Nitecore NU25 Review

Crazyeddiethefirst

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Mar 13, 2012
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Location
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Nitecore NU25 Headlamp Review:

My apologies it took so long to post this review. Another back surgery and more complications than anybody wants to know about. Many of you know I am biased and love my Four Sevens Headlamp with Double Atom bracket so I can have one flood and one spot beam. And of course my Zebras...But as many of you also know, I love my Nitecore-I just have never got around to doing a Nitecore Headlamp review. The NU25 captured my attention. It has an XP-G2 S3 LED(Main), a Hi-CRI Secondary and a third LED on Red. The 610Mah Lithium Polymer Battery will recharge in less than 2 hours. For ridiculously long jobs like replacing the water pump in a 1976 Mercury Capri II, you can plug in the USB port to a battery pack and work as long as it takes(this would not be my preference, but it is a handy option in case of emergencies).
OK, from the top:
Main LED: Turbo-360 Lumens x 30 seconds, then step down to High-190 Lumens(you can immediately go back to Turbo, but if the temp reaches damage level it cuts back). Medium is 38 Lumens, Low is 1 Lumen.
Hi CRI LED puts out 20 Lumens.
Red LED is 0.9 Lumens and 13 Lumens.

Hold the Red switch for 3 seconds to get the battery charge indicator.

UI seems a bit complex, but once you get used to it it is actually intuitive.

From off, tapping the left button turns on the Main LED. After 3 seconds the main switch taps through L-M-H-T. After the light has been on 3 seconds, press and hold to turn off.

From Off, press and hold the left button to turn on the Hi-CRI light. After 3 seconds, press either switch to turn off. If you want it off faster, press and hold right button until it turns off.

With the light off tap the right switch to turn on the red LED. After 3 seconds, press either switch to turn off. If you want it off faster, press and hold right button until it turns off.

Direct access to Turbo: from on, press and hold the left switch for 1 second.

SOS/Location Beacon: Hold the main switch for 3 seconds to enter SOS mode, press again within 3 seconds to enter Beacon mode. Press the main switch again to turn off.

To Lock, press both buttons simultaneously. If either button is pressed, red blinks of the switches show lockout. To unlock, simply press both switches simultaneously.

Overall, this is an inexpensive, lightweight Headlamp. It is packed with features, most of them very useful. In some ways, the light seems simple to use, despite the long list of instructions above. When I took a break to take the trash out and walk the dog, the buttons felt intuitive and easy to use. It can be a challenge to try and describe all the options in a review, but when actually using it, it is easy.

What I Like:
High CRI LED, 20 Lumens, very adequate for close up work.
Red LED with low, high and Beacon. Great for night vision preservation. Good spacing on the modes, 30 second drop back on Turbo that can immediately be turned back up but is protected by temp setting. Lightweight, adjustable, fast recharge, Nitecore dependability & warranty.
Cons: I wish there was a simple way to explain the UI that did not make it appear so complex. Please note I do not find the UI a con, I find "explaining" the UI is a challenge.

Overall, this is an affordable lightweight Headlamp with features found in more expensive headlamps. Highly recommended. Full disclosure: Nitecore provided this at a discount price-the review is my opinion based on my own personal use and experience.
 
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