Sofirn PL09 Weapon Flashlight Review
The Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight offers ambidextrous e-switch access as well as a built-in battery that is charged via USB-C. There’s just one mode! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
The Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight does not appear to be on Sofirn’s website just yet!
Versions
I would guess this is the only version of the Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight.
Price
As the light isn’t available on the official site yet, I’m not sure what the price is.
What’s Included
- Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight
- Charging cable
- Alternate rail option
- Hex driver
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight has a good and robust build quality. One surprising bit of info I’ll cover later is that the battery is not accessible.
If you really want to get into the electronics of the Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight, you could unscrew these three Philips screws. This probably will not directly access the cell though, as the USB-C charging port is on this end.
Size and Comps
66.9mm x 33.5mm x 40.4mm and 91g.
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
Also above is the light beside a TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!
Retention and Carry
This is only a weapon light. You wouldn’t carry it any other way. It’s not intended for traditional EDC, for example. But there are still options for carry. Specifically, there are two rail adapters.
Mounting the Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight is very easy. Maybe easier than most other weapon lights I have experienced.
Right, you probably won’t use this on a long weapon, but that’s what I have for demonstration purposes! This is more of a pistol light. That said, the switches are still accessible on longer weapons, as seen below.
Here’s the lever for attaching the light. It works very well, but doesn’t seem to get in the way so that it might be accidentally loosened.
Pew!
Power and Runtime
Sofirn says the Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight has a built-in LiPO. That’s surprising – I would have guessed it’s an 18350.
There’s just one mode but I performed two tests so that I could run two charge cycles. The output is very consistent! Sofirn claims 1600 lumens but even at the initial output, it seems a fair bit less- around 1129 lumens. It does hold approximately steady for a minute before stepping down to around 400 lumens. I guess anything tactical you’d need to do, you should do in the first minute…
There’s a LED on the side of the body near the charging port that will blink red when the battery is below 25%.
Charging
As stated above, the Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight has a USB-C charging port. The port is on the tail of the light and will be near the trigger of a pistol. Unless you have some very unusual setup though, the charging port should still be accessible.
Sofirn includes a USB to USB-C charging cable.
Just like the output charts above, the charging consistency is great! It’s fairly quick too, at around 1.5 hours.
While charging, the LED indicator is red. When charging is complete, the indicator turns green.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1600 | 1h | 1129 (0s) 1050 (30s) |
Pulse Width Modulation
There’s just one mode, and it does have PWM. It’s fast though, and even my sensitive self didn’t notice it.
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor. Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
The e-switches are on the back of the light, as this is a dedicated weapon light. They do not operate separately, and they are not physically tied together. Pressing either is an independent experience.
They do the same thing, though. You can turn the light on or off with either.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Turbo |
| Off | Hold | Momentary Turbo |
| Any | Double click | Strobe |
| Off | Hold both buttons for 3s | Lockout (indicated by 2 flashes of the green indicator) |
| Lockout | Any press | Green indicator twice |
| Lockout | Hold both buttons for 3s | Unlock to On |
LED and Beam
Sofirn just calls this a “high-powered LED” in the manual. The box says it’s a Luminus SST-40, though. There’s a small reflector, too.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Sofirn says the emitter CCT is “6000K-6500K” and fortunately, the Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight is on the low end of that. CRI is low.
Beamshots
These beamshots are always with the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left, and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
If you need a single-mode weapon flashlight, the Sofirn PL09 seems like a fine choice. There are no asterisks. If that’s what you need, the PL09 performs great! Note that it just offers one mode, though, and is a dedicated weapon light. I like the dual switches – they’re great for pressing. The USB-C charging works great, too.
The Big Table
| Sofirn PL09 weapon flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SST-40 |
| Price in USD at publication time: | ? |
| Cell: | LiPO |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | E-switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | Yes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1600 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1051 (65.7% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 10.2 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 212 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 382lux @ 5.298m = 10722cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 207.1 (97.7% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 6000-6500 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6000 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Sofirn |
| All my Sofirn reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What I like
- Good build quality
- USB-C charging port can be used while the light is mounted
- CCT is on the low end of the claim (around 6000K)
- The mounting system is very good (quick attachment)
What I don’t like
- Battery is not accessible
- Fairly huge stepdown after a minute (probably timed)
- Very low CRI
Notes
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