Nitecore NU20 Classic Review: Best Ultralight Headlamp?

Need a ultralight headlamp that’s bright enough and rechargable with USB-C? Then the Nitecore NU20 Classic might be something for you 🤓

In this review, I’ll share my opinion about the headlamp and will let you know whether I recommend buying it or not.

Let’s dive in! 🙌

Disclaimer: I bought this product with my own money, this review is not sponsored, and there are no affiliate links on this page. All opinions are my own.

Overview

The Nitecore NU20 Classic has a lot going for it, and is ideal for hikers who want to lighten their pack while still being able to see in the dark.

The Nitecore NU25, originally launched in 2017, quickly became a favorite in the ultralight community. While the second-generation model released in late 2022 didn’t quite meet expectations, the latest version brings back all the beloved features—now with USB-C for added convenience! 🙌

Lets take a look at the techy stuff;

Design & Build Quality

Slim and Durable Construction

This headlamp is crazy small, which makes it easy to stuff it into your ditty bag or hip belt pocket.

The headlamp itself is made out of plastic, but feels solid. I don’t think it will break if you drop it on some rocks.

(Nitecore states it’s officially drop proof up to 1 meter)

However, the bracket that attaches the headband to the light feels a bit flimsy. I’m curious how that will hold up.

Water Resistance and Weatherproofing

The Nitecore NU20 Classic has an IP66 rating, which means it’s completely dust and waterproof.

The second number in IP66 stands for how much water it can handle, and ‘6’ means that it can withstand powerful jets of water.

I tested it under the shower with quite a lot of water, and it hold up like expected.

Perfect for a rugged adventure 🤓

Comfort and Fit: Wearability for Long Hours

On the backside, where the headlamp rests on your forehead, there is a 2-3mm thick foam to make the headlamp slightly more comfortable on your forehead.

The shock cord isn’t as comfortable as a wide strap, but if you don’t make it too tight I don’t find it bothersome at all.

The headlamp is so lightweight, and you forget that it’s there after a while.

Plus, this is probably not a headlamp that you go hiking for hours and hours with because of the small battery life.

Portability: How Lightweight Is the Nitecore NU20 Classic?

The main feature of this ultralight headlamp is its weight.

Out of the box, the headlamp weighs a mere 38 grams 🤯

I weighed the headlamp at 28 grams, with the headband adding an extra 10 grams.

Performance

Lumen Output and Beam Distance: How Bright Is It?

On the brightest setting, the white light can output 360 lumen with a beam distance of 109 meters.

That’s actually really good, especially if you consider how small this ultralight headlamp is.

Lighting Modes: Versatility in Various Conditions

I love that this light comes with not only a white light, but also with an additional red light.

The white light has 4 modes:

• Turbo
• High
• Medium
• Low
• SOS
• Beacon

The red light has 3 modes:

• High
• Low
• Slow flashing

All of them are easy to access, without difficult button combinations.

Outdoor Performance: Handling the Elements

Thanks to the IP66 waterproof rating, you can use it even in heavy downpours and thick fog.

I haven’t been able to test visibility with this light in thick fog yet, but I can imagine the light is bright enough to light up your immediate surroundings.

Battery Life & Charging

Battery Type: Built-in or Replaceable?

The Nitecore NU20 Classic comes with a 500 mAh built-in battery.

I’m honestly a bit turned off by the built-in battery because it means you have to discard the whole headlamp when the battery degrades.

My old headlamp I’ve had for nearly 10 years because I could replace the batteries, but I don’t see that happening for this ultralight headlamp with frequent use.

Typically, these batteries last for 300 to 500 charge cycles before their capacity significantly degrades.

To maximise the lifespan of batteries it’s recommended to keep the charge between 20% and 80%, but that’s very impractical when the battery is already so small in the first place.

But I do understand why Nitecore decided to go this way, a replaceable battery would’ve made the headlamp heavier. And at it’s current price point, it isn’t so bad if you have to replace it once every few years, but it is a bit wasteful.

Runtime on Different Modes 💡

The battery life isn’t shocking, but that’s a tradeoff when you want an ultralight headlamp like the Nitecore NU20 Classic.

But as long as you don’t want to use it for lots of night hiking, it’s sufficient.

Around camp I usually use the low white mode or the high red mode, and while hiking I use the high white mode with the occasional turbo mode.

But it’s important to know that the brightness quickly drops off the longer you use the light to prevent overheating and extend battery life.

In practise this means that, for example, the 360 lumen turbo mode dips to 200 lumen after 30 minutes.

And it’s important to know that you can use the headlamp while it’s charging, which is very useful if you unexpectedly have to hike in the dark like or have to look for someone’s backpack that rolled down the mountain in the middle of the night.

Charging Methods: USB and Efficiency

I’m so happy to see that this ultralight headlamp has a USB-C port because Micro-USB is really a thing of the past.

The port is hidden behind a small rubber cap on the side of the device, which is a nice place in case you want to charge the headlamp while wearing it.

From empty, it takes just 1 hour to fully charge.

While charging, the LED’s on top will flash with the current battery level so you know the current charging status.

As you can see, there are 4 LED’s, which are very intuitive to read how much power there’s left;

You will also see these power indicators when turning the headlamp on.

Ease of Use

Intuitive Buttons: Navigating Between Lighting Options

I hate headlamps where you have only one button and have to do complex button presses to get into certain modes, so I’m pretty happy that it’s superduper easy with the Nitecore NU20 Classic 🤓

There are two buttons on the top of the headlamp, which each control the white or red light.

Press the button on the left to turn on the white light, and press it again to adjust the brightness.

Press the button on the right with the R on it to turn on the red light, and press it again to make it brighter.

So intuitive! Why isn’t every headlamp doing it this way?

Locking Feature

You bring a fully charged headlamp on your hiking adventure, but when you get to camp it’s empty because a button got pressed in your backpack accidentally.

That really sucks.

But if you press both buttons simultaneously on the Nitecore NU20 Classic for several seconds, it will flash once and it’s locked until you press both of them again 🤓

Use Cases & Practicality

Hiking and Camping: All-Terrain Versatility

I really enjoy it for camping because it’s bright enough on the on the medium or low white mode.

It does work for hiking, but the light quickly loses it’s brightness to prevent overheating if you use it on the high or turbo mode, so I wouldn’t recommend it for night hikes because it dips below 200 lumen in half an hour.

Comparing to Other Ultralight Headlamps: What Sets It Apart?

There aren’t many headlamps that are as ultralight as the Nitecore NU20 Classic.

I’ve compared it to the Sofirn HS10, which I also love, but it’s almost double the weight at 68 grams.

And I love that it has both a white a red light, sometimes just a low white light isn’t good enough to hide from the insects.

But it doesn’t have a great battery life and isn’t nearly as bright, so isn’t very suitable for long periods of night hiking.

Save more weight

I replaced the stock shock cord to save an additional 8 grams, bringing the total down to 30 grams.

It’s a very easy modification, and I don’t find the thinner cord uncomfortable at all.

To do this yourself, simply get a 80cm long piece of 2mm shock cord, and attach it with knots on both sides of the headlamp.

The knot on one side can be a simple overhand knot, while the other side should be adjustable to ensure a perfect fit

Pros & Cons

Key Strengths of the Nitecore NU20 Classic

What’s great? 👍

• It’s featherlight; nothing beats it.
• Both white and red light.
• Simplicity, so easy to switch between modes.

Potential Drawbacks to Consider

What’s not so great? 👎

• Turbo and high mode step down quickly to prevent overheating.
• Built-in battery which is not replaceable.
• Lightweight materials might not be durable.

Value for Money

Pricing and Availability

The Nitecore NU20 Classic is widely available, and is priced at almost €30.

How It Stacks Up Against Competitors

While that isn’t the cheapest headlamp you can get, it’s incredibly light and packed of features.

Usage Timeline

Final Verdict

Summary of Key Points

This ultralight headlamp has a lot of good things going for it;

• Rather bright with 360 lumen on turbo mode.
• Crazy lightweight with 38 grams out of the box.
• An additional red light next to the white one.
• Charging with USB-C.
• Affordable.

With only one main drawback;

• Quickly dims on high and turbo mode to prevent overheating, providing only 20 to 30 minutes of bright light.

Who Should Buy the Nitecore NU20 Classic?

To me, the Nitecore NU20 Classic is the perfect ultralight headlamp for hikers that mostly use it around camp, and occasionally use it for some hiking early morning or late in the evening

But because it loses its brightness so quickly to prevent overheating, I don’t think it’s suitable if you plan to hike for hours in the dark.

So personally, I’m going to use this headlamp for most of the year, but will switch to a different headlamp for winter adventures when it’s more likely to hike in the dark.

Final Thoughts: A Smart Buy or Not?

If you care about having the lightest weight headlamp, and don’t need to hike in the dark for long often, I think this is a brilliant ultralight headlamp.

The battery lasts long enough for weekend trips, can easily be recharged during longer trips, and it’s more than bright enough for most use cases.

But if you don’t mind a bit more weight, and want to have only one headlamp that you can use for darker winter adventures too, I would look into a light with a bigger battery.

It’s up to you!