Fall is coming and so are the days with noticeably shorter daylight. So it’s time to start thinking about the right light for walking the dog. My preferred light for such situations is a headlamp, so I have my hands free.
Even though most of the time you only need to light up the area right around you, having a bit of throw now and then doesn’t hurt. The Sofirn HS22 lets you switch between multiple channels, allowing you to change the beam from a wide floodlight to a focused spotlight.
You can find the German version of this review on my website: SammysHP Blog › Sofirn HS22
The flashlight was provided by the manufacturer for this review. Thank you very much!
Overview
The flashlight comes in a sturdy box with a magnetic lid. The charging cable has a USB-C connector on both ends.
- Sofirn 18650 Li-ion battery (4000 mAh, 3.91 V at arrival)
- Head mount
- USB-C charging cable
- 2x replacement o-ring
- Manual (EN, CN, FR, DE, IT, ES, RU)
The manual is easy to understand and it provides a detailed explanation of all the flashlight’s features. A diagram offers a quick overview of how to operate it.
Before using the flashlight for the first time, an insulation disc must be removed from the battery. In the past, a small tag attached to the flashlight provided this reminder. Apparently, there were frequent complaints about the flashlight not working, so the warning has now been made much larger and should be hard to miss.
With headlamps, you can choose between right-angled models that also work well as handheld lights and those specifically designed for use as headlamps. The Sofirn HS22 clearly falls into the second category with its symmetrical design.
Because the LEDs are positioned next to the battery tube on the side, the HS22 is a bit shorter overall – but as a result it’s not quite as slim as an angled headlamp. With a weight of 120 g you can definitely feel it on your head, but it’s not uncomfortable.
Width: 80.0 mm
Height: 45.0 mm
Depth: 18.8 mm
Diameter (cap): 26.5 mm
Diameter (clip groove): 22.0 mm
Weight (without battery): 72.6 g
Weight (18650 battery): 47.9 g
Weight (total): 120.5 g
The flashlight is worn using the included headband. The elastic strap is generously sized and should fit larger heads or even go over a helmet. The mount is made of a rigid plastic that’s slightly curved to better fit to the forehead. Thanks to the top strap that runs over the head, the headlamp stays securely in place.
If the mount ever gets lost or damaged, generic silicone holders should work as well – though inserting and removing the flashlight may be a bit less convenient.
A fine ratcheting mechanism on the back of the HS22 allows the angle to be adjusted in fixed steps. This prevents the flashlight from shifting its position during movement, such as while running.
A USB-C port on the back of the flashlight allows the battery to be charged directly inside the flashlight. It’s protected from water and dirt by a silicone cover.
The charging progress is indicated by red and green LEDs in the buttons. You’d expect the color to switch from red to green once charging is complete. However, this actually happens much earlier, when the charging current drops to about 300 to 500 mA. At that point, only a small amount of energy is still being added to the battery, but it’s not fully charged yet. This caused me to repeat my runtime tests to get consistent results.
Springs on both sides ensure a reliable connection to the battery. All standard 18650 batteries can be used, including extra-long versions with protection circuit and built-in charging.
The included 18650 battery has a high rated capacity of 4000 mAh. In practice, 3900 mAh could be extracted at a discharge current of 1 A, which is an excellent result.
A small design detail: the connection from the positive contact to the driver is made via a flat-flex cable. Some thermal paste had squeezed out from the driver into the battery tube at this point, but it was easy to clean.
According to the specifications, the HS22 is water-resistant with an IP66 rating, meaning it’s protected against “powerful jets of water”. It’s also designed to withstand drops from up to 1.5 meters. Overall, the build quality is very good. All edges are cleanly deburred and the anodization is consistent. However, repairability is limited: since the optic is permanently glued to the body, the flashlight can’t be opened without damaging it, making repairs or modifications nearly impossible.
User interface
The flashlight is operated via two buttons on the top. They’re made of fairly hard silicone and protrude a few millimeters, making them easy to find and use, even while wearing gloves. This does increase the risk of accidentally pressing the buttons in your pocket, but they do require a bit of force to activate. When in doubt, it’s better to lock the flashlight by loosening the cap or using a triple-click.
For most functions it doesn’t matter which of the two buttons you press. Both buttons can turn the flashlight on and off, making operation easier. The mode button (
) is used to switch between channels, while the brightness button (☼) adjusts the brightness.
| State | Action | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Off | 1 click | Turn on (last used brightness, except Eco and Turbo) |
| Off | 2 clicks | Turbo |
| Off | 3 clicks | Lockout |
| Off | Hold | Eco |
| On | 1 click | Turn off |
| On | 2 clicks | Turbo |
| On | Hold |
Switch channel (Throw → Flood → Both) |
| On | ☼ Hold | Change brightness (Low → Med → High) |
| On | ☼ click + hold | Change color temperature (smooth ramping) |
| Turbo | 1 click | Previous brightness or turn off |
| Turbo | 2 clicks | Eco |
| Turbo | Hold |
Switch channel (Throw → Flood → Both) |
| Turbo | ☼ Hold | Low |
| Turbo | ☼ click + hold | Change color temperature (smooth ramping) |
| Lockout | 3 clicks | Unlock and turn on in previously used brightness |
What might seem a bit confusing at first, actually works out well in practice: you don’t have to search for the right button to turn the flashlight on or off. Thankfully, there’s no strobe mode included. That said, I would have appreciated a beacon mode with a short flash every second. When adjusting the color temperature, there’s no auto reverse when releasing the button. A full cycle takes about three seconds.
LEDs in the buttons show the approximate battery level for five seconds after turning the flashlight on. If the battery voltage is low, the LEDs pulse red while the flashlight is on.
| Color | State of charge |
|---|---|
| Green | 75% – 100% |
| Green blinking | 50% – 75% |
| Red | 25% – 50% |
| Red blinking | < 25% |
With the included head mount, the HS22 sits firmly on your head without movement. The adjustment mechanism holds the flashlight securely in the desired position, but can be a bit tricky to adjust with one hand. While the flashlight can be used in the hand, it’s not ergonomically designed for that purpose.
Illumination
The Sofirn HS22 features two channels with five LEDs arranged side by side within a single TIR optic. The flood channel uses four LEDs, allowing the color temperature to be adjusted.
Throw:
1x Luminus SFT-25R 6000 – 6500 K (CRI 70)
Flood:
2x TN-3535 6000 – 6500 K (CRI 70)
2x TN-3535 2700 K (CRI 90)
At least in the case of the Luminus SFT-25R, it’s a well-known LED with a small, round light-emitting surface that’s well-suited for thrower-style lights. However, there’s no additional information available about the “TN-3535” LEDs.
No extra glass is used to protect the optic. While this makes the surface more prone to scratches, the plastic is more impact-resistant and less likely to break compared to glass. There is no anti-reflective coating.
The throw channel produces a tightly focused spot with a wide corona and a faint spill. Some rings are visible in the outer area, but they don’t really interfere in practical use.
The flood channel, on the other hand, provides a very wide, slightly center-weighted beam. While its range is naturally shorter, the floodlight is excellent for illuminating indoor spaces or for reading.
Spot and floodlight can also be combined. This way, you get the range of the throw channel while simultaneously lighting up the nearby surroundings.
The color temperature of the floodlight can be adjusted continuously from about 2700 K to 6500 K. The warmest setting is said to offer good color rendering (CRI 90). However, this light not only looks warm but also has a slightly yellowish tint.
The spot light always has the same color temperature of around 6500 K. When the floodlight is also set to cool white, both channels blend very well together. However, other combinations are easily possible depending on your preference.
Links to individual images:
[ 1A 1B 1C ]
[ 2A 2B 2C ]
[ 3A 3B 3C ]
[ 4A 4B 4C ]
[ 5A 5B 5C ]
Driver and runtime
According to the manual, the HS22 uses a buck driver for efficient operation. When both channels are used simultaneously, the throw is slightly reduced compared to throw-only mode because the current is shared between the two channels.
| Mode | Brightness¹ | Runtime¹ | Intensity¹ (Throw²) | Current³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throw » Turbo | 1500 / 600 / 135 lm | 2 + 120 + 30 min | 16900 cd (260 m) | 5.40 A |
| Throw » High | 600 / 145 / 50 lm | 138 + 35 + 450 min | 6806 cd (165 m) | 1.20 A |
| Throw » Medium | 200 / 50 lm | 9 + 7.5 h | 2025 cd (90 m) | 0.33 A |
| Throw » Low | 50 lm | 45 h | 400 cd (40 m) | 0.08 A |
| Throw » Eco | 5 lm | 400 h | 25 cd (10 m) | 0.01 A |
| Flood » Turbo | 2000 / 750 / 150 lm | 2 + 100 + 26 min | 900 cd (60 m) | 6.00 A |
| Flood » High | 600 / 150 / 50 lm | 183 + 25 + 390 min | 605 cd (45 m) | 0.89 A |
| Flood » Medium | 200 / 50 lm | 8 + 6.5 h | 156 cd (25 m) | 0.38 A |
| Flood » Low | 50 lm | 45 h | 25 cd (10 m) | 0.09 A |
| Flood » Eco | 5 lm | 400 h | 3 cd (3 m) | 0.01 A |
| Both » Turbo | 2500 / 600 / 135 lm | 90 s + 110 + 27 min | 13225 cd (230 m) | 7.00 A |
| Both » High | 600 / 150 / 50 lm | 183 + 25 + 390 min | 4556 cd (135 m) | 1.01 A |
| Both » Medium | 200 / 50 lm | 8 + 6.5 h | 1406 cd (75 m) | 0.36 A |
| Both » Low | 50 lm | 45 h | 196 cd (28 m) | 0.08 A |
| Both » Eco | 5 lm | 400 h | 16 cd (8 m) | 0.01 A |
| Off | 12 µA |
¹ According to manufacturer ² ANSI FL1 ³ Measured
Due to significant heat buildup, the maximum brightness can only be maintained for a short time. After about two minutes, the brightness is reduced and then kept steady for a long period. When the battery level is critically low, the flashlight can still be used for many hours on its lowest setting.
The temperature briefly reaches 50 – 55 °C in turbo mode but then stabilizes at around 40 °C. Since the flashlight is usually worn with the mount and doesn’t have direct skin contact, this heat shouldn’t be an issue.
The brightness is controlled entirely without PWM. However, the floodlight LEDs are multiplexed at 20 kHz, rapidly switching between the warm white and cool white LEDs. This switching is invisible to the human eye.
When the battery voltage drops below about 3.2 V, the status LED in the button pulses red while the flashlight is on. At 2.8 V, the flashlight automatically shuts off to protect the battery from deep discharge.
Conclusion
During testing, the Sofirn HS22 has proven to be an excellent headlamp. Depending on your needs, you can choose a focused spotlight with an effective throw of over 100 meters, a wide floodlight delivering up to 2000 lumens, or a combination of both. The floodlight’s color temperature is smoothly adjustable, allowing you to adapt the light to different situations. Two conveniently placed buttons ensure easy operation, even when wearing gloves.
The charging indicator switches to green a bit early, even though the charging process isn’t finished yet (but just a few percent are missing). An additional red light would have been a nice touch.