The Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini takes everything that was great from the original Lighthouse rechargeable lantern, and fits it into a lantern less than half the size and weight of the original.
If you’ve ever checked out the original Lighthouse lantern from Goal Zero, it is a great rechargeable lantern. It has every feature you’d ever want, but it’s a little too big for camping trips where size and weight are important.
So Goal Zero released the Lighthouse Mini (version 2) and took off 9 ounces of weight from the original and cut the height and width down by roughly half.
The only noticeable features that are missing from the original lighthouse lantern are the emergency flashing lights and the hand crank to charge the lantern in emergencies. But with an incredible 500+ hours of battery life on its lowest setting, a crank for emergency power feels unnecessary.
Read on to see exactly why the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini tied for our highest scoring rechargeable lantern.
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 | 34/35 |
| Brightness | ★★★★ 210 Lumens |
| Battery Life | ★★★★★ 4 – 500 hrs |
| Weight / Size | ★★★★★ 8 oz – 4.15 x 2.91 inches |
| Durability | ★★★★★ |
| Features | ★★★★★ Device charging, Built in magnets for hanging Built in charging cable. |
| Ease Of Use | ★★★★★ |
| Overall Value | ★★★★★ |
| Price | $39.95 |
| Purchase | Purchase At REI |
Pros
- Amazing 500+ hours of battery life on low.
- Folding legs allow you to set up the lantern almost anywhere.
- Can charge your devices such as phones and tablets with the USB charging port.
- A built in USB charging cable means you’ll never have to hunt for cables again.
- Built in magnets on the battom of the lantern allow significantly more placement options.
- Ease of use is what you’d expect from Goal Zero.
- Low price point for a great lantern.
Cons
- At 210 lumens on the brightest setting, it is not the brightest rechargeable lantern.
Editor’s Opinion
I love the Goal Zero Lighthouse lantern, but in all reality, it is just too big for me to take on my camping trips. It also doesn’t have the best battery life.
With the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini, this is everything I want in a rechargeable camping lantern. It is bright enough, small enough to pack in anywhere, easy to use, and has amazing battery life on its lowest setting.
Purchase
You can purchase the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini V2 at REI.
About The Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 Rechargeable Lantern
Brightness
Probably the weakest point of the Lighthouse Mini is that it only offers 210 lumens of brightness on its highest setting. However, I think that most campers would agree with me that when you’re sitting out in the woods on a dark night, 210 lumens is more than sufficient.
I rarely if ever use my lantern on its brightest setting and prefer to save battery life and my eyes by using my lanterns on their lowest setting for most of my use.
Even on high though, I experienced no lack of light issues and found the 210 lumens to be completely sufficient.
Battery Life
Battery life is where the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini blew away the competition. It can last a whopping 500+ hours on the lowest brightness setting, which you can see in my photos, is still plenty of light.
Of all the rechargeable lanterns we tested, not a single other lantern came close to this battery life. The Ozark Trail rechargeable lantern came in second with 275 hours and the Nite Ize Radiant 314 came in third with 96 hours on low.
On its higher 210 lumen setting, you can still expect 4 hours of bright light.
Battery / Charging
The Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini recharges using a built in USB cable and can recharge in roughly 4 hours. This was the third fastest charging lantern that we tested behind only the LuminAID Packlite Max and the BioLite Sunlight.
Weight / Size
With a light weight of only 8 oz, the Lighthouse Mini is a great lantern to bring along on those trips where every ounce counts. For me, I like to bring along a decent campsite lantern and a headlamp and call it good. So having a campsite lantern that is still only 8 ounces is perfect.
Packing is also important when you’re looking for a camping lantern. With a size of 4.1 x 2.9 inches, it is roughly the size of a baseball and doesn’t take up too much space in your pack.
Durability
As with all Goal Zero products, the design and durability of the Lighthouse Mini feel top notch. Nothing about this lantern feels cheap in any way.
It has an IPX4 water rating, meaning it is resistant from splashing water in every direction. Basically it can handle rain without an issue.
The legs, knobs, and hanging hook are all solid and don’t give me any sense that they will fail me with regular use.
I do have a little concern about the built in USB cable though. Not that it feels cheap or anything, It’s more that I have experienced too many cables failing me and worry that if the cable goes bad than the lantern is ruined.
Features
The Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini has all of the features you want in a good camping lantern.
It gives you plenty of options for placement and set up. With the folding legs you can place it on nearly any surface since they can adjust to uneven surfaces. A hook on the top of the lantern makes hanging easy. Finally, the built in magnets on the bottom are great if you plan on using the lantern around the house (such as under your car hood).
Next, the built in USB charging cable is great since you never have to go cable hunting.
Finally, the ability to charge your devices from the lantern is always welcome. This feature is found on most larger rechargeable lanterns but the Lighthouse Mini is the smallest lantern that offered this feature from my experience.
Ease of Use
Using the Lighthouse Mini is perfectly simple and intuitive. Turn the knob to the right and it will turn on all the LEDs starting at the lowest setting. Turn it further to make it brighter.
Turn the knob to the left and it will turn on half of the LEDs and save you some battery power.
USB charging and device charging are simply plug and play.
Overall Value
With a price tag of $39.95, I think that the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini is one of the best rechargeable lanterns for the money.
It is a great lantern that does everything a camper needs it to do and doesn’t break the bank at all.
Final Opinion
I would recommend the Lighthouse Mini to anyone looking for a good camping lantern who needs to pay attention to weight, size, and battery life.
The fact that it is rechargeable and can charge your devices is a great bonus as is the 500 hours of battery life on its lowest setting.
Purchase
You can purchase the Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini V2 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.