Good throw is not what you expect from a compact headlamp, especially models with a built-in battery. And Nitecore NU31 has really good throw. This headlamp has its own flaws, but it has a lot of advantages too. Lets take a look at them all
SPECIFICATION
- 3 light sources: main far from SST12-W LED, red, diffused white HiCRI
- Maximum brightness 550lum
- Built-in Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 1800mah
- Type-C charging port
- 2 button control
- Indication of the remaining charge level and the charging process
- Aluminum front, polycarbonate back
- IP66 dustproof
- Dimensions and weight: 62.34635.6mm and 76g (95.5 with headband)
WHERE TO BUY
Package and design
Nice package, perfect for a gift. I really like the package design that Nitecore ended up with.
Kit includes the headlamp itself with a head mount, type-c charging cable to, manual and warranty card
The headband is soft, without perforation and gel strip. However, there are reflective elements.
And here is the Nitecore NU31 itself. The headlamp is designed in the general style of modern models of this line, which is very pleasant for me.
It is worth noting that in addition to the black one, there are also orange and blue versions.
This is a fairly compact flashlight, however, in the Nitecore NU line there were and are models with significantly smaller sizes. To simplify, the dimensions of the Nitecore NU31 are quite comparable to something 3AAA\ 2AA.
The body of the flashlight, by the way, is not plastic, as is often the case with headlamps with a built-in battery. The main part of the body, however, is made of aluminum, which should (we will check further) have a positive effect on heat transfer and cooling. And, of course, the aluminum housing significantly increases the overall hardness of the flashlight.
The inclination of the case is fixed by a ratchet, traditional for such sort of headlamps.
U can also see 4 LEDs of a simple indicator of the remaining charge level (and the charging process too).
There is a Type-C charging connector at the bottom side
The battery capacity is 1800mah (ie 6.6Wh). A third more flows in, according to tester. So, with losses in charging, the capacity can be considered real. Well, the declared runtime of work converges too.
But it takes a long time to charge. 3 hours for 1800mah is too much.
As far as I remember, all NU headlamps are controlled by two buttons and NU31 is no exception.
The only possible optic for this kind of headlamps is a plastic lens.
Behind it are: one main SST12-w LED in the center and additional middle and red LEDs on the sides of it. Nitecore does not report the names of the flood light LEDs.
UI
Good, easy UI.
The main thing here is: you can get from OFF to both red and additional flood light. This will be very useful in cases where you turn on the flashlight in complete darkness without going blind.
**[wrap=color color=# bgcolor=red]How Nitecore NU31 shines **[/wrap]
The main LED has a low color rendering index (not a problem for me) and a surprisingly high amount of green tint Well, SST12-W has a good bining LED with way clear light and i`d prefer them.
flood light is totally OK, it is good, i mean really good. And here i don’t care that CRI, according to my measurements, does not reach the declared 90+
Runtime…heh…no even close to stated 8 hours. However, I think that if you turn it on again every time, then in total you can dial about 4 hours, no less. And quite enough for one evening, taking into account the actually good brightness of this mode. That 35% of the high lasts more than 15 hours after the fall.
Turbo starts to fall from the first second. But there are some PROs too:
a) the fall lasts 8 minutes from a cold start and 5 minutes from a hot start
b) the turbo can be started over and over again, it looks like there is a cutoff on the timer. However, you should not abuse it - overheating is possible.
What do they promise, 8 hours High? Well, yes, 7 of them, however, will be at half brightness. However, few manufacturers pay attention to such trifles …
So, let me remind you, here is what we are promised. There is light for every need.
And if we don’t have to talk about some kind of light quality of the main LED, then everything is definetaly good about it`s brightness and range. Nitecore, I understand, markets the NU31 as a lightweight headlamp for trail running and has partnered with a number of professional runners.
I’m not even close to judging how this headlamp is suitable for such needs, but I will say that even the minimum brightness of the main light allows you to clearly illuminate something at a distance of 15m ahead.
Red light is quite bright.
As i`ve said, flood light is good. I have nothing to critisize here. It is quite convenient for reading or movement within the camp. Please note that the red light is very bright.
Once again, it is clearly seen that even the minimum brightness of the flood light is sufficient.
That is 15 meters to this old house. And you can see this green tint of light, as well as you can see that Nitecore NU31 can illuminate this old shack evin in low modes.
I must notice that thought i`m really agains such a tint, i undestand that when you use flashlight outdoor, in nature, among any vegetation, this parasitic shade will not be visible. So I do not think that he will confuse any of the runners.
I also note a surprisingly good throw, which you would not expect from such a compact headlamp.
and here is video review
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
Nitecore NU31 has only one significant drawback, but I liked this headlamp even with it. This, of course, is about a high admixture of green to the main light. I would have put the flashlight “excellent!” mark if light was clear cold white because Nitecore NU31 has everything that I would like to see from a lightweight headlamp with a built-in battery. Now it is a solid “good”. Not bad as well, huh?
If it were an EDC flashlight, it would be impossible to put up with it. But Nitecore NU31 is supposed to be used for running in nature, where this green tint will be invisible. However, I repeat, I am in no way related to the target audience of this model and my opinion is worth little here.
If this tint does not bother you, then you will get a lot of pleasant things, namely:
- good, actually good throw , which is enough for you even at low brightness
- 2 levels of pleasant flood light , comfortable both indoors and camping
- bright and long lasting turbo main light
- stabilized brightness
- bright red light, maybe even too bright
- good UI with instant access to low and red light
I suppose that for a wide mass of ordinary users, all these advantages of the Nitecore NU31 will outweigh the disadvantages. I do not presume to judge the opinion of representatives of Target Audience - trial runners .