Nitecore NU25 MCT UL Headlamp Review
The NU25 MCT UL is Nitecore's 47 g cord-headband headlamp, and the MCT part means warm and neutral beams alongside the cool white one. In October the black version cost about $10 less than the yellow.
The verdictLight, warm-capable and cheap in black. A camp light rather than a riding light, and it needs a power bank on longer trips.
The Amazon US listing, sold by Lumen Tactical and shipped by Amazon, is the NU25 MCT UL in black, the cord-headband version of Nitecore's current NU25. It was $29.56 on 7 October 2026, against $39.95 for the yellow version, whose bullets still repeat the older NU25 UL's copy. Nitecore gives 47 g with the bracket and cord, a 700 mAh built-in cell, 400 lumens and 132 m of throw, with USB-C charging in about an hour and a quarter.
MCT stands for three white colour temperatures, 3,000, 4,500 and 6,500 K, alongside a red auxiliary light, and the listing pitches the warm setting as easier on the eyes in fog and rain. The integrated cell is the design decision to understand before buying, because there is nothing to swap when it runs flat and a power bank becomes part of the system. Nitecore rates the body IP66, which covers heavy rain and jets of water but not immersion, and impact-resistant to 1 m.
Owner reports stood at 4.7 stars across 1,205 ratings in October 2026, shared by both colours, and Amazon's review summary counted 38 negative mentions of battery life out of 129. Read 400 lumens as a camp light rather than a bar light, enough to cook by and to walk a bike down a short section but not enough to descend on. The 45-hour runtime is at the 6-lumen ultralow setting, so carry the cable on anything longer than a weekend.
What works
- 47 g with the cord headband
- Warm, neutral and cool white beams
- Independent red light
- USB-C, about 75 minutes to charge
What doesn't
- Built-in cell, no field swap
- Not bright enough to ride by
- 45 hours only at 6 lumens
- Battery life draws the most complaints
Buy it if
Riders who want a 47 g camp and tent light with a warm beam and already carry a power bank
Skip it if
You need a light to ride by, want swappable AAA cells, or go days between chances to charge
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