Sofirn IF23 Pro Review
I review the Sofirn IF23 Pro and compare it to the IF24 Pro.
Link to Sofirn Official Website:
https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-if23-pro-5000-lumens-edc-powerful-flashlight
General thoughts after a week of usage/size comparison/practicality/interesting things:
• Sofirn have finally released their highly anticipated IF23 Pro! I know a lot of you have been asking me to review this light, so I reached out to Sofirn and they provided me a sample for this review. Sofirn hasn’t paid me to make this video, and I haven’t held back on any negative opinions either. The IF23 Pro is a great example of a ‘do-it-all’ flashlight, which I’ve started to see more these days, instead of your usual one LED, tube flashlight. It comes with a main light rated at 5000 lumens and side flood lights that can be customized to various colors and tints. Similar to the IF24 Pro, the IF23 Pro comes with a buck driver on the main light channel, which improves efficiency and allows for sustained brightness/output levels.
• What’s in the box? IF23 Pro + 21700 cell, lanyard, spare o-rings, USB-C charging cable, and instruction manual.
• Comparison with the IF24 Pro – the IF23 is larger, produces more light (5000 vs 2000 lumens) and also has upgraded aux lights too. It’s essentially a scaled-up version of the IF24 Pro and comes with a larger capacity of 21700 cells. It also uses an OP reflector instead of a TIR lens. Sofirn has also fixed the issue of the light turning on automatically when rotating the switch. It’s maybe 25% larger than the IF24 Pro at most. It’d be great for longer trips. The IF24 Pro still has a better throw due to the SFT40/TIR lens combo.
Overall Construction, LED, lens, bezel and reflector
• Tube-style design, with one flat side for the side light panel. Overall construction is excellent, it looks and feels well-constructed. There are no rough spots or inconsistencies. The anodizing is matt black and fairly grippy. It appears evenly applied. There are some shallow cutouts on the side of the light for aesthetic purposes and some knurling on the tailcap.
• The light is operated via a single aluminum switch under the head – you rotate it to switch between light sources and use the center button to switch between modes. I like the blue accent. The button also serves as a battery indicator. On the right side of the light, there is a USB-C charging port. I like that Sofirn includes a deep carry clip too.
• Under the bezel there is XHP70B (6000-6500K) paired with an OP reflector. The side panel features 59 LEDs (14 are RGB LEDs, and the remainder are a mix of cool + warm flood light LEDs). This is almost twice as many as in the IF24 Pro. The frosted glass panel adds a premium touch, and increases light transmission, and durability.
UI – modes
• Main Light Mode:
○ Single click to switch on/off. Press and hold off for ECO. Press and hold when on for LMH.
○ Double click for turbo. Double-click again for strobe, SOS, and beacon mode.
• Side Light Mode:
○ Single click to switch on/off. Press and hold off for ML.
○ When on, press and hold to ramp up and down brightness.
○ Double click from off for high, repeat for turbo, strobe, SOS, and beacon.
○ Double click and hold to adjust the color temperature from 2800 – 6500K
• Slide Light Colour Mode
○ Single click to turn on. Press and hold for step-less color adjustment.
○ Double click for flashing mode, police flash, rainbow, RGB waterfall, droplets, and neon fade.
Performance – total output, beam profile, longevity, practicality
• Ceiling bounce test, CRI, CCT
• The IF23 Pro produces a wall of light with a large, diffused hotspot. The light has a surprisingly good range due to the sheer amount of light emitted. The side light is very handy for closer-up situations and as a walking light where you need soft, diffused light.
Considerations
• The XHP70B produces heaps of light but I would have preferred an XHP70.3 HI – which is de-domed and can throw further. But on second thought, it would likely not produce a nice beam in this light due to the small reflector. Takes a large one to focus larger LEDs like that without producing a donut hole.
• The side light has a FET driver. So as the battery voltage drops, the light will slowly get dimmer rather than maintaining constant output.
• I wish it were possible to dim the RBG lights as well in the same way that can be done for the side flood light. I like using a red mode at night but find it’s a bit too bright for up-close use.
Verdict
The Sofirn IF23 Pro is a great all-in-one flashlight that’s perfect if you’re someone who needs a long-range flashlight and floodlight in the same package. The RGB lights are great if you want to attract attention or like to use red light at night like myself. I also like that the battery is easily replaceable, unlike some flat-style flashlights with similar features. The buck driver makes a huge difference for anyone looking for a serious flashlight as you won’t need to worry about the light dimming during use.
