Nitecore NU27 Headlamp Review
Nitecore NU27⌗
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens and reflector
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications⌗
| Brand/model | Nitecore NU27 |
|---|---|
| LED | Dual-core MCT UHE LEDs (3000K, 4500K, 6500K), Red LEDs |
| Maximum lumens | 600 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 3,705 cd |
| Maximum throw | 123 m |
| Battery | Built-in 850mAh Li-ion |
| Onboard charging | Yes (USB-C) |
| Material | Polycarbonate |
| Modes | 5 |
| Blinkies | Neutral White (SOS, Beacon), Red (Slow Flash) |
| Reflector | TIR |
| Waterproof | IP66 |
| Review date | October 2024 |
Introduction⌗
The Nitecore NU27 is a lightweight headlamp with four dual-core MCT UHE LEDs side-by-side capable of producing Warm White (3000K), Neutral White (4500K) and Cool White (6500K) light. It has two red auxiliary LEDs with multiple brightness levels. There is a built-in battery with USB-C charging. And the clip and diffusing bag accessories help convert this headlamp into an EDC torch that can easily be attached to a backpack.
That is a lot of acronyms! MCT is Multiple Color Temperatures. UHE is Ultra High Efficiency. And when you put dual-core MCT UHE together it means: the Warm White (3000K) LEDs are combined with the Cool White (6500K) LEDs to produce Neutral White (4500K).
Nitecore celebrated their 17th anniversary this year. They are a popular brand among enthusiasts and I find their products stocked in a lot of outdoor stores in Australia.
Nitecore 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 Nitecore NU27 comes in what appears to be an ecofriendly cardboard box with a lot of information about the headlamp in white text. The retail box is surrounded by a sheath with high resolution images and further details about the NU27.
The following was included in the box:
- Nitecore NU27.
- Headband.
- Clip.
- USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
- Nitecore diffusing bag.
- User manual.
Torch in use⌗
The Nitecore NU27 headlamp feels lightweight and comfortable on my head.
The strap is adjustable.
The angle of the headlamp can be adjusted by moving it downward.
The headlamp clicks into place while adjusting it.
The strap can be removed from the bracket and a clip can be inserted so that the Nitecore NU27 may be clipped onto something like a backpack.
The clip fits very securely. I used a flat screwdriver to remove the clip.
The diffusing bag can be placed around the light to make it light up. It can also be used to carry the headlamp, headband, clip and the charging cable.
Build quality⌗
The Nitecore NU27 is mostly made of polycarbonate and it has a wide TIR optic.
The buttons give a sastisfying click.
The headband is comfortable. It can be adjusted and it can stretch.
The NITECORE text on the headband is reflective.
There is a thin line on the inside of the headband that helps with grip.
You could take the whole headband out and wash it after getting sweaty.
The TIR optic comes with a protective film that needs to be removed before using the headlamp.
The hinges feels sturdy and they allow the headlamp to click into place while adjusting the angle.
The quality feels good overall. It is a nice little package.
LED, bezel, lens and reflector⌗
The Nitecore NU27 headlamp has four dual-core MCT (Multiple Color Temperatures) UHE (Ultra High Efficiency) LEDS capable of producing three colour temperatures: Warm White (3000K), Neutral White (4500K) and Cool White (6500K).
It has two red auxiliary LEDs.
And there are four blue battery status indicator LEDs.
All of these LEDs sit behind a custom TIR optic.
Neutral, Warm
Cool, Red
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 half a metre away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CRI is around 68.
The CCT is around 4262K for Neutral White, 3296K for Warm White and 5620K for Cool White.
The Delta u, v is slightly positive (slightly green).
The beam produced is very floody. There is an oval-shaped hot spot with a corona and a wide spill. The edge of the spill has a box shape due to the rectangular edge of the TIR optic.
| LED | Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Ultralow | 4222 | 68.8 | 0.3742 | 0.3841 | 0.0053 |
| Neutral | Low | 4246 | 69.0 | 0.3727 | 0.3811 | 0.0044 |
| Neutral | Mid | 4258 | 69.5 | 0.3718 | 0.3786 | 0.0035 |
| Neutral | High | 4279 | 69.8 | 0.3705 | 0.3761 | 0.0028 |
| Neutral | Turbo | 4309 | 69.9 | 0.3691 | 0.3744 | 0.0024 |
| Warm | Ultralow | 3265 | 67.0 | 0.4292 | 0.4202 | 0.0076 |
| Warm | Low | 3275 | 67.1 | 0.4275 | 0.4176 | 0.0069 |
| Warm | Mid | 3294 | 67.4 | 0.4252 | 0.4147 | 0.0061 |
| Warm | High | 3319 | 67.2 | 0.4230 | 0.4124 | 0.0056 |
| Warm | Turbo | 3327 | 67.4 | 0.4219 | 0.4106 | 0.0051 |
| Cool | Ultralow | 5435 | 67.0 | 0.3341 | 0.3557 | 0.0066 |
| Cool | Low | 5509 | 67.7 | 0.3323 | 0.3514 | 0.0053 |
| Cool | Mid | 5628 | 68.3 | 0.3295 | 0.3465 | 0.0041 |
| Cool | High | 5734 | 68.9 | 0.3272 | 0.3421 | 0.0029 |
| Cool | Turbo | 5796 | 69.3 | 0.3259 | 0.3393 | 0.0021 |
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 | 65.5 |
| Width | 25.5 |
| Height | 33.7 |
| Headband height | 25.6 |
Weight⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Nitecore NU27 | 41.63 |
| Headband | 15.32 |
| Clip | 5.33 |
| Nitecore NU27 with headband | 56.95 |
| Nitecore NU27 with clip | 46.96 |
Size comparison with its competition⌗
From left to right: Fenix HL16, Nitecore NU27, SPERAS B7
User interface⌗
The Nitecore NU27 has two buttons to control it:
- Power button
- MODE button
The Power button is used to turn the light on and off. It is also used to adjust the brightness levels.
The MODE button is used to change the colour temperature, select the red light, access special modes, and check the battery status.
Primary Light⌗
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Short press the Power button | Battery status indicator turns on for 2 seconds |
| Off | Long press the Power button for 1 second | On (Neutral White LOW) |
| On | Long press the Power button for 1 second | Off |
| Off | Double press the Power button | On (Neutral White ULTRALOW) |
| On | Short press the MODE button | Cycle (Neutral White, Warm White, Cool White) |
| On | Short press the Power button | Cycle (LOW, MID, HIGH) |
| On | Double press the Power button | Turbo |
| Turbo | Short press the Power button | Return to previous state |
| Off | Long press both buttons for 2 seconds | 3 flashes indicates Lockout |
| Lockout | Long press both buttons for 2 seconds | Unlock and enter Neutral White ULTRALOW |
Auxiliary Red Light⌗
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Long press the MODE button for 1 second | On (Red LOW) |
| On | Short press the Power button | Cycle (Red LOW, Red HIGH) |
Special Modes (SOS, Beacon, Red Slow Flash)⌗
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Any | Double press the MODE button | SOS |
| SOS, Beacon, Red Slow Flash | Short press the Power button | Cycle (SOS, Beacon, Red Slow Flash) |
| SOS, Beacon, Red Slow Flash | Double press the MODE button | Return to previous state |
Mode memory⌗
There is no mode memory.
Blinkies⌗
The red light has a slow flash mode.
This is what SOS looks like with the white light:
And this is what beacon mode looks like with the white light:
I measured the blinky modes with a Zoyi ZT-703S oscilloscope using High Speed mode.
Battery status⌗
Click the MODE button while the light is off and the battery status indicators will turn on for 2 seconds.
| Status of the indicators | Battery level |
|---|---|
| 4 constant-on | 75% - 100% |
| 3 constant-on | 50% - 75% |
| 2 constant-on | 25% - 50% |
| 1 constant-on | 0% - 25% |
Low voltage protection⌗
The brightness is reduced and the light turns off when the voltage is low.
Pulse Width Modulation⌗
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
I measured the PWM of the light with a Zoyi ZT-703S oscilloscope.
Ultralow, Low, Mid, High, Turbo
Red Low, Red High
What I like about the UI⌗
- Simple to use.
What could be improved⌗
- Direct access to TURBO from off would be nice.
Batteries and charging⌗
Battery⌗
The Nitecore NU27 has a built-in 850mAh Li-ion battery.
Charging⌗
The Nitecore NU27 has built-in USB-C charging.
Power supply: PinePower Desktop USB-C PD
USB Meter: ChargerLAB Power-Z KM003C
Room temperature: 16 C
I charged the torch with the built-in USB-C charger.
It took about 1 hour 12 minutes to fully charge the torch at a rate of 5V/0.8A. The current started off low while the voltage of the battery was low, quickly increased and it peaked around 0.8A at 52 minutes. The current then gradually decreased until charging was complete.
The blue battery status indicator lights progressively turned on while charging was in progress. All four lights turned blue when charging was complete.
Power supply compatibility⌗
I tried the following power supplies with the USB-A magnetic charging cable:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PinePower Desktop | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | QC | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | Yes |
USB to USB-C charging works.
I was able to power the Nitecore NU27 directly off a USB-C power supply using each mode.
Performance⌗
Specifications from the manual:
Primary Light (Neutral White Light, Warm Light, Cool White Light)
| Turbo | High | Mid | Low | Ultralow | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 600 | 400 | 200 | 70 | 6 |
| Runtime | 3h | 6h 30min | 13h | 57h | |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 123 | 99 | 70 | 43 | 13 |
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 3,705 | 2,407 | 1,198 | 437 | 40 |
Auxiliary Red Light
| High | Low | Slow Flash | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 15 | 5 | 15 |
| Runtime | 8h 30min | 27h | |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 7 | 4 | |
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 10 | 4 |
Primary Light (Neutral White Light)
| SOS | Beacon | |
|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 400 | 400 |
| Runtime | ||
| Beam Distance (metres) | ||
| Beam Intensity (cd) |
Lumen measurements⌗
I have taken lumen measurements with my DIY lumen tube.
| LED | Mode | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Ultralow | 6 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Neutral | Low | 70 | 118 | 115 | 111 |
| Neutral | Mid | 200 | 327 | 313 | 256 |
| Neutral | High | 400 | 607 | 571 | 315 |
| Cool | High | 400 | 591 | 561 | 303 |
| Neutral | Turbo | 600 | 915 | 838 | 318 |
| Warm | Turbo | 600 | 900 | 816 | 226 |
| Cool | Turbo | 600 | 884 | 796 | 305 |
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 18 C.
Turbo graphs⌗
The lumen output for Turbo with a Neutral White light was higher than expected so I measured Turbo with Warm White and Cool White too.
Turbo was slightly higher than expected for each colour temperature.
Warm White and Cool White had a bigger drop off around 10 and 20 minutes respectively. Neutral White maintained a higher output but the runtime was shorter than Warm White and Cool White. The runtime difference is likely due to Neutral White using a combination of Warm White and Neutral White emitters to produce a Neutral White.
Runtime⌗
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| LED | Mode | User manual | Runtime | Turn off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Turbo | 2h 1min 51s | 2h 9min 43s | |
| Warm | Turbo | 2h 36min 6s | 2h 45min 33s | |
| Cool | Turbo | 2h 30min 7s | 2h 39min 28s | |
| Neutral | High | 3h | 2h 5min 47s | 2h 11min 52s |
| Cool | High | 3h | 1h 58min 20s | 2h 4min 16s |
| Neutral | Mid | 6h 30min | 4h 5min 59s | 4h 41min 54s |
| Neutral | Low | 13h | 9h 2min 46s | 9h 32min 16s |
| Neutral | Ultralow | 57h | 10min+ | 10min+ |
“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 1 lumen.
“+” indicates that the light remained on after recording had stopped.
The lumen output is slightly higher than expected and the runtimes are slightly shorter than expected.
The output looks well regulated.
Throw⌗
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Ultralow and Low were measured at one metre. Mid, High and Turbo were measured at five metres.
| LED | Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Ultralow | 40 | 13 | 61 | 15 |
| Neutral | Low | 437 | 43 | 696 | 52 |
| Neutral | Mid | 1,198 | 70 | 1,925 | 87 |
| Neutral | High | 2,407 | 99 | 3,825 | 123 |
| Neutral | Turbo | 3,705 | 123 | 4,600 | 135 |
| Warm | Ultralow | 40 | 13 | 44 | 13 |
| Warm | Low | 437 | 43 | 548 | 46 |
| Warm | Mid | 1,198 | 70 | 1,500 | 77 |
| Warm | High | 2,407 | 99 | 2,975 | 109 |
| Warm | Turbo | 3,705 | 123 | 3,775 | 122 |
| Cool | Ultralow | 40 | 13 | 73 | 17 |
| Cool | Low | 437 | 43 | 845 | 58 |
| Cool | Mid | 1,198 | 70 | 2,300 | 95 |
| Cool | High | 2,407 | 99 | 4,225 | 130 |
| Cool | Turbo | 3,705 | 123 | 5,975 | 154 |
Beamshots⌗
I went to a local park and aimed the Nitecore NU27 at a tree 70 metres away while using Turbo.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
Nitecore NU27 (Turbo) Neutral⌗
Nitecore NU27 (Turbo) Warm⌗
Nitecore NU27 (Turbo) Cool⌗
SPERAS B7 (S-High + F-High)⌗
Fenix HL16 (Turbo)⌗
ZebraLight H53Fc N (H1)⌗
I later visited a playground and aimed the headlamp at a big apple approximately 2 meters away while using the red emitter.
Red beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 0.25 second shutter, f3.2, ISO 800, 5000K WB.
Nitecore NU27 (Red) High⌗
SPERAS B7 (Red)⌗
The following red beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 0.4 second shutter, f3.2, ISO 800, 5000K WB.
Fenix HL16 (Red)⌗
ZebraLight H502pr⌗
Cyansky HS5R⌗
Conclusion⌗
The Nitecore NU27 is a very compact and lightweight for a headlamp with four dual-core Multiple Color Temperature Ultra High Efficiency LEDs and two red auxiliary LEDs.
I really like the oval shaped beam that it produces. There is a rectangle artefact around the edge of the beam that is worth mentioning.
The ability to change between Neutral White, Warm White and Cool White is nice. The Warm White light helps cut through fog while the Cool White light is great for seeing in the distance. Neutral White is a good general purpose colour temperature.
The colour rendering index that I measured was only 68 CRI. It would be even better if high CRI (90+) LEDs were used.
It would be even better if the battery could be replaced instead of being built-in.
The headlamp is brighter than expected and the runtime is slightly shorter than expected. That said, the output is well regulated.
The build quality is really good.
I like how Nitecore included a carry bag for the headlamp and a clip. The clip accessory is a nice way of extending the functionality by allowing the headlamp to be clipped onto something instead of using the headband.
I highly recommend the Nitecore NU27 as a general purpose lightweight headlamp.
Pros:⌗
- Good build quality.
- Good beam distance.
- Nice beam shape.
- Ability to change between Neutral White, Warm White and Cool White light.
- Lumen output is slightly higher than expected.
- Output is well regulated.
- USB-C charging.
- Clip allows the torch to be attached to a backpack for EDC use.
- Simple user interface.
Cons:⌗
- Low CRI.
- Rectangular artefacts around the edge of the beam.
- Runtime fell slightly short.
- Built-in battery.
Price⌗
The Nitecore NU27 is US$44.95 from amazon.com (affiliate link)
Product page⌗
If you use an affiliate link, I may earn a commission which will help fund future torch reviews and tutorials.