Sofirn ST1 Rechargeable Flat EDC Flashlight Review
The Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight features USB-C charging, an array of emitters (5), and a simple (Sofirn-standard) user interface. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s only one version as far as I can tell.
Price
List price for the Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight is $49, but the street price is 52% less, at $23.99. Here’s a referral link to Amazon (but it looks like $26 there). Check what price you see there!
What’s Included
- Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
I’m not going to belabor the text of this review. This is a $24 light – please check the testing for the most details!
The Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight is not able to be disassembled at all. All parts are press-fit from one end or the other
This is a very sleek light! There is no pocket clip and nothing at all to catch or snag. It’s quite unique in that.
Size and Comps
Size: 28 × 16 × 120 mm
Weight: 100g (3.53 oz) including built-in battery
Here’s the light in hand:
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 in the photo above, my Standard Reference Material (SRM) flashlight is the Hanko Machine Works Trident, an 18350 light. While I have not reviewed or tested the Gunner Grip version seen here, I have tested a Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass. I love the Trident, and it’s a striking contrast to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, another great SRM.
Below you can see the Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight with an Olight ArkPro.
Retention and Carry
The only means of carry for the Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight is an included lanyard. It’s a very minimal lanyard!
Notably, there’s no magnet (anywhere) on the light. Especially in the tail, since the tail is where there’s a USB-C charging port!
Power and Runtime
The Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight has a built-in battery, and Sofirn says it’s 2100mAh.
The battery is not field replaceable, and is really not serviceable at all.
Below you can see the runtime tests on the three highest modes.
There’s an indicator feature around the switch that will let you know when cell voltage gets low.
The temperature lines in these charts are included as general context, not precise measurements. The values represent the range (min to max) during testing, but should not be taken as exact readings. A temperature sensor is not always attached to the bezel (or even the hottest spot, assuming that could be defined). Even with ideal placement, too many variables affect temperature to definitively state a specific max value.
Charging
The Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight offers a USB-C charging port in the tail. There’s a press-in cover. It’s really very simple, but I like that the light doesn’t have a charging port on the side – one less thing to snag!
Sofirn includes a short C to C cable.
Charging via C to C works great and takes just over 2 hours. A to C works too (but I seem to have misplaced the logged data for that test!)
When charging, the indicator around the e-switch is red. When charging is complete, the indicator turns green.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1500-600 | 2m+100m | 1226 (0s) 1148 (30s) |
| High | 800-600 | 10m+100m | 610 (0s) 601 (30s) |
| Medium | 350 | 3h30m | 277 |
| Low | 10 | 100h | 8.5 |
| Moon | 1 | 450h | 0.34 |
Pulse Width Modulation
Every mode uses PWM.
Click here to 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 Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight uses an e-switch near the head for operation. As you can see below, there’s an indication feature around the switch.
The switch is a little proud, but not problematically so. It’s enough proud, though, that if you rest the light on a flat surface and press the switch against that surface, the switch can be actuated. So maybe it’s a good idea to lock the light out electronically.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Memory) |
| On (Except Turbo) | Click | Off |
| On | Hold | Mode advance (L>M>H) |
| Off | Hold | Moonlight |
| On | Double click | Turbo |
| Turbo | Double click | No change in state |
| Turbo | Click | Previous mode |
| Lockout | Hold | Momentary Low |
| Lockout | Click | Switch battery indicator |
Technically, this is not an exact standard Sofirn e-switch user interface, but it’s close enough that you’re unlikely to have problems with it. Notably, there are no strobes on the Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight.
LED and Beam
Sofirn says these emitters are SFT25R 3V 6000-6500K *1, CSP1313 5000K *4. They can’t be operated independently, which is a bit of a surprise. And there’s no secondary (like red, UV, or laser).
Below you can see it – all emitters on at once.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The combination of various CCT emitters brings this light into neutral at first, but by the higher modes, it’s cool to very cool white. CRI is low across the board.
CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) refers to the measurement of the color appearance of light, expressed in Kelvins (K), which indicates whether the light is warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish). A lower CCT (below 3000K) is considered warm light, while a higher CCT (above 5000K) gives cooler, bluish light.
CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measure of how accurately a light source renders colors in comparison to natural sunlight. Scored on a scale from 0 to 100, higher CRI values indicate that colors appear more true to life and vibrant, similar to how they would look under the sun.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have 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.
It’s interesting that the unusual emitter array doesn’t really change the beam profile from a standard circle.
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. These photos are taken around 18 inches from the door.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
The Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight is very nice for what it doesn’t bring to the table: confusion, strobe, extra features, and higher cost. That’s refreshing, really, and worth looking at (as a gift light, if nothing else)! At $24, this is a good choice for someone who wants a flat light but doesn’t need strobe, ramping, secondary emitters, or UV or a laser, and will likely carry this in a bag.
The Big Table
| Sofirn ST1 rechargeable flat EDC flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SFT25R (1), CSP1313 (4) (3V 6000-6500K, 5000K) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $23.99 |
| Cell: | Internal |
| 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 | All modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1500 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1148 (76.5% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 12.6 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 226 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 474lux @ 5.348m = 13557cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 232.9 (103.1% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | (Combo, 6500K+5000K) |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5800-7100 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
- Low cost
- Sparse features
- Beam profile
- C to C charging
- No pocket clip or screws (again, carrying on the sparse theme)
- No strobe
What I don’t like
- Very cool CCT on the highest modes
- User interface is a little unusual (double click lockout)
- Battery not replaceable
Notes
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