Nitecore® NU20 USB Rechargeable Headlamp

Brightness up to 360 lumens, runtime up to 100 hours
4 brightness levels + 2 rescue modes
Built-in, long-lasting Li-ion micro-USB rechargeable battery
Charge in the wild or on the go with a power bank battery
Compact & lightweight – 1.16 oz (32.9 g)
Exclusive UL headband

Nitecore® NU20 is a USB rechargeable headlamp with four brightness levels up to a bold 360 lumens plus two rescue modes and a runtime of up to 100 hours. It’s compact and lightweight at just 1.16 oz (32.9 g) with our exclusive UL headband, perfect for backpacking. Never worry about running out of juice or replacing batteries, just plug into a power bank battery to recharge.

NU20 has a micro-textured reflector providing 100˚ wide-angle flood illumination for outstanding night vision. The light tilts down up to 52˚ for reading or close-up work. And a switch guard prevents the light from accidentally turning on in your pack or pocket. The wide elastic headband is comfortable and highly adjustable to fit your head, hat, or helmet. Our optional UL headband reduces weight with full adjustability and functionality.

A single button operates all functions for convenient one-handed control. The interface is quite simple. For low light, press once, wait 3 sec, then press again to turn off. For medium light, press twice, wait 3 sec, then press once to turn off. For high brightness, press three times, wait 3 sec, then press again to turn off. Alternatively, you can cycle from low>medium>high by pressing the switch repeatedly within 3 sec. To enter turbo mode, with the light turned on in any mode, hold the switch down for 1 sec, and press once to turn off.

You can also access two rescue modes, SOS and location beacon. SOS repeatedly flashes SOS in Morse code (. . . ––– . . .), while location beacon repeatedly flashes a single short flash. With the light turned off, press and hold the switch for 3 sec to enter SOS mode. Pressing the switch within 3 sec again will change to beacon mode. Press once to turn off.

Mode	Output (lumens)	Turn On	Turn Off
Low	1	Press Once	Wait 3 sec, Press Once
Medium	40	Press Twice	Wait 3 sec, Press Once
High	220	Press Three Times	Wait 3 sec, Press Once
Turbo	360	Light On, Press and Hold 1 sec	Press Once
SOS	360	Press and Hold 3 sec	Press Once
Beacon	360	Press and Hold 3 sec, Press Once	Press Once

NU20 has a built-in, long-lasting 600 mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery that holds power equal to three AAA batteries yet is much more sustainable. An intelligent protective charging circuit and a Micro USB connection make it easy to recharge. Since you probably already carry a spare battery to charge your phone, there’s no need to worry about running out of power or replacing batteries, just plug into a power bank, wall charger, computer, or car (USB cable provided). The light maintains full functionality while charging.

To see how much battery power is left, with the light turned off, hold down the switch for 1 sec and release. The switch will flash 3 times if you have more than 50% power, 2 times if you’re below 50%, and 1 time if you’re below 10%. Plug it in and an indicator light lets you know when the charge is complete. It takes approximately 2 hours to fully charge the battery. A rubber cover protects the USB port from dirt and moisture.

Charging State	Indicator Light
Charging	Steady Red
Charging Complete	Steady Green

Specifications

Mode	Output (lumens)	Runtime (hours)
Low	1	100
Medium	40	7.75
High	220	6
Turbo	360	0.5
SOS	360	-
Beacon	360	-

LED: CREE XP-G2 S3 LED

LED Color Temperature: Cool White, 6300K

Color Rendering Index (CRI): CRI ≥70

Beam Distance: 262 ft (80 m)

Peak Beam Intensity: 1600 cd

Battery: Built-in 600 mAh rechargeable Li-ion

Lighting Modes: Low/Medium/High/Turbo/SOS/Beacon

Beam Pattern: 100˚ wide-angle flood

Body: Polycarbonate, impact resistant

Tilt: 52˚

Switch: Top button, rubber

Charging Connection: Micro USB, rubber cover (USB cable provided)

Charging Time: 2 hours

Dimensions, Light (LxWxH): 2.19 x 1.25 x 0.84 in. (55.5 x 31.7 x 21.2 mm)

USB Cable Length: 3.3 ft (1 m)

Weight

UL Headlamp Total: 1.16 oz (32.9 g) with built-in battery

Wide Headlamp Total: 1.82 oz (51.7 g) with built-in battery

Light with Mounting Bracket: 0.99 oz (28.1 g) with built-in battery

UL Headband: 0.17 oz (4.8 g)

Wide Headband: 0.83 oz (23.6 g)

USB Cable: 0.77 oz (21.9 g)

Impact Resistance: 4.9 ft (1.5 m)

Waterproof Rating: IPX7, waterproof and submersible to 3.3 ft (1 m)

Included

1x Light with integrated USB rechargeable Li-ion battery

1x Wide Headband, Black/Yellow

1x Micro USB to USB charging cable

Optional: 1x UL Headband, choice of colors*

*Nitecore packaging will be opened to install UL headband on mounting bracket prior to shipment. To use both UL and wide headbands, purchase an extra mounting bracket.

User Manual

Nitecore NU20 User Manual

Very bright light, to avoid eye injuries, DO NOT stare directly into the light and DO NOT shine the light directly into the eyes of others.
Keep away from children to avoid injury.
DO NOT use if battery is damaged to avoid fire or explosion.
Charge in or on a fire-proof surface to avoid possible injury. DO NOT charge unattended.
Charge only at temperatures between 32-113°F (0-45°C) to avoid permanent damage and possible fire or explosion during charging.
Recycle or dispose of properly according to local regulations at end of life, DO NOT dispose in fire or incinerator as battery may catch fire and explode.

In no event shall Litesmith, LLC be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, or special consequential damages, to property or life, whatsoever arising out of or connected with the use or misuse of its products.

Write your own product review

Previous | Showing reviews 11-20 of 26 | Next

Solid Buy

Posted by Logan on 18th Aug 2020

Used out of the box with the UL headband. Very lightweight, love the 3 different light settings (in tent, in camp, and obnoxious are my names for each) the battery seems to have plenty of life per charge. Only complaint is that the button to on/off/switch setting button is located right under a ridge on the base that holds the lamp itself. You need to tip the lamp one or more clicks down before it can be accessed easily, but considering the fact that you use a lamp to see the ground anyway, I figure that's not a major issue. It also seems to protect the button from being pushed while it's packed away. Overall I'm extremely happy that this seemed just as sturdy, simple, and charged up as a headlamp 2-4 times the price.
Lite and Brite

Posted by Sean on 28th Jul 2020

Very light and bright. Super comfortable.
awesome band for a great simple light

Posted by Ojala on 23rd Feb 2020

The band is much more comfortable than the stock one breathes well and takes a lot less space. Will be ordering again..
Impressive, Especially For The Price

Posted by Unknown on 26th Nov 2019

---ULTRALIGHT HEADLAMP---
INITIAL IMPRESSION of the NITECORE NU 20

This is an initial impression. I'm not going to get into all the features, operations, etc. except for the bracket “tab” that covers the switch. Pretty ingenious. The joint between the light and bracket is fairly stiff. It's not going to change placement by accident. The tab covers the switch in the straight up position. So if the light is in your pack it will not be switched on by accident.

The NU 20 arrived just before I left for a night hike. There was no time to charge it but I brought it anyway and plugged it in in the car. Within less than15 minutes the charge indicator light had turned green. So it had arrived close to fully charged. Nice.

The UL shock cord “headband” was easy to adjust and comfortable for the 2 hour hike.

The beam spread was useful and even with a center hot spot. Using mostly the “High” setting there was no discernible dimming over the 2 hours as one would expect with a claimed 6 hour run time. It was approximately 50 degrees F. The low setting was great for finding stuff in my tent at night.

The single button control sequence was fairly quick to learn. Only white light so no confusion switching to another color.

Only one negative so far: I see no simple and convenient way to switch to the wide headband. So I was forced to pay more for an impractical accessory. Minus one star.

I also own 3 Petzls, one Coast, and an ancient Princeton Tec. My Black Diamond ReVolt failed after 2-3 years.

Weight of the light, bracket, and UL headband on my kitchen scale: 31g (1.09 oz.)
Weight of the wide headband: 23g (0.81 oz.)

Just used it in 17 deg F. I bought a charge cable with a 90 deg end so it wouldn't be in my line of sight and attached the other end to a battery pack inside my coat.

When are you going to offer the other colors?

[LITESMITH] To be able to switch between the UL headband and the wide headband you'll need to buy an extra mounting bracket for use with the wide headband.
Perfect fit, comfortable & cut weight in half!

Posted by Shawn on 25th May 2019

After reading several through-hiking forums about the NU20, most of which recommended this product, I checked this light weight mod out. Surprisingly low price so I got two and have been absolutely amazed at the simplicity, yet quality of your design! I have only tested it on a couple short trips but it literally cut the weight of an already lightweight headlamp in half, is unexpectedly comfortable to wear and has held up great so far. Could not be happier. Great product, especially for the price and would recommend to anyone.
Multifunctional, Bright, Comfortable

Posted by Unknown on 19th May 2019

Great headlamp. Decided to replace my old clunker, which was so heavy that I'd get headaches from extended use. No more migraines, for sure; the NU20 is perfect for camp, and its higher-lumen settings worked for the odd night-hiking.

The lowest setting is best, though; just enough light to get around at night, and a long runtime. Doubt I'll have to recharge this one soon!
Light and bright!

Posted by Anthony on 18th Mar 2019

This is the lightest and brightest headlamp I've ever seen and owned. I've only used it a couple times, so I can't speak very much on its durability, but it seems durable.
meets all criteria

Posted by David James on 18th Jan 2019

Light arrived within the week. Rated a 4 because I haven't put it to the test yet, but based on performance out of box, meets or exceeds expectations on size, weight, lumens, durability, and ergonomics. If it holds up, it's a steal at below $50.00. Previously owned Princeton Tec and Petzl.
Perfect Ultralight Headlamp

Posted by Unknown on 23rd Oct 2018

Until they make something better, if you want the lightest headlamp on the market, THIS IS THE ONE. Simple to use, you won't notice it in your pack.
Impressive pc of gear

Posted by Cory on 6th Sep 2018

this light (with shock cord headband) replaced my Petzl E-lite in my ultralight pack. while the E-lite is slightly less weight (i think around 1/3 oz), the NU 20 more than makes up for it with it's features. firstly, the upgrade in lumens is night and day (literally). the NU 20 has amazing brightness, and i like the three different settings. The lowest setting is perfect for around camp so you don't blind others, yet it is enough to see what you are doing in your hands and right around you. The second feature of the NU 20 i love is that it is battery free. i carry an external battery pack with me for charging devices, and would rather not carry extra batteries for devices. Lastly, the adjustable shock cord headband is fantastic and surprisingly very comfy (much more so than the E Lite). I can't yet speak to durability, but so far this light has far exceeded my expectations. definitely worth picking one up.