Sofirn vs Maglite

The short answer

What makes this pairing worth a page is that the prices are not the variable. We matched the three pairs below on cost rather than on category, and the middle pair happened to be at the identical figure the day we checked. So this is not a premium-against-budget argument like most brand comparisons on this site. It is two cheap brands giving completely different answers to the same fifty dollars.

Sofirn sells you output. Maglite sells you hours.

Take the headline pair. The Sofirn SP35T publishes 3,800 lumens with 1 hour 45 minutes beside it, down through 1,500 lumens for 2 h 28 min to 5 lumens for 220 hours, on a detachable 21700 rated 5,000 mAh. The Maglite ML300LX publishes 746 lumens — and 32 hours of it, plus 112 hours on low and 298 in eco, on three D cells.

Those are not competing figures so much as different units of account. Five times the light for a twentieth of the duration is a trade, not a win, and which side of it you want depends entirely on whether the light is a tool you reach for or an object that waits. Nothing in a lumens-per-dollar column can arbitrate that, which is why this comparison is written out in prose.

Maglite out-throws Sofirn in all three pairs

This is the result that surprises people and it is consistent down the page. The ML300LX publishes 40,596 candela and 403 meters against the SP35T's 19,625 and 280. The ML50LX publishes 21,197 candela and 291 meters against the SC31 Pro's 226 meters. The little Mini Maglite Pro LED publishes 7,399 candela and 172 meters against the ST10's 5,175 and 144 — on a third of the lumens.

The reason is reflector geometry rather than brand quality. Beam distance is governed by how tightly the optics concentrate light, not by how much of it there is, and a Maglite head is physically larger at every size in the range. We found the same thing comparing Maglite against Fenix, which is the clearest evidence on this site that lumens is the wrong number to shop a thrower on.

Neither spec sheet is clean, and the gaps are not where you would guess

Sofirn's documentation is better than its reputation — on two of these three lights. The SP35T and the ST10 publish lumens, runtime, beam distance and candela for every mode, which is more than most premium brands manage. The SC31 Pro, which is the Sofirn this site has recommended most often, publishes a maximum output, a beam distance and an IPX8 rating and then stops: no candela, no per-mode runtime at all. The brand's disclosure varies by model, and its weakest page belongs to its most popular light.

Maglite is the more consistent of the two: candela, beam distance and three runtimes on all three lights here. What it never publishes is how any of it was measured. And its own pages contradict themselves elsewhere in the range, which we document on the Maglite range page.

Sofirn has the equivalent problem on the ST10, whose specification table says IPX6 while its own description says IP66. We record that light as having no confirmed water rating, because a page that disagrees with itself is not a specification. The SP35T and SC31 Pro both publish IPX8 cleanly, which is the best water story in this comparison and it belongs to Sofirn.

#	Light	Max output	Battery	Lumens / $	Price
1	Sofirn SP35T Best documented light per dollar on this site	3,800	Replaceable	76	$49.99 on Amazon→ Price as of November 3, 2026 — 76 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
2	Sofirn SC31 Pro Best lumens per dollar overall	2,000	Replaceable	47	$42.99 on Amazon→ Price as of November 3, 2026 — 47 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
3	Sofirn ST10 Best Sofirn for a glovebox	1,000	AA / AAA	25	$39.99 on Amazon→ Price as of November 3, 2026 — 25 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
4	Maglite ML300LX 3-Cell D The longest published runtime on this site	746	Replaceable	14	$52.99 on Amazon→ Price as of November 3, 2026 — 14 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
5	Maglite Mini Maglite Pro LED Best AA pocket light in either range	332	AA / AAA	13	$24.99 on Amazon→ Price as of November 3, 2026 — 13 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
6	Maglite ML50LX 2-Cell C Best all-round Maglite	466	Replaceable	11	$42.99 on Amazon→ Price as of November 3, 2026 — 11 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

Prices pulled November 3, 2026. Lumens per dollar is the manufacturer's published maximum output divided by that price, recomputed every time the price moves.

The three pairs

One honest wrinkle in that table: the weight column is not apples to apples, because Sofirn publishes weights without the cell and Maglite publishes them with the batteries in. The gap is real and large in every pair regardless — a 21700 adds roughly 70 grams, three D cells add far more than the difference — but do not read the exact numbers as a like-for-like measurement.

1. 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 November 3, 2026 — 76 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

2. 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 November 3, 2026 — 47 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

3. 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 November 3, 2026 — 25 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

4. The longest published runtime on this site

Maglite ML300LX 3-Cell D

Lumens per dollar

14

Seven hundred and forty-six lumens, 40,596 candela and 403 meters from three D cells — and 32 hours of it on high. Not 32 hours on a dim setting: 32 hours at the output on the box, published by Maglite. No rechargeable light on this site comes within a factor of ten of that figure.

Max output

746 lm

Runtime

32 h

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

IPX4

What it gets right

• Thirty-two hours at full output — the longest published high-mode runtime anywhere on this site
• Forty thousand candela and 403 meters, with the candela figure published rather than implied
• Runs on D cells from any shop, so there is no pack to degrade and nothing to charge
• Two hundred and ninety-eight hours in eco mode turns it into a twelve-day outage light

What it gets wrong

• Seven hundred and forty-eight grams with cells in — this is a club, not a carry light
• IPX4 is a splash rating; it is not a light you can drop in water
• Three D cells are not cheap, and the running cost is real if you use it regularly
• No USB-C and no rechargeable option in this model

Published specification

• Maximum output: 746 lumens — Maglite published specification
• Peak beam intensity: 40,596 cd — Maglite published specification
• Beam distance: 403 m — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, high: 32 hours — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, low: 112 hours — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, eco: 298 hours — Maglite published specification
• Battery: 3 x D cell alkaline, not included — Maglite published specification
• Water rating: IPX4 — Maglite published specification
• Drop resistance: 1 m — Maglite published specification
• Weight: 26.4 oz (748.42 g) with batteries — Maglite published specification
• Length: 11.75 in (298.45 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Barrel diameter: 1.5 in (38.1 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Head diameter: 2.25 in (57 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Per-mode output: The specification table publishes a runtime for low and eco but not their lumen figures

Skip this one if

the light has to be carried. At 298 millimeters and three quarters of a kilogram this lives in a truck, a cupboard or a hand, and anybody expecting to put it in a bag will leave it at home instead.

Buy it if: a vehicle, a workshop or a storm cupboard — anywhere the light sits still, has to work after two years untouched, and may need to stay on all night.

• Output 7.0
• Battery 9.5
• Build 8.5
• Usability 5.5
• Overall 7.6

$52.99 on Amazon→

Price as of November 3, 2026 — 14 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

5. Best AA pocket light in either range

Maglite Mini Maglite Pro LED

Lumens per dollar

13

Three hundred and thirty-two lumens, 7,399 candela and 172 meters on two AA cells, for less than twenty dollars. It is the cheapest light either of these brands sells here, the only pocket light of the six that takes a battery from a corner shop, and it publishes a runtime for both its modes.

Max output

332 lm

Runtime

2 h 30 min

Battery

AA / AAA

Water rating

IPX4

What it gets right

• Runs on two AA cells, which store for a decade and can be bought absolutely anywhere
• Three hundred and thirty-two lumens and 7,399 candela published, at the lowest price of any light here
• Runtime published for both modes: 2 hours 30 minutes high, 13 hours low
• Nothing to charge, so it works after two years in a drawer

What it gets wrong

• IPX4 only, so rain is fine and submersion is not
• A 167.8 mm barrel is long for a pocket, and it rolls
• No USB-C charging and no rechargeable option in this model
• Three hundred and thirty-two lumens is modest next to a sealed-cell pocket light of the same size

Published specification

• Maximum output: 332 lumens — Maglite published specification
• Peak beam intensity: 7,399 cd — Maglite published specification
• Beam distance: 172 m — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, high: 2 hours 30 minutes — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, low: 13 hours — Maglite published specification
• Battery: 2 x AA, included — Maglite published specification
• Water rating: IPX4 — Maglite published specification
• Drop resistance: 1 m — Maglite published specification
• Weight: 4.15 oz (117.75 g) with batteries — Maglite published specification
• Length: 6.607 in (167.8 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Head diameter: 1 in (25.4 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Barrel diameter: 0.709 in (18 mm) — Maglite published specification

Skip this one if

you want the smallest possible pocket light or the brightest one. This is a long, thin AA body, and a sealed-cell light of the same length will produce several times the output.

Buy it if: a glovebox, a toolbag or a drawer — anywhere a light has to work the first time without having been charged, and where losing it should not be expensive.

• Output 5.0
• Battery 9.0
• Build 7.5
• Usability 7.5
• Overall 7.4

$24.99 on Amazon→

Price as of November 3, 2026 — 13 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

6. Best all-round Maglite

Maglite ML50LX 2-Cell C

Lumens per dollar

11

Four hundred and sixty-six lumens, 21,197 candela and 291 meters on two C cells, for eight and a quarter hours on high and 109 in eco. At 361 grams it is the one size in this range that is genuinely useful in a hand and still runs all evening at full output.

Max output

466 lm

Runtime

8 h 15 min

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

IPX4

What it gets right

• Eight and a quarter hours at full output, which almost nothing rechargeable here approaches
• Twenty-one thousand candela and 291 meters published, from a light you can hold comfortably
• C cells store for years and are sold everywhere, so nothing degrades on a shelf
• The best size-to-runtime balance in the whole Maglite range

What it gets wrong

• IPX4 only — rain is fine, submersion is not
• Four hundred and sixty-six lumens is modest against a rechargeable of the same price
• C cells are less common and more expensive than AA
• No USB-C, no rechargeable variant of this model

Published specification

• Maximum output: 466 lumens — Maglite published specification
• Peak beam intensity: 21,197 cd — Maglite published specification
• Beam distance: 291 m — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, high: 8 hours 15 minutes — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, low: 13 hours — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, eco: 109 hours — Maglite published specification
• Battery: 2 x C cell alkaline, not included — Maglite published specification
• Water rating: IPX4 — Maglite published specification
• Drop resistance: 1 m — Maglite published specification
• Weight: 12.72 oz (360.61 g) with batteries — Maglite published specification
• Length: 8.184 in (207.87 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Barrel diameter: 1.2 in (30.48 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Head diameter: 1.977 in (50.22 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Per-mode output: The specification table publishes a runtime for low and eco but not their lumen figures

Skip this one if

you want the brightest light for the money. A direct-selling rechargeable will produce several times this output for the same price; what you give up is the eight-hour runtime and the shelf life.

Buy it if: the person who wants one Maglite and does not want a club — a kitchen drawer, a glovebox, or a hand on a long walk.

• Output 6.0
• Battery 9.0
• Build 8.5
• Usability 7.5
• Overall 7.8

$42.99 on Amazon→

Price as of November 3, 2026 — 11 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

What Sofirn is actually better at

1. 1.Output per dollar, by a wide margin, in all three pairs. If brightness is what you are buying, this is not a contest.
2. 2.Water resistance. IPX8 on two of three against IPX4 on all three Maglites. If the light might go in water, Maglite has nothing to offer here.
3. 3.Weight and size. Fifty-nine grams against 361 in the middle pair. A light you can carry gets carried.
4. 4.Running cost after purchase. USB-C from a cable you own, on standard 18650 and 21700 cells, against alkalines forever in every Maglite on this page.
5. 5.Mode tables, on two of its three lights — candela and runtime for every level, which is more than Fenix publishes on most of its range.

What Maglite is actually better at

1. 1.Runtime at the rated output, by factors rather than percentages. Thirty-two hours against one hour forty-five is the single largest gap on this page.
2. 2.Throw, in all three pairs, for the reflector reason above.
3. 3.Shelf life. There is no cell to degrade in any of these three, so a light bought today and ignored for three years works when you pick it up. Nothing with a lithium pack in it can say that.
4. 4.Service life and parts. A ten-year limited warranty and spares still sold for lights made decades ago, against a direct-selling brand whose recourse is a support email.
5. 5.Consistency of disclosure. Candela and three runtimes on all three lights, where Sofirn's most popular model publishes neither.

Which one should you actually buy

• One light for general household use — Sofirn, and the SP35T if the budget stretches to it or the SC31 Pro if not. More light, less weight, a sealed IPX8 body and USB-C.
• A light for the truck, the cupboard or the storm shelf — Maglite ML300LX. Thirty-two hours at full output and 298 in eco, and it works after two years untouched.
• Something to carry every day — Sofirn ST10, with the caveat about its contradictory water rating. Forty-nine grams, and it runs on an ordinary AA when the 14500 is flat.
• The cheapest competent light either brand sells — Maglite Mini Pro LED, which is the lowest-priced light on this page and still publishes a candela figure and two runtimes.
• You want the most checkable specification at this money — Sofirn SP35T, which is the only light here with a full five-mode table including candela. Just do not expect either brand to tell you how it measured.

How we ranked these

Published output over the live price, adjusted for battery architecture and published ratings, as on every page here. Three adjustments shape this table. An alkaline light with no cell to degrade is credited for that, which lifts all three Maglites. IPX4 against IPX8 is scored as the real gap it is, which pulls them back. And a water claim the manufacturer's own page contradicts counts as no rating, which costs the Sofirn ST10 a point it would otherwise take. The result sits closer than the lumens column alone would suggest, which is the honest outcome for two brands this evenly matched on price.

What we cannot tell you

We have not used any of these six lights. The throw comparison that runs through this page rests on two sets of manufacturer figures, neither of which comes with a stated test method, and we have flagged it as directional rather than measured. We also cannot tell you whether a Maglite really outlives a Sofirn by the margin its warranty implies, how either company behaves when something fails, or whether the units you receive match the specifications — and on a direct-selling brand that last question deserves an answer we do not have. This page compares what each maker publishes against what each light costs today.