Article by Jeff Valliere and Mike Postaski
We tested the Nitecore NU45 1,700 Lumen USB-C andUT27 Dual Beam 800 Lumen trail running headlamps on runs in Colorado and Idaho. In the reviews below, please find the results of our testing.
Summary
Nitecore NU45 1,700 Lumen USB-C Fast Charging Headlamp
4.4oz/126 grams
$64.95
Pros:
Value, bright warm hue, battery life, easy charging, easy button operation, wide secure headband, easy charging
Cons:
Head unit is a bit chunky/heavy (would be nice to balance with battery pack in back)
No option to use a backup rechargeable Li-ion battery pack or replace with conventional batteries.
Nitecore UT27 Dual Beam 800 Lumen Trail Running Headlamp
Nitecore UT27 Dual Beam 800 Lumen Lightweight Trail Running Headlamp
2.61oz/74 grams
$54.95
Pros: Light weight for 800 lumens, Warm/Yellow color mode is surprisingly effective, Grippy, easily adjustable headband
Cons: 800 lumens is only in the temporary Turbo mode, 500 lumens is the steady max. Noticeable circular beam in field of light.
Review
Nitecore NU45 1,700 Lumen USB-C Fast Charging Headlamp
Introduction: Nitecore is new to me, having never heard of the brand, I was not sure what to expect. I often run steep, technical mountain trails in the dark, starting pre-dawn on weekdays through the winter months and have tested many headlamps, so I admittedly have high expectations, where a headlamp needs to be bright, a reasonable weight, comfortable on my head, easy to operate, be USB rechargeable and have good battery life. The Nitecore NU45 meets all of these criteria.
Features/Specs:
Max output of 1,700 lumens with 188 yard beam
Outputs of white light, auxiliary White light and auxiliary Red light
USB-C rechargeable for easy charging
Easy one handed operation
Design/Operation: The NU45 is a traditional, simple design with a moderate size head unit featuring 3 LED bulbs, two primary bulbs and a center secondary bulb that alternates between ultra low 8 lumen white, or changes to red, flashing red or supplements the Turbo mode.
The head unit also rotates up and down and can pop out of the bracket if need be. The strap is wide for stability, has inner gripper rubber for security and is perforated for breathability. The band also has plenty of adjustability for tightening around my small head or expanding enough to fit on a bike or climbing helmet.
On the left side of the unit is a concealed dial that rotates to reveal the USB-C charging port.
On the bottom of the head unit are four tiny charge indicator lights to show battery level which is really handy, but they only show when charging and never when you turn the light on/off as is the case with most headlamps I have tested with this feature. It is sometimes nice to know when you are starting out in the dark how much battery life you are working with instead of having to guess. I am pretty diligent about keeping the battery level topped off after each run in peak “run in the dark” season, but can get careless other times of the year when only using occasionally and the light is sitting in a drawer.
The two button design is very simple and easy to operate, even with medium thickness gloves.
Comfort is overall very good, but I do find the head unit to be a bit large, heavy enough that I need to cinch the strap a bit tighter than I prefer to keep it from bouncing, but this is just a minor concern.
Light Output:
Unlike most headlamps that put out a harsh bright white hue, the NU45 provides a warmer hue that helps provide improved contrast when running in technical terrain. I usually need a light for my early morning, pre dawn runs and knowing that I will only be using the light no more than 90 minutes, I don’t feel a need to conserve battery and just use it at the max brightness setting, which gives off an impressive beam that projects both far and broad. If you plan to be out all night, then the lower settings will easily get you through the night and while lesser output, are plenty sufficient for easy travel in the dark. I will often use my light on a lower setting when hiking slower speeds of running uphill, then crank it up when descending.
Battery Life and Charging:
I have found battery life to be very good and in line with the chart above.
Charging is very easy and fast, about an hour to get from depleted to 80% and 90 minutes to full charge. I honestly never let it go below half, as my morning usage is usually less than an hour, but I appreciate the speed at which it charges. The Li-ion battery is not removable, so there is no option to swap out with a backup battery pack or conventional batteries, which could be a problem for long adventures or overnight ultras.
Conclusions:
The Nightcore NU45 is a very capable light and is an amazing value for just $65. It has great battery life, a warm hue, is super bright, easy to charge, has high quality construction and is quite comfortable. I would highly recommend this light to anyone looking for top quality performance at an affordable price.
Review
Nitecore UT27 Dual Beam Lumen Lightweight Trail Running Headlamp
2.61oz/74 grams
$54.95
Introduction: Scrolling through Jeff’s NU45 review, the UT27 is going to seem puny in comparison, but it’s built for quite a different scenario. I’ve been looking for a lightweight headlamp for early race starts and shorter outings in the dark. Lumen output is increasing so much these days, and weight is dropping, so it’s definitely a good time to check out what’s on the market these days.
[perforated band, with silicone grip]
Similar to Jeff, I had not heard of Nitecore before, but I took a chance on the NU25 UL, looking to upgrade my Petzl Bindi. I really like that one as a super light option, so I jumped at the chance to test out the higher output UT27. I was surprised to learn about Nitecore’s roster of sponsored athletes including UTMB champion Katie Schide. Definite credibility for sure.
Features/Specs: An image of the exact specs is listed below for quick reference, so I’ll describe the notable features as far as I’m concerned. 800 lumens is the listed max output, but that’s only a temporary “Turbo” mode which can be used sparingly when necessary. Actually it’s set up to turn off automatically after 30 seconds. The main lighting level that I would use on the run is Medium or High, listed at 280 / 500 lumens respectively.
There are two different light modes - white (normal) and warm. I actually had no idea that “warm” lighting in a headlamp was a thing. I’ve never seen that before. After some quick research, I read that it can be helpful especially in foggy conditions or when the ground is bright such as snow. More on this in the Performance section below.
[“Y” button is for Warm (or yellow) light]
The headlamp operates on a removable and rechargeable Li-ion battery pack. Notable is that it has a dual power source mode so you can also use 3 x AAA batteries. Of course you can purchase spare battery packs to swap in if you’d like a backup or if you’re planning to be out for an extended period. Runtime is higher with the Li-ion pack.
Design/Operation: Operation is simple enough, Long press to activate/turn off, single press to rotate through brightness levels.
There are separate buttons for white/warm light, and once you’re in one or the other mode, just pressing the other side switches the mode.
Turbo mode is activated by double pressing one of the mode buttons. I actually had some trouble activating this mode - you need to double press fairly quickly to get the Turbo mode on. Even a slight delay activates the single press function of either switching light modes or moving on to the next brightness level. This is actually somewhat difficult to do with gloves on (the quick double press).
Light Output/Performance: The field of light is somewhat on the narrow side. I’m pretty used to running with a waistlamp, so that may be a factor in my impression. But I also have the NU25 UL - which, although it has a lower lumen output, seems to throw a wider spread of light. I actually prefer the wider spread of the NU25 UL in comparison to this UT27.
On my first test run, I was somewhat unimpressed with the performance of the “Warm” lighting mode. The warm light, although rated at the same lumen output, seems effectively dimmer in normal, clear, dark conditions. I was a bit unsure when I would use this. Note- the Turbo mode is essentially a combination of the white and warm lights, so both light modes do play a role when boosting output to the full 800 lumens.
[White light above, warm light below]
[Difficult to tell in these pictures, but you can somewhat see how the ground is slightly washed out with the white light. This was more noticeable in real life]
But recently we’ve had an inversion settling into the Treasure Valley, leading very cold temps with cold, foggy conditions. This is where I definitely noticed the effectiveness of the warm light. It does seem to add a bit of texture and contrast in the white-ish foggy conditions. I also happened to be running on a canal path made of gray-ish packed gravel and dirt.
[low/medium/high from top to bottom, White light mode]
I’m not sure if it was the color of the surface itself, or the surface color in combination with the fog, but the white light mode seemed to wash out the texture of the ground. The warm light mode did an effective job of creating a noticeable difference in texture, leading to more confidence on that path, especially since there were some roundish rocks and iced over puddles. I’m definitely sold now on the “warm” light feature. I didn’t get to run on snow in the dark yet, but the warm light would surely be helpful there as well.
[Low/medium/high from top to bottom, Warm light mode - the difference in texture is more noticeable in these pictures]
Distance lighting I found effective at medium/high levels, really not at all in low. I’d say the low level is really just for walking, moving slow, or battery rationing situations. Personally I’ll typically set it at high since the runtime rating is 3.5 hours which is great for most situations. At medium you get a full 6.5 hours, but I find that level a little low if you’re moving quickly. At slower paces it could be ok, if you really intend to be out that long.
[low/medium/high from top to bottom, white light mode]
[low/medium/high from top to bottom, warm light mode. You can see how the warm light is general dimmer than white mode]
Battery Life and Charging: A great feature is the 4 level battery level indicator located on the underside of the light housing. I’ve taken the light out on runs in the 1-1.5 hour range and haven’t dipped below the “50%” indicator level yet.
Full battery specs below for reference:
[Check the website for specs when using 3 x AAA batteries. Runtime is lower]
Another unique feature is the glow-in-the-dark battery compartment. This sounds pretty cool, but in practice I didn’t find it that effective. Most of the “glow” part is behind the battery pack and it’s not that bright. It does have an outline of the battery terminal orientation so perhaps that’s useful if you happen to have a spare battery but no backup light source.
Charging is via a USB-C port located on the battery itself - you can either take the battery out or leave it in while charging. There’s a small light on the battery itself which indicates charging/fully charged.
Negatives: The one negative I can point out is that there’s a noticeable circular spot shape in the middle of the light field. This was noticeable at all brightness levels. Within the full field of light, there’s a noticeable outline of brighter light right in the center. Perhaps it has something to do with the powerful spot reflector setup in the lens, but I would prefer a more evenly dispersed light field. In comparison, my NU25 UL does not have this circular “spot”, and also casts a wider beam (although not as far as the UT27). (It’s hard to capture this in a digital photo as the camera tends to smooth out the light when processing)
Conclusion: The Nitecore UT27 offers a solid feature set at a quite affordable price. Bottom line is that for $55 you get 500 lumens on high for 3.5 hours. That’s pretty solid. It’s lightweight and competitive with any front mounted light/battery setup on the market. Personally for me, I prefer a little less weight on the front of my forehead - this one is right on the edge of being a bit much for me. I do prefer the fit and feel of the lighter weight NU25 UL (I do typically use a waist lamp in very dark conditions though).
But as a single light source, this headlamp does the job. The warm light feature is something new to me, and something that is actually effective as described. I might end up reserving this headlamp for those types of foggy conditions that I’ve encountered recently.
[Distance check on the trails, white mode, low-med-high. Clear conditions]
I do urge you to check out Nitecore’s headlamp model lineup on their website. They have an extraordinary amount of different styles and outputs etc. If you’re looking for something very specific, be it super lightweight, rechargeable, battery packs, ultra bright (as Jeff V tested), there’s a good chance that they have at least one model to meet your needs.
Nitcore Headlamps
Amazon SHOP HERE
Jeff Valliere loves to run and explore the mountains of Colorado, the steeper and more technical the better. He has summited all of the 14ers in the state, many 13ers and other peaks in Colorado and beyond, plus, he has summited his local Green Mountain over 2,100 times in the past 20 years. He can be found on mountain trails daily, no matter the weather, season, conditions or whether there is daylight or not. On the side he loves to ski (all forms) bike and hike, often with his family, as he introduces his twin daughters to the outdoors. Jeff was born and raised in New Hampshire, but has called Colorado home for over 25 years. He is 5’9” and 145 lbs.
Shopping at our partners is much appreciated and helps support RoadTrailRun
Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'.
RoadTrailRun Official Store Custom Fractel Caps and Bucket Hats
Cap:$35 Bucket:$39
Free US Economy Shipping!
Please Like and Follow RoadTrailRun
Comments and Questions Welcome Below!
WATCH OUR YOUTUBE REVIEWS ON THE ROADTRAILRUN CHANNEL
RUNNING WAREHOUSE US
FREE 2 Day Shipping EASY No Sweat Returns
Europe only: use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products
FLEET FEET
ROADRUNNERSPORTS
TOP4RUNNING EUROPE
Use RTR code RTRTOP4 for 5% off all products, even sale products
SPORTSSHOES.COM UK/EU
Use our code RTR235 for 5% off all products
BROOKS RUNNING
MARATHON SPORTS BOSTON
Find all RoadTrailRun reviews at our index page HERE Google "roadtrailrun Shoe Name" and you can be quite sure to find just about any run shoe over the last 10 plus years
