Nitecore® NU25 is a triple output USB rechargeable headlamp. The main LED has four brightness levels up to 360 lumens and a runtime of up to 160 hours on low plus two rescue modes. A red LED preserves night vision and an auxiliary high CRI white LED is great for reading. With our exclusive UL headband it’s light as a feather at just 1.17 oz (33.0 g). And recharge by simply plugging into a power bank. A thru hiker favorite.
NU25 has a micro-textured reflector providing 100˚ wide-angle flood illumination for outstanding night vision. The light tilts down up to 60˚ for reading or close-up work. 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.
In addition to the main light, NU25 also has two auxiliary lights – red and white. The red LED helps preserve night vision and won’t blind your friends. Use low during star gazing or night photography, high for gear organizing or doing camp chores, or caution for a repeated short red flash.
The auxiliary white light uses a neutral white LED with high CRI ≥ 90 for more vivid, natural color and reduced eye strain. It’s great for short-range illumination, like reading a map. CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measurement of how colors look under a light source as compared with sunlight. The index is measured from 0-100, with a perfect 100 indicating colors under the light source appear the same as they would under natural sunlight.
The headlamp has two buttons – Power and Red (R). For low light, press Power once. Within 3 sec, repeatedly press Power to cycle from low>medium>high>off. Hold down Red to immediately turn off or after 3 sec, press either button to turn off. Alternatively, for medium, press Power twice, and for high press Power three times. Hold down Red to turn off. To enter turbo mode, with the light turned on in any mode, hold down Power for 1 sec, and hold down Red to turn off.
You can also access two rescue modes, SOS and location beacon. SOS repeatedly flashes SOS in Morse code (. . . ––– . . .) The location beacon repeatedly flashes a single short flash. Hold down Power for 3 sec to enter SOS mode. Pressing Power within 3 sec again will change to beacon mode. After 3 sec, press either button to turn off.
For auxiliary white, hold down Power to turn on and hold down Red to turn off. For auxiliary red, press Red once for low, then within 3 sec, repeatedly press Red to cycle from low>high>caution>off. Hold down Red to turn off.
Press both buttons at the same time to lockout NU25 and prevent the light from turning on while in your pocket or pack. A red indicator blinks once to indicate lockout. Press both buttons again to reactivate the headlamp and enter low mode.
LED | Mode | Output (lumens) | Turn On | Turn Off |
Main | Low | 1 | Press POWER Once | Hold down RED |
Medium | 38 | Press POWER Twice | Hold down RED | |
High | 190 | Press POWER Three Times | Hold down RED | |
Turbo | 360 | Light On, Hold down POWER 1 sec | Hold down RED | |
SOS | 360 | Hold down POWER 3 sec | After 3 sec, Press Either | |
Beacon | 360 | Hold down POWER 3 sec, Press Once | After 3 sec, Press Either | |
Auxiliary White | - | 20 | From Off, Hold down POWER 1 sec | Hold down RED |
Auxiliary Red | Low | 0.9 | From Off, Press RED once | Hold down RED |
High | 13 | From Low, Press RED once | Hold down RED | |
Caution | 13 | From High, Press RED once | Hold down RED |
NU25 has a built-in, long-lasting 610 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 Red switch for 1 sec and release. The button 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
LED | Mode | Output (lumens) | Runtime (hours) | Beam Distance ft (m) | Beam Intensity (cd) |
Main | Low | 1 | 160 | 12.5 (3.8) | 3.7 |
Medium | 38 | 8 | 89 (27) | 190 | |
High | 190 | 5 | 200 (61) | 950 | |
Turbo | 360 | 0.5 | 266 (81) | 1650 | |
SOS | 360 | - | - | - | |
Beacon | 360 | - | - | - | |
Auxiliary White | - | 20 | 6.25 | 18 (5.5) | 7.5 |
Auxiliary Red | Low | 0.9 | 68 | - | - |
High | 13 | 7.75 | 13.1 (4) | 4 | |
Caution | 13 | 13 | - | - |
Main LED: CREE XP-G2 S3 LED
LED Color Temperature
Main LED: 6300K, Cool White
Auxiliary White LED: 4500K, Neutral White
Color Rendering Index (CRI)
Main LED: CRI ≥ 70
Auxiliary White LED: High CRI ≥ 90
Battery: Built-in rechargeable Li-ion, 610 mAh
Lighting Modes
Main LED: Low/Medium/High/Turbo/SOS/Beacon
White Auxiliary: Medium
Red Auxiliary: Low/High/Caution
Beam Pattern: 100˚ wide-angle flood
Body: Polycarbonate, impact resistant
Tilt: 60˚
Switch: Top Power and Red buttons, rubber
Charging Connection: Micro USB, rubber cover (USB cable provided)
Charging Time: 2 hours
Dimensions, Light (LxWxH): 2.19 x 1.36 x 0.91 in. (55.5 x 34.6 x 23.2 mm)
USB Cable Length: 3.3 ft (1 m)
Weight
UL Headlamp Total: 1.17 oz (33.0 g) with built-in battery
Wide Headlamp Total: 1.85 oz (52.5 g) with built-in battery
Light with Mounting Bracket: 1.00 oz (28.3 g) with built-in battery
UL Headband: 0.17 oz (4.8 g)
Wide Headband: 0.85 oz (24.2 g)
USB Cable: 0.79 oz (22.5 g)
Impact Resistance: 4.9 ft (1.5 m)
Ingress Protection Rating: IP66, complete dust protection and high-pressure water jet resistant
Included
1x Light with integrated USB rechargeable Li-ion battery
1x Wide Headband, Black/White
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
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.
Showing reviews 1-10 of 122 | Next
Posted by Johnny C on 13th Mar 2023
The stock headband weighs quite a bit more than this and had started to fall apart, this headband was a welcome upgrade
Posted by Smurfette on 16th Dec 2022
Although I have not yet used this on trail, I sure wish I had this strap rather than the strap that came with my headlamp while on my thru hike. It was easy to add to my headlamp and fit on my head just fine. I got the bright color to be able to see the strapping easily.
Posted by Anthony Sirna on 9th Dec 2022
Love this Item they are super light and bright as hell. Light backpacker and the perfect flashlight/ head lamp.. also love the shockcord is super comfortable compared the large strap no more headaches from it being to tight. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ♡♡♡
Posted by Melanie on 27th Nov 2022
I used this headlamp for 5 months while thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and it was great! I did have to replace the holder and UL headband after the hike, but that was easy and inexpensive. Highly recommend this product! One of my favorite pieces of gear on my hike!
Posted by Hiram on 26th Sep 2022
The NU 25 is just the best, all the levels you need, red light at 2 levels, who does that. Quick recharge time, good run time super light weight.
I did the first strap mod myself, I'm happy with the ressults. For me it's not about the weight it's the storage. It takes half the space in your hip belt pocket.
Bought another mod with the light back for my second light. this is the only place I have seen just the backs for sale.
Posted by Jeff L on 4th Sep 2022
Weighs nothing, bright and runs for hours. The cord headband holds well with no issues at all.
Posted by Unknown on 4th Sep 2022
Off the bat, I’ll say, I don’t have a ton of experience with this headlamp but so far I love it.. I didn’t realize how annoying my black diamond headlamps were until I experienced the ease of using this one. I really love the secondary (warmer) white light setting and the weight savings over my bd spots are significant.
I did switch out the headstrap and I’m currently using one from an old bd spot 200. I ordered 2.4mm reflective shock cord and a second bracket and made my own minimalist strap but found it far too stiff for my taste. I tried again with 3mm non-reflective shock core from a local shop which was far stretchier and very comfortable. I will probably go back and forth between both straps depending if the situation.
Lastly, I velcro’ed a third bracket to my bike helmet and it’s easy to pop it on when I ride at night.
Love it. Great gear.
Posted by Charles on 29th Aug 2022
This thing is the perfect headlamp. Three brightness settings on white and red light, super light, and fantastic battery life. Definitely get the shock-cord headband upgrade.
It'd be more ideal to have USB-C charging port, but the battery life is so good it isn't a concern except for long, multi-day trips.
Posted by Unknown on 26th Aug 2022
This is my second one. My son decided he'd take my first one he liked it so much. I wouldn't hike with anything else.
Posted by Unknown on 2nd Aug 2022
I think I like this strap better than the original. It's light, secure and I appreciate the bright colors so it's easy to spot in my pack.
Showing reviews 1-10 of 122 | Next