Warm light is less reflective, lower eye strain, slightly more preservation of your night vision. If you find yourself having to light up something (in heavy smoke, fog, etc.), the cool white light will actually reflect a lot of that bright white light right back at you, and hamper your ability to see properly, whereas the warm lights can easily get through that, and make it easier for you to see.
I am a first time camper that in two weeks is going for a one nighter. I have been consuming a lot of your content to assist with decisions on products and vicarious knowledge that you give on your experience. Thank you for putting quality into you editing and video, audio etc. because inflation is red hot with a forty year high and I am at the lower end of the working class I can’t choose high quality products at this time, even under the adage of buy once cry once. I am always crying these days for normal good and services. However these videos still help me make choices and look 👀 at products with more perspective. Thanks again
I'm a long time camper/hiker. This is one of the few agenda free channels you can trust. Bedroom reviews of gear just don't cut it if you are buying potentially life saving gear.
I've been there myself bud. Still kinda am with a new house and a third kid on the way. If anything, you can always use a handheld light with the belt clip. The belt clip on many lights are reversible so you can put on the bill of a ball cap and use it like a head lamp. I like to use Risemart lights for this. They are cheap on Amazon and take a double A or triple A battery. 90 lumens but the throw is tight so it reaches out a bit but not too much flood. A good light for budget folks but also if it breaks or gets lost, no big deal. If you need anything, let us know, many of us have extra stuff or know where to find things for the best price depending on what you're looking for. I wouldn't recommend junk, but stuff I've used that has held up to my use and my kids throwing my stuff around or dropping it, ect.
Thanks for another great review! Little correction here: The warm-white LED looks more like 2700 than 5700 :) the flood light looks more like the 5700-6500 range
Yeah, I think Luke mixed up the numbers there. Actually a bit strange they they didn't use the warm white for flood and cold white for throw. The warm white light and flood would be better for camp/tent lantern use.
Agreed. For anyone curious, warm white bulbs in a store are generally 4000-5500k, whereas daylight bulbs are usually 6500k. ETA as other replies have made obvious, the terms and definitions for different kelvin values vary from place to place.
In my experience, dusk is a time that really makes artificial lighting seem ineffective. I have faced similar issues with my headlamps but they seem to be pretty effective when it is completely dark. I just moved on assuring myself that it is something I need to live with.
There is a model for any use. I have the Nightcore HC65 headlamp and it doesn't suffer from any of the "defects" you mention. Apart from it is much brighter, the battery last longer, more options, you can choose between intense white light and more cosy warm light (I love that by the way), what attracts me personally the most, is its 1 lumen mode. Perfect for reading in the tent without drawing the attention of the entire surroundings.
I own many nitecore products, but have had the worst luck with their headlamps - horrible design flaw in my opinion with the NU32 as it has failed me on many occasions. The issue was the clamp, it broke on me many times even after receiving new ones from Nitecore. The NU25 was a decent light though, I like it’s small footprint, very lightweight. And I’m not trying to be biased, they’re flashlights are pretty decent for a Chinese product and have served me well. Good review as always my friend!
Thanks Luke, you saved my pocketbook and my time saved from having to wait for the order, be disappointed, send it back and then be sans headlamp until another headlamp shows up. Great review, and as always, your honesty is worth your weight in gold
Get a Sofirn SP40 - loads of power and runtime, good flood and throw, and very comfortable. I've used mine every day for 2 years and I still love it, absolutely reliable and easy to use. Very cheap for the quality too.
The warm light is 3000K and the cool is 5700K. I know, it seems backward, but think of a flame, orange isn't as hot as blue. Personally I prefer a nice, neutral 4000K. The problem with this warm light from what I'm seeing is it has very poor CRI, which is why everything seems to look the same color. A good warm LED with good CRI or an incandescent will show much better contrast than what you're seeing with this headlamp.
Yeah, when he mentioned the temperatures it didn't seem right at all; it's definitely the other way around. The "throw" mode is in the 3000 K range, not 5700 K, and the blue-white "wide" is the more blue 5700 K rather than 3000 K.
I’m on the trail every day before dawn and the ut27 is my favorite of the 2 dizen or so lamps I own. It’s enough light for me, in fact I only use the high when I want a closer look at wildlife. The warmer light works better in fog and rain.
Agree with you about not having enough lux. I carried it on my evening run(not deep wood) and find the yellowish light easy to my eyes; however, the housing was so weak it broke after a few uses, hope the new version will address this issue.
One major limitation I learned from many YT reviews is none of the test/demo is systematic, meaning it is usually a brief walkabout in the nearby park/wood or indoor, filmed as it goes. It would be very helpful if you could do such test/demo in a fixed location that is in the middle of nowhere, always after dark, camera at fixed spot with same ISO, with reference objects at different throw/flood distances. I suppose this is a much better way to show the true performance without adding too much trouble to your existing filming setup.
Hey Luke, and Hi from NH. I purchased and have been using an Olight Perun 2 with the headband as a headlight for a while now. If you want serious light and good battery life you might like to take a look at it if you haven't already. The one disadvantage is the weight, but with the strap over the top of the head, it really does make it pretty comfortable to wear, even with a bare head. ( shaved head here so I actually know ) It makes my old Petzl that I hiked the "Whites" with up here for years, seem very underwhelming. The light is pretty neutral as I remember, somewhere between 5000 - 6000 K, so it is cooler but not "frigid ". Between my warrior 2 mini and my Perun 2, I have all my bases covered for whatever situation I am likely to get myself into. Hunting, hiking, fishing, home defense, etc. Be well my friend and my best to your family. PS. Please thank your daughter for her service. --den in NH.
That looks like a light that might make a good backup or emergency indoor light. And btw, i still say you have the BEST REVIEWS ON UA-cam. Not only do you perform a full review, in the relevant environment, but you take the time to write a full “magazine quality” review that covers all the bases, for easy reference. Well done my friend. Just a suggestion…….you may add a small section for the equipment you would say is an alternative to a given product. Whether it be because something would be a better choice, or because (maybe years down the road) the product being reviewed is not available.
Amazing review, I got it after seeing your video. It has a major design flaw, the hinge where the battery door connects is prone to breaking. Because when opening and closing the battery bay, the hinge is the only opposing pressure point. The hinge on mine broke after just a few battery swaps.
I've used this headlamp all of this winter, here in Scandinavia. It's by far the best Ultrarunning/Running/Nordic skiing headlamp ever ! Normally Silva headlamps was my "go-to" headlamps, but as with 99% of other headlamps on the market today, they are useless in heavy rain/snow and fog, because the colour of the light just creates a whiteout. The more amber colour of the Nitecore's floodlight is a lifesaver in a dark night with heavy snow and makes the surface look more natural. I have to say, that if you need more light than this lamp delivers..., either your blind 😀 or it's actually a totally different lamp you ask for. And when it's dark here for 16 hours, the battery compartment is great, that it's easy to swap to AA-batteries. And the batterylife is a true winner on a 100K run, when the startingtime is at 00:01. As opposed to my Silvas that use a construction with a single hinge on one side of the LED-housing and therefore all brake at some point within the first year of use, the Nitecore is a more traditional build. CONS: The hinge is adjustable in small steps, but they are actually to big for my needs and should be with stepless friction, and not in a plastic construction. I really fear for the longivity of the hinge and the steps... NEEDS: External batterypack, when it's below -20 degr. C, the battery suffers... As a sidenote: People should do more, much more to actually learn to move around in the dark without artificial lights. Most nights its perfectly fine walking without a lamp. Especially if there is snow and a moon. Our eyes are constructed for it, but the modern office-culture/city life has made people think that that cant do without 1000000 lumens lights. If you cant see something clearly..., then move closer !
I agree, living in Alaska and using headlamps a lot in winter, we think we need more light than we do. I use primarily red filters to preserve my night vision as much as possible while walking or snowshoeing. But, I do like brighter light to check for moose when there’s something else moving around in the woods!
@@johnnyh-pay5843 I put my headlamp on as dark approaches, but I try to put off turning it on as long as possible. However, there are times that you want to see as much as possible as soon as possible. Kayaking and climbing tend to fall in that category as does trail running in rocks and roots. Walking on a forest road usually isn't.
I had one that was like yellow orange but it's because it's an old cheapo one from the 90s lol not even sure where it came from. But I bought some rechargable LED headlamps instead, they're so much brighter than those old bulb headlamps and flashlights, I can't believe we did everything by that dim yellow light back then. Also the ones I bought were a 2 pack for really cheap, like $20 or something, I even bought another 2 pack for group camping so I have 4 now, and I feel like they have a reasonable brightness compared to what you showed in yours, but also I'm used to those ancient yellow flashlights lol so don't take my word for it, but to me it was a steal and I'm really satisfied with my purchase.
I think it´s pretty normal when it doesn´t shine as powerful when it´s not completely dark because the lamps light blends into the daylight. Happened to me with other lamps as well.
Luke you are grate at pointing out the light how far you can see I often think of children who go out with lights on a run or trip can they see really see what they need to
Professional lighting geek here. Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) is based on the temperature of a black body radiator, which makes it seem counter intuitive. But if you think about heating up a steel bar, for example, when it starts to glow it's temp is relatively low, and it glows red. The hotter it gets, the whiter the glow. Keep on heating it and you'll start getting into the blue and UV spectrum. So that's why lower temps have "warmer" colors and higher temps are "cooler" light. A lot of people prefer warmer color temperatures because that's what they were used to with incandescent. But the reality is, visibility (and particular peripheral vision) is enhanced at cooler color temperatures. If you want to geek out on this, check out IES TM-12 for more information. (IES = Illuminating Engineering Society; TM-12 = Technical Memorandum 12).
i think they should have swapped the tints, warm for close and cool for flood like their nu25. I get why they didn't, there's a very similar light in their lineup with a built in batt pack. an nu25 with a battery option is the way to go imo, maybe with a single AA (th20 style). I like the warm/neutral for close work, but this one also needs more modes
After trying several solutions, I settled on 18650 cells based kit: XTAR PB2S charger/power bank + Slonik 1000 flashlight. I also carry Slonik 500 as a backup. There are many advantages to that combination. Simply adding a few USB adapters it is possible to power all your electronics during the trip. It would be nice to see what @ TheOutdoorGearReview thinks of the concept and specific products.
Why not go for 21700 kit? - they are just a couple mm larger in diameter & length, plus all 21700 casings can also use 18650. So you can use 2 kinds of cells in a 21700 kit. Plus you get 40% more battery power in a 21700 for a few grams more weight. Totally worth it.
@@SodiumSyndicate While your solution is valid, 18650 is the defacto standard and I don't like the idea of carrying spacers or two types of batteries. Also even a few millimeters can make some gear unnecessarily bulkier. 21700 standard was never intended for portable use, it was made for more dense vehicle batteries.
@@EugeneSan No, you do not need any spacers to put in a 18650 in a 21700 casing. It will be a bit loose, but once you screw the casing shut, it will be alright. It is for this reason I have changed all my older 18650 flashlights to 21700 flashlights. This way I can use both types of cells in a single product.
@@SodiumSyndicate Good to know. Next time I purchase gear I'll consider that option. Unfortunately, for some gear a perfect battery fit is a requirement.
@@EugeneSan Look, 18650 means 18mm diameter & 65mm length. 21700 means 21mm diameter & 70mm length. Since there will be a spring on at least 1 side of the casing, the 18650 will fit (or just stretch the spring/s a bit) & if it is a protected cell, it will actually be 18700 size (70mm length). As for diameter, 21mm is only 3mm more than 18mm, meaning a mere 1.5mm gap all around. You can just fold a piece of paper or plastic sheet and wrap it around the 18650 battery if you really need that perfect a fit on the go without having to carry a casing. I have not seen a single 21700 based product that needed a 18650 to have to be used with a converter or any kind of mod to work perfectly in the slightly larger 21700 case.
Handheld torch lights are the go to for lowlight, headlamps in my opinion work best when it’s completely dark outside. I usually pick worms during the summer using a headlamp but when it’s Just starting to get dark the headlamps don’t show much more than what the natural lighting is illuminating.
Good review Luke; I find that trail hiking, the lower (closer to the ground) I keep the light the better it defines the trail. Of course head lights certainly have their value. I am waiting for someone to make a waist or belt light for trailing or running as it defines the ground best.. Thanks for your honest reviews.
I love the Nitecore NU 25. On one long night of hiking, it lasted for more than 5 hours till I got to the lean-to. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of this one, but it’s lightweight and lasts a long time. It works while being charged too.
I have a NU25, and it has flood and throw lights, and a red led. What are you referring to that the NU25 would not have? Only thing I can think if is the replaceable battery, but you have a much smaller, lighter package.
I appreciate your honest reviews. Seems everytime a new version of a flashlight comes out so many are quick to push its greatness , really how many sights do you need to praise a flashlight?
for the life of me i can't imagine why anyone would want to mix an amber light with a cool white light...just bizarre to me. thanks for the great review 👍🏻
It's Softer on the eyes. Same idea as putting warm white bulbs in the bathroom. Sounds like they might want a higher CR rating on the wide beam though, a 3K bulb should have zero problem distinguishing ground cover.
While I really like your reviews, I think you’re a little tough on this one, or at least read their description: the warm white has - according to their website - better penetrating ability in rain, fog and snow. You could’ve at least tested if this holds true, instead of just “I don’t like it”. And of course you can have 1000+ lumens, but this takes a bigger battery pack to make sense, such as bike lights. Who wants to carry this on their heads.
Also, higher lumens mean more heat, meaning more weight to protect you and the battery (and the other innards) from cooking. When the turbo went off after 30 seconds, I was like "well, yeah. Duh. Otherwise your lamp is going to melt/explode, and if not that the battery will be dead in no time flat."
Excellent review. 👍🏼I have an older Nitecore that I have used it in “mailbox” review situations; I don’t winter camp and I don’t hike in the dark, either before first light/dawn or last light/sunset. I live in a rural area and there are no street lights, so I’ve used mine for walking the 300’ back and for taking my trash to the road in the dark. It works well for this situation provided I use the highest light setting. I also use it for minor household repairs/projects where not having to hold flashlight is very helpful use case. After watching your video I wonder how my Nitecore might handle more situations. 🤔
I have one, use it for running, it's awesome for that! The one problem for me is the boostmode that is just not long enough, should be at least 2 minutes.
Part of why Turbo modes turn off so soon (I can't think of any lights that run longer than a minute, but I could be mistaken) is that it does two things that are Bad. First, they drain the batter fast. Like, if the light would run for 2 hours on the next highest output, it might have 20 minutes on Turbo. Second - and the biggest - is that they cause a LOT of internal heat. Especially for a UL lamp, thermal protection for the internals (and shielding to protect the user) is VERY limited. So a 30 second run before cutting out is a safety measure - get that battery too hot, and you won't need the headlamp anymore.
I thought the output was fine for what it is... I consider it a replacement for the NU25, not a competitor to something like HC65 or the like. I was also not impressed with the yellow hue.. UNTIL I happened to be hiking at night and it was slightly foggy with some blowing snow. Cuts right through it - night and day (pun intended) better than a lower kelvin light.
@@kayasper6081 Yea, I have the NU25, UT27, HC65, HC65V2 among others. They all have strengths & weaknesses. If you want more power there are plenty of other choices. I like the UT27 for what it is, not what it isn't. The most unique thing in my opinion is the ultra warm spot and in the right use case, this sets the UT27 apart/above the rest.
Interesting light. Looks a bit bulky but that is because of the battery system. I've got two Nitecore NU25s. They have become my go to headlamps after using Petzl Tactkka XPs for years. The NU25 is great IMHO. The softer light is used around camp as well as the red lamps. The colder white lights can be used for biking, running, hiking etc. I wouldn't switch out my NU25s for this UT27.
Too bad, I’m using the tiny ultralight Nitecore NU 25 and the Tiki for years and am very happy about it. Good to know that not all of their products are as good as they seem
Fantastic Luke, thanks for saving me my money as I was considering buying it. The best I have found considering weight comfort and brightness is the Fenix HL60R
for my eyes the worst is LedLenser's cool white. the best color and pattern is Olight's. Seeker2Pro and Baton S1A. my best headlamp is Fenix MH65R-T, i like both spot and flood. thank you for tgis great review.
Ive been using the Fenix HM65R for awhile now. Great light. Works well on a climbing helmet as well. I carry 2 spare cold weather 18650 batteries for extended slogs/climbs. Magnesium body, 1400 lumens on blast, blah blah blah.
Luke👍👍 Nice opinion review. NiteCore in general makes some worthy products, I have many but not this one. Been through a lot of headlamps and most are lacking in performance or run time, too finicky, uncomfortable etc.. Nothing beats a good hand held flashlight or two with an attachment clip, couple extra batteries and a cold beer😋
I have a Onnight 100 headlamp from decathlon , and it is quite good for the price . And even though it doesn't say on their website , the headlamp is waterproof , I go free diving a lot and I have used it numerous times and I can tell you that it works 2 meters underwater no problem ( I don't know if it works under more than 2 meters , I usually don't dive that deep at night ) and lights up the water very nicely , if the conditions are right, it will light up to 3 meters ahead of you and that's enough (of course it won't be completely lit up but you'll be able to see underwater ). I have used it in woods , it works nicely as well . I would like to see your review on this headlamp and what is your judgment because in my opinion it's a good product for what it's worth
You should review the latest UT27 (2024). It's significantly improved and is now 800 lumens. I'd be interested in your thoughts, and I think that would be fair to Nitecore since it seems they heard you and improved the product! 😃I have no connection to Nitecore, but I almost didn't even look at the UT27 seriously because of this video....
Just for information. High is only around 400 lumen for maximum half an hour, it will drop down significantly to 100 afterwards. Check out zeroair's website for measurements.
Might seem like overkill, but I have 7 in 5 different varieties that I use. One I bought for $12 has a battery life of 14 hours and is surprisingly bright on second mode of 3. I don't use rechargeable batteries ordinarily but had to with another that was lensed for focus of a 3 watt led. It's primary use was underground in mine sites and isnt cheap at $140, but does have a great bright beam for around 25feet. Needs 3 sets of fully charged AAA batteries for a 12 hour shift. That's 9 batteries all up. 3 of mine are IP68, and I've tested them to make sure. Makes it hard to replace batteries but at least the circuit won't suffer from moisture or random hard impacts. In my experience, price is certainly not proportional to qualify either and strange as it may seem, I've found plastic housings to be more robust than aluminium claiming to be Military grade. As for those claiming that aluminium is all the same. They don't know what they are talking about. Not all aluminium is equal as some are composites, and or have varying carbon levels, plus marine grade is not solid. It's honey combed, light weight and incredibly strong, to the point it's brittle. Problem is that it's not impact tolerant due to the honey comb construction. Steel makes a headlamp surprisingly heavy, and it works it's way down unless you make the strap tight, but at that point mine started giving me headaches. Aluminium casing is great for heat sinking, but steel doesn't dissipate heat to well for some reason and can become unbearably hot.
I picked up a Luxjumper k190 headlamp about three months ago for about $16. It's rated at 2500 lumens on max mode, and the beam shows my surroundings clearly out to 100 to 150 feet. Is it the highest quality headlamp? No, but it does the job well enough for me, is rechargeable, and has a 10hour run time on normal mode, with 3 hours of run time on max.
Honestly, I like my lights to have one button: On and off. If there is a brightness setting, I want that on a separate control so that the light always turns on at maximum output. I hate lights with a ton of "smart" features. Hate them.
It's good for those who go camping/hiking with light sensitive photophobic people. Powerful cold leds can cause pain and even damage to such people, like those with macular degeneration. It's also good for people who are concerned about not disturbing nocturnal animals because their eyes are very light sensitive.
I've used the NiteCore HC60 head lamp for 2 years and the P12 flashlight for 5 years both at 1000 lumens and those do perform quite well at night heading out to the deer stand i recommend those and of course I recommend NiteCore in general but its like most products out there there will be one that just doesnt perform and it happens, great review luke, take care.
The warm light might be good for cutting through blowing snow conditions. I put a set of HID headlights on my snowmachine and the lower 'k' values do a lot better job of cutting through the blowing snow giving more visibility rather than the higher 'k' values which just reflect back off the blowing snow and make it harder to see.
Good to know. I've been looking at headlamps lately because the headband clip broke on mine so it just flips around on my forehead 🤣 maybe I'll just super glue it.
Outstanding real world review. I got Nitecores sale in my inbox. 3 negs on paper right away: 1) The 3000k color. Nice idea, but not for me. 2) No ultra low white light... like 15 lm etc, good for in tent. 3) Not IPX68. Sorry, my other lights are. Correct, I wouldn't trail run. And not bright enough to emergency hike out on poorly marked trail. As stated, probably very nice for nite road running.
Wow! $55?!? I like the rechargable battery feature but I have a much nicer and brighter headlamp that cost less than $10. Thanks for the review, very helpful.
The colour is easy on the eyes and natural, it’s ideal for camping, walking around the tent cooking meals at night or using it as a lantern inside the tent. For night running it is still okay.
These days I prefer the small, barrel style flashlights that come with headstraps and have replaceable, commonly available rechargeable batteries. What kind of plastic is it? Just saying its "plastic" is like saying my pocket knife is just metal. The quality of plastic can range from toy store garbage to Mil spec polymers. Keep up the great work! :)
It's always a struggle to find a decent headlamp. I settled in the Petzl bindi minimalist headlamp. I like plugging it in and not messing around with any batteries. I'd like to see you review this lamp. It's not perfect but it is near enough for what I'm looking for. On a side note, I left this in a work van and I didn't think I would be able to get it back. I missed it so much that I bought another one. And I ended up getting the other one back so I have 2. Check it out. You may like it.
Luke, you got the Kelvin numbers backwards. The lower the number, the warmer (more yellow/amber) the light appears. The higher the number, the more pure white the light appears. 2700 K is very "warm"/yellow. 6500 K is very bright white.
You can tilt it up though, put it on upsidedown haha Duh. Or tape a wedge to it, there are few to none situations you'll need it pointing straight down where it's harder for you to look anyway. No big deal. All lights aren't As good in half light situations before sunset or sunrise. Common sense. As far as your points about the power of light it puts off and the yellow light, you're absolutely right.
I don't know if that yuk warm coloured light was intentional, but it does have an advantage over the cool light. The warm lights advantage is that it doesn't attract flying insects like the cool light will. Would you really want flying biting insects being attracted around your face when you have the light on your head. The light brightness is a disappointment for led. Only suitable for sitting around your campsite. I have a HID flashlight that has a filter that can be fitted to turn the light warm. In summer it is the best way to use the light without being pestered by nasty flies and mosquitoes
WOW Luke...55$? Just get a Sofirn SP40A from Aliexpress. It does 1200 lumens in turbo mode and guess what. It stays in turbo mode until the battery runs out. Works on a regular 18650 battery 3000 MAh.And also a nice bonus you can use a short tube and works without a battery inside with a micro USB cable plug into a power bank.The throw is 132m in turbo and the cost is 32$ .Its a beast for the price! On a side note i also love Sofirn IF22A hand light.Works on the same type 18650 battery or 21700 battery and the throw is 670m!!! Have Power Delivery functionality and you can charge the headlamp, phone, camera or whatever from its battery. SOFIRN is a beast on price/performance. I can never go back to this type of plastic headlamps Petzl and Black Diamond usually sell.
I think its a great feature it runs on 3x AAA batteries as well as the included battery. I'm somewhat paranoid about those USB charged lights as i want to use my powerbank solely for the phone (and earbuds if need be haha). Batteries are an easy thing to carry as backup. It is a little pricey tho, it might substitute for my Black diamond headlamp i've never really been all too impressed with :) I'm a fan of the ''yellow'' light as it is a lot easier on the eyes when hanging it in a tent for lighting. Is there any other headlights that have more warm/yellow light? havent seen many
A product I recommend is the BigBlue 63 Watt folding solar charger. Weighs 2 pounds, fits in a backpack, and has loops that would allow you to hang it on something (I constructed a lightweight PVC frame that likewise fits in my pack). It has USB-C support native and can fast charge a modern smartphone about as fast as a wall charger. I use it to charge my powerbank during the day, and the powerbank charges my phone at night.
Hello, I had a lot of the same thoughts as you about the charging, but the ones I got were pretty cheap and they last soooo long, I even use one at home every night when I'm watching videos in bed and don't want to have to turn my light off, I'll have it sitting on my dresser for a couple hours every night before I go to sleep, and only have to charge it like once a week. And I've never yet had one die while camping, I did a 2 nighter with them my first time and I used one headlamp both nights for several hours. Never had to use my power bank for them, and using low mode for around camp makes the batteries last longer. And not having to carry around so many batteries, and also in my experience batteries can be sketchy and unreliable which sucks, even the best brands like Duracell, I buy a pack, I bring some camping a few times and when I need to replace batteries they're dead, even though I stored them proper out of cold and heat and they were only bought a couple months before, and then I'm stuck in the wilderness with no batteries that work, that happens to me so much. And battery powered lights fail me a lot. I had a nice little tac-light kind of metal pocket flashlight and it was so bright, but then after a couple years it got dimmer and dimmer even when I'd put brand new batteries in. Now I put new batteries in it and it will last maybe 6 hours and start dimming, Idk why. And I'm also going to invest in a goot lightweight solar panel, not like the solar charging banks but just the straight panel, my friend had one from the store he works at (harbor freight) and he said they don't even carry that model anymore, and it was really nice. I plugged my phone and my own solar bank into his solar panel and charged them both and they charged so fast, and it had a meter on the back that told you how many V were being transfered. It was lighter than my power bank but folded out nice and big, and I think that's why it charged everything so fast. I charged my bank and ohone, my other phone that I use for photos, and both my friends' phones, in about 3-4 hours while we were having coffee and breakfast in the morning. I need me one of those panels so bad. It's sunny every day here so I'd never have to worry about things dying. And solar banks are super nice because it gives you just that much edge, that you can charge up more whenever there's sun, and not just off the power you charged it up at home. I even hang solar power banks off the back of my backpack or front of my straps depending on which way I'm hiking, so the sun is shining on them and charging them, and when I get back to camp they have a little more charge to work with. I haven't run out on even one power bank even though I bought a second for backup, the solar trickle charge always seems to save me even on 2 day trips, that it still has barely one LED of power by the time I get home, and my phones die fast too so it gets used. And I also have my phone plugged in all night while sleeping because I have to play thunderstorm sounds to sleep (yes it's pretty stupid lol insomnia is a nightmare) and even that doesn't kill my power bank before I leave.
@@-desertpackrat I did pick up this exact headlight and im loving it! i find the Yellow/amber light on it carries very far in pitch black darkness and is much easier on the eyes too! The internal battery is definitely nicer than i thought it would be lasting very long after all, i did end up replacing it with a few AAA batteries after a week long camp (using it only a little every evening for some reading and getting stuff around camp really) but am very impressed with it. It's not a cheap light and there might be better ones out there for the price im sure (since i think Luke's reviews are usually very fair and good) but i am a big fan of the Warm light this light has many others dont. Recommend this headlamp for sure!
Luke. I don't use headlamps but I sure could use a review on the sunglasses you recommend. I like the ones you are wearing right now. I don't live in snow but I fish. Sun in the face. I am ready to step up from cheap but not into fashion but functionality. Thank you for your reviews. Peace out. Rob.
If you want a pair for the outdoors Julbo is the way to go. I run the Explorer 2s with the high mountain photochromatic lenses. Great for snow glare and have removable side shields. They make other models as well. Kinda pricey I guess but they have some more wallet friendly options.
Never wander into the deep dark woods with one source of light. Redundancy is very important. Spelunkers may carry three or four backup lights, it may be a matter of life or death in a cave
I bought a two-pack of headlamps from Walmart for $10!! The headband is easily adjustable, there's a high and low mode, and 3 triple A batteries will last many many hours. I can't understand why I need to buy expensive gear that doesn't hold up as well as some basic stuff. And I hike and backpack ALL the time.
i think the ut27 is almost perfect for me during trail run in Malaysian forest. comparing it with my friend who is using white led from petzl headlamp...running at pace 5 in the woods with yellow lamp as spot light really helps like alot. too bad the hinge is weak af, its a common problem. i hope nitecore can fix this issue in their next v2 ut27. love the size the weight, the yellow light and lastly the swapable battery
I've used a lot of lights that had warm vs. cool mode and found they're more better used for different purposes, not preferences. You'd use cool light for seeing far away like hiking, trail running etc., but if you're sleeping in your tent and need to wake up and go pee, turning on a bright white light can be really irritating, for me it's actually painful, my eyes are that sensitive lol, I keep glowsticks or red lights so if I need to get up in the dark I don't blind myself. And other things, like I cook by darker, warmer light sometimes because it draws the insects less and I'm not blinding myself with my lights shining off my pots. So warm light is more for when you're in the dark already and trying to go easy on your eyes, or be stealthy. Their issue is that they made the cool light sooo dim, a cool light should be bright af because that was supposed to be your far-light and the warm light is your close-light so you don't have to see so much blue and white light reflected back at you in close range. (kind of like the other thing I use a lot, a dimmer mode on my phone that changes the white/blue light to more red orange tones so my eyes don't hurt). Like in comparison to this one, I bought a 2 pack of some for way cheaper (like $20 maybe? not sure but I could look it up) and they are so bright even on the low modes, that it's blinding to use them in the tent, I have to use the red mode or a glow stick. ANd on that note I should also add, they have battery powered "glow sticks" now, it's pretty cute lol my mom got me some yesterday for my birthday because she knows how I like glow sticks. One is green and one is purple, the purple one is really nice and kinda easy on the eyes in close quarters. Cool, kinda novelty, but I'll definitely get use out of them.
I agree with your review I have the same headlamp and while I'm somewhat happy with it. I use it for landscape photography mostly the red light function I use before sunrises or for astrophotography, and because it's super lightweight but notice while using it on the trail at night it just doesn't produce enough light. Do you have a headlamp recommendation that you use at night for backpacking or hiking?
People who go caving sometimes prefer a warmer light, as they are in smaller spaces, white light reflecting back can be a strain on the eyes, but warmer light less so. I've only been caving a couple of times, and not for any great time, so it's not been something I've bought into.
Another great video! With the functions this headlamp has, I would label it as capable in no-light situations, not applicable for outdoor/rural low-light use.
Have you tried the headlamp that uses strip lights? It lights up the whole front of you, I thought they were pretty cool but you never know, it may not have any throw really. I'd like to see you try one check it out.
2700K warm yellow light is better for penetrating fog & rain. Plus it is less fatiguing & preserves night vision more. If you need more fog penetration, you have to use a pure red light.
Is there is too much red in the amber color? Yellow is suppose to increase contrast--shooter's glasses, fog lights, etc.. But I think they have it backwards with the bright white flood. I would prefer the distance beam to be a yellow/white cold led and the flood to be warmer.
I have one and it’s in my tool box and that’s all I do with that one. I have better ones I use for outdoors at night.,.great review because what you said is exactly how the light is.
Warm light is less reflective, lower eye strain, slightly more preservation of your night vision. If you find yourself having to light up something (in heavy smoke, fog, etc.), the cool white light will actually reflect a lot of that bright white light right back at you, and hamper your ability to see properly, whereas the warm lights can easily get through that, and make it easier for you to see.
and that is also why fog lights where originally amber. but now for some dumb reason they are all white/ barely warm leds.
True . The yellow led more important for fire rescue. My experience. Now day so hard to find the headlight with yellow led
I am a first time camper that in two weeks is going for a one nighter. I have been consuming a lot of your content to assist with decisions on products and vicarious knowledge that you give on your experience. Thank you for putting quality into you editing and video, audio etc. because inflation is red hot with a forty year high and I am at the lower end of the working class I can’t choose high quality products at this time, even under the adage of buy once cry once. I am always crying these days for normal good and services. However these videos still help me make choices and look 👀 at products with more perspective. Thanks again
That's why I got there HC65 v. 2. It's made of metal like all their flashlights. It's tiltable and it has a 5k mAh battery.
I'm a long time camper/hiker. This is one of the few agenda free channels you can trust. Bedroom reviews of gear just don't cut it if you are buying potentially life saving gear.
I've been there myself bud. Still kinda am with a new house and a third kid on the way. If anything, you can always use a handheld light with the belt clip. The belt clip on many lights are reversible so you can put on the bill of a ball cap and use it like a head lamp. I like to use Risemart lights for this. They are cheap on Amazon and take a double A or triple A battery. 90 lumens but the throw is tight so it reaches out a bit but not too much flood. A good light for budget folks but also if it breaks or gets lost, no big deal. If you need anything, let us know, many of us have extra stuff or know where to find things for the best price depending on what you're looking for. I wouldn't recommend junk, but stuff I've used that has held up to my use and my kids throwing my stuff around or dropping it, ect.
You picked a wonderful channel to pay attention to in order to learn fast.
Try Decathlon products, they deliver decent quality for an affordable price.
Thanks for another great review! Little correction here: The warm-white LED looks more like 2700 than 5700 :) the flood light looks more like the 5700-6500 range
Yeah, I think Luke mixed up the numbers there. Actually a bit strange they they didn't use the warm white for flood and cold white for throw. The warm white light and flood would be better for camp/tent lantern use.
Agreed. For anyone curious, warm white bulbs in a store are generally 4000-5500k, whereas daylight bulbs are usually 6500k.
ETA as other replies have made obvious, the terms and definitions for different kelvin values vary from place to place.
@@RegrettablyLongwinded Warm white is 3000K. Daylight is 5000K
@@RegrettablyLongwinded Warm white is usually 2700K. Daylight is 5000K.
@@tei1337 Or just make both of them neutral.
In my experience, dusk is a time that really makes artificial lighting seem ineffective. I have faced similar issues with my headlamps but they seem to be pretty effective when it is completely dark. I just moved on assuring myself that it is something I need to live with.
Its the same when driving at dusk
There is a model for any use. I have the Nightcore HC65 headlamp and it doesn't suffer from any of the "defects" you mention. Apart from it is much brighter, the battery last longer, more options, you can choose between intense white light and more cosy warm light (I love that by the way), what attracts me personally the most, is its 1 lumen mode. Perfect for reading in the tent without drawing the attention of the entire surroundings.
I own many nitecore products, but have had the worst luck with their headlamps - horrible design flaw in my opinion with the NU32 as it has failed me on many occasions. The issue was the clamp, it broke on me many times even after receiving new ones from Nitecore. The NU25 was a decent light though, I like it’s small footprint, very lightweight.
And I’m not trying to be biased, they’re flashlights are pretty decent for a Chinese product and have served me well.
Good review as always my friend!
Thanks Luke, you saved my pocketbook and my time saved from having to wait for the order, be disappointed, send it back and then be sans headlamp until another headlamp shows up. Great review, and as always, your honesty is worth your weight in gold
Get a Sofirn SP40 - loads of power and runtime, good flood and throw, and very comfortable. I've used mine every day for 2 years and I still love it, absolutely reliable and easy to use. Very cheap for the quality too.
Been using this light to do alot of night ice fishing. Works great for me.
The warm light is 3000K and the cool is 5700K. I know, it seems backward, but think of a flame, orange isn't as hot as blue. Personally I prefer a nice, neutral 4000K.
The problem with this warm light from what I'm seeing is it has very poor CRI, which is why everything seems to look the same color. A good warm LED with good CRI or an incandescent will show much better contrast than what you're seeing with this headlamp.
Yeah, when he mentioned the temperatures it didn't seem right at all; it's definitely the other way around. The "throw" mode is in the 3000 K range, not 5700 K, and the blue-white "wide" is the more blue 5700 K rather than 3000 K.
I have been running a high CRI Acebeam H-17. Wear it at work, live off grid, love this light.
Was about to post the same but you said it already. He mixed up warm and cool in what was otherwise a decent review.
I’m on the trail every day before dawn and the ut27 is my favorite of the 2 dizen or so lamps I own. It’s enough light for me, in fact I only use the high when I want a closer look at wildlife. The warmer light works better in fog and rain.
Thanks for your honest no BS reviews. I think my headlamp that I picked up at Walmart for $19.99 works just as good if not better.
Agree with you about not having enough lux. I carried it on my evening run(not deep wood) and find the yellowish light easy to my eyes; however, the housing was so weak it broke after a few uses, hope the new version will address this issue.
One major limitation I learned from many YT reviews is none of the test/demo is systematic, meaning it is usually a brief walkabout in the nearby park/wood or indoor, filmed as it goes. It would be very helpful if you could do such test/demo in a fixed location that is in the middle of nowhere, always after dark, camera at fixed spot with same ISO, with reference objects at different throw/flood distances. I suppose this is a much better way to show the true performance without adding too much trouble to your existing filming setup.
Hey Luke, and Hi from NH. I purchased and have been using an Olight Perun 2 with the headband as a headlight for a while now. If you want serious light and good battery life you might like to take a look at it if you haven't already. The one disadvantage is the weight, but with the strap over the top of the head, it really does make it pretty comfortable to wear, even with a bare head. ( shaved head here so I actually know ) It makes my old Petzl that I hiked the "Whites" with up here for years, seem very underwhelming. The light is pretty neutral as I remember, somewhere between 5000 - 6000 K, so it is cooler but not "frigid ". Between my warrior 2 mini and my Perun 2, I have all my bases covered for whatever situation I am likely to get myself into. Hunting, hiking, fishing, home defense, etc. Be well my friend and my best to your family. PS. Please thank your daughter for her service. --den in NH.
That looks like a light that might make a good backup or emergency indoor light.
And btw, i still say you have the BEST REVIEWS ON UA-cam. Not only do you perform a full review, in the relevant environment, but you take the time to write a full “magazine quality” review that covers all the bases, for easy reference. Well done my friend.
Just a suggestion…….you may add a small section for the equipment you would say is an alternative to a given product. Whether it be because something would be a better choice, or because (maybe years down the road) the product being reviewed is not available.
Amazing review, I got it after seeing your video. It has a major design flaw, the hinge where the battery door connects is prone to breaking. Because when opening and closing the battery bay, the hinge is the only opposing pressure point. The hinge on mine broke after just a few battery swaps.
I've used this headlamp all of this winter, here in Scandinavia.
It's by far the best Ultrarunning/Running/Nordic skiing headlamp ever !
Normally Silva headlamps was my "go-to" headlamps, but as with 99% of other headlamps on the market today, they are useless in heavy rain/snow and fog, because the colour of the light just creates a whiteout.
The more amber colour of the Nitecore's floodlight is a lifesaver in a dark night with heavy snow and makes the surface look more natural.
I have to say, that if you need more light than this lamp delivers..., either your blind 😀 or it's actually a totally different lamp you ask for.
And when it's dark here for 16 hours, the battery compartment is great, that it's easy to swap to AA-batteries.
And the batterylife is a true winner on a 100K run, when the startingtime is at 00:01.
As opposed to my Silvas that use a construction with a single hinge on one side of the LED-housing and therefore all brake at some point within the first year of use, the Nitecore is a more traditional build.
CONS: The hinge is adjustable in small steps, but they are actually to big for my needs and should be with stepless friction, and not in a plastic construction. I really fear for the longivity of the hinge and the steps...
NEEDS: External batterypack, when it's below -20 degr. C, the battery suffers...
As a sidenote: People should do more, much more to actually learn to move around in the dark without artificial lights.
Most nights its perfectly fine walking without a lamp. Especially if there is snow and a moon.
Our eyes are constructed for it, but the modern office-culture/city life has made people think that that cant do without 1000000 lumens lights.
If you cant see something clearly..., then move closer !
Would the reflection of the snow make a difference compared to Luke using his on a dark road?
I agree, living in Alaska and using headlamps a lot in winter, we think we need more light than we do. I use primarily red filters to preserve my night vision as much as possible while walking or snowshoeing. But, I do like brighter light to check for moose when there’s something else moving around in the woods!
@@johnnyh-pay5843 I put my headlamp on as dark approaches, but I try to put off turning it on as long as possible. However, there are times that you want to see as much as possible as soon as possible. Kayaking and climbing tend to fall in that category as does trail running in rocks and roots. Walking on a forest road usually isn't.
I had one that was like yellow orange but it's because it's an old cheapo one from the 90s lol not even sure where it came from. But I bought some rechargable LED headlamps instead, they're so much brighter than those old bulb headlamps and flashlights, I can't believe we did everything by that dim yellow light back then.
Also the ones I bought were a 2 pack for really cheap, like $20 or something, I even bought another 2 pack for group camping so I have 4 now, and I feel like they have a reasonable brightness compared to what you showed in yours, but also I'm used to those ancient yellow flashlights lol so don't take my word for it, but to me it was a steal and I'm really satisfied with my purchase.
I think it´s pretty normal when it doesn´t shine as powerful when it´s not completely dark because the lamps light blends into the daylight. Happened to me with other lamps as well.
Luke you are grate at pointing out the light how far you can see I often think of children who go out with lights on a run or trip can they see really see what they need to
Professional lighting geek here. Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) is based on the temperature of a black body radiator, which makes it seem counter intuitive. But if you think about heating up a steel bar, for example, when it starts to glow it's temp is relatively low, and it glows red. The hotter it gets, the whiter the glow. Keep on heating it and you'll start getting into the blue and UV spectrum. So that's why lower temps have "warmer" colors and higher temps are "cooler" light. A lot of people prefer warmer color temperatures because that's what they were used to with incandescent. But the reality is, visibility (and particular peripheral vision) is enhanced at cooler color temperatures. If you want to geek out on this, check out IES TM-12 for more information. (IES = Illuminating Engineering Society; TM-12 = Technical Memorandum 12).
i think they should have swapped the tints, warm for close and cool for flood like their nu25. I get why they didn't, there's a very similar light in their lineup with a built in batt pack. an nu25 with a battery option is the way to go imo, maybe with a single AA (th20 style). I like the warm/neutral for close work, but this one also needs more modes
After trying several solutions, I settled on 18650 cells based kit: XTAR PB2S charger/power bank + Slonik 1000 flashlight. I also carry Slonik 500 as a backup.
There are many advantages to that combination. Simply adding a few USB adapters it is possible to power all your electronics during the trip.
It would be nice to see what @ TheOutdoorGearReview thinks of the concept and specific products.
Why not go for 21700 kit? - they are just a couple mm larger in diameter & length, plus all 21700 casings can also use 18650. So you can use 2 kinds of cells in a 21700 kit. Plus you get 40% more battery power in a 21700 for a few grams more weight. Totally worth it.
@@SodiumSyndicate
While your solution is valid, 18650 is the defacto standard and I don't like the idea of carrying spacers or two types of batteries.
Also even a few millimeters can make some gear unnecessarily bulkier.
21700 standard was never intended for portable use, it was made for more dense vehicle batteries.
@@EugeneSan No, you do not need any spacers to put in a 18650 in a 21700 casing. It will be a bit loose, but once you screw the casing shut, it will be alright.
It is for this reason I have changed all my older 18650 flashlights to 21700 flashlights. This way I can use both types of cells in a single product.
@@SodiumSyndicate
Good to know.
Next time I purchase gear I'll consider that option.
Unfortunately, for some gear a perfect battery fit is a requirement.
@@EugeneSan Look, 18650 means 18mm diameter & 65mm length. 21700 means 21mm diameter & 70mm length.
Since there will be a spring on at least 1 side of the casing, the 18650 will fit (or just stretch the spring/s a bit) & if it is a protected cell, it will actually be 18700 size (70mm length).
As for diameter, 21mm is only 3mm more than 18mm, meaning a mere 1.5mm gap all around. You can just fold a piece of paper or plastic sheet and wrap it around the 18650 battery if you really need that perfect a fit on the go without having to carry a casing.
I have not seen a single 21700 based product that needed a 18650 to have to be used with a converter or any kind of mod to work perfectly in the slightly larger 21700 case.
Handheld torch lights are the go to for lowlight, headlamps in my opinion work best when it’s completely dark outside.
I usually pick worms during the summer using a headlamp but when it’s Just starting to get dark the headlamps don’t show much more than what the natural lighting is illuminating.
Good points you make, keep reviewing all lights in this way, gives us all a better idea than the many other 'armchair' reviewers.
Good review Luke; I find that trail hiking, the lower (closer to the ground) I keep the light the better it defines the trail. Of course head lights certainly have their value. I am waiting for someone to make a waist or belt light for trailing or running as it defines the ground best.. Thanks for your honest reviews.
UltrAspire makes a waist mounted light.
I love the Nitecore NU 25. On one long night of hiking, it lasted for more than 5 hours till I got to the lean-to. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of this one, but it’s lightweight and lasts a long time. It works while being charged too.
I have a NU25, and it has flood and throw lights, and a red led. What are you referring to that the NU25 would not have? Only thing I can think if is the replaceable battery, but you have a much smaller, lighter package.
It actually has more steps in the throw light setting, 4 in total, 3 normal, and 1 turbo, that doesn't turn off after 30 sec.
@@SuHwak Removable battery, ability to use AAA batteries, and a couple of settings that the NU 25 doesn’t have. I’ll stick with the NU 25.
_THanks Dude!!!_ You're like a good friend looking out for us!!!
Very valid points with the backyard reviews!
I'd love to see Olight reviews. God bless and stay safe.
I appreciate your honest reviews. Seems everytime a new version of a flashlight comes out so many are quick to push its greatness , really how many sights do you need to praise a flashlight?
for the life of me i can't imagine why anyone would want to mix an amber light with a cool white light...just bizarre to me. thanks for the great review 👍🏻
It's Softer on the eyes. Same idea as putting warm white bulbs in the bathroom.
Sounds like they might want a higher CR rating on the wide beam though, a 3K bulb should have zero problem distinguishing ground cover.
@@wyattroncin941 Exactly like you said. High CRI would work much better for the warner tint led.
While I really like your reviews, I think you’re a little tough on this one, or at least read their description: the warm white has - according to their website - better penetrating ability in rain, fog and snow. You could’ve at least tested if this holds true, instead of just “I don’t like it”. And of course you can have 1000+ lumens, but this takes a bigger battery pack to make sense, such as bike lights. Who wants to carry this on their heads.
Also, higher lumens mean more heat, meaning more weight to protect you and the battery (and the other innards) from cooking.
When the turbo went off after 30 seconds, I was like "well, yeah. Duh. Otherwise your lamp is going to melt/explode, and if not that the battery will be dead in no time flat."
Excellent review. 👍🏼I have an older Nitecore that I have used it in “mailbox” review situations; I don’t winter camp and I don’t hike in the dark, either before first light/dawn or last light/sunset. I live in a rural area and there are no street lights, so I’ve used mine for walking the 300’ back and for taking my trash to the road in the dark. It works well for this situation provided I use the highest light setting. I also use it for minor household repairs/projects where not having to hold flashlight is very helpful use case. After watching your video I wonder how my Nitecore might handle more situations. 🤔
I have one, use it for running, it's awesome for that! The one problem for me is the boostmode that is just not long enough, should be at least 2 minutes.
Part of why Turbo modes turn off so soon (I can't think of any lights that run longer than a minute, but I could be mistaken) is that it does two things that are Bad.
First, they drain the batter fast. Like, if the light would run for 2 hours on the next highest output, it might have 20 minutes on Turbo.
Second - and the biggest - is that they cause a LOT of internal heat. Especially for a UL lamp, thermal protection for the internals (and shielding to protect the user) is VERY limited. So a 30 second run before cutting out is a safety measure - get that battery too hot, and you won't need the headlamp anymore.
I thought the output was fine for what it is... I consider it a replacement for the NU25, not a competitor to something like HC65 or the like. I was also not impressed with the yellow hue.. UNTIL I happened to be hiking at night and it was slightly foggy with some blowing snow. Cuts right through it - night and day (pun intended) better than a lower kelvin light.
I have the HC65. It is great (not refering to Trump here😆)
@@kayasper6081 Yea, I have the NU25, UT27, HC65, HC65V2 among others. They all have strengths & weaknesses. If you want more power there are plenty of other choices. I like the UT27 for what it is, not what it isn't. The most unique thing in my opinion is the ultra warm spot and in the right use case, this sets the UT27 apart/above the rest.
You really need to be back up at the cabin...... We're all so very very excited about the project. Don't keep us waiting. LOL.
thank you for a REAL no BS review , its refreshing
Interesting light. Looks a bit bulky but that is because of the battery system. I've got two Nitecore NU25s. They have become my go to headlamps after using Petzl Tactkka XPs for years. The NU25 is great IMHO. The softer light is used around camp as well as the red lamps. The colder white lights can be used for biking, running, hiking etc. I wouldn't switch out my NU25s for this UT27.
You my friend are the true test 🤴 king. I’ve come to really take notice your reviews are legit. 👍👍
Bought the Nitecore U32 following you review . So satisfied, I also bought one for the wife !
Too bad, I’m using the tiny ultralight Nitecore NU 25 and the Tiki for years and am very happy about it. Good to know that not all of their products are as good as they seem
Yeah, the NU 25 for the win!
Fantastic Luke, thanks for saving me my money as I was considering buying it. The best I have found considering weight comfort and brightness is the Fenix HL60R
for my eyes the worst is LedLenser's cool white.
the best color and pattern is Olight's. Seeker2Pro and Baton S1A.
my best headlamp is Fenix MH65R-T, i like both spot and flood.
thank you for tgis great review.
Ive been using the Fenix HM65R for awhile now. Great light. Works well on a climbing helmet as well.
I carry 2 spare cold weather 18650 batteries for extended slogs/climbs.
Magnesium body, 1400 lumens on blast, blah blah blah.
Does it have batteries aswell?
I like this one and well built in plastic body for shot range use or around campsite.
Luke👍👍 Nice opinion review. NiteCore in general makes some worthy products, I have many but not this one. Been through a lot of headlamps and most are lacking in performance or run time, too finicky, uncomfortable etc.. Nothing beats a good hand held flashlight or two with an attachment clip, couple extra batteries and a cold beer😋
Thats the boy😆
I'm glad you Done this review I was about to buy it thats what I like about your channel there's no B.S just straight forward and honest
I so appreciate your detailed, in depth honesty.
I have a Onnight 100 headlamp from decathlon , and it is quite good for the price . And even though it doesn't say on their website , the headlamp is waterproof , I go free diving a lot and I have used it numerous times and I can tell you that it works 2 meters underwater no problem ( I don't know if it works under more than 2 meters , I usually don't dive that deep at night ) and lights up the water very nicely , if the conditions are right, it will light up to 3 meters ahead of you and that's enough (of course it won't be completely lit up but you'll be able to see underwater ). I have used it in woods , it works nicely as well . I would like to see your review on this headlamp and what is your judgment because in my opinion it's a good product for what it's worth
You should review the latest UT27 (2024). It's significantly improved and is now 800 lumens. I'd be interested in your thoughts, and I think that would be fair to Nitecore since it seems they heard you and improved the product! 😃I have no connection to Nitecore, but I almost didn't even look at the UT27 seriously because of this video....
Yeah, the new UT27 800 looks perfect for my camping setup.
Hey Thanks Luke for the shout out :) really appreciated
Just for information. High is only around 400 lumen for maximum half an hour, it will drop down significantly to 100 afterwards. Check out zeroair's website for measurements.
Glad you did this cause I was interested in this light.
Might seem like overkill, but I have 7 in 5 different varieties that I use.
One I bought for $12 has a battery life of 14 hours and is surprisingly bright on second mode of 3.
I don't use rechargeable batteries ordinarily but had to with another that was lensed for focus of a 3 watt led.
It's primary use was underground in mine sites and isnt cheap at $140, but does have a great bright beam for around 25feet.
Needs 3 sets of fully charged AAA batteries for a 12 hour shift. That's 9 batteries all up.
3 of mine are IP68, and I've tested them to make sure. Makes it hard to replace batteries but at least the circuit won't suffer from moisture or random hard impacts.
In my experience, price is certainly not proportional to qualify either and strange as it may seem, I've found plastic housings to be more robust than aluminium claiming to be Military grade.
As for those claiming that aluminium is all the same. They don't know what they are talking about.
Not all aluminium is equal as some are composites, and or have varying carbon levels, plus marine grade is not solid.
It's honey combed, light weight and incredibly strong, to the point it's brittle.
Problem is that it's not impact tolerant due to the honey comb construction.
Steel makes a headlamp surprisingly heavy, and it works it's way down unless you make the strap tight, but at that point mine started giving me headaches.
Aluminium casing is great for heat sinking, but steel doesn't dissipate heat to well for some reason and can become unbearably hot.
I picked up a Luxjumper k190 headlamp about three months ago for about $16. It's rated at 2500 lumens on max mode, and the beam shows my surroundings clearly out to 100 to 150 feet. Is it the highest quality headlamp? No, but it does the job well enough for me, is rechargeable, and has a 10hour run time on normal mode, with 3 hours of run time on max.
Honestly, I like my lights to have one button: On and off.
If there is a brightness setting, I want that on a separate control so that the light always turns on at maximum output.
I hate lights with a ton of "smart" features. Hate them.
you need to email all the light companies or someone does cause your right..
@@chronicawareness9986 Olight has a design their next light contest going on right now, as a matter of fact. Details are on their website.
It's good for those who go camping/hiking with light sensitive photophobic people. Powerful cold leds can cause pain and even damage to such people, like those with macular degeneration. It's also good for people who are concerned about not disturbing nocturnal animals because their eyes are very light sensitive.
I've used the NiteCore HC60 head lamp for 2 years and the P12 flashlight for 5 years both at 1000 lumens and those do perform quite well at night heading out to the deer stand i recommend those and of course I recommend NiteCore in general but its like most products out there there will be one that just doesnt perform and it happens, great review luke, take care.
The warm light might be good for cutting through blowing snow conditions. I put a set of HID headlights on my snowmachine and the lower 'k' values do a lot better job of cutting through the blowing snow giving more visibility rather than the higher 'k' values which just reflect back off the blowing snow and make it harder to see.
That's the idea. Same with dust or rain. It's fr specific uses. The issue here is battery isn't strong enough to provide the brightness he wants.
I just bought the bushnell headlamp rechargable and im loving it. Great review my friend.
Thanks Lucas! What's your favorite headlamp? I love my Petzel.
You got your kelvins crossed. 3000K is warm. 5700K is cool white
Good to know. I've been looking at headlamps lately because the headband clip broke on mine so it just flips around on my forehead 🤣 maybe I'll just super glue it.
Would love your review over the Nitecore HC68 headlamp.
Outstanding real world review. I got Nitecores sale in my inbox. 3 negs on paper right away: 1) The 3000k color. Nice idea, but not for me. 2) No ultra low white light... like 15 lm etc, good for in tent. 3) Not IPX68. Sorry, my other lights are. Correct, I wouldn't trail run. And not bright enough to emergency hike out on poorly marked trail. As stated, probably very nice for nite road running.
Wow! $55?!? I like the rechargable battery feature but I have a much nicer and brighter headlamp that cost less than $10. Thanks for the review, very helpful.
less than 10$? that's a sale or some other form of discont
The colour is easy on the eyes and natural, it’s ideal for camping, walking around the tent cooking meals at night or using it as a lantern inside the tent. For night running it is still okay.
These days I prefer the small, barrel style flashlights that come with headstraps and have replaceable, commonly available rechargeable batteries. What kind of plastic is it? Just saying its "plastic" is like saying my pocket knife is just metal. The quality of plastic can range from toy store garbage to Mil spec polymers. Keep up the great work! :)
Once I discovered Olight I have never looked back - amazing quality!!! You should give one a try.
You should try Olight’s head lamp, I love ours, it’s very bright & it’s only LED. I’d love to see your review of it.
It's always a struggle to find a decent headlamp. I settled in the Petzl bindi minimalist headlamp. I like plugging it in and not messing around with any batteries. I'd like to see you review this lamp. It's not perfect but it is near enough for what I'm looking for. On a side note, I left this in a work van and I didn't think I would be able to get it back. I missed it so much that I bought another one. And I ended up getting the other one back so I have 2. Check it out. You may like it.
Luke, you got the Kelvin numbers backwards. The lower the number, the warmer (more yellow/amber) the light appears. The higher the number, the more pure white the light appears. 2700 K is very "warm"/yellow. 6500 K is very bright white.
I find the older you get the more light you need, I agree with you ,heaver with moren light ,great review
It’ll be great if you can do those new head light bars reviews
You can tilt it up though, put it on upsidedown haha Duh. Or tape a wedge to it, there are few to none situations you'll need it pointing straight down where it's harder for you to look anyway. No big deal. All lights aren't As good in half light situations before sunset or sunrise. Common sense. As far as your points about the power of light it puts off and the yellow light, you're absolutely right.
Great review. I watched your review on the nitecore nu25, long time ago. I bought one and love it. Keep up the awesome reviews.
I don't know if that yuk warm coloured light was intentional, but it does have an advantage over the cool light. The warm lights advantage is that it doesn't attract flying insects like the cool light will. Would you really want flying biting insects being attracted around your face when you have the light on your head. The light brightness is a disappointment for led. Only suitable for sitting around your campsite.
I have a HID flashlight that has a filter that can be fitted to turn the light warm. In summer it is the best way to use the light without being pestered by nasty flies and mosquitoes
WOW Luke...55$? Just get a Sofirn SP40A from Aliexpress. It does 1200 lumens in turbo mode and guess what. It stays in turbo mode until the battery runs out. Works on a regular 18650 battery 3000 MAh.And also a nice bonus you can use a short tube and works without a battery inside with a micro USB cable plug into a power bank.The throw is 132m in turbo and the cost is 32$ .Its a beast for the price! On a side note i also love Sofirn IF22A hand light.Works on the same type 18650 battery or 21700 battery and the throw is 670m!!! Have Power Delivery functionality and you can charge the headlamp, phone, camera or whatever from its battery. SOFIRN is a beast on price/performance. I can never go back to this type of plastic headlamps Petzl and Black Diamond usually sell.
I think its a great feature it runs on 3x AAA batteries as well as the included battery. I'm somewhat paranoid about those USB charged lights as i want to use my powerbank solely for the phone (and earbuds if need be haha). Batteries are an easy thing to carry as backup.
It is a little pricey tho, it might substitute for my Black diamond headlamp i've never really been all too impressed with :) I'm a fan of the ''yellow'' light as it is a lot easier on the eyes when hanging it in a tent for lighting. Is there any other headlights that have more warm/yellow light? havent seen many
A product I recommend is the BigBlue 63 Watt folding solar charger. Weighs 2 pounds, fits in a backpack, and has loops that would allow you to hang it on something (I constructed a lightweight PVC frame that likewise fits in my pack). It has USB-C support native and can fast charge a modern smartphone about as fast as a wall charger. I use it to charge my powerbank during the day, and the powerbank charges my phone at night.
Hello, I had a lot of the same thoughts as you about the charging, but the ones I got were pretty cheap and they last soooo long, I even use one at home every night when I'm watching videos in bed and don't want to have to turn my light off, I'll have it sitting on my dresser for a couple hours every night before I go to sleep, and only have to charge it like once a week. And I've never yet had one die while camping, I did a 2 nighter with them my first time and I used one headlamp both nights for several hours. Never had to use my power bank for them, and using low mode for around camp makes the batteries last longer. And not having to carry around so many batteries, and also in my experience batteries can be sketchy and unreliable which sucks, even the best brands like Duracell, I buy a pack, I bring some camping a few times and when I need to replace batteries they're dead, even though I stored them proper out of cold and heat and they were only bought a couple months before, and then I'm stuck in the wilderness with no batteries that work, that happens to me so much. And battery powered lights fail me a lot. I had a nice little tac-light kind of metal pocket flashlight and it was so bright, but then after a couple years it got dimmer and dimmer even when I'd put brand new batteries in. Now I put new batteries in it and it will last maybe 6 hours and start dimming, Idk why.
And I'm also going to invest in a goot lightweight solar panel, not like the solar charging banks but just the straight panel, my friend had one from the store he works at (harbor freight) and he said they don't even carry that model anymore, and it was really nice. I plugged my phone and my own solar bank into his solar panel and charged them both and they charged so fast, and it had a meter on the back that told you how many V were being transfered. It was lighter than my power bank but folded out nice and big, and I think that's why it charged everything so fast. I charged my bank and ohone, my other phone that I use for photos, and both my friends' phones, in about 3-4 hours while we were having coffee and breakfast in the morning. I need me one of those panels so bad. It's sunny every day here so I'd never have to worry about things dying. And solar banks are super nice because it gives you just that much edge, that you can charge up more whenever there's sun, and not just off the power you charged it up at home. I even hang solar power banks off the back of my backpack or front of my straps depending on which way I'm hiking, so the sun is shining on them and charging them, and when I get back to camp they have a little more charge to work with. I haven't run out on even one power bank even though I bought a second for backup, the solar trickle charge always seems to save me even on 2 day trips, that it still has barely one LED of power by the time I get home, and my phones die fast too so it gets used. And I also have my phone plugged in all night while sleeping because I have to play thunderstorm sounds to sleep (yes it's pretty stupid lol insomnia is a nightmare) and even that doesn't kill my power bank before I leave.
@@-desertpackrat I did pick up this exact headlight and im loving it! i find the Yellow/amber light on it carries very far in pitch black darkness and is much easier on the eyes too! The internal battery is definitely nicer than i thought it would be lasting very long after all, i did end up replacing it with a few AAA batteries after a week long camp (using it only a little every evening for some reading and getting stuff around camp really) but am very impressed with it.
It's not a cheap light and there might be better ones out there for the price im sure (since i think Luke's reviews are usually very fair and good) but i am a big fan of the Warm light this light has many others dont.
Recommend this headlamp for sure!
If you do a review on Petzl Duo S, I would appreciate it!! Thanks!
Luke. I don't use headlamps but I sure could use a review on the sunglasses you recommend. I like the ones you are wearing right now. I don't live in snow but I fish. Sun in the face. I am ready to step up from cheap but not into fashion but functionality. Thank you for your reviews. Peace out. Rob.
If you want a pair for the outdoors Julbo is the way to go.
I run the Explorer 2s with the high mountain photochromatic lenses. Great for snow glare and have removable side shields.
They make other models as well.
Kinda pricey I guess but they have some more wallet friendly options.
I can always count on TOGR for a honest and agenda free review, knowing Luke doesn't benefit himself financially speaks volumes.
Never wander into the deep dark woods with one source of light. Redundancy is very important. Spelunkers may carry three or four backup lights, it may be a matter of life or death in a cave
Two is one, one is none.
I think you got the kelvin numbers mixed up? 5700 is the cooler tint and 3000 is the warmer tint
I bought a two-pack of headlamps from Walmart for $10!! The headband is easily adjustable, there's a high and low mode, and 3 triple A batteries will last many many hours. I can't understand why I need to buy expensive gear that doesn't hold up as well as some basic stuff. And I hike and backpack ALL the time.
i think the ut27 is almost perfect for me during trail run in Malaysian forest. comparing it with my friend who is using white led from petzl headlamp...running at pace 5 in the woods with yellow lamp as spot light really helps like alot. too bad the hinge is weak af, its a common problem. i hope nitecore can fix this issue in their next v2 ut27. love the size the weight, the yellow light and lastly the swapable battery
I've used a lot of lights that had warm vs. cool mode and found they're more better used for different purposes, not preferences. You'd use cool light for seeing far away like hiking, trail running etc., but if you're sleeping in your tent and need to wake up and go pee, turning on a bright white light can be really irritating, for me it's actually painful, my eyes are that sensitive lol, I keep glowsticks or red lights so if I need to get up in the dark I don't blind myself. And other things, like I cook by darker, warmer light sometimes because it draws the insects less and I'm not blinding myself with my lights shining off my pots. So warm light is more for when you're in the dark already and trying to go easy on your eyes, or be stealthy. Their issue is that they made the cool light sooo dim, a cool light should be bright af because that was supposed to be your far-light and the warm light is your close-light so you don't have to see so much blue and white light reflected back at you in close range. (kind of like the other thing I use a lot, a dimmer mode on my phone that changes the white/blue light to more red orange tones so my eyes don't hurt). Like in comparison to this one, I bought a 2 pack of some for way cheaper (like $20 maybe? not sure but I could look it up) and they are so bright even on the low modes, that it's blinding to use them in the tent, I have to use the red mode or a glow stick.
ANd on that note I should also add, they have battery powered "glow sticks" now, it's pretty cute lol my mom got me some yesterday for my birthday because she knows how I like glow sticks. One is green and one is purple, the purple one is really nice and kinda easy on the eyes in close quarters. Cool, kinda novelty, but I'll definitely get use out of them.
Black Diamond headlamps i have a astro 250 and I think it amazing the run time is crazy long
The only logic I can see would be Nitecore trying to replicate a sodium light in an effort to draw less bugs at night.
It's to "cut through fog".
I agree with your review I have the same headlamp and while I'm somewhat happy with it. I use it for landscape photography mostly the red light function I use before sunrises or for astrophotography, and because it's super lightweight but notice while using it on the trail at night it just doesn't produce enough light. Do you have a headlamp recommendation that you use at night for backpacking or hiking?
People who go caving sometimes prefer a warmer light, as they are in smaller spaces, white light reflecting back can be a strain on the eyes, but warmer light less so. I've only been caving a couple of times, and not for any great time, so it's not been something I've bought into.
Another great video! With the functions this headlamp has, I would label it as capable in no-light situations, not applicable for outdoor/rural low-light use.
Have you tried the headlamp that uses strip lights? It lights up the whole front of you, I thought they were pretty cool but you never know, it may not have any throw really. I'd like to see you try one check it out.
This would be a good area to pursue. Thanks for the hard work!
2700K warm yellow light is better for penetrating fog & rain. Plus it is less fatiguing & preserves night vision more. If you need more fog penetration, you have to use a pure red light.
Is there is too much red in the amber color? Yellow is suppose to increase contrast--shooter's glasses, fog lights, etc.. But I think they have it backwards with the bright white flood. I would prefer the distance beam to be a yellow/white cold led and the flood to be warmer.
I have one and it’s in my tool box and that’s all I do with that one. I have better ones I use for outdoors at night.,.great review because what you said is exactly how the light is.
Good and practical review. Appreciate the real world demo.