Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 Lantern Review

Matt By: Matt | Last updated January 25, 2018

camping lanterns, goal zero, lantern, green, lighthouse 400

9.2 / 10

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PROS:

  • Can recharge it in three ways (via USB, via a solar panel, via its hand crank)
  • Light weighted
  • Foldable legs; easy to pack and carry
  • Has a USB port where you can recharge your smartphone, tablet, etc.
  • Bright (400 lumens on its highest setting)

CONS:

  • Can’t replace the battery
  • Quite expensive
  • Sometimes the USB port doesn’t work properly
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SUMMARY:

The Lighthouse 400 is the brightest camping lantern manufactured by Goal Zero. It is a wonderful lighting device that provides up to 400 lumens, it has a USB port that you can use to charge your smartphone or other mobile devices and it is light weighted, weighs only around one pound. The only drawbacks are the fact that it is a bit expensive and it doesn’t have replaceable batteries, so you have to be able to recharge it via USB, solar panel or using its emergency hand crank.

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COMPLETE REVIEW

Goal Zero Lighthouse 400 is manufactured by Goal Zero, a company which is specialized in solar power products and other outdoor lighting equipment. Goal Zero was founded in 2009 and in 2014 was acquired by NRG Energy Inc., a large American enterprise.

Goal Zero has a wide range of items for sale, from solar kits and panels to lighting gear for various outdoor activities and sports, such as camping, hiking, hunting and more.

All the Goal Zero products come with a 30 day money back guarantee and one year warranty.

The Lighthouse 400 is an awesome camping lantern and power hub at the same time. It has 400 lumens on its brightest setting, which makes it the brightest lantern created by Goal Zero so far. The lantern has a 1.5A USB port and an internal lithium battery of 4,400mAh, so you can also recharge your smartphone or other mobile devices from it.

The lantern is LED based, which explains its powerful light and provides a 360 degree field of light, meaning you can see all the surroundings. It is equipped with two 30watt LEDs.

The lantern is also very light, it weighs only 1.1 pounds and it also has collapsible legs, which makes it easy to store and carry around. The Lighthouse 400 comes with a hanging hook so you can place it almost anywhere you need to.

When it comes to consumption and run times, the Lighthouse can last between 2.5 and 48 hours, depending on the brightness level you choose (full – 360 degrees; half – 180 degrees, emergency red light). It has a Li-ion NMC battery. The bad news is that you can’t replace the battery cell when it runs out of power. The good news is that there are three ways you can recharge it: through a solar panel, using its hand crank (in case of emergency) or through a USB power source. One minute of crank gives you 10 minutes of light on a low setting. If you are willing to pay extra, you can buy the Goal Zero Nomad Solar Panel for instance, precisely for this purpose. With the solar panel you can recharge your lantern in 7 to 14 hours. However, you’ll have to pay more for the solar panel than for the lantern, as it costs around 100 bucks.

The Lighthouse 400 has a power indicator in the form of four blue lights, when the lantern is fully charged.

The lantern can be used in three modes: using its highest 360 degree setting, using only half of the power (the 180 degrees setting) which saves power, or in its emergency mode (a red blinking). The brightest mode can light up to a 50 ft. diameter.

The USB port can help you completely charge your smartphone in approximately 5 hours. As for the lantern’s dimensions, it is 4.5 X 5 X 6.5 inches.

The Lighthouse 400 can be a good choice for backpacking, due to its foldable legs and light weight. It can also be a good addition to your emergency kit, but if are not using it regularly, make sure you charge it every 3 to 6 months, to make sure it remains functional and you can rely on it when the time comes.

Pricing

On the official Goal Zero website, the Lighthouse 400 goes for $79.95. If you also want to purchase the Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel recommended for charging the lantern, you’ll have to pay another $99.95.

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Help/Support

Phone: Toll Free: 1-888-794-6250

Working hours for their corporate office: Monday – Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM (MT)

Email: [email protected]

Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goalzero

Goal Zero offers an impressive customer support. You can contact them via live chat, phone, e-mail and there are a lot of help resources on their website: FAQ section, user guides, order tracking, a section on warranty and returns and more.  They are also present on basically any social media channel you can think of. Their live chat hours are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM (MT).

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Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.

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