Goal Zero Yeti 400 Review: Should You Buy It?

I love camping. However, as most campers know, spending extended periods of time in nature presents challenges unique to modern life.

The great explorers of the past didn’t have to worry about snapping pics for the ‘gram.

As such, I’ve been trying a lot of different portable power station units lately. Now, I’ve tried a few lithium power stations, but I thought this time I’d try a lead-acid power station on my quest for portable power.

I’m sick of my phone running outta juice while camping or during a blackout, so I thought I’d see if the Goal Zero Yeti 400 would fulfill my needs.

What Is The Goal Zero Yeti 400?

The Goal Zero Yeti 400 comes with multiple electronic ports for charging all different devices, including:

There is a fold-away carry handle for easy portability, and the LCD screen display tells you all the essential information you need to know at a glance. You can see both the input and output in watts, and you can also keep an eye on the battery level so you know when you’ve got a low battery approaching.

While 400W is a decent capacity for a portable power station, it’s worth noting that this product weighs a whopping 29 lbs, which is pretty heavy for a modern power station.

However, if you’re driving to a campsite and then leaving the Yeti in your tent, then it shouldn’t be a problem. But if you lug it around during an emergency, it can be.

How Long Does The Yeti 400 Last?

In practice, this battery has a 6-month shelf life and can last around 500 life cycles before reducing to 80% battery capacity.

The Yeti is powerful enough to charge:

If that sounds like enough juice for you, then this power station might be worth a shot.

What Can The Yeti 400 Power?

The Yeti 400 is good for charging smaller, everyday items that don’t have a huge power draw. It’s perfect for small appliances like mini-fridges, although you need to be mindful that they will drain the battery quite quickly.

Most people use these batteries for small digital devices like cameras, phones, and tablets while they’re in the great outdoors.

You could also use it as your home’s backup electricity generator, but it would only work for smaller devices.

Personally, I like to use the Yeti 400 to power my camping lights that keep my tent nice and visible. By the time I’ve powered by camping lights, charged my phone a few times, and charged my tablet a couple of times, I can normally get 2-3 days of use out of this thing.

How Do You Charge A Yeti 400?

You can charge a Yeti 400 in 3 main ways:

1. Solar power (via a compatible solar panel kit)
2. AC outlet (i.e. a regular home power outlet)
3. 12V DC car charger (cigarette lighter slot)

How Long Does It Take To Charge A Goal Zero?

Depending on the charging method you choose, the amount of time it will take you to charge the battery will vary.

Results may vary slightly for different users and scenarios.

Goal Zero Yeti 400 Benefits

Can Be Eco-friendly

Basically Silent

Some portable power stations can get a little noisy, especially if they’ve got fans to cool them down, but the Yeti 400 doesn’t make any noise at all.

This is ideal if you’re using it to charge devices while you’re sleeping nearby. However, the enormous weight of the battery cancels out this convenience for me.

Can Operate In High(ish) Heat

The Yeti 400 can operate in temperatures of around 32-104°F (0-40°C), which is more than enough temperature range for most people.

However, I do like to camp at the height of summer, and sometimes my tent can get very hot inside.

Now while I don’t think my tent has ever gotten to 104°F (40°C), it has gotten to the late 90s before now, which starts to make me a little nervous.

Goal Zero Yeti 400 Shortfalls

While this power station was enough for my basic camping needs, it wouldn’t be my first choice as a recommendation to people.

Sure, it’s a decent price and it does the job for many people’s needs, but there are many things about the Yeti 400 lead-acid version that is sure to influence people’s reviews.

It’s Really Friggin’ Heavy

It’s nice to know I’ve always got a backup light source in the woods with this.

But for something that’s going to charge my phone and my iPad a few times, this thing weighs A LOT. Now I understand that this is the cheaper lead-acid battery version, so it makes sense that it weighs a lot, but it’s still really infuriating.

For example, the lithium-ion battery version of the Yeti 400 comes in at just over 16 lbs, nearly half the weight. If you’re going to be moving this by long distances on foot, it’s not ideal.

It Doesn’t Come With Much

The Battery Indicator Is A Little Vague

The LCD display screen on the Yeti 400 comes with a battery indicator, but it’s a little vague, to say the least.

Basically, it shows you how much battery you have left in 20% chunks only.

So you can see whether the battery is between 0-20%, 20-40%, 40-60%, 60-80%, or 80-100%.

While I’m glad that there’s some indication of the battery level, most modern power stations like the Jackery Explorer 500 show you a specific percentage, so it feels a little outdated to be using a system like this.

The Warranty Is A Bit Short

The Yeti 400 power station comes with a 6-month warranty, which seems a little short for a product like this that costs several hundred dollars.

If you read many Yeti 400 reviews, a lot of people complain about how their power station broke just after the 6 months warranty was up, leaving them out of pocket.

That hasn’t happened to me yet, but I’m on the edge of my (outdoor) seat worrying about it.

Pros and Cons Summary of the Goal Zero Yeti 400 Solar Generator

Things To Consider Before Buying A Portable Solar Generator

Battery Type

Some battery types are cheaper than others, but that’s often because they weigh much more and have a lower capacity than their counterparts.

For example, the best power station units come with lithium-ion batteries, and these tend to be very light. However, you’ll pay for the privilege of such a good battery.

On the flip side, older types of batteries (such as a lead-acid battery) are cheaper but can weigh twice as much as lithium batteries. Are you willing to carry around a very heavy battery for the sake of a couple of hundred dollars?

Your Power Requirements

How much power do you actually need? There’s no point in buying a 2,000W huge power station if you just need to charge your phone a few times on a camping trip.

Consider all the electronic devices in your life that will need charging on a trip. Then, estimate how many times you will need to charge each device and do the math from there.

However, if you’re looking for backup power in your home during a blackout and you want to be able to use your fridge or freezer and other large appliances, you need a considerable amount of juice.

Solar Panels Charging

If you’re after a portable power station that can be charged with solar panels, then great! That’s good for the environment and we’re all about that here at GreenCitizen.

However, certain batteries only work with certain types of solar panel kits depending on their wattage. Make sure your power station is compatible with your solar panel kit.

Ports

If you’re just charging smartphones and tablets, then a few USB ports should do the trick for your needs.

However, if you want to use laptops, mini-fridges, small TVs, and other such appliances, you’re going to need an AC outlet with enough wattage to power your items.

FAQs

The Goal Zero Yeti 400: Should You Buy It?

If you need even more power than that, I’d also recommend the Jackery Explorer 1000 due to customer reviews and my own experience.

The Jackery 500 and 1000 units are made with a lithium-ion battery, so they’re much lighter, coming in at around 13 lbs and 22 lbs respectively.

This makes them much easier to carry if you’re taking them on long walks or hikes.

I mean, the Explorer 1000 has more than twice the capacity of the Yeti 400 and it weighs 7 pounds less.

The Jackery products also have extra features like built-in LED flashlights for emergencies - they’re very well-suited to campers and preppers. They also tell you the exact percentage level of their battery, so you know exactly how much juice is left before you run out.

If you’re a fellow camper, I’d say go for the Jackery 500 or Jackery 1000.