Vastlite Bow SFT25R EDC Torch Review
Vastlite Bow SFT25R#
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Thermal Images
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications#
| Brand/model | Vastlite Bow SFT25R |
|---|---|
| LED | Luminus SFT25R 6500K |
| Maximum lumens | 1,800 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 15,750 cd |
| Maximum throw | 250 m |
| Battery | 1*18350 Li-ion USB-C |
| Onboard charging | No |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 4 |
| Blinkies | Strobe, SOS, Beacon |
| Reflector | Smooth |
| Waterproof | IP68 |
| Review date | August 2025 |
Introduction#
The Vastlite Bow SFT25R is a forward-clicky 18350-sized EDC torch with the popular throwy Luminus SFT25R emitter.
Shenzhen Vastlite Technology Co., LTD. was founded by Leo Wong and Easy Dang. They have years of experience in the flashlight industry. You may already be familiar with their work on the BLF GT and the FW3A.
I met Leo in Shenzhen. He is eager to collaborate with the flashlight enthusiast community and he recommended reaching out if we have any designs that we would like to see come to life.
Here are some Vastlite torches that I have reviewed:
flashlightgo.com kindly provided this torch for review. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch.
Packaging#
The Vastlite Bow SFT25R comes in a white box with VASTLITE on the top.
The following was included in the box:
- Vastlite Bow SFT25R.
- Vastlite 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh USB-C cell.
- Two spare o-rings.
- User manual.
User Manual#
Torch in use#
The Vastlite Bow SFT25R feels smooth and comfortable to hold.
The forward-clicky tail switch is slightly shorter than the end of the torch.
A two-way pocket clip is held in place by the tail cap.
The torch can tailstand.
Build quality#
The Vastlite Bow SFT25R has a matte light blue (grey) anodised finish. It is also available in MAO.
There is a little bit of knurling on the head and the tail to provide grip.
There is protective film on the lens to remove.
There are six 2.3x2.05x9mm slots around the head for tritium vials or glow sticks to be installed.
The threads are anodised and they turn smoothly.
The tail switch gives a satisfying click. The spring under the button feels firm.
There is a green glow-in-the-dark o-ring in the tail.
The retaining ring on the driver and the long tube mean that only certain protected button top 18350 cells are long enough to work.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam#
The torch has a Luminus SFT25R emitter and a smooth reflector.
CCT, CRI, and duv#
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the torch positioned one metre away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CCT is around 6300K, the CRI is around 68 and the Delta u, v is positive (green) on Low and closer to pure white on High.
The bream produced has a white hotspot and some spill. There are a lot of ring artefacts in the spill when viewed on a white wall but they are not noticeable in real world use outside.
| Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 5936 | 66.5 | 0.3226 | 0.3454 | 0.0067 |
| Med | 6165 | 67.6 | 0.3183 | 0.3371 | 0.0046 |
| High | 6388 | 68.6 | 0.3147 | 0.3301 | 0.0028 |
| Turbo | 6808 | 70.1 | 0.3090 | 0.3185 | -0.0004 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison#
Dimensions#
I took the following measurements using a digital caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 92.00 |
| Head diameter | 23.50 |
| Tail diameter | 22.00 |
| Tritium slot | 2.3 * 2.05 * 9 |
Weight#
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Torch | 49.87 |
| Battery | 25.89 |
| Torch with battery | 75.76 |
Size comparison with its competition#
From left to right: Vastlite Bow SFT25R, NLIGHTD E1 Copper, NLIGHTD L3 SFT25R Copper, Manker MC13 II SE, Olight Warrior Nano
From left to right: Vastlite Bow SFT25R, NLIGHTD E1 Copper, NLIGHTD L3 SFT25R Copper, Manker MC13 II SE, Olight Warrior Nano
User interface#
The Vastlite Bow SFT25R has a forward-clicky tail switch.
There are four main modes: Low, Med, High and Turbo.
There are three blinky modes: Strobe, SOS and Beacon.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Half press | Momentary on (mode memory) |
| Off | Half press within 3 seconds | Cycle (Low, Med, High, Turbo) |
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| Off | Half press 5 times and click | Strobe |
| Strobe | Click off and click on | SOS |
| SOS | Click off and click on | Beacon |
| Beacon | Click off and click on | On (mode memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
Mode memory#
There is mode memory.
The torch will memorise the last used mode when the light is off for 3 seconds.
Strobe, SOS and Beacon are not memorised.
Strobe#
Strobe has a constant frequency.
Strobe, SOS, Beacon
I measured Strobe, SOS and Beacon with a Zoyi ZT-701 oscilloscope.
Low voltage protection#
There is low voltage protection. The light turns off around 2.7V.
I tested low voltage protection by connecting the driver of the torch to a bench power supply and then by lowering the voltage from 4.2V to 0V.
| Mode | LVP? | Cut-off |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Yes | 2.77V |
| Med | Yes | 2.77V |
| High | Yes | 2.66V |
| Turbo | Yes | 2.62V |
Pulse Width Modulation#
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
I measured the PWM of the light with a Zoyi ZT-701 oscilloscope.
Low, Med, High, Turbo
What I like about the UI#
- Simple to use.
- The spacing is good.
What could be improved#
- Strobe could be easier to access. 2 fast half presses and a 3rd click would be nice.
Batteries and charging#
Battery#
A button top Vastlite 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh cell with USB-C charging was included inside the torch. It arrived with a voltage of 3.92V.
The cell was isolated with a piece of plastic to prevent accidentally turning the torch on.
I tried the following cells:
| Cell | Top | Compatible? | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| KeepPower IMR18350 3.7V Li-ion 1200mAh | Button | Yes | |
| Manker 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh USB-C | Button | Yes | |
| Olight ORB-183C11 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh | Button | Yes | |
| Sofirn 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh | Button | Yes | It works but the torch may turn off when rattled. |
| Vapcell M11 V2 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh (yellow) | Flat | No | Too short and the retaining ring blocks the top. |
| Vastlite 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh USB-C | Button | Yes | |
| Wuben ABJ1100C 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh | Button | Yes |
Flat top cells do not appear to work.
Charging#
Power supply: PinePower Desktop USB-C
USB Meter: ChargerLAB Power-Z KM003C
Room temperature: 15 C
The battery took 1 hour 15 minutes to charge from 2.88V to 4.14V at a rate of 5V/1.2A.
The indicator light in the battery was red while charging and it became green when finished.
Power supply compatibility#
I tried the following power supplies with the battery:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple 61W Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| Google Pixel Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | QC | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | Yes |
USB-C to USB-C charging works.
Performance#
Specifications from the user manual:
| Low | Med | High | Turbo | Strobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 25 | 300 | 650 | 1,800 | 1,000 |
| Runtime | 30h | 1h 25min | 1h | 3min + 47min | |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 250 | ||||
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 15,750 |
I tested the light using the included Vastlite 18350 3.7V Li-ion 1100mAh cell.
Lumen measurements#
I used a bench power supply to measure the current at turn on.
| Mode | Amps at start | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 0.05 A | 25 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
| Med | 0.42 A | 300 | 243 | 238 | 236 |
| High | 1.13 A | 650 | 549 | 537 | 519 |
| Turbo | 5.95 A | 1,800 | 1,275 | 1,119 | 515 |
Runtime graphs#
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
The room temperature was approximately 15 C.
Runtime#
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Mode | User manual | Runtime | Turn off | Final voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 3min + 47min | 48min 41s | 52min 48s | 2.806 |
| High | 1h | 57min 24s | 57min 24s | 2.960 |
| Med | 1h 25min | 2h 31min 22s | 2h 31min 22s | 3.096 |
| Low | 30h | 26h 11min 32s | 26h 11min 32s | 2.853 |
“Runtime” is the time until the output reduces to 10% of the output at 30 seconds (as per the ANSI/PLATO FL1 2019 Standard).
“Turn off” is the time until my DIY lumen tube no longer detects more than one lumen.
“+” indicates that the light remained on after recording had stopped.
The runtime results for Turbo and High were pretty close to what Vastlite claim. Medium was better than expected while Low fell short by a few hours.
The output is well regulated.
Throw#
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Turbo was measured at five metres.
| Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 15,750 | 250 | 27,900 | 334 |
The beam distance is better than expected.
Beamshots#
I went to a local park and I aimed the torch at a tree 70 metres away while using Turbo.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 800, 5000K WB.
Vastlite Bow SFT25R (Turbo)#
Manker MC13 II SE (Turbo) 18350#
NLIGHTD E1 14500 (Turbo)#
Manker E05 II (High)#
Olight Warrior Nano (Turbo)#
Thermal Images#
I used a Zoyi ZT-R01 IR Thermography Multimeter to take thermal images of the torch on a silicone mat while using Turbo.
Room temperature: 12 C
| Time (mm:ss) | Max Temperature |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 16.8 C |
| 01:00 | 37.4 C |
| 02:00 | 47.1 C |
| 03:00 | 48.7 C |
| 04:00 | 46.0 C |
| 05:00 | 44.4 C |
The temperature peaked at around 49 C within the first 5 minutes.
Conclusion#
The Vastlite Bow SFT25R is a nice little pocket thrower!
The design looks and feels elegant.
Vastlite have achieved a better beam distance than expected by combining a Luminus SFT25R with a smooth reflector. I measured over 330 metres on Turbo after 30 seconds.
The lumen output was lower than expected. I measured around 1,100 lumens on Turbo after 30 seconds while Vastlite expected it to be 1,800 lumens.
A high drain button top 18350 cell might achieve better results. It would be nice if the retaining ring could be thinner so that flat top cells fit, and if longer springs were used for a tighter fit for short cells.
The driver is good. Output is well regulated. Low voltage protection is built-in.
Overall, I can recommend the Vastlite Bow SFT25R if you are looking for a compact pocket thrower with an elegant design.
Pros:#
- Good build quality.
- Good runtime results.
- Output is well regulated.
- Beam distance is better than expected.
- Simple user interface.
- Battery has built-in USB-C charging.
- Secure two-way pocket clip.
Cons:#
- Lumen output is lower than expected.
Price#
The Vastlite Bow SFT25R is US$43.20 from flashlightgo.com after discount.
It is also available with a MAO finish.
Product page#
Promo code: TIM
Vastlite Bow SFT25R at flashlightgo.com (affiliate link)
I may earn a commission if you use an affiliate link or a promo code. This will help fund future torch reviews and tutorials.