Tag Archives: nitecore

Shooting Sports

Nitecore NPL25 GL

Nightcore’s new NPL25 GL is one of the brightest compact weapon lights available. Its adjustable clamp allows it to be used on a variety of pistols. In my tests, my unit could output a maximum of 825 lumens, close enough to its rated 900 lumens. In addition to its brightness and CCW-friendly size, it also features a laser and removable built-in battery pack.

Its removable battery has LEDs which indicate its charge level. In theory, you could buy extra battery packs to swap out. But replacement battery packs are not available for sale on Nitecore’s website which seems like a huge oversight. A fresh battery pack can run the NPL25 for over 35 minutes in high mode.

My key issue with the NPL25 isn’t the battery pack, but with the proprietary magnetic USB cable used to recharge the pack. Unfortunately, Nitecore did not design the NPL25 to use a USB-C cable or a phone-compatible wireless charger. I spoke to them about this at SHOT Show 2025 and they revealed to me, they will be releasing a USB-C charging station that ships with 2 spare batteries. Problem solved.

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SPECS

NPL25
Max Output: 900 Lumens
Max Beam Distance: 255 m
Max Beam Intensity: 16000 cd
Max Runtime: 0 h 35 m / 0.02 d
LED: NiteLab UHi 20 LED
Battery Detachable: 500mAh Li-ion Battery
Dimensions: 56.0mm x 33.0mm x 32.0mm (2.20″ x 1.30″ x 1.26″)
Weight 66 g / 2.33 oz

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Nitecore Luminblade EDC29

6500 lumens is a lot of light. Several flashlights now can output that much brightness or more, but typically they are the size of small water bottles. The Nitecore Luminblade is the first pocket-sized EDC that can output 6500 lumens.

I found out the hard way that 6500 lumens isn’t just bright, it’s freak’n hot! When I pressed the button to test out its max output “Lumen Shield” mode, I immediately saw smoke and smelt burnt plastic. At first, I thought the unit was defective and burnt itself out but upon closer inspection, I discovered a hole melted through the outer layer of my puffy vest, right through to the insulation. Damn!

The unit is made of lightweight metal alloy with a few plastic plates which look like heat dissipaters but the fact they are plastic makes me think otherwise. It has two activation buttons at the top, a smaller primary on-off/mode button, and a wider and slightly recessed multi-function button; which can be configured for Lumen Shield, Search, or Strobe modes. The flashlight has mode memory.

There is a small but very informative LED display near the activation buttons. This display shows the brightness mode, lumen output, estimated run time, battery level, and voltage output. Under a silicone cap near the buttons and display is a USB-C charging port. Opposite the charging port is a button lockout switch, which seems like a good safety precaution after accidentally burning a hole in my clothing.

Given its high output and wealth of features, it shouldn’t be surprising that the EDC29 has a decently long runtime. Nightcore claims a 2hrs runtime when started in High (1200 lumens). In my test, my unit exceeded 3 hours (stepping down to low mode after about an hour).

Overall this is an impressive EDC flashlight in most respects. The only disappointing thing is that it is only IPX5 water resistant, which means it is rainproof but won’t survive dropping into a toilet bowl. To be better Nitecore should add the option of a double-bend pocket clip to allow you to clip it onto a cap brim as a headlamp, and a magnetic panel to allow the unit to be affixed to metal and be used as a work light.

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SPECS

Max Output: 6,500 Lumens
Max Beam Distance: 370m
Max Beam Intensity: 35,360 cd
Max Runtime: 61hrs (15 lum)
LED Type: 2 x UHi 20
Battery: Built-in 2,500mAh LiOn
Beam color: White
Length: 133.5mm / 5.26 in
Width: 34.6mm / 1.36 in
Weight: 160g / 5.64 oz
IPX Rating: 5/4