SOFIRN HS43 was sent to me directly from Sofirn for review.
DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL DATA:
The SOFIRN brand has been offering customers products with good value for money for years, a key feature of the brand. Sofirn products are easily available on Amazon, Aliexpress, and their website, Sofirnlight.com. The new HS43 flashlight has recently been released, a high-brightness, multipurpose 21700 lumen headlamp with a maximum output of 3200 lumens and two color modes: white and red.
The Sofirn HS43 features three white LEDs, one red LED, and an easy-to-use magnetic rotary switch for complete control of the user interface.
The SOFIRN HS43 is powered by a 5000 mAh 21700 Li-ion battery (included) with a battery life of up to 6 hours.
The HS43 has an IPX6 waterproof rating (high resistance against powerful jets of water from any direction), is drop-resistant up to 1 meter, and features an active temperature control system.
The HS43 comes with a comfortable, easily adjustable headband, a practical and lightweight plastic bracket, and a magnetic tail.
The features of the SOFIRN HS43 make it suitable for a variety of uses, such as fishing, hiking, running, camping, or as an emergency light.
SOFIRN HS43 MAIN FEATURES
- Equipped with a high-performance white LED that delivers up to 3200 lumens in high mode, and a red LED with a power output of 120 lumens at a wavelength of 660 nm.
- Powered by a rechargeable 21700 5000mAh Li-ion battery that provides up to 2.5 hours of runtime at 1000 lumens.
- Designed for quick release with the headlamp mount, it can be converted into a corner flashlight. - Compatible with pocket clips, magnetic bases, and various versatile applications.
- Featuring a magnetic rotating control ring for precise mode selection. Easy to use even with gloves.
- The integrated USB Type-C charging port ensures quick and hassle-free charging with wide compatibility.
- IPX6 rated, water resistant, suitable for heavy rain conditions.
- CNC machined full metal body with a reinforced anodized finish, offering superior resistance to wear and corrosion.
- Simple and practical user interface design, without a steep learning curve.
- Constant current driver ensures stable output without visible flickering.
Specifications:
Dimensions: 28.3 × 29.4 × 121.5 mm (≈ 1.11 × 1.16 × 4.78 inches)
Weight: 150 g (with battery)
WARRANTY:
Sofirn offers a standard one-year warranty on its products, covering manufacturing defects and failures not due to misuse. Extended warranties or accidental damage coverage may be available for some products, often through separately purchased insurance.
Web: www.sofirnlight.com, sofirn.aliexpress.com
E-mail: us@sofirnlight.com eu@sofirnlight.com
service@sofirnlight.com wholesale@sofirn.cn
PACKAGING and ACCESSORIES:
SOFIRN HS43 is sold in a light-colored cardboard box. Inside the box, you will find the HS43 headlamp with a 5000mAh 21700 battery and the following accessories: headband with quick attachment, Clip, USB Type-C charging cable, 2x replacement O-rings, lanyard, and user manual in English.
Upon opening the box, we find a warning to remove the insulating paper disc for batteries located on the negative pole before using the HS43.
The sales package includes a headband into which the headlamp can be inserted.
The elastic band is of decent quality and also features an upper band that can be easily adjusted with the removable quick-release bracket, where the torch is attached. The HS43 can rotate freely (without clips) on the bracket through 360° depending on the required use.
The battery supplied with the Sofirn HS43 is a 5000mAh 21700 lithium battery. The headlamp can also be powered by other 21700 batteries.
Specifications (found online):
Battery type: 21700
Battery capacity: 5000 mAh (standard), 4900 mAh (minimum)
Battery voltage: 3.6 V
MAX discharge current: 10 A (but can handle a maximum of 15 A)
The data below comes from a test review on BLF. CLICK HERE to check the details.
Diameter: 21.7 mm ± 0.2 mm
Length: 70.9 mm ± 0.2 mm
Weight: 72 g ± 4 g
Nominal capacity: 5000 mAh with 0.2 C discharge current
Minimum voltage: 2.50 V
Maximum voltage: 4.20 V ± 0.03 V
Standard charging current: 0.2 C (1000 mA)
Maximum charging current: 0.7 C (3500 mA)
Maximum discharge current: 2 C (10000 mA)
Initial internal impedance: ≤ 30 mΩ
SOFIRN HS43 is a well-built headlamp made with decent materials, good thickness and coating. The body is made of AL6061-T6 aluminum alloy with a matte black anodized finish and no sharp edges.
The body and tail feature horizontal knurling. The weight is not excessive (150g with battery) and the length is reasonable at 121.5 mm, considering the rotary switch on the head and the 21700 battery.
The HS43 can be fitted with a bidirectional clip, which is useful when using the torch without the headband, allowing it to be carried in a pocket or attached to a backpack.
The clip has a hole for inserting the cord supplied.
In the HS43, the lighting component consists of 4 LEDs; 3 are white light (TN-3535, 6000K-6500K) with a maximum brightness of 3200 lumens and one red light LED with a power of 120 lumens (SST20R) with a wavelength of 660 nm.
The maximum distance reached with white light is 184 meters.
At the top of the HS43, there is a magnetic rotating control ring for precise selection of the available modes. This design makes it easy to select the desired level or color, even when wearing gloves.
When switched off, turning clockwise will select the 3 white light levels: Low (I - 310lm), Medium (II - 900lm), and High (III - 3200lm), while turning counterclockwise will activate the red color (R - 120 lumens).
In the center of the ring is a charging indicator LED. After turning on the HS43, the indicator light will show the battery charge for 5 seconds with the following colors:
Solid green: sufficient power
Solid orange: medium power
Solid red: low power
Flashing red: extremely low power
The only part of the SOFIRN HS43 that can be unscrewed is the tail cap, where we will insert the battery.
A screen print indicates the correct direction for inserting the battery.
There is a magnet on the cap that allows the HS43 to be attached to ferrous surfaces.
For battery contacts, there is a spring plated on the positive side and another on the negative side.
The threads are well lubricated but, as they are not anodized, they do not allow mechanical locking. HS43 is equipped with an O-ring for water tightness and is IPX6 certified (protection against powerful water jets).
Behind the light unit is the USB-C charging port, protected by a thick rubber flap. During charging, the indicator light is red, turning green when charging is complete. A full charge takes approximately 3 hours (5 V/1.8 A max).
During charging, the HS43 can be turned on at all levels but cannot be used to charge other devices. Without a battery, when connected to a power bank, it will not turn on.
SOFIRN HS43 compared to other headlamp.
USER INTERFACE (UI) AND LEVELS:
The SOFIRN HS43 features a rotating control ring to manage the user interface. Changing modes and levels is therefore very simple. The HS43 has 3 white light levels (3200lm, 900lm, and 310lm) and one red light level (120lm).
The levels are well spaced, although there is no moonlight level (1 lumen or less) for white light and no low level for red light.
The Sofirn HS43 does not have an electronic lock.
White light operations (from OFF):
Turn the control ring clockwise to switch between Low → Medium → High modes.
Turn counterclockwise to switch between High → Medium → Low → OFF modes.
Red light operations (from OFF):
Turn the control ring one step counterclockwise to activate Red Light mode.
To turn off, turn one step clockwise to return to the OFF position.
Thermal adjustment:
During high brightness use, the light will generate a significant amount of heat. To ensure user comfort and safety, the light will automatically adjust its output based on its internal temperature.
FASCIO and RUNTIME:
[
I would like to point out that the photos and values shown in the graphs should be taken, above all, as a reference, as they were taken with amateur equipment and in environmental conditions that differ from those used in a laboratory.
The beam of the SOFIRN HS43 is floodlight-like and provides good coverage even at the lowest setting (Low 310lm). At maximum brightness, the light is very powerful with a wide beam angle. The table below shows the peak CD values obtained in my tests.
As can be clearly seen in the photo below, the beam has small, barely visible artifacts in the form of rings that do not interfere with outdoor lighting. The color is a beautiful white tending towards yellow around the corona of the hot spot.
Using OPPLE’s Light Master Pro, an inexpensive and fairly accurate device (although not calibrated), I took some measurements, recording the CCT color temperature and Ra color rendering values for white light. The flicker is in the green range, posing no risk. As shown by the values reported, the beam color has a CRI index that is not particularly high but average, with a cold beam color, especially at higher brightness levels.
HIGH: CCT 6577/Ra 72.3 – Duv: 0.0021
MEDIUM: CCT 6183/Ra 70.7 – Duv: 0.0048
LOW: CCT 6018/Ra 70.0 – Duv: 0.0062
Using a thermal imaging camera, I measured how heat is distributed across the front of the headlamp in high mode (3200lm) after 1 minute, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes of use. Heat distribution is good, and there are no issues with excessive heat when wearing the headlamp.
Runtime:
Runtime tests were performed indoors ( approximately 20°C ) with the supplied battery (Sofirn 21700 5000mAh) fully charged. I used the LX1330B Luxmeter for the test. The values in the graphs are expressed in candelas (cd) and not in lumens. The tests show good regulation during runtime.
Starting at the High level (3200 lumens), the first step down occurs one minute after switching on, with the brightness dropping to 1000 lumens, slightly above the average level of 900lm.
The beam then remains constant for over 140 minutes before the HS43 switches off.
At the Medium level (900 lumens), the brightness after start-up remains almost constant for about 10 minutes before dropping suddenly to 650 lumens and then remaining constant for over 210 minutes after switch-on. Subsequently, the HS43 battery begins to run out. After 217 minutes, the headlamp switches off.
At the Low level (310 lumens), the HS43 has a constant brightness from start-up for over 7 hours and 30 minutes before switching off due to battery depletion.
The first 10 minutes:
VIDEO Unboxing and Use
CONCLUSIONS:
SOFIRN has recently presented its new HS43 headlamp, which is well built with good thickness and excellent anodization (scratch resistance). I particularly appreciated the HS43 for its ease of use. The HS43 has good power and is controlled by a magnetic rotating control ring for precise and easy mode selection in all conditions. The sales package includes a headband with a quick-release bracket and a clip for attaching the torch when not in use on the head.
Less positive considerations are the lack of a mechanical or electronic torch lock and the lack of a moon level for both colors (white and red), which limits its use as a head torch for hiking and outdoor activities and not for reading.
As I write, the SOFIRN HS43 is selling for only $37.99, which is definitely a great buy for the quality and performance of this new headlamp. Recommended.
Thank you for reading the review.
Roberto
------ My Youtube Channel ------------------------------------------------