The Goal Zero Yeti 500 is a compact 499 Wh station for camping, tailgating and small home-outage jobs like a CPAP, a router or a few hours of fridge time. Its long-life LiFePO4 battery, app control and 90-minute recharge in High mode make it a durable everyday unit. The 500 W output limits it to lower-draw gear, and it has no rated UPS switch-over time.
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A full charge runs a CPAP with a heated humidifier for about 12 hours, one full night with room to spare. With the humidifier off, the same CPAP runs about 60 hours, or seven nights. A full-size fridge lasts about 9.5 hours and a Wi-Fi router and cable modem about 17 hours.
One device at a time, from a full charge. Devices that cycle on and off (fridges, freezers, heaters, pumps) use their average draw.
Battery Wh × 0.85 ÷ the device’s average watts. “Can’t run it” means the device needs more than 500 W or a start-up surge above 1,000 W. Try your own mix in the calculator.
A full answer for each device on the Goal Zero Yeti 500: hours, start-up surge and other units to consider.
Think of the Yeti 500 as the step between the 300 Wh boxes and the 1,000 Wh class. Its 499 Wh is about 1.7 times what the RIVER 3 Plus or Elite 30 V2 holds. That is the difference between a humidified CPAP lasting part of a night and lasting all of it. It is also built for the outdoors: Goal Zero rates it IPX4 for splashes and says it works down to -4°F.
Its limits are output and outage handling. At 500 W continuous it puts out less than the smaller RIVER 3 Plus and Elite 30 V2 (600 W each). Its 1,000 W surge sits right at what a full-size fridge needs to start, so a fridge with a harder start could trip it. A 5,000 BTU window AC and a home oxygen concentrator are out. It also has no rated UPS switch-over time, so do not count on it to catch a CPAP or router the instant power drops.
Weight is the other trade. At 16.1 lb it is still a one-hand carry, but it holds about 31 Wh per pound, while the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 holds about 41. The wall charge takes about 90 minutes in High input mode, but it ships set to the slower Low mode, so switch it before you need it. It cannot take extra batteries.
1,024 Wh · 2,000 W output · 24.9 lb
Pick the C1000 Gen 2 if you can carry 24.9 lb. It has about twice the battery, four times the output at 2,000 W, a 10 ms UPS and a 49-minute recharge with UltraFast on. Its typical price range overlaps the Yeti 500’s.
286 Wh · 600 W output · 10.4 lb
Pick the RIVER 3 Plus for a smaller, lower-cost start that can grow. It weighs 10.4 lb, adds a 10 ms UPS and reaches 858 Wh with an extra battery.
| Spec | Goal Zero Yeti 500 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 499 Wh |
| AC output (continuous) | 500 W |
| Surge | 1,000 W |
| Boost mode (heaters, kettles) | None |
| Battery type | LiFePO4 |
| Cycle life (rated) | 4,000 (to 80%) |
| Weight | 16.1 lb |
| Wall charge time | 1 h 30 min (in High input mode; ships in slower Low mode) |
| Max solar input | 200 W |
| AC outlets | 2 |
| USB-C ports (max) | 3 (100 W) |
| USB-A ports | 2 |
| 12V / car port | Yes (2 DC ports) |
| Expandable | No |
| UPS switch-over | No UPS mode |
| App control | Yes |
| Size | 11.32 x 7.82 x 7.8 in |
| Released | 2024 |
| Typical price | $340–$500 |
Specs come from the maker’s own pages, checked . Runtimes use our own watt-hour math. How we pick
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It doesn’t change your price. How we make money
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It doesn’t change your price. How we make money
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It doesn’t change your price. How we make money
On the Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 (1,024 Wh), runtimes go from about 35 min for a microwave (1000 W) to about 35 hrs for a Wi-Fi router + cable modem, each running by itself.
Swipe sideways to see every device →
| Power station | CPAP with heated humidifier 34 W average | Wi-Fi router + cable modem 25 W average | Full-size refrigerator 150 W running, about 45 W average | 55-inch LED TV 90 W average | Microwave (1000 W) 1,500 W average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 288 Wh | 7 hrs | 10 hrs | 5.5 hrs | 2.5 hrs | Can’t run it |
| Goal Zero Yeti 500 499 Wh | 12 hrs | 17 hrs | 9.5 hrs | 4.5 hrs | Can’t run it |
| Goal Zero Yeti 1000 (6th Gen) 998 Wh | 25 hrs | 34 hrs | 19 hrs | 9.5 hrs | 35 min |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 1,024 Wh | 26 hrs | 35 hrs | 19 hrs | 9.5 hrs | 35 min |
Estimates: battery Wh × 0.85 ÷ the device’s average draw. Real runtime depends on temperature, battery age and how hard the device works.
