Sofirn IF23 Pro

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Sofirn IF23 Pro Specifications & measurements

Brand & Model	Sofirn IF23 Pro
Flashlight category	EDC / Worklight / Fun Light!
Battery config.	1*21700
Switch type	Side Button with rotary dial
Dimensions:
Length	134 mm
Head diameter	27 mm
Weight with battery	202 g
LED & Beam
LED type	XHP70.2 LED
High CRI	No
Focusable beam	No
Features
Onboard charging	USB-C
Power bank	Yes
Specifications and measurements
Specified output	5,000 lm
Measured output (30sec)	4,074 lm
Max. measured output (turn on)	4,509 lm
Specified beam distance	226 m
Measured beam distance (30sec)	242 m
Specified beam intensity	12,775 cd
Measured beam intensity (30sec)	14,600 cd
Overall rating	4.5 stars
Review publication date	December 2024

Beginning in 2016-2017, Sofirn (named after his wife), was founded by Qidong Yang and was passionate about their customers and wanted to provide something of great value for all users with a wide variety of designs and applications. Their goal is to bring light to the world and make SOFIRN a well-known and a trusted brand offering a complete range of premium quality designs at affordable prices.

Since then, SOFIRN has expanded and added some of the best known and talented engineers within the Flashlight industry to their family, subsequently, releasing tons of new models.They have also created a presence and following by making custom units for fans and friends at “Budget Light Forum” (BLF), which proved to be very popular.

Having collected a few Sofirn flashlights over the years I can always expect something very bright, fun and easily usable. I was super excited to see the Sofirn IF23 Pro hit the review desk this week as what looks to be quite an upgrade from the original IF23. Compared to IF23, the IF23 Pro features a more simplified user interface, more intuitive operations and more output which we all want need, right? 

The Sofirn IF23 Pro has so many features, and leds, that I couldn’t wait to see what it could really do and what it was all about. There are a total of 60 emitters in this one, pocket-able, handheld light! What did I just say, 60 leds!? We gotta see what this thing can do now!

An additional cool quote from Sofirn:

“Trust SOFIRN, we will stay with you, as we hope you will with us, our collective future will be brighter!”

Okay, so on to the yummy stuffs…..Remove that tailcap (it’s on pretty tight!) and get that battery insulator outta there. Charge up ye ole 21700 cell via the USB-C port on the side and let’s get to the LUMENS already!

What's in the package

The Sofirn IF23 comes in the classic white cardboard box with a full-color picture of the flashlight model inside and the applicable output numbers on the front. A few of the specs are listed on the back along with the address and manufacturer information. There is also some model info on the bottom including the LED output temperatures.

Next thing is to slide the white cardboard box out of the thinner outer sleeve and flip open the magnetic closure. Inside you will find the foam cutout holding your IF23 Pro ever-so gently. Also inside are the accessories that come with your LED loaded, lumen blaster. Here is what all I could find in my box: 

• Sofirn IF23 Pro
• Sofirn 21700 battery
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• 2 spare o-rings
• lanyard
• User manual

Opening that white Box-O-Fun, you finally made it to the IF23 Pro, now laying eyes on all those LEDs. Picking it up, you immediately feel a smooth chonk of a flashlight. The AL6061-T6 aluminum alloy body has a smooth, matte black finish. I will mention here that I do worry it will show signs of wear pretty fast, but for now it looks and feels great.

Despite the size being a little blocky feeling, it doesn't feel too big to carry. The bottom half of the light is rounded to rest ergonomically in the hand. When holding the IF23 Pro in hand, fingers wrapped underneath the body, the thumb easily finds its way to the top of the light where the rotating bezel and power button with LED indicator reside.

There is some directional milling on each side carved out to help grasp the whole situation here, along with a single milled line right at the top edge, confirming a solid hold. Other than that, the body is smoooooooth.

At the top-side of the IF23 Pro is the blue rotating bezel around the e-switch power button. I really like this dash of color here as the rest of the light is completely black. The blue highlight reminds me of a different light company but that's neither here nor there. Also on the top-side of the IF23 Pro is the array of a gazillion LED's that show off all that this thing can do. Okay, there's maybe not a gazillion, but it sure looks that way when you first lay eyes on the IF23 Pro. There are actually 60 LED's in total that do multiple jobs, but more on all those LED's later in the review! 

Laying the IF23 Pro down, it's definitely not gonna roll away. As mentioned previously, the bottom of the light is rounded and the top is completely flat and feels as wide as it does tall. There is a single-direction pocket clip attached at the base end of the host, which only rests centered on the body. (You can't rotate or change locations of the clip).

The pocket clip is tight, holds well and when carrying, places the flat-side of the flashlight against your body. The clip at the base makes this a bezel down carry, which I certainly prefer and the whole thing carries surprisingly well considering its size and heft. This end of the light also has the magnetic, removable tail cap where the threads are located (not on the body).

For the most part, the magnetic cap is strong enough to hold its weight, but at a 90 degree angle sideways, it may have a little trouble holding itself, depending on what the exact metal surface is. It can easily hold the weight of itself at a lesser angle or pointing down, still proving many uses beyond a handheld flashlight, especially with those side, work light LED's.

This tail cap is as wide as the body of the light so tail-standing is no problem at all. It is even less likely to fall over if it's on metal! The cap also has a location for the included lanyard, although I passed on adding it to my test light. Again, it carries surprisingly well despite its girth and length being on the larger size of edc style flashlights, similar to most 21700 lights.

So many LEDs, all in one place, really brings many “use cases” for us with this IF23 Pro. The main light is certainly bright enough to use for general flashlight lighting needs, long walks, emergencies and obviously the popular every day carry. The side lights and all those LEDs can be used as a worklight since they are brightness adjustable, temperature adjustable and easy to access and use.

The use cases for the RGB LEDs can be nothing more than super-fun lighting and showing off to everyone, at least for me. While these are fun and look awesome, I have never left the RGB lights on in one of these settings for any length of time on any flashlight, ever. I guess if you were hosting a rave in your closet, all these RGB options would be perfect. But they are fun to show off. I digress. 

The rear threads are anodized and a little thin, but tighten down very well. It gets pretty tough to tighten right at the end there and you can feel the o-ring as it closes-in tight, helping to obtain that IP66 water resistance rating. Water is not getting in there! 

Sofirn says they are in the business of making things right if something is wrong with your flashlight. Their warranty is as follows: 

• -If your Sofirn product has any defect as the result of the materials or workmanship we want to make it right!
• -Within 30 days of purchase: Contact the original seller for repair or replacement.
• -Flashlights: Within 1 year of purchase: Contact Sofirn for repair or replacement via Email
• Batteries: Within half a year of purchase: Contact Sofirn for repair or replacement via Email: [email protected]
• -At first instance we attempt to resolve the issue. In the unlikely event of a faulty product we may advise customers to return the product to Sofirn for repair or replacement. This warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, modifications, misuse, negligence, accidents, improper maintenance, or repair by anyone other than an Authorized retailer or Sofirn itself.

Man oh man, can we talk emitters now!? The Sofirn IF23 Pro is packing a total of 60 light emitting diodes, aka LEDs! Starting off with the main master blaster of the IF23 Pro, the single XHP70 LED (kapow!) and then 22 LEDs for the 2600K-2800K range of sidelights and 22 more LEDs for the 6000k-6500K temperature range. Finally wrapping up that 60 LEDs with 15 more multi-color RGB LED's, all ready to shine and dance the night away.

That big ole XHP70 is coming in with a ton of white light. Visually seemingly a little green to my eyes, there is also some tint shifting from the center outwards. The OP reflector, (Orange Peel) is a flashlight reflector that diffuses light beams to create a broader beam. OP reflectors give a smoother beam pattern at the cost of throw in most cases.

That XHP70 is centered nicely in the aforementioned, deep, OP reflector and covered by a glass lens. The bezel is smooth without crenulations and has a touch of stainless at the inside edge of the bezel for good looks. There isn’t really a hotspot per se, but more of an abundance of lumens just going all over the place! There is somewhat of a slightly hotter center than the rest of the beam, but barely. You may not even notice it unless you are looking for it. I will say again, that there is just a ton of light coming out of the business end and it easily would light up an entire backyard, see beamshots below!

Next up, as mentioned there are 44 LEDs on the upper face of the IF23 Pro that can be adjusted to kinda flow from using all 44 LEDs to only 22 of the warm ones, then 22 of the cold ones. The easy UI lets you to shift between groups of LEDs from one to the other, allowing you to find your preferred temperature output for this sidelight/ worklight. In addition, you can adjust the brightness level via ramping on these by pressing and holding the power switch in sidelight mode.

More details: 

• LED Type: XHP70.2 LED
• High CRI: No
• Focusable beam: No

Spectral measurements:  

Measurements were taken using an Opple Light Master IV or to measure the flashlight beam in complete darkness at 10 meters away using the included fully charged Sofirn 21700 Li-ion 3.7v, 5000mAh battery.

Mode:	CCT:	CRI Ra:	duv
Turbo	5806K	–	-0.0006
Sidelight Cold High*	5751K	72.9	0.0102
Sidelight Warm High*	2779K	95.2	0.0003
Sidelight Combined High*	4401K	92.8	0.0035

*Sidelights were measured at 2meters due to lack of intensity.

A positive DUV “above” the curve, exhibits more of a green tint, whereas a negative DUV indicates that the source is “below” the Planckian locus (blackbody curve, aka BBL), potentially giving a red/ blue tint.

Dimensions: 

Sofirn IF23 Pro	Millimeters	Inches
Length	134 mm	5.3 in
Head diameter	27 mm	1.1 in
Body diameter	29 mm	1.1 in

Dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter and the nearest tenth of an Inch.

Weight: 

Sofirn IF23 Pro	Weight in grams	Weight in oz
Without battery:	133 g	4.7 oz
With battery	202 g	7.1 oz

Weight is rounded to the nearest gram and tenth of an Oz.

Flashlight size comparison with its competition:

Group 1: Sofirn IF23 Pro, Loopgear SK05 Pro, Convoy S21a (SST40), Emisar D1k (SFN60)

There is no lockout mode on the Sofirn IF23 Pro upon arrival, but you could/ would rotate the bezel that surrounds the side-power switch to OFF if you wanted to lock it out when throwing in a bag or purse etc. 

As mentioned, this rotary-style bezel surrounds the power switch and is what allows the mode changes. There are four settings here with Off being one of them. Rotate the blue bezel ring in either direction to get to the 3 different mode settings.

These are Main Lighting Mode, Side Lighting White Mode and RGB Color Lighting mode.

I wish there was a bit more “snap” at each output location with the bezel, to let you know you have made it to an output setting. It can be a little hard to stop in the exact spot when rotating by feel. Once you have arrived at your output setting, a single click will turn on and off the IF23 Pro in any of these modes (and in the last used mode!).

The Main lighting mode is really bringing it with the XHP70.2 and gives up the lumens in Moon, Low, Medium, High, Turbo, Strobe, SOS and Beacon modes. These are available at the press-n-hold of the power button, (except for moon, which can be accessed by holding down the power button from off, and Turbo, which can only be accessed by the classic double-click.) While in turbo you will want to keep double-clicking to access strobe, then SOS, then finally Beacon mode after each double-click. Sofirn has incorporated a buck driver for this main light that regulates the voltage and current supplied to the LED. This ensures a consistent light output even as the battery is depleted. No more sudden drops in brightness here!

Next up is the Side-Light (white light), and its 6 lighting modes, starting with moonlight (press and hold from off to activate), then press and hold to change through High, Turbo, Strobe, SOS and Beacon. This is a very useful lighting mode that has a couple of cool features included. As I mentioned in the LED, lens, bezel, reflector, and beam section of the review, these 44 LEDs total, emit either a very warm white light or very cool white light or some user-controlled combination in between. Press and hold the power switch to ramp up and/ or down the lumen output and the double-tap here fades from both temperatures, going all cool and/ or all warm output. Again, all user-controlled and a personal favorite feature of this light, (aside from ALL the lumens!). 

And finally, we have the 15 RGB LEDs in the sidelight, Color Lighting mode for all those late night, impromptu rave parties that you may come across. No? Me either, but it sure is fun to show off and let the “normies” get a look at what fun can come from a small, handheld flashlight, all while still including the lighting modes we can actually use. This RGB color mode has 7 lighting modes built-in. A single click will start you off in constant color mode and in the red LED color. Double click from on and you can cycle through said 7 color lighting modes. On some of the applicable modes, you will then press-and-hold the power switch to fade between colors. (For example you can’t change the colors in the police flash mode, it’s red and blue - that’s what ya get!). I will go ahead and list the 7 color modes starting with Constant color, that can be changed, then flashing (can color-change), rainbow (no color change), RGB waterfall (changeable colors), droplets (my fav and can also color change), then finally neon fade (can color change). This ought to keep you busy for a little while at least!

So overall, it's fantastic that there are 60 LEDs in one flashlight, but there is one small hitch with the design. At some point you are going to flashbomb yourself in the eyes with those sidelight LEDs. It's inevitable with them all facing up, while holding in-hand. Just be ready!

Available modes:

Main Lighting Modes:

• Eco, Low, Medium, High, Turbo

Side Lighting Modes: 

• Moonlight, High, Turbo

Color Lighting Modes: 

• Flashing, Police Flash, Rainbow, RGB Waterfall, Droplets, Neon Fade, Constant on color lights

Available blinky modes 

(Main & Side light modes):

• Strobe, SOS, Beacon

Main Lighting Mode

 From OFF: 

• Press and hold: Eco
• Single click: On -last used mode
• Double click: Turbo

 From ON:

• Press and hold: Changes Modes (low, medium, high)
• 1 click: Off
• Double click: Turbo 
• Double click again while in turbo: SOS
• Double click again while in turbo: Beacon

Side Lighting Mode

From OFF: 

• Press and hold: Eco
• Single click: On -last used mode
• Double click: Turbo

From ON:

• Press and hold: Changes Modes via ramping
• 1 click: Off
• Double click:Turbo
• Double click again while in turbo: Strobe
• Double click again while in turbo: SOS
• Double click again while in turbo: Beacon
• Double click and hold: fades from 2800k-6500k

Color Lighting Mode

From OFF: 

• Single click: constant on
• Double click: flashing

From ON:

• Press and hold: Stepless Color Transition
• 1 click: Off
• Double click: changes to flashing from constant on
• Double click: changes to police flash from flashing
• Double click: changes to rainbow from police flashing
• Double click: changes to rgb waterfall from rainbow
• Double click: changes to droplets from rgb waterfall
• Double click: changes to neon fade from droplets
• Double click: changes to constant on from neon fade

Mode memory:

• Yes - Last used

Shortcuts:

• To ECO or Moonlight: Press and hold (both main and side lights)
• To Turbo: Double click (both main and side lights)
• To Strobe: double click while in turbo
• To SOS: double click while in Strobe
• To Beacon: double click while in SOS

Strobe/blinkies

• Strobe, SOS, Beacon

Lock-out mode: 

• Rotating dial to “off” position

Additional/summary info on the UI: 

• Press and hold the switch while in lockout mode and moonlight will momentarily shine!

The Sofirn IF23 Pro comes with their own, Sofirn 21700 Li-ion 3.7v, 5000mAh battery and lucky for everyone, does have reverse polarity protection. Nice added safety feature when using Li-ion cells that canOn average, the charge time was right at 3 hours. Sometimes a few minutes more, sometimes a few minutes less. Even at that, a 3 hour charge to hit runtimes that last anywhere from 2 to 36 hours has to be a win. On the right side of the body, (light facing away from you), there is a rubber-covered USB-C port available for easy charging with the included cable. Also, it seems that everyone has a USB-C cable these days so the convenience level just went up again. The rubber cover fits very well and isn't noticeable when using the light. There is no wonky, rubber-chunk protruding from the body. It also rotates out of the way very well when accessing the port.

With all the latest advancements in charging technology, Sofirn has also given us the ability to use our IF23 Pro as a powerbank to charge our other electronic devices. Testing this feature out on another flashlight I had handy, the Sofirn IF23 Pro was charging it at 8 watts / 5v / 1.57a and worked flawlessly. Super handy to have, just in case!

Charging/ Discharging indicator:

Charging:

• Red = charging
• Green = Fully charged

Discharging:

• No indicator = Sufficient battery level
• Red flashes = Low battery level

Battery level indicator:

When turning on the IF23 Pro or clicking the button when in lockout mode, the LED indicator in the center of the switch will display the power status for 5 seconds: 

• Solid green:    70-100%
• Flashing green: 40-70%
• Solid red:      10-40%
• Flashing red:    0-10%

Note: When the IF23 Pro is on, the red LED indicator light will continue to flash when the remaining battery level is below 10% and will turn off once the cell is lower than 2.8v.

Description	Details
Compatible batteries	21700 Li-ion
Incompatible batteries	other than 21700
Low voltage protection/warning	blinking red light
Onboard Charging:
Onboard charging	USB-C
Power bank functionality	Yes
USB-C to USB-C charging	Yes
Max power of USB charger (port)	18 watts
Max power measured	9.333 watts / 4.66V / 2A
Final battery voltage (charged)	4.2V
Avg. onboard charge time	3h 00min

Lumen measurements

How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards

About Lumen measurements: The ANSI FL1 standards specify that output in lumens should be measured 30 seconds after turning on, as this is the standardized time for measuring brightness according to the industry standard. This is why we focus on this part in our measurements. The ANSI FL1 standards require an ambient temperature of 22 ± 3°C. We record the ambient the ambient temperature to identify potential reasons for any observed discrepancies.

Lumen measurements were taken using my 50cm homemade integrating sphere (IS) and a REED R8100SD Data Logging Light Meter (with a measurement range up to 100,000 Lux). The IS has been calibrated using a 1lumen.com calibrated S2+ as a comparable reference source and the included fully charged Sofirn 21700 Li-ion 3.7v, 5000mAh battery.

Mode	Specified output	Turn on	30 sec.	10 min.
Low	100 lm	106 lm	106 lm	106 lm
Med	550 lm	556 lm	556 lm	555 lm
High	1,300 lm	1,330 lm	1,326 lm	1,304 lm
Turbo	5,000 lm	4,509 lm	4,074 lm	1,323 lm

*Turn-on and 30 second measurements are done manually, while the 10-minutes readings come from the runtime graph. This is our standard approach, though some reviewers may choose a different approach.

Ambient temperature during testing:

•  20.5°C

Battery Life: Runtime graphs

How Runtimes are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards

About ANSI FL1 runtime standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens on certain occasions, with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries.

Runtimes were measured using the REED R8100SD Data Logging Light Meter (with a measurement range up to 100,000 Lux) and the included fully charged Sofirn 21700 Li-ion 3.7v, 5000mAh battery.

Modes	Specified runtime	Runtime (ANSI FL1)	Time till shut off*
Main Light Mode
Low	30h 00min	36h 13min	36h 13min
Medium	6h 00min	6h 38min	6h 38min
High	3h 00min	3h 10min	3h 10min
Turbo	2h 00min	2h 05min	2h 05min
Side Light Mode
High	4h 00min	6h 38min	7h 05min
Turbo	3h 30min	4h 42min	5h 38min

*The last column reflects the total runtime until the light turns off. A "+" symbol indicates that the test was stopped at that point, but the light continued to run. This typically occurs with certain drivers, firmware, or battery types.

The Sofirn IF23 Pro has done very well with runtimes and specifications given. The sidelight modes lasted much longer than the times given by Sofirn and although closer to specs, the main light runtime also going over on all of its marks! Check out the runtime graphs for more info!

Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

About Peak beam intensity: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standard

About peak beam intensity: The calculated value of distance in meters at which the flashlight produces a light intensity of 0.25 lux. (0.25 lux is about the brightness of a full moon shining on an object). This means that the intensity has decreased so much, it becomes difficult to see darker objects, or objects that don't reflect light. The columns ‘Meters’ and ‘Yards’ use rounded numbers.

Throw measurements were taken outdoors in complete darkness at 10 meters using a Dr. Meter LX1330B Digital Illuminance Light Meter, with a 0-200,000 measurement range for accurate lux readings, converted to candela. All measurements were taken at 30 seconds for most accurate measurements in accordance with ANSI measurement ratings.

Mode	Specified intensity	Specified beam distance	Candela measured	Meters	Yards
Low	265 cd	33 m	200 cd	28 m	31 yd
Medium	1,500 cd	77 m	1,600 cd	80 m	87 yd
High	3,575 cd	120 m	4,300 cd	131 m	143 yd
Turbo	12,775 cd	226 m	14,600 cd	242 m	265 yd

Ambient temperature during testing:

•  9°C 

The Sofirn IF23 Pro came very close to the candela specifications, with most of the outputs delivering more than the distances given by Sofirn. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome after thinking that this XHP70 and the OP reflector wouldn’t throw as much as suggested. Even looking at all those lumens, it feels so floody, but boy was I wrong! It can throw those lumen well too!

Beamshots were taken using a Canon EOS 4000D. Settings as follows:

• ISO 1600, 1/4sec., f/4.5, WB 5200k
• Distance to fence is 28m

Beamshots of the following flashlights compared:

• Fenix WF25RM
• Fenix PD35R
• Sofirn IF23 Pro
• Olight Warrior X Pro
• LoopGear SK05
• Imalent HT70

Please note that the following beamshots are mainly intended to showcase the beam pattern and beam quality, rather than overall performance. These images are typically taken directly after activation, and in different seasons or weather conditions, and therefore do not fully represent its overall performance. In few cases the camera settings are even different and therefore not meant for performance comparisons. For accurate performance metrics, such as output, beam distance, and runtimes, you need to look at the performance section of this review.

Disclaimer: This flashlight was sent to us for review at no cost by Sofirn. We have not been paid to review, nor have we been holding back on problems or defects.

1lumen selects and reviews products personally. We may earn affiliate commissions through our links, which help support our testing.