Flashlights
Sofirn vs Wurkkos
The two brands that own the budget tier make nearly the same trade in nearly the same way. One difference in what they publish decides it.
By Scooter M. · Published September 2, 2026
Short answer
Sofirn SC31 Pro
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.
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We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn
Disclosure — we earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which lights we pick or what we say about them. The full version.
How we rank. Published ANSI FL1 output divided by the live retail price, with sealed-battery lights marked down because a light you cannot re-cell is a light with an expiry date. Units we claim to have tested: 0 — we compile manufacturers' published figures and show the arithmetic instead. How we work this out.
The short answer
Buy Sofirn for raw output per dollar: the SC31 Pro publishes 2,000 lumens and IPX8 at a price nothing else matches. Buy Wurkkos for color quality and for documentation: the FC11 uses a 90-CRI emitter, and Wurkkos publishes a runtime at maximum output — one hour fourteen minutes for the TS10 at 1,400 lumens — which Sofirn does not.
These two brands are closer than any other pair on this site. Both sell direct, both build around standard cells, both use USB-C charging in the light, both ship Anduril firmware on their enthusiast models, and both are priced within a few dollars of each other. Comparing them is a matter of reading two spec sheets side by side.
Published specifications, side by side
| Sofirn SC31 Pro | Wurkkos FC11 | Wurkkos TS10 V2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum output | 2,000 lumens | 1,300 lumens | 1,400 lumens |
| Beam distance | 226 m | 144 m | Not published |
| Cell | 18650, replaceable | 18650, replaceable | 14500, replaceable |
| Water rating | IPX8 | IPX7 | IPX8 (2 m) |
| Weight without cell | 59 g | 65 g | 32 g |
| Runtime at maximum | Not published | Not published | 1 h 14 min |
| Emitter | SST40 | Nichia 519A / LH351D, 90 CRI | Triple 90 CRI CSP |
| Charging | USB-C, 2.5 h with 2A adapter | USB-C | USB-C |
Output: Sofirn
Two thousand published lumens against thirteen hundred, and 226 meters of beam against 144. On the numbers that sell flashlights, Sofirn wins clearly, and the SC31 Pro's IPX8 rating is the strongest water rating either brand publishes at this price.
Color: Wurkkos
The FC11 uses a Nichia 519A or Samsung LH351D at 90 CRI. That is a genuinely different experience rather than a specification detail. Under a 70-CRI light, red wiring and brown wiring look similar, dark paint is unreadable and skin looks unwell. Under 90 CRI they do not. Anyone who uses a flashlight to inspect something rather than to illuminate a field should weight this above the seven hundred lumens they are giving up.
Documentation: Wurkkos, decisively
This is the tiebreaker. Wurkkos publishes the TS10's runtime at maximum output — one hour and fourteen minutes at 1,400 lumens — and at minimum, six hours and forty-three minutes at one lumen. It also publishes the automatic step-down behavior rather than leaving you to discover it. Sofirn publishes output, beam distance, weight, dimensions, water rating and charge time, but no per-mode runtime on the pages we read.
A brand that prints how long its turbo lasts is a brand that does not expect the number to embarrass it. On a site built around dividing published figures, that is worth more than a few hundred lumens.
| # | Light | Max output | Battery | Lumens / $ | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No listing image Sofirn SC31 Pro Best lumens per dollar overall | 2,000 | Replaceable | Needs a live price | Check price on Amazon We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn |
| 2 | No listing image Wurkkos FC11 Best color quality per dollar | 1,300 | Replaceable | Needs a live price | Check price on Amazon We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn |
| 3 | No listing image Wurkkos TS10 V2 Best pocket light under two ounces | 1,400 | Replaceable | Needs a live price | Check price on Amazon We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn |
| 4 | No listing image Sofirn SC21 Pro Best keychain light with a replaceable cell | 1,100 | Replaceable | Needs a live price | Check price on Amazon We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn |
Lumens per dollar is the manufacturer's published maximum output divided by the price the light is selling for. Where we have not pulled a live price, the column says so instead of showing you a number we cannot stand behind. See how we work this out.
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1. Best lumens per dollar overall
Sofirn SC31 Pro
Lumens per dollar
Computed the moment we have a live price for it
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
We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn
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2. Best color quality per dollar
Wurkkos FC11
Lumens per dollar
Computed the moment we have a live price for it
A 90-CRI emitter at a price where nobody else bothers, which means colors look like colors rather than like a parking lot. Same replaceable 18650 story as the Sofirn, plus a magnetic tail that turns it into a work light.
- Max output
- 1,300 lm
- Runtime
- Not published per mode
- Battery
- Replaceable cell
- Water rating
- IPX7
What it gets right
- 90 CRI at a price where 70 CRI is normal — skin, wiring and paint read correctly
- Magnetic tailcap sticks it to anything ferrous and frees both hands
- Standard 18650, USB-C charging in the light
- Two mode groups, so you can pick a simple ramp or a stepped set
What it gets wrong
- IPX7 rather than IPX8 — fine for rain, not for a river
- High CRI costs raw lumens; the Sofirn is visibly brighter on turbo
- No per-mode runtime published on the product page
Published specification
- Maximum output: 1,300 lumens — Wurkkos published specification
- Beam distance: 144 m (157 yd) — Wurkkos published specification
- Battery: 1 x 18650 Li-ion, user replaceable — Wurkkos published specification
- Water rating: IPX7 — Wurkkos published specification
- Weight: 65 g +/- 1 g without battery — Wurkkos published specification
- Length: 116.23 mm — Wurkkos published specification
- Emitter: Nichia 519A / LH351D, 90 CRI — Wurkkos published specification
- Body: 6061 aluminum, type III hard anodized — Wurkkos published specification
Skip this one if
the only number you care about is peak output. You are paying part of this light's budget for color accuracy, and if you will never notice that, the money is better spent elsewhere.
Buy it if: anyone who uses a flashlight to look at things closely — wiring, paint, engine bays, a face — rather than to light up a field.
- Output 7.5
- Battery 9.5
- Build 8.0
- Usability 8.0
- Overall 8.4
We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn
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3. Best pocket light under two ounces
Wurkkos TS10 V2
Lumens per dollar
Computed the moment we have a live price for it
Thirty-two grams, three 90-CRI emitters, and one of the very few budget lights whose maker publishes the runtime at maximum output: one hour fourteen at 1,400 lumens. Publishing that number at all puts Wurkkos ahead of several brands ten times its size.
- Max output
- 1,400 lm
- Runtime
- 1 h 14 min
- Battery
- Replaceable cell
- Water rating
- IPX8
What it gets right
- Wurkkos publishes runtime at maximum output, which most brands quietly do not
- Thirty-two grams — light enough that you stop noticing it in a pocket
- Standard 14500 cell, replaceable
- Documented automatic step-down instead of an undocumented one
What it gets wrong
- A 14500 is a small cell; sustained output is not this light's job
- RGB auxiliary LEDs are a toy, and they draw from the same cell
- Anduril again, with the same learning curve
Published specification
- Maximum output: 1,400 lumens — Wurkkos published specification
- Runtime at maximum: 1 h 14 min — Wurkkos published specification
- Runtime at 1 lumen: 6 h 43 min — Wurkkos published specification
- Battery: 1 x 14500 Li-ion, user replaceable — Wurkkos published specification
- Water rating: IPX8, 2 m — Wurkkos published specification
- Weight: 32 g +/- 1 g without battery — Wurkkos published specification
- Length: 71.5 mm — Wurkkos published specification
- Thermal behavior: Automatic step-down from turbo to high — Wurkkos published specification
Skip this one if
you need something to run for an hour on high without getting hot. A light this small has nowhere to put the heat, and the step-down is not optional.
Buy it if: the person who wants a real light on them at all times and will not carry anything heavier than a pen.
- Output 8.0
- Battery 8.0
- Build 7.5
- Usability 7.5
- Overall 8.2
We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn
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4. Best keychain light with a replaceable cell
Sofirn SC21 Pro
Lumens per dollar
Computed the moment we have a live price for it
Eleven hundred lumens from a keyring-sized body with a 16340 you can actually swap. Almost every rival at this size seals the battery in, which turns the light into a two-year consumable.
- Max output
- 1,100 lm
- Runtime
- Not published per mode
- Battery
- Replaceable cell
- Water rating
- None published
What it gets right
- A replaceable cell in a keychain-sized light, which is genuinely rare
- Magnetic tail, so it doubles as a hands-free task light
- USB-C in the light rather than a proprietary dock
What it gets wrong
- Sofirn publishes neither runtime nor a water rating for this model
- 1,100 lumens out of a 16340 is a very short-lived 1,100 lumens
- Anduril on a light this small means a lot of clicking
Published specification
- Maximum output: 1,100 lumens — Sofirn published specification
- Beam distance: 131 m — Sofirn published specification
- Battery: 1 x 16340 Li-ion, included and replaceable — Sofirn published specification
- Charging: USB-C into the light — Sofirn published specification
- Fittings: Magnetic tailcap and pocket clip — Sofirn published specification
- Water rating: Not published on the product page
- Per-mode runtime: Not published on the product page
Skip this one if
you want a published IP rating. Sofirn does not state one for this model, and we are not going to guess on your behalf.
Buy it if: someone who wants keychain size without accepting a disposable battery.
- Output 7.5
- Battery 8.5
- Build 7.0
- Usability 7.0
- Overall 7.8
We show a price only when we have pulled a live one. #ad How we earn
The Anduril question
Both brands ship Anduril, an open-source firmware with ramping, a menu system, and a shortcut for almost everything. Enthusiasts love it. Somebody who wants to press a button and get light will find it genuinely irritating for about a week, and will then either learn it or resent it permanently. If you know you are in the second group, both brands sell simpler models and Wurkkos offers mode groups that reduce the complexity.
How we ranked these
Published output over live price, adjusted for cell type, published ratings, and — weighted deliberately on this page — the completeness of the specification. Where a brand does not publish a figure, we say so rather than filling the gap.
Units we claim to have tested: 0
Every publisher in this category says they tested twenty flashlights. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead: compile the manufacturer's own published ANSI FL1 figures, pull the price the light is selling for right now, and divide one by the other. Every number on this page is one you can check yourself in about two minutes.
What we cannot tell you
We have not used either brand's lights. We cannot tell you which tint you will prefer, how consistent the anodizing is between batches, whether either brand's threads are smoother, or how the customer service compares if something fails. Those are exactly the things budget brands are most variable on, and exactly the things we have no basis to speak about.
Common questions
Is Sofirn or Wurkkos better?
They are close enough that the answer depends on what you value. Sofirn publishes more output for the money — 2,000 lumens and IPX8 on the SC31 Pro. Wurkkos publishes better color rendering, at 90 CRI, and publishes a runtime at maximum output, which Sofirn does not. If you want the brightest light for the money, Sofirn. If you want the light that shows you what color things are, or the brand whose numbers you can check, Wurkkos.
Are Sofirn and Wurkkos the same company?
They are separate brands. We have no verified information about any relationship between them and are not going to speculate — what we can say is that their product lines occupy the same niche, use similar commodity emitters and cells, and ship the same open-source Anduril firmware.
Are cheap rechargeable flashlights any good?
Many are, and for a specific reason: the LED emitters, drivers and 18650 cells that budget brands buy are the same commodity parts the expensive brands buy. What you give up at the low end is documentation, quality control between batches, and a warranty worth using. The way to shop it is to look for a brand that publishes runtime figures — a manufacturer willing to print how long the turbo mode lasts is telling you something about the rest of the specification.
Sources
- Sofirn published product specifications — read 2026-09-01
- Wurkkos published product specifications and user manuals — read 2026-09-01
- Lumen & Ledger method — how every figure on this page is derived
Who writes this
Scooter M. — I am an enthusiast who is genuinely into this. I read the manuals, compile the published specs, and do the math. No lab coat, no test bench, no drawer of free samples. What I can tell you is exactly what a light claims on paper, exactly what it costs right now, and what those two numbers mean when you divide one by the other.
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