The Yeti 400 is one of the most popular portable solar generators on the market, selling more units on Amazon.com than any other. It packs a ton of power & features into a small, rugged power pack that is perfect for camping and powering small devices in the outdoors.
Quick Summary
Generator Applications | |
|---|---|
Off-grid living | - |
Whole-house backup | - |
Large appliances | - |
Small appliances | + |
Camping/outdoors | + |
RV/boating | + |
Cell phones | + |
Features | |
|---|---|
Battery Capacity: | 400Wh, 33Ah (12V) |
Power Output: | USB (2x), 12V, AC (2x) |
Weight: | 29 lbs (13.2 kg) |
Advantages of the Goal Zero Yeti 400
The Yeti 400 rugged design, useful display monitor and wide range of output ports set it apart from its portable solar generator competitors.
This extremely popular unit delivers 300 watts of pure since wave AC power without the noise and fumes of traditional back-up generators. It’s a favorite choice for people who depend on small medical devices like CPAP.
Large Battery Capacity
This generator features a capacity of 400Wh and 33 Ah.
It can produce 300 watts of pure sine wave AC, which is enough to power a couple of small appliances like a TV, medical devices like a CPAP machine, and recharge your phones and laptop on the road.
Stackable & Portable
The handle on the Yeti is flush with the main body of the generator, making it easy carry – and to stack.
Plenty of Ports
The Yeti 400 provides two 1.5A USB outlets, two AC outlets, two DC outlets, and two 2A outlets, which is plenty enough to power many different devices.
Adequate Power for Many Charges & Uses
The Yeti 400 can crank out up to 400 watts, allowing you to recharge several phones, cameras and laptops or to power a few higher-wattage devices like a small refrigerator or a CPAP machine.
Easy to Read Display
The generator includes an LCD display on the front that shows vital information, including wattage output and battery charge remaining, helping you to know just what your unit is doing, and how long it will last at its current rate.
Limitations of the Goal Zero Yeti 400
The Yeti 400 is one of the most popular portable power packs sold today, but it’s not perfect.
Weight
The generator’s lead-acid based battery is much heavier than a lithium battery, resulting in added weight.
A lithium battery would cut the weight of the generator nearly in half.
Solar Panels Sold Separately
While the Goal Zero is designed as a solar generator, you have to purchase the solar panels separately.
Charging Rate
According to GoalZero, the Yeti 400 can handle a maximum solar panel charging input of 240watts.
At this input, the unit requires about 4-5 hours of charge time.
Using Goal Zero’s largest panel, the Boulder 90, it can take as long as 18 hours to recharge from zero.
The chart below gives you an idea of what to expect using GoalZero’s solar panel options. Due to the charge times involved, we recommend buying the Boulder 90 or using a 100 or 150 watt panel from another vendor.
Conclusion
If you want big performance in a small portable package, the Yeti 400 is hard to beat for the price (less than $400 on Amazon).
This generator is portable & rugged enough for camping, and powerful enough to be an effective backup generator at home.
