A Great Little Giveaway ---- SOFIRN

Hey sofirn, I really like that your lights are doing all that we ask for and more. It really helps your company to stand out to enthusiast and help with the normal person just looking for quality products that do a great job at an affordable price point.

I love the fact that the newer lights are usb c chargeable AND have powerbank feature that’s a major plus.

I’m quite impressed and pleased with how Sofirn has worked with the community. Not to mention another brand in your thread, but other companies have tried to work with BLF effectively in the past (distant or reent) and not done nearly so well. I’m quite interested in the LT1S. I’m also really pleased with Sofirn’s work on the LT1 - I think the powerbank addition is fantastic. I think the SP10 Pro is incredible. The D10/D25 series are great, too.

My advice for future models:

  • When USB-C is used, add powerbank functionality whenever possible
  • Continue to offer high CRI options
  • Expand the color range on all models: purple and champagne especially!

Thanks Sofirn :slight_smile:

I’ve been a dealer for you guys for many years now, almost since launch. Always excellent products with one of the best customer service experiences out there

No glue is great, however most of Sofirn’s models are sold to the general public and glue makes them more reliable for them, nothing to loosen off or fall apart

I like how you took the D25 simple headlamp and improved it with a better emitters and a user friendly UI.
So many cool new versions.

Sofirn has made some pretty great lights this year like the IF22A and has continued to improve on their existing light features such as power banks features and Anduril 2. The LT1 (and hopefully the LT1s) are a staple for power outages and camping. The future with the SP10A(nduril) and continued collaborations is exciting and hope Sofirn continues and expands the collaboration with creators and knowledgeable members here.

After like 12 lights, I have never once gotten a subpar or light that wasn’t up to standard so the reliability and QC has been very good for me and will continue to buy Sofirn.

Their own UI with ramping it all a lot of lights need, except for if there was a more accurate battery check. The button lights just don’t provide enough information for battery life.

The lack of flashing pads and the use of glue frustrates a lot of modders but I think at least for the flashing pads, it isn’t a problem for the general consumer who won’t have a device to flash it anyway. The chances of bricking a light is pretty low and so adding the pads doesn’t seem risky in a consumer sense. Blue loctite or equivalent is fine, but lately the bezels have been tougher to get off. A compromise between not coming loose in general use and have to use duct tape and a vice is very possible.

Honestly, a lot of people change the LEDs in your lights anyway, so the LED selection doesn’t bother me. However, the SFT40 I got in a couple of your lights was perfect and amazing for SFT40, nice job.

Next year: battery check UI, updatable UI standardized flashing pads, more transparency and collaboration with Anduril collaborators, establish better runtimes/efficiency even at an additional cost, 18650 right angle headlamp with Anduril and an efficient driver, additional sub-lumen modes on most light, and some aux lights.

The IF22a is a terrific light.

Generally I like all your high CRI offerings, and all the Andúril offerings, to keep the UI consistent.

Haven’t tried the new lantern but it’s intriguing.

my sp10v3 is doing great, keep it up and count me in for the giveaway

I am in the LIVE entertainment business on dark stages most of my life. Everyone has a flashlight. you can see them seconds before showtime bouncing around showing the talent where their places are. Sofirn has in some capacity, replaced the mini-mag. A lot of stage techs use Sofirn, from the dive bar band guys all the way up to the big dogs doing arena shows, and have brand loyalty. Keep it up. -Matt

What do you think about Sofirn this year? What progress and changes have you noticed that we’ve made in the past year, and what needs to be improved?

Sofirn seems to have consistently good shipping when others have struggled to ship quickly. I’ve noticed the IF22A is looking really good. What needs to be improved is showing the BINs of SST-20 emitters as this can help decide purchase. Getting a rosy bin certainly helps. Also stocking other below bbl, high output & 80+ CRI emitters would be an improvement.

What do you think is best thing that we’ve done this year? What new expectations for Sofirn do you have for the new year?

IF22A is the best this year. I expect more good lights and deals, maybe some more throwers with the TIR lens. Smaller lights with onboard charging which makes them good for gifting to friends and family who don’t have battery chargers.

:slight_smile:

2020? The year turned out to be an annus horribilis.

Oh wait, the question is about flashlights and the future…

In that case, let’s turn the tables on you, Sofirn, what do you want it to be?

Sell more flashlights, make more money? Well, that’s obvious.

How to do that? Well, that’s where it gets interesting.

The brand has been built on three core values — good quality, good value, good customer service — and that has resulted in a solid foundation, with a collaborative spirit that has been embraced by the enthusiast community, to the benefit of both.

That hasn’t wavered, which is good, and you’ve found a loyal customer base that will continue to support you as long as those qualities remain.

However the bigger question remains — what does the company want its future to be? Continue to target the enthusiast market, offer more esoteric choices like additional emitter options, further embrace the use of hobbyist firmware in the lineup, and build models biased more toward enthusiasts’ tastes and wow factors, and less on neophytic usability and practicality?

That’s a conservative, though logical approach, and will make your most loyal customers happy. But be aware, that if you poll a room full of black sheep what their preferred color is, white isn’t going to be very popular; not a particularly representative sample in the overall scheme of things.

If, as a brand, that’s your target market, the sales numbers support that strategy, and there is little desire to grow beyond that realm, then steady as she goes, captain.

But if there is a desire to grow the brand beyond that market, and establish it as not just an enthusiasts’ brand, but one that is known to more users, and has broader appeal as well, then there is more work to do.

Much of it has been discussed before, such as building a stronger brand identity, though a unique logo or wordmark, a slogan or tagline, and more polished presentation in terms of things like packaging. None of these things need necessarily be costly, nor extravagant, and the product should still always be king, but a polished and consistent presentation is needed to compete on the bigger stage.

Need some specific examples? Do some research on the Anker brand, how it started, as a simple ODM seller, and see what the company has grown into. The same foundation is there — product, value, customer service.

Closer to home, in a bit of irony, look to your partners, sibling, whatever…at Wurkkos. In just a relatively brief period, it has done a splendid job establishing itself as a brand with its own identity, when it could have easily been dismissed as a re-labeler of Jinba’s products, or a Sofirn clone.

Instead, they’re utilized the same basic components, added their own sense of design flair, and the products leave the same factory in packaging that is simple, and still flexible, but doesn’t give the impression of being some sort of afterthought, or little better than a generic brown or white box. They have a wordmark that is unique, recognizable, and a consistent aesthetic from the lights, to the batteries, to the packaging, at pricing that is similar, yet without the benefit of having their own factory. The people in charge recognize the biggest picture, and they’ve gone from a simple little tube light to a full lineup in two short years or so.

That simple but popular little tube light, the FC11, isn’t the biggest, baddest, brightest, or most customizable, yet it has appeal for both enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts, and can find a home in a kitchen drawer as easily as in an EDC pack. It’s not perfect, of course (unregulated driver, cough), but it’s easy to use, and not as limiting as a muggle’s light might be.

I guess now would also be a good time to point out, and emphasize that for many, if not most average people, just looking for a simple tool, a source of light — having to read the manual, a spaghetti-chart, or look up instructions or a video on the web to count clicks and decipher flashes to help figure out how to operate their flashlight — that’s not a feature, it’s a bug. They want a tool that is easy to use, consistent, and find no joy in performing an out-of-box reset and thermal calibration, or desire to set high/low/step levels, or see what their pain threshhold is by bumping the thermal limit. Beware the echo chamber.

Someone inside the company obviously recognizes that most users aren’t going to have a Ph.D. in Flashlight Programming, in fact, from from it, if they felt the need to call for the recent practice of plastering the battery polarity symbol on the tail caps of newer lights.

Speaking of the FC11, Sofirn used to have lights that had similar appeal, like the SP31/32 series and SC31/31B. The former are still around, but in dire need of a refresh, and the latter have disappeared, in favor of a Pro model that adds complication for little benefit, and is mediocre at its fundamental function.

I believe, or want to believe, there is a place for both from the brand, so the call, and the rush to load Anduril onto any and every light is a misguided strategy if the company values, or still desires, a market beyond flashlight enthusiasts.

And simply changing the UI, adding a “Pro” label and calling it a day is a half-measure. IMO, full-measures would include better quality (potted, as well) regulated drivers, for sustained performance, and better temperature regulation performance with less conservative parameters. Pros need tools that can handle heavy duty tasks, and not let them down. And if they need service, don’t put additional obstacles like glued assembly in their way.

Perhaps consideration should be given to rationalizing the model lineup (as well as the naming nomenclature), cutting the dead weight, and segmenting the models more along true Pro, and “Home” lines. Give the Pro models what the enthusiasts want — power, configuration options, higher quality drivers. Give the Home models the same basic quality and features, but with simpler UI, good, practical performance, more budget friendly, as well as more options beyond basic black for a little extra appeal.

My 20¢…

Hi Sofirn,
Thanks for this giveaway. I’d say what you have done excellently is bring us a variety of options as well as beginning to add Anduril2. At the same time, I would still like to see even more options from you. Things like an SBT90.2 light, some RGB Aux’s, some tint ramping again and the introduction of Nichia High CRI LED’s (219B’s and E21A’s). You guys are always awesome on price and quality and I love that. But some lights designed for looks a bit more than for utility might be a nice option too. Thank you for listening.

Edit: Some buck drivers would be nice too.

The SC31 Pro with a 18350 tube is my pocket EDC. I would like to see a shortened 18650 version of it. Still the best customer support. :+1:

Hey Sofirn.
I think you’re doing fine….but not for my needs. You still don’t have the kind of lights that I like. I like lights that are powerful, small and lightweight.
Your lights are powerful enough and (especially recently) often small enough. But never lightweight. For this reason the only Sofirn light that I use is LT1…I use it because it doesn’t seem to have a real competition, but would rather switch for something much smaller and lighter. And LT1 mini is not it, it’s much better but still bulky.

I stopped hoping to convince you to create something more compact and lightweight…but if you ask for feedback - that’s it.

I have been off the forums for a while due to health issues, am just staring to come back. I left just as Sofirn was just getting started. Looks like you have kept a high value to cost ratio and steadily improved your selections. Love the USB-C support. Looks like great communication between you and BLF. Thanks for the giveaway!

I really like the sofir flashlights for the value for money, I love the IF25 for the 21700 battery and how compact it is and the change in tones,
now I have to acquire the IF22a.
Cheer up and continue like this. :innocent:

Sofirn’s willingness to collaborate with the flashlight community is very appreciated, and I’m looking forward to the release of the SP10 Pro. Thanks for sharing this giveaway!

I do like your lights. I have a few, but would really appreciate anduril on your headlamp and new mini lights.

IF 22 and SP40 are IMHO the milestones for Sofirn. The first is very innovative the latter became very popular due to good quality and friendly price (which has significantly risen recently).

New challenges? For me best would be a Sofirn adaptation of FireFlies PL47 mule. I’m missing 21700 headlamp with wide beam.

Regards,

I would like more beaded tir options.

I have several Sofirn lights and am mostly happy with the ones I have. I especially like the tints you use in the neutral white area. I don’t care for the single switch lights in any brand. I much prefer a tail cap. So when you came out with the SC31T, I was excited to try that out. I was a little disappointed that the regulation is not as good as the SP31 V2.0. There is also an outer ring in the beam. A good current regulated driver such as the SP31 and fix the focal depth or whatever is causing that ring and I would be elated to buy more.