Sofirn IF22A review: the flashlight that shows its homework

The Sofirn IF22A is our Best Overall flashlight: a Luminus SFT40 emitter rated at a published 2,100 lumens, 697m of throw, an IPX8 submersion rating, and a full runtime table, for around ₱1,800. In a category built on unverifiable four-digit lumen claims, it’s the one that shows its working.

How bright is it, really?

2,100 lumens on turbo, and here’s why that matters more than a bigger number elsewhere: Sofirn publishes the whole curve. 1lm for 400 hours on moonlight, 30lm for 41.5 hours, 320lm for 5.5 hours, 1,100lm for 2.28 hours, and 2,100lm for 1.85 hours. Those figures are internally consistent and you can check them with a stopwatch.

Compare that with a torch advertised at 10,000 lumens with an “up to 8 hours” runtime and nothing else. Our flashlight buying guide explains why the second kind tells you nothing.

There’s one honest wrinkle: the Shopee listing title says 2,200 lumens where Sofirn publishes 2,100. It’s a 5% overstatement, and it’s a useful reminder that even the good listings drift upward.

What is 697m of throw for?

Distance, not room light. The IF22A is a thrower: a tight, focused beam that reaches nearly seven hundred metres. That’s excellent for scanning a dark field, a river bank, or a distant roofline, and it’s the longest reach of anything we’ve reviewed.

It’s the wrong shape for lighting a room. Point it at a wall during a brownout and you get a bright circle and dark corners. If you want a light that floods, the zoomable options in this category suit you better. Buy this one because you want to see far.

The ramping control helps here. Instead of cycling through fixed steps, you hold the button and the brightness slides, so you can sit at the exact level a job needs rather than the nearest preset.

How is it built?

6061 aluminum, IPX8 rated for submersion to about 2m, and powered by a removable 21700 cell. That combination is what separates a flashlight you keep for years from one you replace. The cell can be swapped when it fades, and USB-C charges it in around 2.5 hours with power bank output to push charge back into a phone during an outage.

Two practical cautions. Turbo steps down after a few minutes as the head heats, which is normal for any light this size and not a fault. And 21700 cells are less common in Philippine shops than 18650s, so pick up a spare when you find one.

Is it sulit?

Around ₱1,800 as of July 31, 2026. Check the latest price on Shopee. That’s roughly double the budget torches in this category, and the premium buys evidence rather than brightness.

The SUPERFIRE L22 at around ₱1,000 claims 5,000 lumens, more than twice this, but rates only IP44 splash resistance and publishes no per-mode runtimes. The Smiling Shark SD5225 at around ₱1,400 is sold at four different lumen figures depending on the seller. Against those, ₱1,800 for verified output, a submersion rating, and a replaceable cell is a fair trade.

Who should buy it

Buy this if you want one flashlight to keep for years and you value distance: property checks, provincial nights, fishing, or scanning a dark street. It’s the right choice for anyone who’d rather have a real 2,100 lumens than a claimed 10,000. If you mostly need to light a room during brownouts, buy a floodier light. See how it ranks in our best flashlights in the Philippines roundup, or browse more on our Home Improvement page.

Alternatives to consider

If you want one light that does more jobs than distance, the Xiaomi Multi-function Flashlight is our Best Everyday Carry with a zoom head, a side panel light and an SOS mode at a similar price. If the budget is the constraint, the SUPERFIRE L22 is our Best Value at around ₱1,000, with a brand-published 5,000lm and a 1-year warranty, though only IP44 water resistance.