1. Introduction:
As the handheld flashlight industry seems to go through unstoppable improvements, people often overlook the utility of headlamps. We must not ignore, that for several activities it is more advantageous to have both of our hands available. Flashlights with reversible pocket clip might offer lot of versitality: we can just pull them out from the pocket, attach them to our baseball cap. However, we must not forget one thing: not all of us wear baseball caps, especially in work! That’s where headlamps come into the picture.
Allow me to introduce the Nitecore T360 Rechargable Headlamp!
2. Video Review:
This thread also includes a video review, check it out to see the headlamp in action! I do video reviews almost every week!
3. Packaging:
The Nitecore T360 comes in the usual, black-yellow, tactical looking cardboard packaging. The headlamp is included in the front case, the headstrap can be found in the rear compartment.
On the front side we can read the maxium Lumens output (45 Lumens), the beam range, peak-beam-intensity, and the maxium runtime.
And what is even more important, that we will find the words “USB Rechargable”. I will get back to this soon.
On the rear side we can see some ideas for carry options, and the usual contact information of Nitecore.
4. Size and weight:
The headlamp body itself is very small, and lightweight, thanks to the hardened polycarbonate material.
The following properties apply to the body, excluding the mount and the headstrap:
Length: 58.7 mm / 2.31 in
Head size: 24.2 mm / 0.95 in
Weight: 20.6 g / 0.73 oz
On the following picture we can see how the Nitecore T360 *compares *to some other common flashlights in size.
Left to right: Thrunite Ti3, Olight S1, Nitecore T360, Nitecore Tube, Thrunite TN12 [2016])
Left to right: Thrunite Ti3, Olight S1, Nitecore T360, Thrunite TN12 (2016)
5. Headstrap:
The packaging of the T360 includes a Nitecore-branded headstrap. It is made out of a breathable, elastic *nylon *material. The lenght can be adjusted to our heads size. It is important to mention, that it only comes around the head on the temples, there is no strap to hold on to the top of the head.
I found the headstrap really comfortable, even after extended period of time. The material is very soft, and does not rub the skin.
6. The mounting bracket:
The mounting bracket is made out of hardened polycarbonate material as well. It has offers to important features:
- attaches the headlamp to the bracket with a spherical joint
- includes a pocket clip for lightweight carry option (especially when we unmount the headstrap)
7. The spherical joint:
The spherical joint is one of the main selling point of the Nitecore T360. Unlike most convictional headlamps - which can be only pointed up-down - the Nitecore T360 allows absolute freedom when it come to aiming our light. In my opinion, this versatility is most practical when we attach the headlamp to somewhere, to lighten up our work-area.
8. Body:
As I mentioned, the body is made out of a hardened polycarbonate material, allowing the T360 to be significantly more lightweight, than the common aluminum headlamps.
The stripes on the body allow a better grip on the T360. The headlamp is dust and waterproof according to the *IP65 *standard.
On the side, we can see micro-USB charger, covered by a soft rubber. It opens much more easily, than the cover on the Nitecore Tube, but I found it tricky to seal off.
The electronic switch is covered with rubber as well. The stiffness is just perfect, there is not much chance of accidental activation.
9. Operation:
The Nitecore T360 offers 2 mode-groups. We can choose constant light output, or various flashing outputs. Cyclists will definitely appriciate the strobe function, so they will be more visible on the street, where the lighting is not sufficient.
The access the constant light modes, we have to long-press the button. There is no mode-memory, so always the low mode will come up. The modes:
- Low: 2 Lumens (21 hours runtime)
- Medium: 15 Lumens (1h 45 minutes)
- High: 45 Lumens (45 minutes)
We can cycle around the modes by short-pressing the button. To turn the light off, we have to long press the button.
To access the flashing modes, we have to double tap the button in an OFF position. To cycle through the frequencies, we have to short press the button. The frequencies are only rough estimates here!
- Slow strobe (~1,5 hz)
- Medium strobe (~3 hz)
- Fast strobe (~12 hz)
The intensity of the strobe is the maximum 45 Lumens.
10. LED, Beam pattern
The Nitecore T360 features a reflectorless Cree LED. The LED-type is not specified anywhere, we can only guess that it is the same, as the Nitecore Tubes LED. The *reflectorless construction offers an extremely broad, non-concentrated beam* in front of us. I believe this is the perfect pattern for up-close work.
For me, it is a common problem, that my eyes adjust to the brightness of the central hotspot, when I use a typical flashlight with a reflector. However, that is not the case with the T360, which goes *MUCH easier *on the eyes. Another great feature compared to the Nitecore Tube, that the LED sits a bit deeper inside the body, which means it will not blind our periphery while wearing it.
The beam color is Cool White. Tint feels close to ~5000k, which is a great improvement on the Nitecore Tubes horrible blue tint (6500k).
Here we can see the beam profile, where we compare the T360 (left) with the Neutral White variant of the Thrunite Ti3 (right). The T360 is set to 15 Lumens, while the Ti3 is set to 11 Lumens.
I think the picture speaks for itself. The distance from the wall was 70 centimeters.
The beam angle is 100 degrees, which can be seen in the following picture. (left to right: Thrunite Ti3, Olight S1, Nitecore T360, Thrunite TN12 [2016])
11. Night-shots:
The reflectorless design makes the T360 a great indoor headlamp, but the lack of focus reduces the range by a large extent. Nitecore specifies the maxium range to be 30 meters. In my testing I found the real-word usable range to be 10 meters. The peak-beam-intensity is 230 candelas.
The distance to the desk is 1.5 meter, on these sample pictures.
Low mode (2 Lumens)
Medium mode (15 Lumens)
High mode (45 Lumens)
Another shot in High mode, the distance to the wardrobe is ~6 meters.
I found the 45 Lumens with this large spread to be an adequate amount of light for various indoor activities, especially for up-close.
12. Charging:
So what to do when the juice runs out of the T360? Fortunately we don’t have to mess with switching/charging the batteries, since the headlamp comes with an inbuilt Lithium Ion battery. It is not specified, but the capacity estimates ~150 mAh. We can charge it using the micro-USB port, found on the *side *of the body. Any standard Android smarthpone charger should work. It can also be connected to Laptops/PCs for a quick daily juice.
The micro-USB port cover opens very easily, without using too much nail. Unfortunately sometimes it can be hassle to close it back perfectly. All in all, there are no serious problems with the charger port during everday usage.
While the flashlight is charging, a red LED indicator glows up. The charging takes ~50-60 minutes from 0% to 100%. When the headlamp is fully charged, the LED indicator turns green.
Of course there is inbuilt overcharge protection: no worries if we left it on the charger overnight!
13. Pros/Cons:
Pros:
- Inexpensive (18-20 USD)
- Reflectorless LED for eye-friendly up-close work
- Adjustable intensity, to save battery
- Very lightweight, just a few gramms
- Flashing mode makes it a great cycling light
- 360 degrees adjustable angle for huge versatility
- USB reachargable, no hassle with batteries
- The headstrap is comfortable to wear
Cons:
- The battery-life could be definitely longer. I would not mind some added thickness, if that was the cost
- The LED should be offered in Neutral White tint, for better color rendering, and even less stress on the eyes
- The micro-USB cover can be sometimes flimsy to close, I would definitely avoid deep water
14. Summary, Final score:
For 17-20 USD the Nitecore T360 is one of the best entry level headlamp on the market. For hardcore users who need 1000 concentrated Lumens with several hours of battery life, this is not the go-to headlamp. But for occasional daily usage, the T360 is one of the most versatile headlamp right now, especially if we carry a powerbank, or when there are computers in the vicinity to charge it.
The T360 will definitely be a permanent buddy in my workbag, if that means something 
Final score: 8.5/10
I removed 1 point because of the weak battery life, and 0.5 point because it should be offered in Neutral White tint as well (do not forget, that color rendering can be a deal-breaker for some jobs)
I hope you guys enjoyed the review, please check out my other video reviews on my channel, I have plenty more! Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel, so I can keep you updated with weekly gear reviews!
The Nitecore T360 Headlamp was provided for review by Gearbest