Nitecore NU20 Classic 360 lumens Ultralight Headlamp

This light is very small and lightweight making it perfect for backpacking. It has separate buttons for the white light and for the red light. This is great since you don't have to cycle through the white light to get to the red light. There are multiple brightness settings. The low white setting is perfect for finding things in the tent at night. It has just enough light and doesn't use a lot of energy. I used it on a five day backpack and had energy to spare. It seems to be well made and durable. The small elastic cords that make up the headband are surprisingly comfortable. I have a big head and the headband fit me fine. I'm usually pretty cheap and wouldn't usually pay $25 for a flashlight. This one was worth it, however.

Lots of good design ideas. It is super light weight and compact. The headband goes over and on the side of the head and is so comfortable I forget it is there. The headband glows in the dark so it is easy to find. The headband is elastic so it can be used as a neck light as well as a headlight. It has an adjustable bracket for tilting the light at different angles straight ahead or down. It has two different bulbs; one for flood, the other for more direct light. It has both white and read lights. The white light has a super low 1 candle power beam which is great for close situations where you don't want to blind fellow campers and the super low still puts out enough light to read by and navigate by. The medium and high power are super bright for situations where you need super bright. There is a sensor that lets you know how much battery is left whenever you turn on the light. The battery lasts an amazing duration of up to 98 hours in low white mode (I have not tested and verified this yet but I believe it). The low beam read light lasts about 50 hours and is useful for in close situations where you want to save your night vision. It is rechargeable. It is fairly waterproof. It is my product of the year. After I bought my self one, I bought my wife and friend one as gifts because I was so impressed with the functionality. I saw this had good ratings from experts on youtube which is why I bought it and it was still better than I had expected. Good job Nitecore! You make another product and I will buy it.

Excellent product - like most nitecore stuff. Has several levels of brightness, enough for most work. Recharges with USB-C (yay no more micro usb!). Headband is good. Overall lightweight. Battery life better than most similar ones we have tried. Includes a short charge cable, but most any usb cable will work ok.

I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect head lamp. This is actually my second attempt to find what I needed after I discovered my previous favorite was prone to turning on when getting jostled around in a pack pocket and being dead when you need it. The NU20 Classic has been great so far. PROS * Lightweight * Instant on to Red * Reasonable battery life * Bright enough for most of my needs * Control Lock * Small and comfortable CONS * 3 seconds of button holding for the control lock feels like an eternity when trying to unlock it. Wish it were half that time. MEH * The elasticord head band isn't as bad as I was expecting, but a regular strap might be less tangly when crammed in a crowded pack pocket. * A bit expensive, but worth it if this is the last head lamp I ever have to buy

I’m a nitecore kind of gal . I own many of them , I just need to be the one with the brightest flashlight. And nitecore makes sure I accomplish this everytime . They have also warrantied 2 of my old out of warranty flashlights .. super cool of them . This headlamp was a 2am purchase and I thought this might be the only light I would regret buying from them but that’s not what happened . I fell in love all over again. The light is of course amazing for this size but the real reason I love it is bcuz it doesn’t mess up my hair as much as the other headlamps do . I also don’t get a headache from this kind of strap .. nitecore has never done me wrong . I highly recommend them to everyone but especially this one to the ladies who dig using a headlamp but hate the indent it leaves in our hair !

The Nitecore NU20 Classic Ultralight Headlamp stays true to its lightweight design, now featuring a USB-C port for charging and a slightly larger battery. It weighs .9 oz without the head strap—about the same as the original NU25 (non-UL version). However, I’m puzzled by Nitecore’s numbering scheme. Why call this the NU20 when there was already a NU20, just like they did with the NU25UL when there was already a NU25? This new NU20 is actually more similar to the original NU25, so why not just increment the numbers to make it easier for customers to understand the product progression? That said, the light itself is great. There are four brightness levels for the main spotlight, two levels for the red light, and a CRI flood light that works well in a tent or around camp, just like the original NU25. However, I’m not a fan of the plastic casing—it looks and feels cheaper than previous models due to some unnecessary textures they added. The headband is lighter than the original straps, but it still feels bulky for such a small headlamp. Thankfully, the headband is removable. I made my own mod by using a simple elastic band cut to size with knots on each end, snapped into the upper slots of the headlamp. This brings my setup to a total weight of 1.1 oz, making it truly ultralight. On the downside, the lockout feature now takes much longer to activate and deactivate, which feels unnecessary. The buttons, while seemingly more water-resistant, are also harder to press—not impossible, but enough to make it slightly frustrating. As a comparison, I’ve also been using the new NU25UL. After several night hikes, I’m not a fan and actually reverted back to using the original NU25 (non-UL version). While the NU25UL cuts down on weight, it doesn’t deliver the same level of comfort or functionality I’ve come to appreciate in the original.

I bought this after owning a lot of battery powered headlamps. The light weight is the first thing you notice, in addition to the compact size. I love that it has two separate buttons, and that "red" is on the "right" so it's easy to remember when you are camping and don't want to accidentally turn on the white light and ruin your night vision/blind your friends. The battery level indicator is also very handy, as is the USB C charging. Overall it's my favorite headlamp I've used. My only complaint was that it wasn't quick to adjust. However I modified mine so that the rear cord is a single cord now with a different adjustment mechanism. I'll attach photos to show the modification. Now it's easy to adjust for wearing over a hat or not, single button and works great.

Didn't think i'd like it as much as the older NU20 due to the change in the headband bracket- the old one physically covered the power button- but it's been totally fine. Lock mode is easy enough to navigate even after a few libations. Battery life seems fine, intensities are good, red light is appreciated, and the shock cord strap is comfortable. I thought i'd dislike it but i dont. Solid product.

Don't let the "Classic" name or the specs fool you: this headlamp is a massive letdown, especially at this price point. Despite the promising marketing, the actual product feels incredibly cheap and poorly made. The Material & Design: The construction is completely lacking. The polycarbonate material feels like flimsy plastic, and the overall design is tacky and unrefined. It feels more like a dollar-store toy than a piece of rugged outdoor gear. Fit & Comfort: The headband is frustrating to use. The strap is surprisingly difficult to adjust. For something advertised for running and backpacking, you'd expect a comfortable fit, but this feels awful. Beam Quality: The light output is highly impractical. Instead of casting a wide, usable flood to illuminate the path and space in front of you, the light angle is incredibly narrow. You just end up seeing a harsh circle of light right in front of your face, which ruins your situational awareness on a trail or track. The Verdict: Between the cheap build and the terrible beam profile, this is a total waste of time. To make matters worse, I now have to pay out of pocket for return shipping just to get rid of this toy flashlight. Save your money and look elsewhere. What a waste of time and money!