LED light of the same size can.
The trade-off is that an LEP is a spotlight, not an all-around light. It's built to see what's far away, not to light up the ground at your feet.
Beam performance: high and low
The W5R Pro has two main modes plus strobe, all controlled from one side switch.
- High: 920 lumens, 2.1 million candela, 2,898 meters. This is the mode for spotting something way out there: a treeline across a valley, a building on a far hillside, or an animal at the edge of a big property.
- Low: 260 lumens, 590,000 candela. That still works out to roughly 1,500 meters of throw. Low is the better choice for routine scanning and gives you longer runtime.
- Strobe: available when you need to signal or disorient.
Why candela matters more than lumens here
Lumens measure total light output. Candela measures how intense the beam is, and intensity is what gets light downrange. That's why a 920-lumen LEP can out-throw flashlights rated at 10,000 lumens or more. The big-lumen lights spread their output wide. The W5R Pro concentrates its output into a single long beam.
Weltool W5R Pro specs
|
Spec |
Weltool W5R Pro |
|---|---|
|
Light source |
LEP (laser excited phosphor), 10,000-hour rated life |
|
Output (high / low) |
920 lumens / 260 lumens |
|
Peak intensity (high / low) |
2,100,000 cd / 590,000 cd |
|
Max beam distance |
2,898 m (about 1.8 miles) |
|
Modes |
High, Low, Strobe |
|
Switch |
Side switch with battery indicator |
|
Batteries |
2 x 22500 Li-ion (included); 2 x 21700 with optional BB5 extension tube |
|
Charging |
Built-in USB-C on the head, 15W fast charge |
|
Water resistance |
IP67 |
|
Impact resistance |
1 m drop tested |
|
Body |
Aluminum alloy, black hard-anodized |
|
Head diameter |
60.5 mm |
|
Length |
225 mm |
|
Weight |
About 420 g (without batteries) |
|
In the box |
Flashlight, 2 x 2400mAh 22500 batteries, USB-C cable, spare O-ring |
Battery and charging
The W5R Pro runs on two 22500 lithium-ion cells, and two 2400mAh batteries come in the box. To get longer runtime, add the optional BB5 extension tube and run two 21700 cells instead.
Charging is where the W5R Pro stands apart. A USB-C port built into the head charges the batteries inside the light at up to 15W. The port is sealed against water and dust, and its cover has a built-in magnet, so you can stick it to a metal surface while charging instead of letting it dangle.
It also has reverse polarity protection, a low-voltage warning, and over-discharge protection, and the side switch doubles as a battery level indicator.
W5R Pro vs. W5 Pro vs. W5
On paper the W5R Pro throws a little farther than either older model, but the biggest upgrade is onboard charging.
|
|
W5 (original) |
W5 Pro |
W5R Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lumens |
699 |
990 |
920 |
|
Candela |
1.97M |
2.02M |
2.1M |
|
Throw |
2,807 m |
2,842 m |
2,898 m |
|
Switch |
Rear clicky |
Side e-switch |
Side e-switch |
|
Charging |
Through the batteries |
Through the batteries (USB-C cells) |
USB-C port on the head, 15W |
|
Modes |
High, Low |
High, Low |
High, Low, Strobe |
Should you upgrade? If you already have a W5 Pro, there's no rush, because real-world performance is nearly the same. The main reasons to switch are charging the light without removing batteries and getting the strobe mode. If you have the original W5 or this is your first LEP, the W5R Pro is the one to get.
Who the W5R Pro is for
The W5R Pro is a dedicated long-range spotlight. It's a great fit for:
- Search and rescue teams who need to scan ridgelines, water, and open terrain at distance
- Hunters, ranchers, and landowners checking big properties, fence lines, and treelines at night
- Law enforcement and security needing to light up a subject or area well beyond normal flashlight range
- Drone spotters and outdoor enthusiasts who want the most throw they can carry
It is not the right pick for walking a trail, working around camp, or close-up tasks. The beam is too narrow for that. Most owners pair it with a floody LED light for up-close work and save the W5R Pro for reaching out.
The bottom line
The Weltool W5R Pro packs 2,898 meters of throw into a handheld light, and with built-in USB-C charging it's one of the most practical long-range LEP flashlights available. If you need to see what's far out in the dark, it's hard to beat.
Get the Weltool W5R Pro at Good Nite Gear and save 10% with code US10 at checkout. We also have a collection of Weltool Flashlights and LEPs as well as more LEP Flashlights!
Want to see it in action? Watch our full review with high and low beamshots on the Urban Survivor YouTube channel.
