Nitecore NU10 Headlamp Review
Nitecore has released the Nitecore NU10 headlamp, a multi-emitter headlamp great for camping. There are high CRI, white, and red emitters. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Versions
There are two versions of the NU10. There’s the regular NU10, and the NU10CRI, which is what I’ll be reviewing here. There are a bunch of body and headband colors, too.
Price
The NU10 CRI is $29.95, and the NU10 is $24.95. Street price should bring these under $20 or so. They’re currently $19.91 at GearBest!
Short Review
This is a good little headlamp, and it will probably appeal to the hiking crowd a lot. Plastic body, red mode included, onboard charging. Flashlight fans will likely love that it’s High CRI. I like it because I think this kind of light is fun and nostalgic.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Nitecore NU10 CRI | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | (≥90 CRI) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $24.95 |
| Cell: | Internal |
| Runtime | |
| LVP? | |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Chargetime | |
| Power off Charge Port with no Cell? | ? |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 115 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 30 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 24lux @ 2.955m = 210cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 29.0 (96.7% of claim)^ |
| All my Nitecore reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What’s Included
- Nitecore NU10CRI
- Headband
- Charge cable
- Manual
Package and Manual
Nitecore has stepped out a little from their norm. This headlamp is in a blister pack, and has what’s often called “Frustration Free Packaging.” Just snip off the bottom, and the light opens easily.
The manual is a single page with the usual nicely written info and some helpful graphics. The manuals for the NU10 and NU10CRI are the same.
Build Quality and Disassembly
Most lights I handle are metal tubes. So immediately, most plastic lights like these feel a bit cheap. But I have a nostalgic spot for these lights, as a hiker and backpacker.
The build quality is good for this style of light. All parts fit well, and the buttons and covers are all.
The headband is comfortable, wide, and stretchy. I seem to have precious few photos of that head band.
Size
Officially the NU10’s head is 60.5mm, and it weighs 65g.
The NU10 is an average size (maybe large) for this style of light.
Retention
The NU10CRI is a headlamp and connects (removably) to an elastic, adjustable headband. The light is easy to remove, but it’s firmly a headlamp. There are no other ways to carry or really use the NU10.
Power
The NU10 is powered by an internal battery rated at 3.33Wh. The battery is not replaceable and recharges via micro-USB.
The NU10 is very interested in runtimes. There’s a timed stepdown on every mode at 45 minutes – the light steps down to the next available mode. That can be seen in the runtime above, where High steps down to Medium.
Charging
When charging, the indicating switch is lit red. When charging is complete, the switch is green.
Though no amp-hour claim is made, the cell looks to be around 950mAh.
User Interface and Operation
Two switches grace the top of the NU10. One has a power symbol, and the other is marked with an “R.” The switches are large and clicky, and should be easy to work with gloves. The power switch has an indicator in green and red.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click Power Switch (PS) | On (White) |
| On | Click PS (≤3 seconds of previous click) | White mode advance (LMH Off) |
| On | Click PS (≥3 seconds of previous click) | Off |
| Off | Hold PS | SOS |
| On (SOS Group) | Click PS (≤3 seconds of previous click) | SOS advance (SOS > Beacon > Off) |
| Any | Click “R” | Red mode (steady) |
| Red | Click R (≤3 seconds of previous click) | Red Advance (Red Flash > Off) |
| Any | Hold Both | Lockout (Or unlock, if locked) |
Modes
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Mode Measured Lux |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 115 | 7h | 30 |
| Mid | 22 | 8h45m | 516 |
| Low | 1 | 150h | 2330 |
LED and Beam
I don’t believe any actual claim is made on what emitter is used for the white light on the NU10CRI. There are actually 4 white emitters and one red. The red is between the white emitters.
As you’d expect (with only a dome and no reflector) the beam is very floody.
The red beam has a surprising spot, but it’s very fringey – the center is not nearly as bright as the corona, and there’s almost no spill. Also, the red is quite bright for up-close work, but dims quickly at any distance.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level, and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.
Random Comparisons and Competitive Options
Here’s a relevantly filtered page on parametrek.com. Nitecore dominates the field of internal cell High CRI headlamps. If this one fits your use case, then it’s a good choice. The NU10CRI looks to be the least costly of the bunch, too.
Conclusion
What I like
- High CRI
- Indicating (and dual) switches
- Comfortable headband
What I don’t like
- Plastic body
- Oversized
- User interface can take some effort to get used to
Notes
- This light was provided by GearBest for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- Use my amazon.com referral link if you’re willing to help support making more reviews like this one!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!