The Best Sofirn Flashlights, and the Spec Sheets Nobody Expects From a Budget Brand

The short answer

Sofirn appears on almost every page of this site as a comparison, not as a subject. When we say a Maglite or a Streamlight loses on lumens per dollar, the brand it loses to is usually this one. This page turns the comparison around and reads Sofirn's own specification pages the way we read everyone else's.

The finding, and it is not the one we expected

Sofirn publishes better mode tables than most of the premium brands on this site. Not better than one of them — better than most of them.

For the SP35T, a light costing around fifty dollars, Sofirn publishes an output, a runtime, a beam distance and a peak beam intensity in candela for every one of its five modes: turbo at 3,800 lumens for 1 h 45 min reaching 280 meters at 19,625 candela, down to eco at 5 lumens for 220 hours. For the Q8 Plus it does the same thing across six modes, including a published 2 h 36 min beside the 16,000-lumen turbo.

Compare what the premium brands manage. NITECORE publishes a runtime for its dimmest mode only. Streamlight publishes every mode's runtime and no candela at all for any handheld. Fenix publishes a complete table for its flagship and three bare figures for its mid-range. Maglite publishes high, low and eco. Of everything we cover, only the Fenix PD36R Pro matches what Sofirn prints for a light at a third of the price.

Now the part that keeps it honest

Three things stop this being a straight win, and two of them are the kind of sloppiness that a premium brand would be criticized for here.

1. 1.The pages contradict themselves on water ratings. The ST10's specification table says IPX6 and its own description says IP66. The Q8 Plus page says IP68 in one section and IPX8 in a heading. Those are different claims, and we record neither light as having a confirmed rating, because a specification that disagrees with itself is not a specification.
2. 2.The model this site recommends most does not get the good treatment. The SC31 Pro — the 2,000-lumen 18650 light that wins our value rankings — publishes a maximum output, a beam distance and an IPX8 rating, and no per-mode runtime at all. So Sofirn's disclosure varies by model exactly the way Fenix's does.
3. 3.Nothing anywhere states ANSI/PLATO FL1 conformity. Fenix states it on the PD36R Pro. Sofirn publishes richer tables than Fenix does on most models and never says how the figures were measured, which means the numbers are checkable in form but not in provenance.

There is a fourth, smaller case worth naming because it is the floor rather than the ceiling: Sofirn's SE1 keychain light has a product page with no modes, no battery figure, no water rating, no weight and no dimensions on it at all. We looked at it for this page and left it off, because there is nothing on it to cite.

#	Light	Max output	Battery	Lumens / $	Price
1	Sofirn Q8 Plus The 16,000-lumen claim with a duration attached	16,000	Replaceable	128	$124.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 24, 2026 — 128 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
2	Sofirn SP35T Best documented light per dollar on this site	3,800	Replaceable	76	$49.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 24, 2026 — 76 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
3	Sofirn SC31 Pro Best lumens per dollar overall	2,000	Replaceable	47	$42.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 24, 2026 — 47 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
4	Sofirn ST10 Best Sofirn for a glovebox	1,000	AA / AAA	25	$39.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 24, 2026 — 25 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

Prices pulled October 24, 2026. Lumens per dollar is the manufacturer's published maximum output divided by that price, recomputed every time the price moves.

Start from where the light lives

• A glovebox, a camera bag or a drawer — the ST10. A thousand lumens and 5,175 candela at 49 grams, and it runs on an ordinary AA cell when its 14500 is flat, which is the specification that matters for a light that waits. It also carries a real 660 nm red side light with four levels of its own.
• One light for general use — the SC31 Pro. Two thousand lumens, 226 meters, IPX8, a replaceable 18650 and USB-C. It is the cheapest route to a competent full-size light we cover, and it is the pick that wins our value rankings. It is also the one Sofirn documents least.
• The most checkable specification at any price near this — the SP35T. Five modes, each with lumens, runtime, distance and candela, on a detachable 21700 at 5,000 mAh, IPX8 with a stated depth and a 1-meter impact figure.
• Lighting a field, a shoreline or a large property — the Q8 Plus. Sixteen thousand lumens, 554 meters, 76,666 candela, three 21700 cells and reverse charging so it doubles as a power bank. At 492 grams before cells it is a two-handed object and not a carry light.

What each one publishes

The runtime column is the one to read twice. Three of these four lights tell you how long the number on the box lasts. Across the rest of this site that is true of Streamlight, of the Fenix PD36R Pro, and of almost nobody else — and none of those is a fifty-dollar light.

1. The 16,000-lumen claim with a duration attached

Sofirn Q8 Plus

Lumens per dollar

128

Sixteen thousand lumens, 76,666 candela and 554 meters from six emitters and three 21700 cells — and Sofirn publishes two hours thirty-six minutes beside that 16,000-lumen figure. This site exists partly to expose four-figure lumen claims with no runtime. This is a five-figure claim with one.

Max output

16,000 lm

Runtime

2 h 36 min

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

None published

What it gets right

• A published runtime beside a 16,000-lumen claim — the thing almost no high-output light provides
• Candela and beam distance published for every mode, up to 76,666 cd and 554 meters
• Three standard 21700 cells, so the power source is ordinary parts rather than a pack
• Reverse charging turns it into a power bank during an outage

What it gets wrong

• The page gives two different water ratings — IP68 in one section, IPX8 in another
• Four hundred and ninety-two grams before you add three cells; this is a two-handed object
• Buying three 21700s if they are not included is a real cost on top of the light
• Anduril 2.0 is a deep interface that rewards reading the manual and punishes not reading it

Published specification

• Turbo: 16,000 lumens, 2 h 36 min, 554 m, 76,666 cd — Sofirn published specification
• High: 7,000 lumens, 4 h 32 min, 355 m, 31,591 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Medium: 1,800 lumens, 10 h 16 min, 155 m, 5,975 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Low: 200 lumens, 27 h 45 min, 52 m, 683 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Moonlight: 5 lumens, 40 days, 8 m, 16 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Battery: 3 x detachable 21700, 5,000 mAh each — Sofirn published specification
• Charging: USB-C fast charging, plus USB-C reverse charging as a power bank — Sofirn published specification
• Impact resistance: 1 m — Sofirn published specification
• Weight: 492 g without batteries — Sofirn published specification
• Dimensions: 133 x 63 mm; the page does not label which figure is the length
• Emitter: 6 x CREE XHP50B — Sofirn published specification
• Water rating: The page contradicts itself — one section says IP68, another heading says IPX8. We record neither as confirmed.
• Ramping mode: 5 to 16,000 lumens; runtime stated only as depending on the level selected
• Battery replaceability: The page says detachable; it does not use the words user-replaceable

Skip this one if

you want a light you carry. A 492-gram six-emitter searchlight is bought for a property, a boat or a search, and it is a ridiculous thing to put in a bag for general use.

Buy it if: large properties, search volunteers and anyone whose actual problem is lighting a field rather than a path.

• Output 9.5
• Battery 8.0
• Build 7.5
• Usability 6.5
• Overall 8.2

$124.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 24, 2026 — 128 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

2. Best documented light per dollar on this site

Sofirn SP35T

Lumens per dollar

76

Thirty-eight hundred lumens, 19,625 candela and 280 meters on a detachable 21700, with lumens, runtime, beam distance AND candela published for all five modes. Fenix charges three times as much for a spec sheet this complete, and most of this site's premium picks never publish one at all.

Max output

3,800 lm

Runtime

1 h 45 min

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

IPX8

What it gets right

• Lumens, runtime, beam distance and candela published for all five modes — the rarest thing in this category
• A runtime printed beside the 3,800-lumen headline, not only beside the dim modes
• Detachable 21700 at 5,000 mAh, so the cell is an ordinary part
• IPX8 with a stated depth and a 1-meter impact figure, both as numbers

What it gets wrong

• One hour 45 minutes at turbo is a figure that will include thermal step-down, which the page does not break out
• No runtime published for strobe, SOS or beacon
• The page says the cell is detachable without saying the owner may replace it
• An 87-gram, 139.5 mm body is a duty-size light, not a pocket one

Published specification

• Turbo: 3,800 lumens, 1 h 45 min, 280 m, 19,625 cd — Sofirn published specification
• High: 1,500 lumens, 2 h 28 min, 182 m, 8,258 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Medium: 500 lumens, 6 h 58 min, 107 m, 2,858 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Low: 100 lumens, 26 hours, 47 m, 550 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Eco: 5 lumens, 220 hours, 10 m, 26 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Battery: Detachable 21700 Li-ion, 5,000 mAh — Sofirn published specification
• Charging: USB-C, approximately 3 hours for the 5,000 mAh cell — Sofirn published specification
• Water rating: IPX8, 2 m, stated as not for diving — Sofirn published specification
• Impact resistance: 1 m — Sofirn published specification
• Weight: 87 g without battery — Sofirn published specification
• Length: 139.5 mm, 28 mm head diameter — Sofirn published specification
• Emitter: XHP50B, 6000-6500K — Sofirn published specification
• Strobe, SOS and beacon: Output published, no runtime published for any of the three
• Battery replaceability: The page says detachable; it does not use the words user-replaceable

Skip this one if

you want a small light. This is a full-size 21700 tube, and Sofirn sells several smaller models if the specification matters less than the shape.

Buy it if: anyone who wants the most checkable specification available at this price, and does not care that the badge on it is a direct-selling brand.

• Output 9.0
• Battery 8.5
• Build 8.0
• Usability 8.0
• Overall 8.7

$49.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 24, 2026 — 76 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

3. Best lumens per dollar overall

Sofirn SC31 Pro

Lumens per dollar

47

Two thousand published lumens out of a standard 18650 you can buy anywhere for a few dollars, in a light that costs less than most brands charge for a keychain. The cell is the whole argument: when it dies in three years you replace a battery, not a flashlight.

Max output

2,000 lm

Runtime

Not published per mode

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

IPX8

What it gets right

• Standard 18650 cell — replacements cost a few dollars and are sold everywhere
• IPX8, the strongest water rating in this price class
• USB-C charging built into the light, so no separate charger to lose
• Anduril firmware gives real ramping control rather than four fixed steps

What it gets wrong

• Sofirn publishes no per-mode runtime figures on the product page
• Anduril is genuinely confusing for the first week
• Tint varies between batches, which is the price of this price

Published specification

• Maximum output: 2,000 lumens — Sofirn published specification
• Beam distance: 226 m — Sofirn published specification
• Battery: 1 x 18650 Li-ion, user replaceable — Sofirn published specification
• Charging: USB-C, 2.5 hours with a 2A adapter — Sofirn published specification
• Water rating: IPX8 — Sofirn published specification
• Weight: 59 g without battery — Sofirn published specification
• Length: 117.5 mm — Sofirn published specification
• Emitter: SST40, 5000K or 6500K — Sofirn published specification
• Per-mode runtime: Not published on the product page

Skip this one if

you want to press one button and get one brightness. Anduril has a shortcut for everything and a menu for everything else, and if that sounds tiring you will be happier with a three-mode light.

Buy it if: anyone who intends to keep the light for longer than the battery lasts, and does not mind reading a manual once.

• Output 9.0
• Battery 9.5
• Build 8.0
• Usability 7.0
• Overall 8.6

$42.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 24, 2026 — 47 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

4. Best Sofirn for a glovebox

Sofirn ST10

Lumens per dollar

25

A thousand lumens and 5,175 candela from a 49-gram body that runs on its own 14500 or on an ordinary AA cell, with a separate 660 nm red side light. Sofirn publishes a runtime, a beam distance and a candela figure for every level of all three emitters, which is more than most premium brands manage for one.

Max output

1,000 lm

Runtime

1 h 20 min

Battery

AA / AAA

Water rating

None published

What it gets right

• Runs on an ordinary AA cell when the 14500 is flat, which almost nothing at this output does
• A runtime, a beam distance and a candela figure published for every level of all three emitters
• A real 660 nm red side light with its own four levels, not a red filter
• Forty-nine grams, and the USB-C port is in the cell so a spare charges while the light is in use

What it gets wrong

• The page gives two different water ratings — IPX6 in the spec table, IP66 in the description
• No charge time published, and no runtime figures for AA operation
• One thousand lumens for 1 h 20 min is a modest headline next to a 21700 light
• Three emitters and thirteen levels is a lot of interface for a glovebox light

Published specification

• Maximum output: 1,000 lumens — Sofirn published specification
• Peak beam intensity: 5,175 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Maximum beam distance: 144 m — Sofirn published specification
• Turbo: 1,000 lumens, 1 h 20 min, 144 m, 5,175 cd — Sofirn published specification
• Moonlight: 1 lumen, 150 hours — the published maximum runtime — Sofirn published specification
• Mode table: Five main-beam levels, four side-white levels and four red levels, each with its own runtime — Sofirn published specification
• Red side light: 3 / 45 / 100 lumens plus flash, 660 nm — Sofirn published specification
• Battery: Detachable 14500, 900 mAh, included; also runs on AA alkaline or AA Ni-MH — Sofirn published specification
• Charging: USB-C port built into the cell itself — Sofirn published specification
• Impact resistance: 1 m — Sofirn published specification
• Weight: 49 g without battery — Sofirn published specification
• Dimensions: 69.3 x 33.8 x 20.4 mm — Sofirn published specification
• Emitter: TN-3535 x 2 plus a 660 nm red — Sofirn published specification
• Water rating: The page contradicts itself — the spec table says IPX6 and the description says IP66. We record neither as confirmed.
• Charge time: Not published on the page we read
• Runtime on AA cells: Not published — the figures above are for the included 14500

Skip this one if

you want a sealed, submersible light. Neither of the two water ratings on the page is a submersion rating, and the two do not agree with each other.

Buy it if: a glovebox, a camera bag or a coat pocket — somewhere the light must work after a long wait and can be fed an AA from a drawer.

• Output 6.5
• Battery 9.0
• Build 7.0
• Usability 7.5
• Overall 7.6

$39.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 24, 2026 — 25 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

What you are still giving up

Documentation is not the only thing a buyer pays for, and the premium brands are not charging three times as much for nothing. What Sofirn does not offer is a warranty network you can lean on, parts availability years later, or a returns counter you can drive to. Maglite will sell you a spare part for a light it made two decades ago; Sofirn is a direct-selling brand and your recourse is a support email.

Consistency between units is the other unknown. A published figure is a claim about a design, not a guarantee about the particular light in the box, and the brands with the strongest quality-control reputations are not the cheap ones. We have not tested any of this, which is why it is written as a caveat rather than a finding.

And the interface. The Q8 Plus runs Anduril 2.0, which is an enthusiast firmware with ramping and a menu tree. People who like it like it a great deal. Somebody who wants to press a button and get light will not.

Where Sofirn is the wrong answer

• The light must be submersible and you need to be certain. Two of these four pages give two different water ratings. Streamlight publishes IPX7 and NITECORE publishes IP68 to two meters, each as a single unambiguous code.
• You need the light serviced in five years. Buy Maglite, which publishes a ten-year warranty and still sells parts for old lights.
• You want a keychain light from this brand. The SE1's page publishes nothing we could cite, so we will not recommend it.
• You want a simple interface on a high-output light. The Q8 Plus's Anduril 2.0 is powerful and is not simple.

How we ranked these

Published output over the live price, adjusted for battery architecture and published ratings, as on every page here. Two adjustments matter in this range. A water rating that the manufacturer's own page contradicts counts as no rating, which costs the ST10 and the Q8 Plus. And a complete, checkable mode table is credited, because the whole premise of this site is that a figure you can hold a manufacturer to is worth more than a figure you cannot — which is why the SP35T finishes where it does despite being neither the cheapest nor the brightest light on the page.

What we cannot tell you

We have not used any of these four lights. We cannot tell you whether a Sofirn survives a drop as well as a Streamlight, whether its output holds up after a year, or how its support behaves when something goes wrong — and on a direct-selling budget brand those are the questions that most deserve answers. We also cannot tell you how Sofirn measured any of the figures above, because no page we read states a test standard. What this page compares is what each manufacturer publishes against what each light costs today, and on that narrow measure the cheap brand does better than its reputation.