“REVIEW”: Supfire G20 – “Multifunction” Flashlight - Dual leds + Red Laser

Hi BLF!

This is my review of the Supfire G20.
The flashlight was bought for 16,92€ from SupFire Official Store at AliExpress (non-affiliate): Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

Shipping took 7 days :wink:

I made a video explaining how it works and below, in the written review and photos, you can find some other details.

Disclosure: Don’t look for measurement of runtime, candela, lumens, or even Amp draw while charging or discharging!! This review doesn’t have that!


GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Body Colour: Black
Material: Aluminium
Front Emitter: XP-G2 (Cool White)
Side Emitter: Nichia (Neutral White, High CRI)
Other emitters: Red Laser diode
Front Lens: Plastic
Side Lens: PMMA Convex
Battery: Built-in 3.7V 18650 2000mAh
Upper Switch: Electronic Switch (for red)
Lower Switch: Electronic Switch (for the front and side LEDs)
Low Voltage Warning: Yes (through LED indicators)
Max runtime: 6 hours
Max beam distance: 120 m
Max output: 500 lumens
Candela: NA
Waterproofness: IP44
Impact resistance: NA

OTHERS:

- Rechargeability via USB-C

- Powerbank function

  • Magnetic tailcap

THE FLASHLIGHT

If you read my other reviews, you know that I normally call the first section as “PACKAGE AND FLASHLIGHT”. But this is not the case because the package of the flashlight were 2 bubble plastic bags :smiley:
And I am thankful for that, because I don’t have space to put more fancy boxes of flashlights :stuck_out_tongue:

Besides the Supfire G20, there was a USB to USB-C cable and a small SF card. Nothing more, nothing less!
I was surprised, but after inspecting the flashlight, everything was OK, so I was relieved that the flashlight was OK!

I decided to buy this flashlight after seeing it at AliExpress and knowing it has 2 led sources + 1 red laser :smiley: I searched for some reviews online and I found 2 or 3 videos showing how it worked.

These videos caught my attention, especially because:
a) I didn’t see any PWM, which for me was the “go for it” indication, because I guess most of us mock and have (funded) mistrust against some “Fire brands”; so, seeing an example of non PWM lights among these is a good thing (at least this was my thought);

b) it has ramping UI (no not like Anduril or Narsil, but better than those “stepless dimming” UIs).

Besides that, the fact that the G20 has a red laser that I can use to play with my aunt’s cats, was the cherry in the top of the cake :heart_eyes: It is more powerful than those keychain lasers using LR44 button cells, and can be used longer times (until the cats get tired :smiley: ).

What to say about the flashlight?
It is good, better than I expected, but it is not 100% perfect, and it was not supposed to be. Not for this price.

It is heavy, really heavy, and robust, but it has some frailties, namely in the head and tail, where the thick aluminium gives place to “thick and though” plastic parts.

I do like that it has a front and side LED and the laser, which allows reaching different ranges, even if the flashlight is not extremely “powerful”.

Actually, I don’t think it really has 500 lumens, I would say that it reaches between 300-400 lumens on the front LED. As for the lowest levels, they reach 2 or 3 lumens, but I cannot measure it accurately.

Overall, the G20 is a multifunction flashlight, once it has:

- Front cool white led, under a SMO reflector

- Side high CRI Led, under a convex optic

- Red laser pointer

- Powerbank function

- Magnetic tailcap

- Hook in the tail

  • Powerful pocket clip (really :o)

Besides this, it is rechargeable via USB-C and has 4 led indicators for the battery and charging status. These are located above the 2 e-switches located in one of the thinner sides of the flashlight. Opposed to it, there are the charging/discharging ports, covered by a good silicone cover.

The magnetic tailcap is not the strongest one, and in some positions the flashlight – being so heavy - , may fall (side led to towards the floor) :zipper_mouth_face: In others, it holds pretty well (side led towards the top or to the sides). It also holds well when the flashlight is put upside down in the vertical position.

The grip is good, the flashlight feels well in the hands. The switches can be located well, despite you need to remember in which side they are in, specially because the silicone cover to protected the USB ports also has a similar texture. They are reactive and act well when pressed.

As for the battery, being only 2000mAh, it will end your juice pretty fast! I didn’t deplete it yet though and I used it for a while already :wink:

Let’s take a look at the light!


Top and bottom photos. These are the plastic parts, which I consider to be more fragile if the flashlight falls, despite this is hard plastic. It felt to the ground from around 1m and did few damage, nothing broke, but bruised.

Some details on the top and on the tail (hook) and side. I didn’t dismantle the tailcap and the side led…yet :stuck_out_tongue: As for the head, I am not sure if I will take that risk.

As for the charger and powerbank function, the USB-C charging/ USB discharging ports are located in one of the thinner sides of the flashlight, covered by a silicone cover.

When charging, the indicator led corresponding to the charging level will blink. I didn’t discharge it yet to see if they turn red, so, so far, I only saw then in green!
Also, I didn’t make a full charge to see how it acts when the charging is finished. There is no way to measure the battery voltage/charge, so the led indicators are the way to verify it.

When discharging, while used as powerbank , the side leds will be ON, as well.
The powerbank function allowed charging both a flashlight (with built-in charger) and a battery (via the Olight UC charger). I also experimented it on the cellphone and it was charging too.
Sorry, no values for current IN or OUT :zipper_mouth_face:

And now, let’s check the weight and dimensions. Yes, it is heavy and bulky. But I guess it has some thick walls. If I can I will show it later!

As for the Magnet, Hook and Pocket clip, they allow using and carrying the flashlight in different ways.
The magnet is better when using the side LED towards the top or the sides, as mentioned above, or with the flashlight upside-down.

The hook is good to use the flashlight…hanging! That’s its function so it will work for that. The hook can be pulled easily but it doesn’t come out of its place accidentally, which is good.

As for the pocket clip, it is probably one of the strongest clip in a flashlight I ever had/seen. It allows carrying the flashlight inside or outside the pocket and provides good, if not excellent, retention.


USER INTEFACE AND RUNTIMES

Well, this part is quite simple.
As for the runtimes, the only data provided by the manufacturer is:

- 4h for the side LED (on minimum level)

- 3h for the front LED (on minimum level)

  • NA for the Red laser :stuck_out_tongue:

As for the User Interface:

  • Upper Switch: activates the red laser (always momentary, and can be used simultaneously to the other LEDs)

- Lower Switch:

  1. single click: activates the front led
    1.1) press and hold: ramps the front led up and down

2) 2 clicks: activates the front led and then the side led
1.1) press and hold: ramps the side led up and down

NOTE 1: the ramping in each LED can be reversed in direction without needing to reach the top or bottom levels, meaning, you don’t need to go all the way up/down to reverse the ramping direction

NOTE 2: when reaching the top/bottom, there is a blink to mark the ramping limits.

NOTE 3: the front and side LEDs always start on their max power, independent of the last used level.


+ FLASHLIGHT COMPARISON+

To verify how big the G20 is, I picked some “common” size flashlights. See for yourself :stuck_out_tongue:

Vs Fireflies ROT66 GEN 2

Vs Wuben TO50R

Vs Astrolux Powerbank (21700 cells)

Vs RovyVon E300s

Vs Convoy S2


BEAMSHOTS

Taking a look a the beams produced by the Supfire G20, we will have a floody beam produced by the side LED, and a narrower beam, with hotspot, produced by the front LED.

As mentioned above, the front led is CW and the side led is NW and High CRI, according to specs (and judging by the Nichia Led). I cannot confirm this, however.

But I can say that the side led is quite pleasant and seems to have good colour rendition.

There is no visible PWM in any level, on both leds.

NO PWM
Front led: Min & Max

Side led: Min & Max

—————//////////—————

BEAM PATTERN
Front led: Min & Max

Side led: Min & Max

Laser

From above and in front of a wall!
Front LED

Side LED

Red laser

—————//////////—————

OUTDOOR BEAMSHOTS (MAX ONLY)
I decided not to do min and max beamshots, because the minimum levels are not visible in the photos, only in front of the camera.

Also, I am not putting the red laser photos here as they are harder to see. The laser reaches 30-40m well, but after that, it is harder to track, even in the dark. It is not one of those powerful lasers, so it cannot be captured as well as my green one :stuck_out_tongue:

Front LED vs Side LED
16m (house)

20m (wall)

30m (stone wall)

45m (house)

I also did a “tint” comparison outside :stuck_out_tongue: On the left there is the Supfire G20, and on the right my OTR 311 with Luxeon V2 4000K.
Front LED

Side LED


OVERALL APPRECIATION

Time for the overall appreciation and it is quite positive, I can say. Some of the less good aspects where mentioned above but I will focus them below as well.

What I liked?

  • budget flashlight

- multifunctionality: 2 leds, 1 laser, magnetic tailcap, hook, powerbank function

- USB-C rechargeability

- high CRI floody side light

- ramping UI on both leds, without needing to reach the top/bottom to reverse the direction

- no PWM

What could be improved?

- battery: the capacity could be improved, allowing to better runtimes on both LEDs

- magnetic tailcap: a stronger magnet would be adequate given the weight of the flashlight; some positions cannot be maintained due to the lack of strength

- front led: a better tint or even a better overall option (tint and CRI) would be better

- weight: although it also means robustness, it is quite heavy either as a multifunction or work light , and really not good for EDC

- accessibility to mod: although the bottom has some screws, the head doesn’t have, so I doubt it can be easily accessed to modify the LED or eventually to change the battery itself. TBE (to be explored) :stuck_out_tongue:

- LEDs always turn ON on max output: it would be nice if they could be turned ON in different levels, which could be memorized

- package and information: well, a package to protect the flashlight and avoid scratches on the lenses, and a user manual or something providing more information would be useful. I know, it is not needed, but would be cool for presentation purposes :wink:

- IP rating: being only IP44 leaves a bad taste in mouth and some doubts about it’s usability on rainy or dusty conditions.

—————//////////—————

And that’s it !
Leave your comments or questions if you want to! :beer:

Thanks for the review and I like the shape of the light. Not the usual cylinder shape. For sure it ain't rolling off a table anytime soon!

Plus night shots look like video game. Cool!

Nice review but a bit too strange for me.

Thanks Hank33! :+1:
Nop, it doesn’t roll at all :wink: Only if you throw it down the road :stuck_out_tongue:

Yeah, I guess I was inspired from my childhood playing Doom :smiley:

Thanks zoulas! :+1:
It is the review or the light that is too strange?

I just ran across this light at Aliexpress and a quick Google search brought me to this review.
I’m just disappointed you didn’t post a cat video with the laser :smiley:

Ran into this on my own on Ali -express and it checks so many of the boxes of a light I'd like to own ... Arugh !!.. why does it weigh a stinking ton ? gotta love that clip !

I'll take it

Paypal sent

Ahah, I promise that when my aunts’ kits are in the mood I will record a video with this light and them :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ve used it already with them but didn’t have the phone with me, so the next time I will do it :wink:

Ahah, did you get it? :smiley:
It is heavy indeed, but has some pros too. Some of the cons I mentioned in the PM :wink:

This is throw…it-to-the-head light :smiley:

Surprised at how much bigger it is than the Angel Eyes! If you were walking out the door and needed a light with side emitters, which would you grab?
I’m trying to move to USB-C with new purchases but the E300 is ~$53 on sale now…. what do you think? G20 or E300?

edit: I got a Warsun X608 but it is simply unusable with hilariously visible PWM. Also you can pop the reflector end off with your fingernails. The Supfire looks like it would resist my weak fingernails.

Bigger, bulkier and heavier :smiley: It is a very different light from the Angel Eyes! I would compare it more to that Warsun that you mentioned in terms of structure.
Concerning the bezel/head, it is not metal, it is plastic, but seems to be thick enough to get some beats! However, it is not as resistant as the rest of the metal body. And it is not as easy to remove as the X608 :wink:

Well, the G20 and the E300s are different in some aspects, that may require choices:

  1. If you want more power and longer range, go for the E300s.
  2. If you want the side emitters to be readily available, go for the E300s (the G20 first activates the front emitter).
  3. If you want something similar to a flashlight with side switch and main front led, with average range, go for the G20.
  4. If you need a worklight or a light that will fall and be less well treated, go for the G20.
  5. If you need a light with blinkies (for eventual presence signaling on the road) go for the E300s.
  6. If you need something to be used as powerbank go for the G20 (even if it has a built-in battery with relatively low capacity).

The UI on the E300s is more “versatile” with different possibilities on the side and top switch. The G20 has the possibility to ramp up or down but it has a pre-programmed level. On the E300s you can start on the lowest level, on the “middle of the scale” or you can have momentary high from OFF.

I would probably pick the E300s for most of the situations, specially due to the output, weight and UI versatility!


Maybe you can check the Nebo Slim+ which is also a light with side emitter. I’m not sure how good it is, but in terms of shape it is similar to these we are talkin about :wink:

I also wasted money on the Warsun. The LEDs are soldered to an aluminum plate that is loose inside the light. It is not connected in any way to the body of the light. I was hoping to mod it into a decent light, but there is nothing there to work with.

Frankly, I was going to snap up one of those E300S models, given the good price (almost paid $80 last year, then balked). But seeing so many more USB-C lights coming out, I really don’t want another Micro USB recharged light. If I were to go for it, it’d have to be the very last one. USB-C is just way too convenient. This Supfire G20 does look intriguing but the reported weight is turning me off. I don’t think I’d make much use of it.

Sorry to hear the Warsun X608 has bad PWM. Just heard about a mini keychain light that’s like a RovyVon Aurora A8 clone. USB-C recharging (while RovyVon is still dragging its feet with Micro USB). But… very noticeable PWM. Ugh…

MascaratumB certainly qualifies as a “flashoholic” and if he didn’t hate the light it can’t be too bad. Thinking it might be a nice light to throw in the truck or carry around on my tool cart at work. A laser pointer comes in handy doing maintenance in a big building.
I have a yellow rectangular work light from Warsun, it has some PWM but it doesn’t seem that bad, (COB make a diff?), but as TexasToasted experienced, the X608 just isn’t worth any effort to turn into a better light. You’d need to gut it and start from scratch. It looked like it had so much potential in the pictures! I usually give away lights that don’t get used, the X608 is so bad I can’t even do that so will probably just make a video of disassembling it.
Bah! I’ve stayed away from these forums just enjoying my life and using my lights. As soon as I come back that darn “weird lights” thread gets me thinking!
Great video Mascaratum, thanks for putting the effort into these lights to give us more information before buying.

The E300 will always feel dated with that darn micro-usb. I didn’t get on the bandwagon until recently, but the writing is on the wall.
USB-C with visible PWM is like lipstick on a pig.

Thanks for your words bansuri!
Yup, indeed it is a light that you can use in a car or truck! Unfortunately, due to the structure of the flashlight, I cannot measure the parasitic drain of it to know how long it holds the charge without being used.
But being a rechargeable light, it can be charged easily and relatively fast. And you can also use some of its juice to charge a phone or other light, eventually.

As for the laser, yeah, it can be used for that too, not only to play with cats :smiley: It is not a super thick beam but it is useful for pointing for sure.

I saw the X608 alot of times and it got me tempted, but I never went for it as I couldn’t find a review online to check how the PWM was. When I found one about the G20 and saw that it had none, I went for it. I don’t regret and it is my “weekend light” at my parents home, and despite its specs, it is a solid and good working light.

Yeah, and given RovyVon’s direction, I expect the E300 will remain as-is until discontinued.

About the Aurora A8, it seems they solved the PWM, at least according to Illumn.

With a keychain light, I can deal with Micro USB as frequency of charging is much less than your usual EDC.

Three differences in the new Superfire G20:

1) LED is now SST-20/4000K (on a rather thin aluminum MCPCB)

2) There’s PWM at about 10500 Hz

3) No flash when reaching floor output level

Runtime measurement for operation with the Luminus: Nearly 3h from 100 to 10 %.

Additional note:

There seems to be no lockout mechanism. I would have loved to throw it in my electric tools bag, since it is quite versatile. But if I did, I could count the days until I find it completely drained.

Similar light at Amazon.

Thanks for your thoughts about the new version of the flashlight Unheard :wink:
Is the SST high CRI as the Nichia? I hope it doesn’t have that greenish tint that the SSTs normally have :zipper_mouth_face:

As for the lockout there is none, not even an easy way to remove the battery or to put something to disconnect power physically.

Mine is at my parents home. I charged it maybe two months ago, I need to see how much charge it still has. I know there is some drain, but that is als hard to measure without dismantling the flashlight :zipper_mouth_face:

There are some flaws in the design, which is undeniable.

That one has an OLED display on the side, while the version I reviewed has 4 leds to mark the battery level. Maybe this is the “evolution” of the G20.

The Opple Guess-O-Meter thinks it’s Ra 97 and duv=0.0006. Indeed, it doesn’t look too green :-).

The OLED is an option mentioned in the manual, but I also have the LED-indicator version.