Nitecore T360 - Lightweight Rechargable Headlamp [Review]

xyadam

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for submission in the Reviews forum

1. Introduction:
As the handheld flashlight industry seems to go through unstoppable improvements, people often overlook the utility of headlamps. We must not ignore, that for several activities it is more advantageous to have both of our hands available. Flashlights with reversible pocket clip might offer lot of versitality: we can pull them out from the pocket, attach them to our baseball cap. However we must not forget one thing: not all of us wear baseball caps, especially in work! That's where headlamps come into the picture.

Allow me to introduce the Nitecore T360 Rechargable Headlamp!

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2. Video Review:

This thread also includes a video review, make sure to check it out! I do video reviews almost every week!





3. Packaging:
The Nitecore T360 comes in the usual, black-yellow, tactical looking cardboard packaging. The headlamp is included in the front case, the headstrap can be found in the rear compartment.
On the front side we can read the maxium Lumens output (45 Lumens), the beam range, peak-beam-intensity, and the maxium runtime.
And what's even more important, that we will find the words "USB Rechargable". I will get back to this soon.

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On the rear side we can see some ideas for carry options, and the usual contact information of Nitecore.

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4. Size and weight:
The headlamp body itself is really small, and lightweight, thanks to the hardened polycarbonate material.
The following properties apply to the body, excluding the mount and the headstrap:

Length: 58.7 mm / 2.31 in
Head size: 24.2 mm / 0.95 in
Weight: 20.6 g / 0.73 oz

On the following picture we can see how the Nitecore T360 compares to some other common flashlights in size.
Left to right: Thrunite Ti3, Olight S1, Nitecore T360, Nitecore Tube, Thrunite TN12 [2016])

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Left to right: Thrunite Ti3, Olight S1, Nitecore T360, Thrunite TN12 (2016)

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5. Headstrap:
The packaging of the T360 includes a Nitecore-branded headstrap. It is made out of a breathable, elastic nylon material. The lenght can be adjusted to our heads size. It is important to mention, that it only comes around the head on the temples, there is no strap to hold on to the top of the head.
I found the headstrap really comfortable, even after extended period of time. The material is very soft, and does not rub the skin.

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6. The mounting bracket:
The mounting bracket is made out of polycarbonate material as well. It has offers to important features:
- attaches the headlamp to the bracket with a spherical joint
- includes a pocket clip for lightweight carry option (especially when we unmount the headstrap)

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7. The spherical joint:
The spherical joint is one of the main selling point of the Nitecore T360. Unlike most convictional headlamps - which can be only pointed up-down - the Nitecore T360 allows absolute freedom when it come to aiming our light. In my opinion, this versatility is most practical when we attach the headlamp to somewhere, to lighten up our work-area.

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8. Body:
As mentioned, the body is made out of a hardened polycarbonate material, allowing the T360 to be significantly more lightweight, than the common aluminum headlamps.
The stripes on the body allow a better grip on the T360. The headlamp is dust and waterproof according to the IP65 standard.

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On the side, we can see micro-USB charger, covered by a soft rubber. It opens much more easily, than the cover on the Nitecore Tube, but I found it tricky to seal off.
The electronic switch is covered with rubber as well. The stiffness is just perfect, there is not much chance of accidental activation.

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9. Operation:

The Nitecore T360 offers 2 mode-groups. We can choose constant light output, or various flashing frequencies. Cyclists will definitely appriciate the strobe function, so they will be more visible on the street, where the lighting is not sufficient.

The access the constant light modes, we have to long-press the button. There is no mode-memory, so always the low mode will come up. The modes:
- Low: 2 Lumens (21 hours runtime)
- Medium: 15 Lumens (1h 45 minutes)
- High: 45 Lumens (45 minutes)

We can cycle around the modes by short-pressing the button. To turn the light off, we have to long press the button.

To access the flashlight modes, we have to double tap the button in an OFF position. To cycle through the frequencies, we have to short press the button. The frequencies are only rough estimates here!
- Slow strobe (~1,5 hz)
- Medium strobe (~3 hz)
- Fast strobe (~12 hz)

The intensity of the strobe is the maximum 45 Lumens.

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10. LED, Beam pattern
The Nitecore T360 features a reflectorless Cree LED. The LED-type is not specified anywhere, so we can only guess that it is the same, as the Nitecore Tubes LED. The reflectorless construction offers an extremely broad, non-concentrated beam in front of us. I believe this is the perfect pattern for up-close work.
For me, it is a common problem, that my eyes adjust to the brightness of the central hotspot, when I use a typical flashlight with a reflector. However, that is not the case with the T360, which goes MUCH easier on the eyes. Another great feature compared to the Nitecore Tube, that the LED sits a bit deeper inside the body, which means it will not blind our periphery while wearing it.

The beam color is Cool White. Tint feels close to ~5000k, which is a great improvement on the Nitecore Tubes horrible blue tint (6500k).

Here we can see the beam profile, where we compare the T360 (left) with the Neutral White variant of the Thrunite Ti3 (right). The T360 is set to 15 Lumens, while the Ti3 is set to 11 Lumens.

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I think the picture speaks for itself. The distance from the wall was 70 centimeters.

The beam angle is 100 degrees, which can be seen in the following picture. (left to right: Thrunite Ti3, Olight S1, Nitecore T360, Thrunite TN12 [2016])

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11. Night-shots:
The reflectorless design makes the T360 a great indoor headlamp, but the lack of focus reduces the range by a large extent. Nitecore specifies the maxium range to be 30 meters. In my testing I found the real-word usable range to be 10 meters. The peak-beam-intensity is 230 candelas.

The distance to the desk is 1.5 meter, on these sample pictures.


Low mode (2 Lumens)

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Medium mode (15 Lumens)

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High mode (45 Lumens)

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Another shot in High mode, the distance to the wardrobe is ~6 meters.

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I found the 45 Lumens with this large spread to be an adequate amount of light for various indoor activities, especially for up-close.


12. Charging:
So what to do when the juice runs out of the T360? Fortunately we don't have to mess with switching/charging batteries, since the headlamp comes with an inbuilt Lithium Ion battery. We can charge it using the micro-USB port, found on the side of the body. Any standard Android smarthpone charger should work. It can also be connected to Laptops/PCs for a quick daily juice.
The micro-USB port cover opens very easily, without using too much nail. Unfortunately sometimes it can be hassle to close it back perfectly. All in all, there are no serious problems with the charger port during everday usage.

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While the flashlight is charging, a red LED indicator glows up. The charging takes ~50-60 minutes from 0% to 100%. When the headlamp is fully charged, the LED indicator turns green.
Of course there is inbuilt overcharge protection: no worries if we left it on the charger overnight!


13. Pros/Cons:

Pros:
- Really inexpensive (18-20 USD)
- Reflectorless LED for eye-friendly up-close work
- Adjustable intensity, to save battery
- Very lightweight, just a few gramms
- Flashing mode makes it a great cycling light
- 360 degrees adjustable angle for huge versatility
- USB reachargable, no hassle with batteries
- The headstrap is comfortable to wear


Cons:
- The battery-life could be definitely longer. I would not mind some added thickness, if that was the cost
- The LED should be offered in Neutral White tint, for better color rendering, and even less stress on the eyes
- The micro-USB cover can be sometimes flimsy to close, I would definitely avoid deep water


14. Summary, Final score:
For 18-20 USD the Nitecore T360 is one of the best entry level headlamp on the market. For hardcore users who need 1000 concentrated Lumens with several hours of battery life, this is not the go-to headlamp. But for occasional daily usage, the T360 is one of the most versatile headlamp right now, especially if we carry a powerbank, or when there are computers in the vicinity to charge it.
The T360 will definitely be a permanent buddy in my workbag, if that means something :)

Final score: 8.5/10

I removed 1 point because of the weak battery life, and 0.5 point because it should be offered in Neutral White tint as well (do not forget, that color rendering can be a deal-breaker for some jobs)

I hope you guys enjoyed the review, please cheak out my other video reviews on my channel, I have plenty more! :) Don't forget to subscribe to the channel, if you want to be updated about my weekly gear reviews!

The Nitecore T360 Headlamp was provided for review by Gearbest
 
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KITROBASKIN

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Thank you for the review. It is a nice option in a light weight, hands-free torch. I gave one to our friend that my wife had been using. Wife asked for another. We got the new one yesterday from illumn. Tint is better than most semi-economy lights but still a bit stark, with some hints of blue. It is not 4500K; more like 6000K is my guess.

If I could ask: Where did you get your T360? Was it provided to you in exchange for a review? We appreciate your lack of bias. Would you be able to find out if the T360 uses the same battery as the NiteCore Tube? Just wondering how much mAh (the capacity of the battery).

One thing that should be mentioned; Unlike the Tube, with its almost 'unidirectional' LED placement on the body, the T360 is on one face of the housing, so that the emitter can be positioned in such a way that the light does not directly shine in the user's eyes.

Our friend has two dogs. Both are walked with leashes at the same time, and appreciates not having to hold a light in her hands. It is sufficient light for her use.

Also, I believe the two units we've owned have a red light on when charging, then a green light on when charged.

EDIT: Confirmed that there is a green light when fully charged.
 
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Chaitanya

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thanks for the review, I certainly would have liked to see this light in NW tint as well. But otherwise it looks like a good light for the price.
 

xyadam

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Thank you for the great feedback KITROBASKIN, I have updated the reviews according tho this!
The flashlight was provided for review by Gearbest.

Unfortunately I was not able to find any online material about the type of the battery. Maybe someone can help us out?
It would make sense to use the same Li-ion battery as the Nitecore Tube does, and I believe the runtimes are worse due to the thicker phosphor coating on the LED -> more current needs to be drawn to achieve the same brightness. At least that would make sense :)
 

xyadam

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I was able to find out, that the Nitecore Tube includes a 150 mAh Li-Ion battery! So as I said, there is a very high chance that the Nitecore T360 utilizes the same battery, and the runtimes are a bit lower due to the thicker phosphor coating, which results the very clean white beam.
I believe it's a realistic guess!
 

KITROBASKIN

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Hey Thanks! With that larger case, I had hoped for more capacity in the T360. NiteCore wrote something about 'massive' battery capacity in their promotion. I have a tendency to regularly recharge, and have not been left stranded, though.

I understand it is CPF policy that reviewers need to disclose how the item reviewed was acquired, which you did in the video but not in the written posts. I apologize for my oversight; not having watched the video. Your written and spoken english is very, very good. We look forward to more reviews from you and Thanks Again.
 

Mr. Tone

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This is a very interesting design that should fill a niche. Fenix recently came out with a different style headlamp which seems to be more similar to this than say a Zebralight or Armytek. Thanks for the review.
 

Lynx_Arc

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I would have subtracted a lot more for the lousy runtime as you can buy throwaway 3AAA headlamps that have more output and more runtime for cheaper. 45 minutes at 45 lumens is to the average person.... useless even 15 lumens for less than 2 hours is pathetic for a headlamp IMO. For a keychain light it would probably be marginally acceptable because it is rechargeable but there are cheaper keychain lights with more output and runtime for less even.
 

bigchelis

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I use my Surefire CR123 Minimus around the farm at night very often and 1 hour is a must. The 45 Lumens for up close work is perfect, I usually keep my Surefire at 100 Lumen full output only because I carry a spare and use IMR 16340's for about 20~30 cycles now with no issues. ( I carry a 3500 OTF lumen handheld as backup)


Nitecore definitely got the right idea here they just need a way to increase runtime.

bigC
 

KITROBASKIN

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No doubt, the Minimus is a nice headlamp and deserves respect

I use my Surefire CR123 Minimus around the farm at night very often and 1 hour is a must. The 45 Lumens for up close work is perfect, I usually keep my Surefire at 100 Lumen full output only because I carry a spare and use IMR 16340's for about 20~30 cycles now with no issues.

A quick inquiry indicates that a person could buy maybe 6 T360 headlamps for what one Minimus costs (That would be about 4 and a half hours of runtime at 45 lumens)

Or, a person could carry 4 T360's and still be carrying less weight than a Minimus (not including the CR123 battery)
 

xyadam

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I agree that there are more efficient headlamps (3xAAA etc), but most of them are not USB rechargable. I would definitely grab the T360 when I bring my powerbank with myself for a trip, for the convinient rechargability.
Still, I belive the optimal solution would be something like 2xAAA with inbuilt charger. That would offer 10x more runtime and more charging capabilities, with a similar size.
 

Lynx_Arc

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I agree that there are more efficient headlamps (3xAAA etc), but most of them are not USB rechargable. I would definitely grab the T360 when I bring my powerbank with myself for a trip, for the convinient rechargability.
Still, I belive the optimal solution would be something like 2xAAA with inbuilt charger. That would offer 10x more runtime and more charging capabilities, with a similar size.

A 14500 lithium ion based usb headlamp would probably be closer to ultimate if you had to have the rechargeable feature. I guess if the headlamp would operate while charging simultaneously you could just strap a power bank and charger cable to it and run it corded. In fact I wonder why USB based corded headlamps aren't the rage yet.... with the cheap supply of power banks of all sizes you could run one off of small to huge power banks from 1000mah to 20Ahr even.
 
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LightObsession

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I would have subtracted a lot more for the lousy runtime as you can buy throwaway 3AAA headlamps that have more output and more runtime for cheaper. 45 minutes at 45 lumens is to the average person.... useless even 15 lumens for less than 2 hours is pathetic for a headlamp IMO. For a keychain light it would probably be marginally acceptable because it is rechargeable but there are cheaper keychain lights with more output and runtime for less even.

Sure, but how many other headlamps can be clipped onto a shirt pocket, jacket pocket, on a button up shirt between the buttons or a T-shirt collar to have hands-free lighting directed exactly where you want it without having to use the headband? I haven't found one, yet.

The clip is too tight to work on a hat brim, belt or thick-seemed pant's pocket, but is great on thin, flexible materials. I got one yesterday and like it's utility, but would also appreciate larger battery capacity and run time.
 

LightObsession

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A 14500 lithium ion based usb headlamp would probably be closer to ultimate if you had to have the rechargeable feature. I guess if the headlamp would operate while charging simultaneously you could just strap a power bank and charger cable to it and run it corded. In fact I wonder why USB based corded headlamps aren't the rage yet.... with the cheap supply of power banks of all sizes you could run one off of small to huge power banks from 1000mah to 20Ahr even.

The T360 can be operated while plugged into the USB charger.
 

LightObsession

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Thanks for the great review. You did a much more thorough and orderly review than I would have. Your observations are pretty much the same as mine.

It would be handy if the clip could handle thicker materials, but then it might not be as stable when clipped to thin materials.

I'd love to see an adapter for the TIP that would snap onto the key ring loop and have a pocket clip and ball swivel similar to the T360, but with a clip that could also handle thicker materials, so that it could be clipped to a hat brim, belt or jeans pocket with a thicker seam.

Heck, you could clip this thing to your underwear elastic, pajamas or night shirt for hands-free lighting when going to the bathroom at night. Should be great for this purpose when camping.
 

dwong

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Almost order one today, but maybe there will be a CRI version...
 

LightObsession

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I just received the replacement for my T360 that appears to be dead after being lost for two weeks in the woods during a rainy period on the ground. The USB cover wasn't in place when I found it, so it water ingress may have killed it. No signs of life, even when on the charger, so I ordered a replacement from Battery Junction a couple weeks ago when they had their 25% off everything Nitecore sale.

I am so glad to have a T360 again! I've been in withdrawls since my first one was lost two months ago. This light gets used a lot in the house in the evening clipped between the buttons on my shirt instead of turning the room lights on to use the bathroom or rummage around in the kitchen.

I haven't used it with the headband, so I have no feedback on that.
 
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