Streamlight Wedge

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Streamlight Wedge Specifications & measurements

Brand & Model	Streamlight Wedge
Flashlight category	EDC, Flat flashlight
Battery config.	Built-in 1500mAh lithium polymer
Switch type	Side toggle switch
Dimensions:
Length	139 mm
Head diameter	25 mm
Weight with battery	88 g
LED & Beam
LED type	Unknown cool white
High CRI	No
Focusable beam	No
Features
Onboard charging	USB-C
Power bank	No
Specifications and measurements
Specified output	1000 lm
Measured output (30sec)	1068 lm
Max. measured output (turn on)	1093 lm
Specified beam distance	110 m
Measured beam distance (30sec)	114 m
Specified beam intensity	3000 cd
Measured beam intensity (30sec)	3270 cd
Overall rating	4.5 stars
Review publication date	December 2024

Streamlight is well known by first responders and military for producing lights which can actually be used in their professions. You won’t find any $10 “tactical” lights here; instead their catalog is filled with well engineered, dependable lights that will stand up to tough conditions.

That’s not to say you can’t EDC their lights. Case in point, Streamlight’s Wedge series. Designed to be thin and easy to use, you have the option between a side switch on the Wedge or a tail switch on the Wedge XT. In this review, we’ll look at the Wedge.

What’s in the package

The Wedge came from Streamlight in a clear plastic box with a card stock insert with product information and pictures on both the front and back and a cutout framing the light. Inside, the Wedge was tucked away in molded plastic insert, along with its accessories. Good quality packaging for a light that actually ends up on store shelves.

The contents of the box include:

• Streamlight Wedge
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• Lanyard
• Tiny hex wrench 
• Streamlight ad
• Streamlight sticker

The first thing you’ll notice about the Wedge is that it’s not really wedge shaped. Well, maybe at the tip where it tapers to the bezel, but otherwise, it’s a long, thin, aluminum rectangle, anodized in black, coyote, red, blue, or purple. 

At almost 6 inches/14 cm long, it stands out as being longer than many other lights, including flat lights, and the fact that it’s thin makes it seem even longer than it is. This actually comes into play, because it just barely bumps into the bottom of my pants pocket when I sit down, pushing it out from its otherwise deep carry. If you want to carry the Wedge in your left pocket, Streamlight includes a tiny hex wrench to remove the clip’s screws and reattach it on the other side of the light. That way, the switch will be facing upwards when you remove it from your pocket.

Even though it’s very thin, the Wedge is still too large to fit through MOLLE which is too bad, because that would be a perfect place for it. While you can hold the Wedge any way you like, the switch placement really lends itself to a regular underhand hold.

I note in sections below that the Wedge has a polycarbonate lens and exposed USB-C port, but it still retains an IPX7 and 1m impact resistance rating. These and the Type-II anodization were accidentally put to the test when I performed an unexpected drop test onto brick. With the tail of the light being flat, it allows for tail standing, which I like to use to bounce the light off the ceiling for more dispersed coverage, but because it’s a tall light, the center of gravity is further into the light than the width of the base, making it top heavy.

Combined with an uneven surface, the light fell about 4 feet onto brick but took a licking and kept on ticking, as they say. The primary impact was at the head of the light and would likely have shattered a glass lens, but the plastic lens survived in one piece. There was a secondary impact as the light tumbled across the brick and while the aluminum was dented in this spot, too, the anodization is still intact. 

Using the Wedge is simple. While most flashlights have a button you press to activate it, the wedge has what’s basically a toggle switch. Just push it forward, and the light is on! Push it back, and the light turns off. That’s almost all there is to it, except that you can push it further than the on position for what Streamlight calls THRO® (Temporarily Heightened Regulated Output), aka turbo. The only downside is that you have to hold the switch forward for THRO®, but it only lasts 35 seconds so it shouldn’t hurt your thumb too much unless you’re repeatedly using it.

Obviously, this means the Wedge only has one level plus turbo, so this light won’t be for everyone. I prefer multiple levels, since you might encounter different situations which may require more or less light, but I know there’s a market for single(ish)-output lights, and the Wedge has them covered.

Speaking of coverage, the Wedge is covered by Streamlight’s standard warranty, copied from their support page:

Streamlight warrants its products to be free of defects for a lifetime of use except for batteries and bulbs, abuse and normal wear. We will repair, replace or refund the purchase price of this product should we determine it to be defective. This limited lifetime warranty also excludes rechargeable batteries, chargers, switches and electronics which have a 2 year warranty with proof of purchase.

Here we’re left with a little bit of a mystery. Streamlight doesn’t list the emitter used in the Wedge, but this light isn’t necessarily marketed towards those who really care about the specific emitter. What we do know is that it’s 6000K, looks to be 3535-sized (3.5mm^2), has low CRI, and is paired with a very small smooth reflector. Despite it being smooth, the shallow depth of the reflector gives it a floodier beam. It still has a defined hotspot, though the edges of the spill are indistinct. The hotspot is white, but there’s some yellow tint shift around it.

Also of note is that Streamlight used a plastic lens. While it will not shatter in a fall, like a glass lens, it definitely has the possibility of getting scratched. Scratches won’t necessarily affect the beam at a distance, but for closer illumination, you would definitely see them. The lens is held in by a small press-fit bezel.

More details: 

• LED Type: Unknown cool white
• High CRI: No
• Focusable beam: No

Spectral measurements: 

I used an Opple Light Master Pro to measure the flashlight at 1 meters distance. 

Mode:	CCT:	CRI Ra:	duv
Turbo	6102 K	70.4	0.0040
High	5878 K	69.2	0.0066

Dimensions: 

Streamlight Wedge	Millimeters	Inches
Length	139 mm	5.5 in
Head diameter	25 mm	1.0 in
Body diameter	23 mm	0.9 in

Dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter and the nearest tenth of an Inch.

Weight: 

Streamlight Wedge	Weight in grams	Weight in oz
With battery	88 g	3.1 oz

Weight is rounded to the nearest gram and tenth of an Oz.

Flashlight size comparison with its competition:

Group 1: Emisar D4v2, Streamlight Wedge, Convoy S2+

Group 2: Streamlight Wedge, Streamlight Wedge XT

Group 3: RovyVon E30, Streamlight Wedge XT, Streamlight Wedge, RovyVon E30 Pro, RovyVon E90

Group 4: Jetbeam E26 Kunai UV, Streamlight Wedge XT, Streamlight Wedge, Olight Arkfeld Pro, Olight Arkfeld Ultra

Group 5: Nitecore EDC23, Streamlight Wedge XT, Streamlight Wedge, Nitecore EDC27 UHi, Nitecore EDC29

When your interface is basically a 3-pole switch, there’s not much to explain!

Available modes: 

• On, THRO®

Available blinky modes:

• N/A
  

From OFF:

• Move switch to on position: On
• Push switch forward: Momentary THRO®

From ON:

• Move switch to off position: Off
• Push switch forward: Momentary THRO®

Mode memory:

• N/A

Shortcuts:

• N/A

Strobe/blinkies

•  N/A

Lock-out mode: 

• N/A

PWM

• N/A

The Wedge has a built-in 1500mAh lithium polymer battery which you charge through a USB-C port on the rear of the light. When charging, there’s an indicator light in the switch which shows up red until charging is completed, at which point it turns green. 

Streamlight says it takes 3 hours to charge, which, given it charges at about 0.5A sounds about right, but I found it took more like 4.5 hours before the indicator turned green. It actually measured less than 0.5A which is good for battery longevity, but makes for a longer charging time than runtime…

There must be some internal waterproofing or isolation of the exposed USB-C charging port for it to still have an IPX7 rating. Most lights have a rubber plug/cover for the USB-C port. I bet one of those would bump it up to IPX8.

Battery level indicator:

• Solid green: “Sufficient”
• Solid red: “Depleted”

Batteries	Details
Compatible batteries	Built-In
Incompatible batteries	N/A
Low voltage protection/warning	blink red light
Onboard Charging:
Onboard charging	USB-C
Power bank functionality	No
USB-C to USB-C charging	Yes
Max power of USB charger (port)	65 watts
Max power measured	5.1V 0.47A, 2.4 watts
Final battery voltage (charged)	N/A
Avg. onboard charge time	4h 30min

Lumen measurements

How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards: The ANSI FL1 standards specify that output in lumens should be measured 30 seconds after turning on, as this is the standardized time for measuring brightness according to the industry standard. This is why we focus on this part in our measurements. The ANSI FL1 standards require an ambient temperature of 22 ± 3°C. We record the ambient the ambient temperature to identify potential reasons for any observed discrepancies.

To obtain these numbers, I used an integrating sphere and Extech SDL400 data logging lux meter. Measurements have been calibrated using a standardized calibration light provided by 1Lumen.

I think it’s a good time to mention that Streamlight was involved in the creation and maintenance of the ANSI FL1 standard for measuring flashlights as part of the Portable Lights Trade Organization (PLATO) group. So their lights better well meet the standard they set, right? I’m pleased to report, so far, so good! Both high and turbo exceeded their specs at 30 seconds!

Mode	Specified output	Turn on	30 sec.	10 min.
High	300 lm	357 lm	354 lm	309 lm
Turbo	1000 lm	1093 lm	1068 lm	–

*Turn-on and 30 second measurements are done manually, while the 10-minutes readings comes from the runtime graph. This is our standard approach, though some reviewers may choose a different approach.

Ambient temperature during testing:

• 20°C /68°F

Drain is not able to be measured due to the built-in battery.

Battery Life: Runtime graphs

How Runtimes are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About ANSI FL1 runtime standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens on certain occasions, with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries.

To obtain these numbers, I used an integrated sphere and Extech SDL400 data logging lux meter. Measurements have been calibrated using a standardized calibration light provided by 1Lumen.

Runtime also exceeds the ANSI standard for high/on, and THRO® met its exact 35 second step down. I have to say, the Wedge has the most regulated output I’ve ever seen. There are no curves on this graph at all. The first 15 minutes are a series of micro step downs, but then it spends a little more than two hours at exactly the same output (281 lumens) before stepping down again.

Mode	Specified runtime	Runtime (ANSI FL1)	Time till shut off*
High	3h	3h 29min	3h 32min
Turbo	35s	35s	–

*The last column reflects the total runtime until the light turns off. A “+” symbol indicates that the test was stopped at that point, but the light continued to run. This typically occurs with certain drivers, firmware, or battery types.

Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

About Peak beam intensity: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About peak beam intensity The calculated value of distance in meters at which the flashlight produces a light intensity of 0.25 lux. (0.25 lux is about the brightness of a full moon shining on an object). This means that the intensity has decreased so much, it becomes difficult to see darker objects, or objects that don’t reflect light. The columns ‘Meters’ and ‘Yards’ use rounded numbers.

The numbers for candela were obtained with an Extech SDL400 data logging lux meter at 1, 5, and 15 meters, then averaged.

The candela for high was slightly off (by only 41cd by my measurement), but THRO® made up for it by being 9% above spec!

Mode	Specified intensity	Specified beam distance	Candela measured	Meters	Yards
High	1200 cd	69 m	1159 cd	68 m	74 yd
Turbo	3000 cd	110 m	3270 cd	114 m	125 yd

Ambient temperature during testing:

• 20°C /68°F

Camera settings and distance: These were taken with a Canon EOS 600D with the following settings: 

• WB 5700K, ISO 1600, Speed 0.5sec, f/4.5, 18mm
• Distance to the other end of the playing field is 100 meters.

Beamshots of the following flashlights compared:

• Streamlight Wedge
• Streamlight Wedge XT
• Olight Arkfeld Ultra
• Nitecore EDC23
• Nitecore EDC 27 UHi

Please note that the following beamshots are mainly intended to showcase the beam pattern and beam quality, rather than overall performance. These images are typically taken directly after activation, and in different seasons or weather conditions, and therefore do not fully represent its overall performance. In few cases the camera settings are even different and therefore not meant for performance comparisons. For accurate performance metrics, such as output, beam distance, and runtimes, you need to look at the performance section of this review.

Disclaimer: This flashlight was sent to us for review at no cost by Streamlight. We have not been paid to review, nor have we been holding back on problems or defects.

Buy your Streamlight Wedge here

1lumen selects and reviews products personally. We may earn affiliate commissions through our links, which help support our testing.