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Goal Zero Yeti 500 Review
499Wh of storage, 182W continuous output, LiFePO4 cells. Listed at $499.95 at Goal Zero.
The Goal Zero Yeti 500 is a portable under 600wh unit holding 499Wh. At $1 per watt-hour it is priced about where the rest of the band sits. It uses LiFePO4 cells rated for 4,000 cycles, so it is built to be kept rather than replaced. This model is discontinued, so stock is whatever is left in the channel.
Manufacturer price at the time of writing. This link is not a paid placement.
Arithmetic on the maker’s published specification; we have not tested this unit. Method and the full comparison are in our power station price index.
What the Goal Zero Yeti 500 will run, and for how long
Runtimes below are calculated from the 499Wh rated capacity, derated to 85% for AC loads and 92% for USB and 12V loads to cover inverter and conversion losses. They are arithmetic, not lab measurements, but they are the same arithmetic applied to every unit we track, so the comparison holds. Anything drawing more than the 182W continuous rating is left off the list because this unit cannot carry it.
| Load | Estimated runtime |
|---|---|
| Phone charge (12Wh) | 38 charges |
| Wi-Fi router (10W) | 42 hr |
| LED work light (10W) | 46 hr |
| CPAP, humidifier off (40W) | 10 hr 36 min |
| Laptop (60W) | 7 hr 4 min |
| 12V portable fridge (45W avg) | 9 hr 26 min |
| 55-inch TV (90W) | 4 hr 43 min |
Real figures land below these. A fridge cycles rather than drawing continuously, and cold weather costs a lithium pack usable capacity, so treat the table as the ceiling rather than the expectation.
Charging and power delivery
Maximum solar input is 200W. At 70% of that rating, which is what a fixed panel realistically delivers across a good day, a full charge from empty is roughly 3 hr 34 min of usable sun.
Goal Zero Yeti 500 specifications
Manufacturer figures, gathered so you can read them against everything else we track rather than against the marketing page they came from.
| Capacity | 499Wh |
| Continuous AC output | 182W |
| Cell chemistry | LiFePO4 |
| Rated cycle life | 4,000 cycles |
| Weight | 16.1 lb |
| Max solar input | 200W |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Price at Goal Zero | $499.95 |
| Cost per watt-hour | $1 |
How the Goal Zero Yeti 500 compares
The closest units we track from other manufacturers in the same band, matched on capacity rather than on price.
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 | EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max 500 | BLUETTI AC50P | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 499Wh | 499Wh | 504Wh |
| Output | 182W | 500W | 700W |
| Cycle life | 4,000 cycles | — | 3,000 cycles |
| Weight | 16 lb | 13 lb | 15 lb |
| Price | $499.95 | $309 | $339 |
| Cost per watt-hour | $1 | $0.62 | $0.67 |
Where the Goal Zero Yeti 500 sits in its band
We track 36 units in the portable under 600wh band with both a price and a published capacity. They run from $118 to $599.95, and from 128Wh to 576Wh. On cost per watt-hour the Goal Zero Yeti 500 ranks 23 of 36, where 1 is the cheapest capacity in the band. That is mid-table: neither the bargain of the band nor the unit you would call overpriced. Ranking on cost per watt-hour deliberately ignores build quality, port selection and warranty, so read it as one input rather than as the answer.
Alternatives to the Goal Zero Yeti 500
Units we track in the same band that are close enough to be genuine substitutes, matched on capacity. Each links to its own review.
- EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max 500 review — 499Wh, 500W output, listed at $309, $0.62 per watt-hour, cheaper capacity than the Goal Zero Yeti 500.
- BLUETTI AC50P review — 504Wh, 700W output, listed at $339, $0.67 per watt-hour, cheaper capacity than the Goal Zero Yeti 500.
- Anker SOLIX 535 PowerHouse review — 512Wh, 500W output, listed at $209, $0.41 per watt-hour, cheaper capacity than the Goal Zero Yeti 500.
- OUPES Exodus 600 Plus review — 512Wh, 600W output, listed at $349, $0.68 per watt-hour, cheaper capacity than the Goal Zero Yeti 500.
Who the Goal Zero Yeti 500 suits
It is a sensible buy for weekend camping, a CPAP overnight, phones and laptops, and keeping a router alive through a short outage. It is the wrong tool for anything with a heating element, and any attempt to run a fridge for more than a day.
Goal Zero Yeti 500 questions
How long will the Goal Zero Yeti 500 run a fridge?
A full-size fridge averages about 50W once you account for the compressor cycling on and off. From 499Wh, derated to 85% for inverter losses, that is roughly 8 hr 29 min on a full charge. A 12V portable fridge draws less and will run considerably longer.
Can the Goal Zero Yeti 500 be charged by solar?
Yes. It accepts up to 200W of solar input. Panels rarely hit their rated figure in the field, so plan on about 70% of the panel rating across a clear day.
What warranty does the Goal Zero Yeti 500 carry?
Goal Zero covers it for 5 years, and rates the cells for 4,000 charge cycles. Cycle life and warranty are different promises, and the cycle figure is the one that tells you how long the pack stays useful.
Is the Goal Zero Yeti 500 worth it?
At $499.95 it works out at $1 per watt-hour. It costs more per watt-hour than the median unit in its band, so the case for it rests on the features rather than on the price. Read the comparison table above against the two closest rivals before deciding.
How we assess these
Every figure on this page comes from the manufacturer, and every derived number, cost per watt-hour and estimated runtime, is calculated the same way for all 437 products we track. That is what makes the comparison meaningful: we are not scoring units against a private impression of them, we are putting published figures side by side and doing the arithmetic in public. Where a manufacturer stays quiet, we say so rather than filling the gap.