How long will the Goal Zero Yeti 500 run a chest freezer?

About 16 hours from a full charge. A chest freezer averages about 26 W (80 W running, on about 33% of the time), and the 499 Wh battery gives about 424 Wh after inverter losses. That is 6.2% of the battery an hour.

Will the Goal Zero Yeti 500 start a chest freezer?

Yes. It needs about 700 W for a moment when the compressor starts, and the Goal Zero Yeti 500 is rated for 1,000 W surge, 1.4 times that. Avoid starting other motors at the same moment.

How much of the battery does a chest freezer use in a day?

About 634 Wh a day (26 W × 24 hours), more than the 424 Wh the Goal Zero Yeti 500 can deliver, so plan to recharge every 16 hours.

Goal Zero · Will it run?

Can the Goal Zero Yeti 500 run a chest freezer (7 cu ft)?

Published October 12, 2026

Short answerYes

Yes. The Goal Zero Yeti 500 runs a chest freezer for about 16 hours from a full charge. It needs about 700 W for a moment when the compressor starts, within the 1,000 W surge rating, then about 80 W while running against 500 W continuous.

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Key numbers

Runtime: 16 hrs; from a full charge
Battery used per hour: 6.2%; at 26 W average

Chest freezer (7 cu ft)

Running: 80 W; 50–150 W range
Start-up: 700 W
Average: 26 W; on 33% of the time

Goal Zero Yeti 500

Battery: 499 Wh; about 424 Wh usable
Output: 500 W; continuous
Surge: 1,000 W; start-up peak

How we worked it out: 499 Wh × 0.85 ÷ 26 W average (80 W × 0.33 duty) = about 16 hours. The 0.85 covers inverter and battery losses. We do not test units ourselves; the numbers come from the official spec sheets and typical device draws. How we pick

Goal Zero Yeti 500

499 Wh · 500 W output · 1,000 W surge · 16.1 lb

Full specs and runtimes

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What else the Goal Zero Yeti 500 runs

One device at a time, from a full charge.

Other power stations for a chest freezer

The nearest sizes that also run it.

Keep going

Real runtime depends on the model you own, room temperature and battery age. The 16 hours above is an estimate, not a measured result.

Common questions

How long will the Goal Zero Yeti 500 run a chest freezer?: About 16 hours from a full charge. A chest freezer averages about 26 W (80 W running, on about 33% of the time), and the 499 Wh battery gives about 424 Wh after inverter losses. That is 6.2% of the battery an hour.
Will the Goal Zero Yeti 500 start a chest freezer?: Yes. It needs about 700 W for a moment when the compressor starts, and the Goal Zero Yeti 500 is rated for 1,000 W surge, 1.4 times that. Avoid starting other motors at the same moment.
How much of the battery does a chest freezer use in a day?: About 634 Wh a day (26 W × 24 hours), more than the 424 Wh the Goal Zero Yeti 500 can deliver, so plan to recharge every 16 hours.