Sofirn is committed to making affordable and high quality lights. We are also listening to customer feedback and utilizing it to make improvements to our products. SC31 Pro and SC31T are upgraded version of SC31 Series.
Till now, there are several models of SC31 family: SC31 with XPG3 for 650LM; SC31B with SST20 for 1000LM or 700LM 95CRI；SC31pro with SST40 for 2000LM plus Anduril UI; the latest is SC31T with SST40, dual switches.
Only SC31pro and SC31T are available for now, others are discontinued. I noticed that some sofirn fans missed SC31B because it is powerful with simple UI as well as at lower price. It can be a great gift given to families.
Actually my original thought was like that: simple enough; powerful enough; best price according the competitive price. The amazon price was 20-23 USD. Indeed sofirn fans love it. As you know, sofirn keep low profit margins for competitive prices. But since COVID-19 pandemic, everything cost more. And even we sold SC31B at 19.99 USD on amazon, there are not as many orders as we expected. Neither enough profits, nor enough sales. That’s why we stopped making SC31B.
Then SC31 Pro came out. People love the more powerful and more interesting compact 18650 flashlight. But some would love simple UI. All right, we give SC31T which has tactical tail switch and side switch for easy operation, but with the same powerful LED!
I hope you like it. I hope you would keep SC31 Pro as your own toy and give SC31T as a gift for your families and friends.
Both SC31 Pro and SC31T are portable EDC flashlights. I haven’t seen any comparison review about these two lights. Maybe I didn’t catch If there are reviews about them. Anyway, let’s Begin!
Both SC31 Pro and SC31T are portable EDC flashlights. I haven’t seen any comparison review about these two lights. Maybe I didn’t catch If there are reviews about them. Anyway, let’s Begin!
Specification about SC31T & SC31 Pro
SC31T vs SC31 Pro
Items
SC31T
SC31 Pro
Emitter
SST40 LED
SST40 LED
Battery
18650
18650
Lens
Toughened mineral glass lens
Toughened mineral glass lens
Waterproof
IPX-8
IPX-8
Tint
6000K-6500K
5000K/6500K
Recharging
USB-A to USB-C
USB-A to USB-C
Lumen (Max)
2000lm
2000lm
Beam Range (Max)
206M
200M
Compared with SC31 Pro, SC31T has dual switches (side switch + tactical tail switch), and adopts sofirn UI simpler rather than Anduril. The table below explains.
Items
SC31 Pro
SC31T
Switch
Side Switch
Side Switch + Tactical Switch
UI System
Anduril User Interface
Sofirn Simple UI
Both SC31 Pro and SC31T have good performance, which are effective tools for daily use. SC31T adopts simple UI suitable for beginner, and adds a tactical switch allowing for momentary-on. While SC31 Pro adopts more complex Anduril user interface. People who love Anduril will love SC31 Pro.
Runtime Graph
SC31 T
Reserved (It seems like nobody has tested it before)
SC31 Pro
This chart is from BLF, by the user gchart.
Beamshot
SC31T
SC31 Pro
Pictures form Chinese Flashlight Forum posted by Tieba
There lacks side by side comparison beamshot pictures. I would appreciate if someone can post the pictures here!
I put the beamshot videos link below, Please check.
I would say put Anduril in both lights, with a simplified UI in one of them. There is already a simple UI mode built into every Anduril light and it is straightforward to simplify it further by changing the software. Then anyone wanting the full Anduril advanced interface could just reflash the light, or maybe enter some “secret” code through the UI pushbutton.
Anyway, if the T version has two buttons (side and tail) and both buttons can communicate with the MCU, then the Anduril version should get that too, so we can modify the Anduril code to use both buttons.
I’d like to see orange peel reflectors offered for the SC31 Pro. Sofirn could just sell them as spare parts on their website. With a 7mm bottom hole so standard centering rings will fit and allow the most flexibility with different sized emitters.
Thanks for the history on these lights, I’ve recently been considering an SC31 Pro to compare with some other lights. I like the large switch button and the different colors. Personally I like the green color best and I think it’s awesome that you now have a matching green magnetic tailcap!
I also like the SC31T, great idea making a tactical version…
But to improve it for actual tactical use it needs a direct-to-turbo function for the tail switch (without relying on memory)
Maybe have the tail switch do turbo & strobe only, and have the side switch work normally, so you could still turn it ON from the side switch without first clicking the tail, but the tail would always activate turbo from OFF or ON.
That will make it a much more dedicated tactical duty light that can also be used for home security or personal defense.
I agree OP reflectors should be offered as I have a couple of old ones and I like these lights with them better than the smooth. I have a SC31b and it was one of the first lights I modded and have put the bezel and reflector from it on a SC31pro with a CSLNM1.FY and it’s a super fun light. I hope to see Anduril 2 on the Pro versions soon!
For SC31 Pro, I would like to see LH351D 4000k/5000k, SST-20 4000k, SFT-40, or CSLPM1.TG LEDs offered. Any of those would be better than SST-40 in my opinion.
It would also be nice to have a “kit” version on the webpage that includes the magnetic tailcap and 18350 tube, and maybe also the diffuser.
As a gift for my family and friends, I will give the SP31 V2 instead of SC31T, because the SP31 V2 has a constant current circuit, and an even more simple UI than SC31T.
If they don’t like the external charger, I just give them an 18650 with built-in USB port to use with it.
The SC31T is bright, but it gets hot. The SP31 V2 is also bright, and has the same or more throw, and does not get hot.
The SC31T is very nice, but the SP31 V2 is better.
I hope any new Anduril lights use the AVR-1 processors whose flashing interface is different from the older Emisar/Noctigon boards. It uses just one wire (plus power and ground) instead of 6(?), so it won’t need such a clumsy adapter, and it gives a bunch of additional capabilities. Presumably Hank will start using it too at some point, though he may have some older designs still in his development pipeline.
Thank you for the history/breakdown. Of all the pocketable EDC type lights I have, the SC31PRO in 5000K is my all time favorite. To be honest, there would be little I would suggest changing. The light, as is, is perfect for my use/enjoyment. I agree a “kit” option with magnetic tail cap, 18350 tube (color matching i.e.; green/blue), diffuser would be fantastic. I believe it’s been mentioned in other posts, but a scaled up 21700 version would be awesome.
SC31T is not on my radar. Dual switch, no SST-40 5000K, and regressive UI just don’t fit my criteria. Ymmv.
Huge thanks to you and Sofirn for considering the feedback from your consumers.
The simple T model comes very close to a flashlight for people that don’t have a lot of technical skills. But I am NOT ever going to give or recommend a cool white flashlight to anybody. Put something in there down around 4000K. At this time the Wurkkos fc11 2700k or 4000k is what I recommend for people that are dealing with AA and Zumiez.
A great idea in theory but I suspect that changes like that would push up the prices to be closer to Noctigon prices. Sofirn exists in a different market segment from Noctigon/Emisar right now. I’m not sure how they’d do if they cost the same amount as Noctigon/Emisar but were less showy.
It’s a different processor (or at least I hope it is, t1616) and the flashing interface is not compatible. It is a lot simpler (UPDI) and yes there should be a pad (only 1 pad is needed, plus the battery and ground contacts, though 3 pads can be more convenient). It would be great if there was some kind of standardization across brands for UPDI.
Thanks for the breakdown and history. I really admire transparency of how the pandemic has hurt sales and such as well as interest/demand. I like the idea of SC31T, with the momentary tail switch and e-switch with simple UI. Anduril is nice, but not for everyone. I agree though to offer it with warmer options than 6500K, like 5000K, and different emitters like xhp50.2 with OP reflector and SFT40-W with SMO reflector. Also, please do different colors like with SP10S (green, tan, blue, camo, etc).
I really like my sc31 pro with its nice rubber switch and UI. Great pocketable EDC. Only thing I would change is smooth reflector though. OP would suit it better with a wider hotspot. Also different leds choice would be nice.
As for the T version I will probably get one when warmer leds are released. Only 6500k is a pity.
The magnetic tail cap is in stock, which is suitable for SC31 Pro and SP40. Now black and green are available now, blue will be available soon. CLICK TO CHECK
