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Nitecore UT27 Trail Running Headlamp – Reviewed & Tested

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April 2, 2025

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Do it all headlamp or specialist piece of kit? Tim took the Nitecore UT27 to the Blue and Snowy Mountains for some rigorous testing.

Damn, headlamps (or ‘torches’ as my Dad would insist) have come a long way. No, don’t worry, I’m not going to wax lyrical about LEDs like I’ve never seen them before, but my formative years hiking and camping always involved bulky, heavy, and dim headlamps that always went flat.

This 74g number from Chinese brand Nitecore is pretty far from that.

The UT27 is pitched as a trail running headlamp, which means it has to be light and comfortable, whilst offering a bright, broad beam that lasts, ideally, for the whole run.

I’ve got a few other things I’m looking for though. Can I use it for things that aren’t trail running? Is it worth the $140 asking price? (To be fair, you can probably get the UT27 head torch for much less.) Does using it make my heart sing? All this and more after a brief interlude.

Why am I the right person to do this review?

Hi, I’m Tim. I’ve worked at We Are Explorers for 8 years and been trail running for 9. I’ve owned headlamps since they had incandescent bulbs, used to sell them at a quaint little chain called Adventure Megastore, and I regularly get caught out after dark (this is called being ‘benighted’, which makes it sound like it wasn’t your fault).

I love good tech but I also have a low tolerance for nonsense, so I plan to tell it to you straight with Nitecore’s UT27.

Quick Specifications

Lumens: 800 lumens in turbo, 500 in more sustainable ‘high’
Light modes: White light, warm light, and red light
Power: Dual power, removable HLB1500 Li-ion battery pack or 3x AAA batteries
Waterproof: IP66 weatherproof
Weight: 74g
RRP: $139.95

Performance

Dual-Lens Beams

The first thing that stands out is the lens setup. There’s no customisation here, just a wide beam paired with a spot beam, blended with something called TrueVision+ tech. Google returns zero hits on ‘TrueVision+’ but it’s safe to say that it’s a very nice beam.

Bright enough in the centre with an incredibly even fade to the edges and 100 degrees of illumination.

In practice this meant I could see the edges of Narrowneck fire trail whilst running in the middle of it under a starry sky, perfect, tick.

Dual Colour Temperatures

This is a feature I’ve never had before, and golly do I love it. I even got compliments out on the trail. ‘Nice light!’, ‘Such a great colour!’. Essentially the ‘W’ button (don’t ask, don’t know) gives you a standard bright white light, while the ‘Y’ button (again, what) gives you a warm, daylight infused shade.

White is 6,500k and warm is 3,000k, for all you bulb-heads. I use the warm light exclusively, I’m not sure I can ever go back. It’s slightly less bright but it cuts through fog better, so it’s a yes from me.

Brightness

Every headlamp has a boost mode for marketing purposes and the Nitecore UT27 is no different. Hold down either button whilst it’s on and the headlamp will recruit all its LEDs to deliver 800 lumens of retina-burning goodness.

This TURBO mode will burn down the battery in two hours, but you’ll only get two and a half from the 500 lumen ‘High’ mode. Luckily, high mode is more than bright enough for nighttime trail running, because the heat coming off the thing in TURBO was slightly alarming and the instructions recommend not leaving it in this mode.

Now, a qualm. I’ve taken the UT27 on a bunch of multiday hikes and my biggest issue is that it’s too bright. At only 100 lumens I find it too bright to read a book in my tent, and obnoxious in a shared hut. There’s a lamp bag that has helped here (more on that in the design section) but to be honest, I shouldn’t have to resort to the 10 lumen red mode for any non-trail use.

Durability

I’m sus on all plastic designs and anything that uses the bending of plastic to close or seal. Unfortunately, Nitecore love it and the battery pack access uses plastic clips and hinges. They’re still usually fine for many years, however in this case part of the plastic hinge on the battery pack opening broke off at some point. It still works thankfully, but kind of proved my point.

Beyond this the design of the headband and buttons feels on the premium side, particularly the headband.

Battery Life

One of the exciting features of the headlamp is the ability to use a dual power source. This is definitely an optional inclusion for brands but it does increase the versatility and it’s a pretty important feature for a headlamp aimed at ultra runners. However, the Li-ion battery far outperforms 3 x AAA batteries, check it out:

Pretty crazy difference right? You’d be much better off buying some spare Nitecore batteries if you’re planning to burn through them in one push often.

Most people aren’t though, and if you can run in the perfectly-fine mid mode with three AAA’s in your pack, you should be able to run through the night.

For hiking and other uses, it’s oodles of power and I haven’t had to charge it often. This is good, because the charging is a bit fiddly (you have to remove the battery and plug into it directly, and the indicator light is very weak).

Comfort

Ok so we’ve got nice bright warm light, a great beam, decent runtime, are we on here? Wait, can I wear it without wanting to tear it off after five minutes?

Thankfully, the answer is yes. Nitecore seemingly put as much of the R&D budget into the band as the rest of the torch, and it’s the best one I’ve ever used.

The elastic weave is full of holes that really help it to breathe.

There’s a silicon band around the front that diverts sweat that builds up on your forehead (stopping it running into your eyes), and adjustment on the fly is simple, even one handed in some cases.

It’s also bright yellow and reflective, which may be an acquired taste but it’s super safe so that’s a tick from me.

I like the thick band, it spreads the load nicely, which allows me to run it a little tighter. I just have one, small complaint…

There’s nothing between your head and the headlamp itself but the band, and you can feel it on your forehead. I reckon a bit of foam would go a long way, but maybe I’m just soft.

Design

Stability

I also had my concerns as the design puts the battery up front. Many headlamps (like the BioLite which I adore) move this to the back, which creates a stable counterbalanced design. It’d probably cut the weight sitting up front in half.

My longest usage of the Nitecore UT27 was the Narrow Neck night run, a 25km trail race in the Blue Mountains that begins at sunset. With the pounding pace and steep descents I was hoping to emulate Katie Schide and Germain Grangier, the two pros with UTMB podiums to their name who adorned the box it came in.

It was ok. Probably a bit bouncier than expected if I’m honest. The fit is great (more on that later) but the weight gave it just that little bit of movement at pace that felt a bit flickery to me. At slower paces and when walking, it’s brilliant.

Tilt Angle

You can adjust this, thankfully, through a range of 90 degrees. Realistically though, there are only five pre-set stops and this includes vertical and horizontal. So you’ve got three pre-set angles to play with that aren’t dead flat or pointing at the ground, which isn’t that many.

In practice, this was fine, I’d alternate between two of the middle ones and if it wasn’t quite right, moving the head torch slightly on my forehead would get it all Goldilocks. That being said, the BioLite HeadLamp 750 manages to offer a few more angles.

I didn’t have any problems with the lamp losing its position, but I do have my concerns long term as the adjustment relies on plastic-on-plastic. It’s a pretty common design, but I felt it should have been tougher to move on a brand new headlamp.

Diffusing Stuff Sack

This was such an unexpected yet delightful surprise! The Nitecore UT27 comes with a small white bag to store it in, which I already loved as it gave the headlamp some protection when it was loose in my pack.

And then I found out that it doubled as a lantern! I’ve used it a bunch of times already in the tent and around various hut camping tables. It takes a bit of fiddling to get the right angle with the upturned lamp but once it’s set it’s properly delightful.

I’m not sure how much credit I can give Nitecore for this design, given that I’ve seen very similar from Petzl. And the bag’s drawstring already fell out. But I appreciate the inclusion and have used it on nearly every adventure I’ve taken with the headlamp.

Sustainability

As we said in our review of the Nitecore NU25 headlamp, Li-ion batteries can reduce the discarding of 900+ AAA batteries over a battery life cycle, which is a win for the bank balance and the environment.

The Nitecore website doesn’t mention sustainability at all which is a bit lacking and not the standard that’s commonplace among outdoor products these days. There’s a ‘social responsibility‘ page but it only features an article from 2015 so it’s not current.

Whilst we know that customers are price-motivated, we believe that all outdoor brands have a responsibility to protect the planet, so we’d love to see more effort from Nitecore in this space.

Price

You’re looking at $140 for the Nitecore UT27, though as usual you’ll probably find it a bit cheaper than that around the traps (Ultralight Hiker often has deals). This makes it pretty competitive with the BioLite Headlamp 750 coming in at $199, the Black Diamond Sprinter 500 at $159.99, the Petzl IKO Core at $209.95, or the catchy Fenix HM60R 1200 Lumen also at $159.99.

All of those headlamps feature a rear battery with more straps and bulk, so if you value simplicity and versatility along with competitive brightness and battery life, the Nitecore stacks up pretty damn well.

Final Thoughts

I really like the Nitecore UT27. It feels like they took a regular headlamp, like a Black Diamond Storm, and thought ‘how can we make this work for running’ without resorting to the same playbook as most other brands.

Compared to other front-battery mounted headlamps, the Nitecore UT27 is the most stable I’ve used, with the best beam for running and the lightest weight. For running it’s not as good as rear-mounted options, and it’s surprising that as far as I can tell, Nitecore haven’t done this for any of their *checks notes* 25 different models.

However this means it’s been my choice for multi-day hikes, as it’s very lightweight and compact. With a few tweaks like more adjustable brightness and perhaps a slightly stronger focus on durability and sustainability, it’d be the perfect all-rounder.

FAQs Nitecore UT27 Trail Running Headlamp

Is the Nitecore UT27 headlamp good for hiking as well as trail running?

Yes! While designed for trail running, the Nitecore UT27 is lightweight, has a great beam, and offers excellent battery life, making it a solid choice for hiking, camping, and general outdoor adventures.

Is the Nitecore UT27 waterproof?

The UT27 has an IP66 rating, meaning it’s weatherproof and can handle rain and splashes, but it’s not fully submersible.

What makes the Nitecore UT27 headlamp different from other trail running headlamps?

The standout features of the Nitecore UT27 headlamp include dual-color temperature lighting (white and warm), a diffusing stuff sack for use as a lantern, and a lightweight design at just 74g, a unique and versatile combination.

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