Goal Zero Yeti 500 Portable Power Station
SVT Score, Lower
499.2 Wh LiFePO4 station at 16.1 lb with an IPX4 case and a sub-20 ms switchover, held to 500 W of output and 200 W of solar.
$500
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Usability
4.2 out of 10It stores 499.2 Wh, the bottom of the compact tier, so it scores 1 on capacity.
Better on capacityBLUETTI Pioneer NaStores 900 Wh. $700Scores 5.0Its inverter is rated 500 W continuous with a 1,000 W surge, the lowest output this category admits, so it scores 1 on power output.
Better on power outputBLUETTI Pioneer NaInverter is rated 1,500 W continuous. $700Scores 7.0Goal Zero states a full wall charge in 1.4 hours in High Speed mode, against about 3 hours in the Low Speed mode it ships in, and solar input tops out at 200 W, so it scores 4 on recharging.
Better on rechargingBLUETTI Pioneer NaA full wall charge took about 63 minutes in testing. $700Scores 7.0Goal Zero rates the cells for 4,000 cycles to 80 percent capacity, so it scores 8 on battery life.
It switches from grid to battery in under 20 ms, but it takes no expansion battery and Goal Zero's transfer switches require a Yeti 1000X or larger, so it scores 5 on backup readiness.
TÜV Rheinland lists it to UL 2743 by model, so it scores 6 on verification.
Goal Zero's policy gives it 5 years, so it scores 8 on warranty and support.
Its warranty runs 5 years on its LiFePO4 Yetis, the Yeti PRO 4000 included, and 2 years on NMC models, with 30-day returns on goalzero.com orders.
Built for rain, capped at 500 watts
The Yeti 500 is Goal Zero's 499.2 Wh LiFePO4 station, a 16.1 lb IPX4-rated box with two 120 V outlets and flaps over its ports.
It suits a buyer who wants a weather-resistant half-kilowatt-hour box for camp loads and a router in an outage, and who will not plug in anything drawing more than 500 W. $499.95 at goalzero.com.
Strengths
- IPX4 rating with flaps over the ports
- 4,000 cycles to 80 percent
- Grid-to-battery switchover under 20 ms
- Full wall charge in 1.4 hours in High Speed mode
- 100 W USB-C port
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth app control
Drawbacks
- 500 W continuous output
- Solar input capped at 200 W
- No expansion battery or transfer switch
- Ships in a Low Speed mode that takes about 3 hours to charge
- No built-in light
Specs
- Capacity450-699 Wh
- AC OutputUnder 1,000 W
- Output Voltage120 V only
- Battery ChemistryLiFePO4
- Rated Cycles4,000-5,999 cycles
- Safety ListingUL 2743 listed
- Solar InputUnder 300 W
- Backup Switchover11-20 ms
- Warranty5 Years
- Expandable ToNot expandable
- Weight16.1 lb
At a glance
- Two 120 V AC outlets
- 12 V car outlet
- Two 18 W USB-A ports
Goal Zero LLC, founded in Utah by Robert Workman in 2009, was sold by NRG Energy to BioLite in April 2025.
It sells direct from goalzero.com, through its own Goal Zero LLC store on Amazon US, and at REI stores and rei.com.
The Goal Zero Yeti 500 is a 499.2 Wh LiFePO4 station rated 500 W continuous and 1,000 W surge from two 120 V outlets, with a 100 W USB-C port, a 30 W USB-C port, two 18 W USB-A ports, a 12 V car outlet and a 12 V 6 mm port. Goal Zero states a full wall charge in 1.4 hours at 500 W in High Speed mode, against about 3 hours at 240 W in the Low Speed mode it ships in, and it takes up to 200 W of solar at 12.3 to 28 V through its 8 mm input. Goal Zero rates the cells for 4,000 cycles to 80 percent capacity and states a grid-to-battery switchover under 20 ms, and it takes no expansion battery. It weighs 16.1 lb on Goal Zero's spec sheet, measures 11.32 x 7.82 x 7.8 in and carries an IPX4 rating.
