Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station Review

Whether you require power while camping or simply looking for a reliable emergency power supply, Goal Zero Yeti 400 portable power station helps you. It keeps all your essential devices charged on the go. The support for multiple options to deliver power depicts its versatility. Some of portable power stations from Goal Zero even support fast charging.

The compact size confirms that it can fit perfectly in a car. So, you can always keep your power-hungry devices charged during long road trips. Despite being capable to provide massive power output, Goal Zero Yeti 400 doesn’t generate fumes or pollution. Get acquainted with one of the best portable power stations as discussed in the following Goal Zero Yeti 400 portable power station review.

Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station

If you are looking for an efficient portable power station in the Goal Zero power stations then this Goal Zero Yeti 400 is for you. It works as a huge capacity power bank designed to operate your phones, lights, laptops, and other tiny appliances in a power outage situation. Whether you require power when camping in a trailer or tent or are willing to get a reliable power supply for emergencies, this Yeti 400 portable power station keeps your devices charged.

The available AC, 12V, and USB outputs help you to power multiple devices. These outputs help you to plug in 7 devices simultaneously. Moreover, the pure sine wave inverter delivers clean power. From the informative LCD screen, you can know the amount of power you are using. So, you can estimate the runtime. While positioning solar panels, the real-time input/output calculator is useful.

To operate, just plug it into a standard electrical outlet or a solar cell, or a car’s cigarette lighter. No worries about which regulator or controller to use for charging it properly.

Key Features

• The 396Wh lead acid battery can power a maximum of 7 devices simultaneously.
• Power can be drawn from pure-sine wave inverter (continuous 300W, 600W surge) or 2.1A USB ports, or 120W ports.
• When used as a gas-free generator alternative, there will be zero emission of fumes and noise.
• For long runtimes, the built-in battery is chainable with other 33Ah lead-acid batteries.
• Recharging times are respectively 5 hours from an AC outlet, 13 hours from a 12V outlet, and 8 hours from Goal Zero’s monocrystalline solar panels.
• Because no gasoline is required and zero emission of toxic fumes, this power station is entirely safe to use in a home or outdoors or car.

Final Thoughts

From the above Goal Zero Yeti 400 portable power station review, it becomes quite clear to pick the most suitable power station meeting your needs. It is competent enough to power various types of devices at once. For instant power supply anywhere & anytime, this equipment proves to be so much reliable. Goal Zero Yeti 400 keeps your electronics and other appliances charged and running for a long time.

Top 10 Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station Reviews

1. Great power station – Goal Zero Yeti 400

This is our second one of these power stations. It is great. The inverter works very well, and the various different output formats meet our needs. We have a place that is off the grid, and so we use lite-a-life lights, and charge our technology this this power bank. We use two 100W Boulder solar cells as input, and it pretty much is always charged up after a day or so. It isn’t too heavy, and the display lets us know how we are doing with charging (though it is mostly for just curiosity, since it usually is charged). We use this instead of the newer lithium units so we can chain it with some older Yeti 350 lead acid units we have around. Overall this is a very effective unit, and you can replace the battery when it gets old and doesn’t hold much of a charge (which ours did in about 5 years or so). It is great, we wouldn’t be without it!

2. Not about the capacity, but about the system itself. Perfect.

I bought Goal Zero Yeti 400 to power my 1971 Aristocrat LoLiner for a 5 day 4 night stay at Assateague Island in Maryland. We have two small fans that are around 20w each, and a handful of LED lightbulbs that use 4w each. We also have a fridge but we left that at home and opted for a cooler with ice, knowing the pull the fridge creates. I went with the Goal Zero because I didn’t feel knowledgeable enough to purchase the right inverter and batteries to hard wire my own system, but knew that I could expand with this as the core to build the off grid system I wanted for my camper. The capacity of the Goal Zero itself is not enough to power even the most energy efficient camper, as ours was depleted almost completely after one night (I know I know, that’s not ideal I get it).

However, with the GoalZero I purchased, and 100W 12V Solar Panel to build my own solar kit. I understand Goal Zero has their own kit, but it seemed like it was overpriced and not prime eligible at the time of this purchase. After the first night of testing the unit’s limits on its own, we hooked up the solar and were amazed to find out that it stayed at 100 percent during the day and that we were generating more power than we were using. At night, we had the fans on for most of the evening and the unit didn’t dip below 60 percent before the sun came up and started charging it again. All I did was throw the solar panel on my roof (I didn’t try to angle it or anything), and had it plugged into the Goal Zero.

Overall, 5 stars. I couldn’t give it four stars for capacity since I knew that coming in, and it was expected. The fact that it was small enough to fit in the same outside storage as our extension cords and other electric hookups makes it invaluable. I now plan to expand on the system by adding additional 12v batteries and possibly another solar panel (maybe a wind one?). Highly recommended.

3. I own two Goal Zero Yeti 400 for 3 years and no problems

I have two units I paid $430 then I really like them today I saw them on an Amazon deal $320 and bought another even if the standards of 2 years ago improved and better ones out there competing. I don’t care these are great and instead of having I got a big battery bank with electric cords running all around my house after a power outage. I could separate them ( they are stacjkable ) put one in any room I want and use my big battery bank for the big current eaters . I actually have it running all year 24 7 to power 3 aquariums the 12 volt led lights 30 watts and 3-10 watt pumps on 24 hours lights 5-6 hours

They are always plugged into either 1 -27 watt solar panel ( all power) or two 27 watt panels one in each unit which charges much faster .if weather forces me I will hook up a 50 or 100 watt panel normally used on a larger bank . You should not exceed 100-120 watt panels . they have never dropped below 11.8 volts.

One thing not mentioned is they can be stacked still 12 volts just double run times also not sure if it’s my cables but my iPad and iPhone will not charge from the USBs on the unit they will from an ac adapter plugged into the unit which wastes power due the D.C. To AC conversion.

4. Better than expected!

My wife has a special type of Cpap machine and we love to camp the entire week at the Sturgis Rally, but where we camp there is no electricity. She can’t sleep without it because of her medical condition, and can’t just substitute a more portable Cpap machine. We’ve been thinking of getting a generator for a while now anyway, because of the Cpap machine, but also for other reasons (charging cell phones, etc), for when the electricity goes out at our home (which happens more often than I like). This baby does the trick! I’m very happy with it. You can recharge it via solar panels, the AC plug, or the 12 volt in the car. It never went down past half charge the entire week. I bought the little Nomad 20 solar panel to help charge it on our trip, but there were just too many trees around to be efficient, but I do keep the panels in my window at home and it keeps the Yeti 400 charged up all of the time, so that it’s ready to go on a moments notice. I always charge my cell phone and ipad off of it at night, and it gets charged during the day from the sun. It is a great mobile power source! It would make a great power source for non-emergency situations too… like tail gating, or plugging in lights for parties that are too far from the house, etc. I’m happy very happy with it. I’m sure I’ll find other uses for it in the future, as well. Keep in mind – this is NOT a generator… it doesn’t generate anything… it just stores power (like a battery). The benefit of this model is that you can also hookup more 12 volt batteries to it for more extensive use. Also, it is “solar” ready… it already has a converter it in, so ready to hook up to your solar panels (consult the instructions on amp limitations). A couple of cons… It’s heavy (30 lbs.), so hiking with it is definitely off the list. It is a little pricey, but I got it on sale, and worth every penny. The great part is that if the battery ever goes bad (it will be a while), you only need to replace the actual battery unit, not the whole entire thing.

5. Charges my Laptop

I live in an apartment so I needed a small emergency power solution. I searched on Amazon and found these goal zero “generators.” It’s relatively inexpensive compared to other emergency generators. The unit itself is easy to operate and has intuitive buttons. The cables are easy to understand and install. It’s also nice that the matching solar panel and alternative charging cables can all be bought in one spot. Overall I’d say the Goal Zero Yeti 400 is a great choice for somebody looking for a fast and easy emergency power source for temporary power outages like might happen after an earthquake or hurricane. I tested it out when I received the unit and it will charge my laptop. The manual says it outputs 2.6 amps from the standard wall outlet plug, and my laptop charger requires 2.5 amps. I don’t think this will run my standard coffee maker though because my coffee maker requires 7.5 amps. Either way, its nice to be able to charge phones, laptops, or other portable digital devices in a pinch. I’ll probably upgrade to a lithium version of this at some point, but the lead-acid battery model is a cheap way to get a few years of peace of mind for emergency situations.

6. Heavy, but works great, love it.

The unit needs to be plugged in, so get it out of the box right away. It needs to stay plugged in to AC according to the instructions, for best long lasting performance. I read that these batteries go dead after a few years, but so far, new, it is working great! I have not plugged it into the solar charger unit, just have been using AC. During our frequent power shut offs for fire safety, we use this battery. We have an LED shop light that plugs right into the battery and the LED shop light is able to light up our entire living area for hours and hours. It also will charge your phone, and it might charge other devices. Easy to use, but you have to look at the unit and study the qualities for a few minutes. And you have to understand which plug hole does which function. I’m going to buy another one for my other room. These would work great for travel, they plug into AC to charge, as well as solar panels.

7. My first venture into solar and very pleased with Goal Zero Yeti 400.

This is my first purchase in the solar arena. I thought it would be a great back up source of power if we get hit by a hurricane or some other storm that causes power outage. Living in an apartment, I am not allowed to have a gasoline generator, so this will be perfect. I plan on purchasing a 100 watt solar panel to charge this in less time than the 2 20 watt ones I have now. They are great for charging small items directly from the panels, but had I known, I would have just purchased one of the Nomad 20’s and purchased at least one 100 watt solar panel. So, live and learn, and I am planning on expanding my solar input sources and adding a 38amp AGM battery or two using the Anderson Power Port to chain together with the Yeti. Am playing with different electronics to see what the power draw is from the yeti, and brushing up on my Volts x Amps = Watts to know how long I can power any given item with a fully charge Yeti 400.

8. For CPAP use: You may want to change some settings on your CPAP machine.

I used the Goal Zero Yeti 400, for the first time this past week. My husband & I were “dry camping” in our travel trailer for 3 nights. (We were not plugged in to electricity). My plan was to use the Goal Zero Yeti 400 to run my CPAP machine. (ResMed Air Sense 10). The first night, I got 7.5 hours and used 100% of battery. I realized that I needed to change some settings my CPAP. I turned off the heating unit under water chamber and turned off the humidifier function. This reduced the power draw! Nights 2 & 3, I used CPAP for 9 hours and just used 60% of the power. I had daytime access to recharge the Yeti 400. I needed to allow 5-6 hours to recharge. I am happy with my purchase and I feel that it is a benefit to have it on hand for emergency use.

9. CPAP user – NO POWER, NO PROBLEM!

My husband saw an article in his most recent Handyman magazine, regarding the Goal Zero Yeti Portable Power Station. We have been looking for something battery operated to run his CPAP machine in the interim, when we experience minor power outages, before setting-up the generator and all it’s components (gasoline, oil, cords etc……). My husband made me read the article and it sounded like just what we were looking for, so I looked online and found this Goal Zero Yeti 400 while in progress of a limited time sale. We couldn’t believe the VERY REASONABLE PRICE with FREE SHIPPING and placed our order immediately. We realize our needs are different than those of campers and outdoorsman so the difference in overall weight (30 lbs +/-) is acceptable as compared to the Lithium battery version (16 lbs. +/-) at MORE THAN TWICE THE PRICE!!!. Our Yeti won’t leave the bedroom (it’s smaller than our 4 slice toaster), unless we need to recharge it using our vehicle. We have already ordered the cord necessary to charge our Yeti using the 12V port in our SUV. Although we just received our Yeti today, it is being charged as I type and we’ll be ready for it’s first use. I can’t imagine having any problems with this well made, quality product and am thrilled that timing was on our side and were able to purchase our Yeti at a GREAT PRICE. This is EXACTLY what we were looking for. We would highly recommend this Yeti 400 Portable Power Station.

UPDATE – Finally got to use our Goal Zero Yeti 400 Portable Power Station. OUTSTANDING!!!!! We lost power at 1AM during a driving rain and heavy wind storm but had the Yeti ready to go. When our Yeti arrived, we charged it fully but it had lost some of it’s charge while in storage (down to about 40%). My husband slept soundly through the night with his CPAP machine. Although the Yeti did eventually run out of power, my husband was fine until daylight when we fired-up the generator. What a GOD SEND!!!! Our Yeti has already been recharged to 100%. The electric and telephone repairmen that came to our home were both CPAP users and we HIGHLY RECOMMENDED they look into buying a Yeti. Thanks again for a quality product.

10. Also works great as a portable power supply for my drone and …

I use Goal Zero Yeti 400 plus a 100w solar panel to offset some of my electrical use during the day time. Namely a small PC and two 24″ monitors. Also works great as a portable power supply for my drone and laptop as well. You can easily increase the capacity by hooking up 33ah batteries to it (Google / Youtube it). Allowing you to double, or triple the capacity on demand. I also like how you can attach an external charge controller or use the built in charge controller.

If you’re looking to go off grid at your camp site. This is the way to do it. If you’re RV’ing it up and don’t want a generator.. Look into the larger 1200 model and a few solar panels + charge controller. You won’t be able to run a AC unit or gaming computer off the 400w unit.. However, you will be able to use more power efficient equipment with it.

Enjoyed this Goal Zero Yeti 400 review? Then be sure to check out the other guide of the Best 300W Portable Power Station.