Reddit mentions of Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical Flashlight Ultra Bright Cree XPL HI LED Max 1200 Lumens, Features 5 Modes and Hidden Strobe SOS with Rechargeable 18650 Battery and USB Charger

This light is so bad it’s kind of a meme here. We try very hard to be a really friendly, welcoming place, and it doesn’t give a person a good first impression when they ask for input and get roasted. I don’t want to sound like some kind of gatekeeping douche. We can advise some truly excellent lights for very little money, but for some unfortunate reason that model is kind of crappy and was marketed to death.

I saw you mention a list of uses in another comment, the Thrunite you were advised to get is a great one. Another budget option that’s still of good quality is a Sofirn SP31. It comes with a battery and charger, and would be everything you need to get going. Also a world better than that thing.

>Is Fenix a low quality lamp compared to others?

No. They make good quality products. Their flashlights are very well built.

>Am I paying too much?

Eh... Maybe. You can get equivalent stuff for cheaper, though the build quality won't always be as good. This depends on the brand, of course.

>Help me out here.

There are a few main reasons we don't really talk about Fenix here. I'll try to sum it up in a short list.

1. They lack featues that we like, and have qualities that we don't like. Fenix flashlights tend to only come in cool white, and most enthusiasts prefer neutral or warm white. Most of their lights also lack sub-lumen modes, which are also very much desired. The user interfaces are also a bit clunky as opposed to UIs with shortcuts and ramping UIs. There are some exceptions to these things, especially the color temperature, but for the most part they're not really giving enthusiasts what they want.
   
2. Price. Fenix flashlights are expensive. Take a look at the PD35 V2. It's a 1x18650 dual switch light; a very common style. It's $70. Compare that to the ThruNite TN12, which is very, very similar, for $50. You could even go further and compare it to the Sofirn SP31 V2.0, which is $29. All of these have a max output out about 1000 lumens, they're all 1x18650, they're all dual switch, and they all have the same user interface. The biggest difference between them are their prices, and a slight difference in build quality. Also, going back to my first point, the PD35 doesn't have a sub-lumen mode, and it doesn't come in neutral white. The TN12 has both of those things.
   
3. They're not really doing anything exciting. Sure, they came out with some compact side switch 16340 lights, but other companies have been making those for years. While ThruNite is making ramping lights, Sofirn is making extremely affordable flashlights with excellent user inferaces, Imalent is racing Acebeam to 100,000 lumens, and Emisar is pumping out compact, affordable, high output lights, and the most exciting thing Fenix has done in the past three months is come out with a penlight that's rated for hazardous environments.

I'll second that recommendation - bloody good starter light.

Another option is the Sofirn SP31 v2.0 - but as you've mentioned re: charging, this is more of an external charger type situation, vs the battery in the Wowtac having a USB connector.

WELL THEN ! since you want something to start I always recommend either the Sofirn SP31 or the Wowtac A1S both on amazon for around $30 or less and come with an 18650 and charging solution with a turbo of 1000+ lumens. Since this is your first light you probably don't have cells or a dedicated charger unless you are a vaper.

IF you really want to drop closer to the set budget pick up an Emisar D4v2 tiny as all hell and dumps 4k+ lumens solid throw (not thrower levels BUT very impressive) and pick up some cells and a charger.

But again don't rush start small.... you will end up spending more than you want to overtime..... =D

That's a very crunchy light.

Do not get that light.

Definitely not worth $3, let alone almost $10.

------

Get either one of these much better lights:

• Wowtac a1s
  
• Sofirn SP31
  
  -------
  
  >but this first purchase is out of need for finding ping pong balls
  
  That's one I hadn't heard before.
  
  I'd suggest you do another post about what you need the light for, you will get a lot of good responses.

Single mode really limits your choices, the vast majority of good lights have multiple modes. There are lights with really simple operation where you can treat it kind of like a single mode light, though.

Check out the Wowtac A1s. It has a button on the tail that switches the light off and on. It also has a silver button on the side that cycles between the five modes. If you never touch the side switch, it'll act just like a single mode light. It doesn't come with a charger, but the battery has a built in micro USB port for charging.

Another simple option is a Sofirn SP31 V2.0. It works the same way with the tail button for on/off and the side button for switching through the five modes. That one comes with a more traditional battery and charger.

Sofirn SP31 V2. Takes an 18650 cell, for $35 got the light, an 18650 cell and a single battery charger. Amazon link

Depends on what you need it for. [Wowtac A1S] (https://www.amazon.com/A1S-Flashlight-Pocket-Sized-WOWTAC-NW/dp/B07M5BV8P7/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-d293dGFjIGExcw%3D%3D-ac_d_rm&keywords=wowtac+a1s&pd_rd_i=B07M5BV8P7&pd_rd_r=87edd49d-3423-4285-b39a-a400c6f26d02&pd_rd_w=3a87c&pd_rd_wg=aj6I2&pf_rd_p=983984df-2ad2-4c97-ba7f-4c5a90291c2b&pf_rd_r=SQZ7VJBHA7P696C8KF1D&psc=1&qid=1570875957) or [Sofirn SP31 v2.0] (https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sofirn+sp31+v2&qid=1570875985&sr=8-1) for good budget edc lights, $26 and $36 respectively and both come with batteries. Looks like there's a 10% off coupon for the Sofirn on the listing so that's closer to $33. [Skilhunt H03] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QNPHB43/?coliid=IO5EZ9P7F0TH8&colid=LVIYOC1TPTP9&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it) for a good right angle headlamp that you can use as an edc, about $50 for the bundle that comes with a battery. [Sofirn SP40] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XKST56M/?coliid=I28PCTS2ZHHV8I&colid=LVIYOC1TPTP9&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it) for a more wallet friendly headlamp/edc thing, $31 and comes with a battery. [Sofirn C8T] (https://www.amazon.com/Flashlight-Lumens-Powered-Battery-Included/dp/B07PGNVTY9/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sofirn+c8t&qid=1570877317&sr=8-1) for a super budget friendly throwy light, $23 and comes with a battery. Others mentioned are good, the [SP36] (https://www.amazon.com/Powerful-Flashlight-Rechargeable-Brightest-Excluded/dp/B07KFF5BGZ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=sofirn+sp36&qid=1570878581&sr=8-3) would be right around your max if you have batteries laying around. $70 for the bundle that comes with batteries.

Sofirn SP31

I received compensation from Sofirn in exchange for writing this review, but am in no way influenced and wish to provide an unbiased review.

Link to the imgur album in the OP

The light is the SP31 V2.0 with XP-L HI in neutral white

First off the packaging is fairly basic. It was a simple Sofirn box without many markings on it to even indicate what kind of light was inside. They just reuse similar packaging across their lights which is fine. I got the combo that includes a battery + 1 bay charger. Came with an instruction manual and fairly standard lanyard, nothing special here.

Next to my smaller 18650 lights such as the Emisar D4 or Jaxman E2L it seems kinda big, but after a day of carrying it there's no issue. I would like to take this moment to praise Sofirn's pocket clip. I personally strongly detest the "deep carry" pocket clips on lights such as the BLF A6 and prefer a simple more robust clip like Sofirn uses that doesn't raise up passed the tailcap. Something about this light that REALLY bugs me is the tailswitch protrudes beyond the lanyard bumps which WILL NOT allow it to tail stand. If you find yourself tailstanding your lights a lot, this may not be for you and is honestly the largest fault I have physically with this light.

Now on to usability and functionality. I really like the forward-clicky switch.I can definitely see why people prefer these. It's very easy to just soft hold it down when you only need a brief burst of light vs needing to fully depress a typical switch. It's honestly not a big deal, but for convenience sake if you're often only using a light to read or check things in short bursts I would recommend a forward clicky. This light has a secondary electronic towards the front and that's solely for changing modes. I also underestimated how nice it is to always have the light turn on at the same brightness I last used, no surprises, just consistency. You can find a brightness you prefer and just only use that. It's simple click to cycle through modes 1-5 then long-press to access strobe/SOS. My only gripe is there is no shortcut to turbo or the lowest mode. The modes also cycle with a fast smooth ramp which is pleasant.

Next is brightness and my thoughts on beam shape. I clocked the light in at level 1(7), level 2(53), level 3(151), level 4(477), level 5(985). This is mostly in-line with what Sofirn claims except for the max brightness of 1200 lumens that they tout. I tested on their own included cell at max brightness and even a Sony VTC5, but wasn't able to crack 1,000 lumens in my tests. As far as throw I can only really speak relative to my other lights and it's certainly throwier than a stock BLF A6 with OP reflector by about 25%~. I was also surprised it out throws Sofirn's own SF36W which has a sizably large reflector(but with XP-L not XP-L HI). The light is definitely throwier than I thought it would be for such a small reflector. You won't be breaking any records, but the hotspot is tight and the spill isn't extremely bright so you could use this to point out things or focus on objects at distances within 65ft/20M. As for tint it's not offensively cool at all, but is a bit cooler than I personally prefer. The positive is that with the XP=L HI there is very little tint shift so it's evenly white lacking an "egg-yolk" corona that I see with a lot of XP-L lights.

Runtimes.. I don't really have much to say here. The max-level stepdown is timed, but there is also mention of thermal sensing? After around 3 minutes at step down the head of the light was only 112F/44C and was still very holdable. It continued at this level for a little over 2 hours until it dropped down briefly before dropping again twice in 20min intervals. The light's indicator LED in the e-switch was full red indicating voltage was low and the output was quite low so I ended the test woth the cell at 3.06 volts. The red indicator turns on below 3.1V and shuts the light off entirely at 3V says the manual.

As per usual I tested the waterproofness lightly. I submerged the light in a little over 1ft/30cm of water for 2 hours exactly and there were no issues this time around. The head seems sealed/glued and I cannot get into it which probably adds to the waterproofness. The o-rings came lubed well and stopped all water ingress. There was no problem with the e-switch either. The only possible problem might be water sneaking around the tail switch boot, but I took a look inside and it was still dry. It passed my test no problem.

My brief thoughts on the charger... It works. Charges around what seems to be 0.5A with a standard micro USB jack. The cell voltage read 4.15V at completion which is good with me. Much rather slightly undercharge than overcharge and damage a cell's life.

Final thoughts... I can see why a lot of people like the forward clicky + e-switch combination. It's very predictable and you don't have to worry about accessing random turbo or strobes. I'm not a big fan of throwers, but the XP-L HI provides very little tint shift and solid throw in a small package. The numbers I tested at max brightness are a little off, but those extra 200 lumens are negligible in my opinion and the light is more than capable at medium ranges even on levels 3 or 4. I really wish the light could tailstand correctly I'm not sure if forward clicky switches are just larger and that wasn't taken into account, or perhaps the switch boot is just too thick where it depresses the switch. Overall if you're looking for a basic starter light with a no-frills predictable modeset, compact throw, and comes with a battery/charger to start an 18650 eco system I'd definitely recommend this light.

Non-affiliated Link to the product.

Sofirn SP31 V2.0 Inexpensive, comes with a battery and charger, okay color temperature, rated to run almost 10 hours at 160 lumens, has hidden strobe mode if you want it, and is small enough to carry all the time while camping. Also hits 1200 lumens if you decide to light the place up for a bit.

I’m gonna have to say Sofirn SP 31 v2.0!

Grats on the sub!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hKIWCbDVB35PM

Sofirn SP31 v2.0
Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical Flashlight Ultra Bright Cree XPL HI LED Max 1200 Lumens, Features 5 Modes and Hidden Strobe SOS with Rechargeable 18650 Battery and USB Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mzIWCb3AG26C6

Thanks so much!!

Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical Flashlight Ultra Bright Cree XPL HI LED Max 1200 Lumens, Features 5 Modes and Hidden Strobe SOS with Rechargeable 18650 Battery and USB Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.540Db44B9CC1

Woohoo!

Thanks again!

Thanks again for the sub and the awesome giveaways.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_ez.0DbTFDX2R1

Thanks!
I'll go for a Sofirn SP31

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3ma1Db3KYG2E6

This Sofirn is under $36, There's an extra 10% off you can click if I win :) It's on sale, if that's no good at time of contest end, then this Nitecore would be great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/?coliid=I3V4UOWDNJS2R2&colid=3A535J7X7Q2CH&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

New to the sub, I think this would be a good start https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKJDH93, thanks

Here we go https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/

Would love a sofirn sp31 v2 Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical Flashlight Ultra Bright Cree XPL HI LED Max 1200 Lumens, Features 5 Modes and Hidden Strobe SOS with Rechargeable 18650 Battery and USB Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_R6B1DbF6AAXN9

May be the http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-chargeable-flashlight-tc12-v2-3400-1/ ? Not sure how much shipping will throw you over. But seems like you wanted USB charging from the other comments.

Or you can look at https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKJDH93
SP31 is a good value light, not sure what your switch preference is.

little Pocket friend - https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1SBI8Y3SGW1NZ&keywords=sofirn%2Bflashlight&qid=1556132793&s=gateway&sprefix=sofirn%2B&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1
Thank you 😊

I have one cheapo flashlight and i'm already addicted, thank you so much for the site, been looking for a straightbody clip light. thanks again!

Sofirn SP31 v2.0 Tactical... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKJDH93?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I got this light and it works great. Lights up the whole block, but the ray doesn’t focus. I dig it and can definitely be seen. Also, I can shine it in the eyes of asshole drivers. 🤙🏽 Float on!

Y had a bad experience with a SP31 and I would like to give it another oportunity https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-Features-Rechargeable-Battery/dp/B07FKJDH93/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=sofirn+sp31&qid=1564235803&s=gateway&sr=8-3