If you’ve had the pleasure of owning a Goal Zero product, you likely know that Goal Zero isn’t in the business of cutting corners and releasing sub-par products.
The Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 USB rechargeable lantern is no exception. Goal Zero has created a top quality lantern that is durable, conveniently sized, and offers useful features that every camper will apprecaite.
This is why the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 is one of top-rated rechargeable lanterns.
Read on to find out why we like this lantern so much.
Check Out Our Post On The Best Rechargeable Lanterns to see even more great lanterns.
Overview of The Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 Rechargeable Lantern
| Editor’s Rating | 32/35 |
| Brightness | ★★★★★ 400 Lumens |
| Battery Life | ★★★★ 2.5 – 48 hrs |
| Weight / Size | ★★★ 1.1 Lbs – 4.5 x 5 x 6.5″ |
| Durability | ★★★★★ |
| Features | ★★★★★ Crank charging, Device charging, Emergency light, Built in charging cable. |
| Ease Of Use | ★★★★★ |
| Overall Value | ★★★★★ |
| Price | $69.95 |
| Purchase | REI |
Pros
- Hand crank charging for emergencies.
- Red flashing emergency light.
- Can charge other devices like phones and GPS.
- Bright 400 lumens.
- 48 hour battery life on low setting.
Cons
- A bit on the large and heavy side for backpacking and lightweight camping.
Editor’s Opinion
While not exactly cheap, the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 also isn’t expensive, especially when you dig into all the features that this lantern packs in. While some might find the $69.95 price tag a big much, I don’t exactly consider this a con.
I do fear for the longevity of the built in charging cable. Personally, all my cables have eventually failed me. If this cable fails, the lantern will be useless. That being said, it does fell very well built and may not fail me at all!
Overall, I absolutely love the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400. It is a great lantern that is perfect for almost any type of camping from car camping to backpacking.
Purchase
You can purchase the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 at REI.
About The Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 Rechargeable Lantern
Brightness
At 400 lumens of brightness on full power, the Lighthouse is the 3rd brightest rechargeable lantern that we reviewed. This lantern can easily be your basecamp lantern as 400 lumens is more than enough to light up a small campsite.
Battery Life
The battery life on the Goal Zero Lighthouse is about what you would expect for a 1 lb, 400 lumen lantern. You’ll get 2.5 hours at full brightness. But a nice feature of the Lighthouse is that you can chose to only turn on half of the leds in the lantern and save some power. On it’s lowest setting, you can get a nice 48 hours of run time.
Battery / Charging
With the built in USB charging cable, you can have a full batter charge in roughly 5 hours.
My favorite feature of this lantern however, is the built in hand crank charger. Solar charging is nice, but what if you run out of power in the middle of the night? With the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400, simply start turning the hand crank to power your lantern.
1 min of hand cranking will produce 10 minutes of light. So a simple 6 minutes of hand cranking will keep your lantern running for the next hour.
Weight / Size
The Goal Zero Lighthouse weighs in at 1.1 lbs, which is on the heavier side of the lanterns we’ve reviewed, but not too heavy. This should only be a concern if you’re looking for a lantern for a backpacking trip, canoe camping, or a trip with a significant hike in.
Packing the Lighthouse shouldn’t be a concern unless space is extremely limited. With dimensions of 4.5 x 5 x 6.5, I’d call it a small “big” lantern.
Durability
As with all Goal Zero products, the Lighthouse 400 is extremely durable. Nothing about the build of this lantern doesn’t feel extremely solid.
The folding legs do not come out, which was the first thing I tested.
The knobs and charging cable all feel like they should last indefinitely. Even the hand crank is solid and well built.
Features
As I’ve already gone over in this post, the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 has some great features that campers are going to love.
Often times, extra features aren’t very practical in camping gear. But with the Lighthouse, that is not the case.
First off, never be stuck in the dark again with the hand crank. The hand crank is great and I wish my other lanterns had this built in.
On the front of the lantern you’ll find a built in charging cable which is great for guys like me who constantly lose every cable you own.
A battery level indicator lets you know how much batter life you have left.
A USB port for charging your devices is conveniently located on the front of the lantern as well, though I do wish it had a cover in case of dirt or water getting into the USB port.
Finally, a red emergency flashing light located at the top of the lantern is great for survival situations.
Ease of Use
A simple knob on the front of the lantern controls the light. Turn it to the left to turn on half of the LEDs and control their brightness or turn the knob to the right to turn on all of the LEDs and control their brightness.
Everything about this lantern is completely intuitive and extremely easy to use.
Overall Value
While the $69.95 may be slightly on the higher end for rechargeable lanterns, the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 packs enough features and has a high enough build quality that it is easily worth the price tag. This lantern can be the last lantern you buy.
Final Opinion
I really enjoyed the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400. If you are in the market for a rechargeable camping lantern, this is a fantastic lantern that can be used on all types of camping trips.
If you’re looking for something smaller, check out the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini or Biolite Sunlight and if you want something cheaper but size isn’t an issue, check out the Ozark Trail Rechargeable Lantern.
Purchase
You can purchase the Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 at REI.
Check Out Our Post On The Best Rechargeable Lanterns to see even more great lanterns.
- About the Author
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Hey there, I’m Ryan, the face behind Beyond The Tent.
With decades of camping experiences, my journey into the wilderness began on the rustic trails of a farm in southern Minnesota, where my childhood was filled with explorations and camping by a picturesque river.
My family’s adventures across the United States, from the majestic Colorado mountains to the serene national parks and the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Northern Minnesota have given me a broad perspective. With each journey, whether in state parks or private encampments, and through the homely comfort of our camping trailers, we’ve amassed a trove of stories, experiences, and invaluable camping wisdom.