goalzero
Latest
The best portable power stations
By Sarah Witman This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full portable power stations guide here. If you're planning to go off the grid or you're prepping for an emergency, we recommend the Goal Zero Yeti 1000. This portable power station—a giant battery with regular AC outlets on it—can keep your electronics charged and running for hours without the noise or exhaust that comes with a portable generator. After 35 hours testing five top contenders, we found that the Yeti's impressive capacity of about 1,000 watt-hours, easy-to-use interface, and rugged exterior stood out from the competition.
The best portable laptop charger
By Sarah Witman This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full portable laptop charger guide here. We spent 15 hours researching and 41 hours testing five top portable laptop chargers, and we found that the Mophie Powerstation AC is the best option if you want the ability to charge your computer and smaller devices while traveling, in an emergency, or whenever power outlets are out of reach. It can power laptops as robust as the 15-inch MacBook Pro, it's compact and lightweight, and it charges via USB-C—an increasingly ubiquitous standard. Mophie's charger is the one we'd buy ourselves. It's the smallest laptop charger we tested and one of the lightest. But it still performed well in our testing with more than 100 W of power output and enough capacity to bring a dead MacBook Air up to 81 percent charged, even during heavy use. It also has the best look and feel of any we tried—we really like how its slim, portable design and professional-looking fabric exterior is complemented by well-placed ports and a magnetic rubber flap protecting the AC output port. Plus, it's made by a company we trust, and its 24-month warranty is as good as any we found.
The best portable AC power supply
By Mark Smirniotis This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. If you want to power or charge a small, AC-based device such as a laptop when power outlets are out of reach, you should get the ChargeTech Portable Power Outlet (27 amp-hours). It's essentially the same thing as a USB-only battery pack, but with higher capacity and an AC outlet. The ChargeTech stood out among the small models we tested because it offered the best balance of size, capacity, and price. If you need to power more than just a laptop or some other small device but a gas generator is out of the question, we like the Goal Zero Yeti 400 Solar Generator for its higher capacity and output, as well as its top-notch build quality—even if it's too big and too heavy to lug around all the time.
The best portable solar battery charger
By Mark Smirniotis This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After considering 70 models and testing portable solar battery chargers for over 30 hours, we think the Anker PowerPort Solar Lite is the one to get if you need to power a small device in an emergency or off the grid. It can fully charge most phones at nearly full speed with less than a day's worth of sunlight.
Your music festival, upgraded
24 tallboys and 12 packs of ramen might seem like smart packing before a festival, but once you're lost in a field, sunburnt and in the dark, those noodles become nothing more than primitive bartering currency. The primary pillars of any gadget-lover's field-based rocking are light and power. We've got some solutions for that, and a few other festy-tech goodies. You won't need all of this to see you through a weekend -- even we're not this paranoid about running out of juice. But, if you want to make sure your festival is fully upgraded, technology can help. What follows is a selection of gadgets and apps we'd be reaching for if we were heading out into the wild (or at least, TomorrowWorld).
Goal Zero's Lighthouse250 Lantern, solar panel tent charge your gadgets alfresco
Keeping your USB-powered gear powered up while camping in the woods or hiking the Appalachian Trail can prove quite a challenge. Solar chargers and backup batteries can help, sure, but when you're already hauling dozens of pounds of gear, an integrated solution is where it's at. Goal Zero has a pair of new products to help streamline things a bit. First up, the Lighthouse250 Lantern can provide 48 hours of 250-lumen LED output with a full charge, and it can charge up a gadget via a built-in USB port. If you don't have a solar panel handy, you can use the hand crank to juice up the lantern in the field. The company's also teaming up with Eddie Bauer on a solar panel-equipped tent, the 36-square-foot Katabatic 2 -- you'll need to add your own battery pack to store the energy collected from the 18-watt roof-mounted panel. Eddie Bauer has yet to announce pricing for the tent, which should ship next spring, but you can expect the lantern to retail for about 80 bucks in Q4.
Goal Zero and AT&T join up for Street Charge in NYC
Goal Zero's solar charging products are a favorite here at TUAW, and the company loves New Yorkers -- it provided a number of charging products during the power outages after last fall's Hurricane Sandy. Now Goal Zero, AT&T and Brooklyn-based design studio PENSA are teaming up to offer public solar-powered charging stations in NYC. Street Charge will be going live today at Fort Greene Park, with a total of 25 units bringing power to the people this summer. Additional Street Charge devices will be installed as the summer heats up at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Coney Island, Riverside Park, Rockaways, Summerstage in Central Park, Randall's Island, Governor's Island, Union Square and Hudson River Park. The 90-day trial program is light-impact -- solar power means no digging up parks or pathways to lay cable. The top of the "metal tree" is covered with three monocrystalline solar panels to charge up batteries located in the "trunk." There are three tiny tables, equipped with built-in charging cords for iPhone 4, iPhone 5 and phones with micro-USB connectors. Each of the USB ports provides five volts at up to two amps of current (10 watts), enough to fully charge an iPhone in about two hours although the companies expect most people to just "top off" their devices. That current level is compatible with iPad fast charging as well. Three female USB connectors are also available for those who bring their own cords. The bottom of the "branches" feature LED lights to illuminate the area at night. The design of the Street Charge units is also perfect for striking up a conversation with others while your phone is getting juice. Neil Giacobbi of AT&T was quoted about that social aspect on The Verge this morning, saying "What's [the charger scene] going to be like at 4:30 in the morning in Union Square? I have no idea, but we're going to find out." AT&T hasn't said if it will sponsor Street Charge units in other metropolitan areas, but those who are interested in the solar charging stations can get a quote on how much it will cost to deploy one or more in their city. You can also check out this Serbian park charger, flagged by a Verge commenter as an early example of the genre.
AT&T and Goal Zero deploy solar-powered Street Charge stations in NYC, we go hands-on (video)
If you're lucky, your smartphone's battery can just make it through a full day, with the percentage meter dropping to the single digits as you finally get a chance to plug in. With 10 hours out and about, some handsets can't even last through dinner, though, and out of reach power outlets make juicing up at the restaurant a tad inconvenient. Beginning this summer, public power will be much more accessible in New York City. AT&T is partnering with Goal Zero to deploy Street Charge stations in a handful of parks and other locations around NYC. They'll be coming to Fort Green Park on June 18th, and will roll out to Brooklyn Bridge Park, Coney Island, Riverside Park, Rockaways, Summerstage in Central Park, Randall's Island, Governor's Island, Union Square, and Hudson River Park over the next few weeks. Each solar-powered pole, designed locally by Pensa, sports six USB connectors: for iPhones and iPads, there's 30-pin and Lightning plugs, Android and Windows Phone users can hook up to micro-USB, and everyone else can use their own cable with one of three female USB connectors. There's three 15-watt solar panels and a 168 watt-hour battery, enabling each Street Charge to power up to six devices for several days without exposure to the sun. Sure, it's probably impractical to fill your gadget's cell completely, but if you have a few minutes to spare, you'll be able to juice up and go. You can plug in phones, tablets, cameras, or even a Pebble watch -- each cable can pump out up to two amps of 5V power, providing support for just about any USB-powered device. Each weatherproof unit will have AT&T branding, which seems reasonable, considering the carrier is footing the bill here. You should start seeing these pop up at several TBA locations in New York throughout the summer, with more stations to come if the trial's a success. Take a closer look in the hands-on video after the break.
IRL: Goal Zero Sherpa 50 and the HTC One on Rogers
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. For every Engadget editor who's gotten to test an HTC One (that'd be five of us so far), there are two more waiting to take it for a spin. Well, you can cross Mr. Fingas off the list, at least: he's been playing with the One on Canada's Rogers network, snapping photos in the lowest-lit places Ottawa has to offer. James Trew, meanwhile, is excited to finally use Goal Zero's Sherpa 50 solar charger, mostly because it means England is finally getting some decent weather.
Goal Zero brings the Yeti 150 solar generator back from the wilderness
It's not the first gadget to be named after the abominable snowman, but at least this one might save your neck in a tight spot. Goal Zero's Yeti 150 solar charger is designed for use in the great outdoors, packing a 15W photovoltaic panel hooked up to a 150 watt hour battery. It'll be available to buy this Spring, just in time for camping season, and will cost you a not-too-abominable $400. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Goal Zero's Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit powers your tech off the grid
A month after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the eastern seaboard of the United States, there are still thousands of people without power to their homes. Fortunately for many of those people, they've been able to charge smartphones and tablets or run appliances temporarily thanks to Goal Zero, a Utah-based company that produces solar generator kits that can energize anything from a single phone to critical medical units depending on the size. A number of Goal Zero's kits have been donated to the relief effort. Goal Zero provided TUAW with a prototype Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit (US$449.99) that can provide you with off-the-grid energy for your tech equipment. Let's take a look. Design The Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit provides all three parts of a workable solar power system -- a solar panel, a battery to store the electrical energy created by the panel and a way to get the power from the battery to your device. There are actually three pieces to the kit that give you the functionality you need: the Nomad 13 Solar Panel, which charges the Sherpa 50 Recharger that then distributes the power to your devices. An inverter is also available to power AC devices. The Nomad 13 isn't all that large, but will recharge the Sherpa 50's battery in about five hours. That battery will give your laptop two hours of life or an iPad up to 15 hours of happy computing. The Sherpa 50's battery pack can also be charged from a normal AC wall outlet in about two to three hours or from a car power outlet in four to six hours. This is useful if you plan on using the Sherpa 50 for emergency situations; you'll always be able to have a fully charged battery. Then when the power goes out or you're away from the grid, you can simply use the Nomad 13 solar panel to recharge the battery in about five hours. The Sherpa 50 provides 50 Watt-hours of power. Just as a comparison, Mophie's largest battery pack, the Powerstation PRO, provides only about 6 Watt-hours of power in a pinch. In addition, that Powerstation PRO needs a wall outlet in order to be recharged. Not so with the Sherpa 50, since you can be anywhere there's sunlight and recharge the battery pack. You might think that with all of this available power that the kit is huge. Not so; the Nomad 13 solar panel has an area of 10.5 inches x 9 inches when folded, and with the Recharger put into the net pocket on the back, it's only about 1.5 inches thick. Weight-wise, the entire package (without the AC adapter for recharging) is only three pounds, seven ounces. Functionality The Sherpa 50 is nicely constructed and feels very robust. The case that the Nomad solar panel comes in has hanging loops all the way around, perfect for making sure that the panel gets full sunlight for fast charging. There was a plastic covering over the solar cells that I did not remove since the unit had to be returned at the end of the review. The case has a magnetic closure that holds the folding panel closed when in a backpack. Unzipping the net pocket on the back of the panel reveals a junction box that includes a USB port if you wish to try to charge or run a device directly from the sun without using the Sherpa's battery. A color-coded 12V cable plugs into a port on the back of the Sherpa 50 to charge its battery -- that cable is quite long so that the Sherpa 50 can be placed in the shade while the panels are in full sunlight. There's also a "chain" cable for daisy-chaining up to three more panels for ultra-fast charging. Finally, a fourth cable is used to charge up rechargeable AA batteries in one of Goal Zero's Guide 10 power packs. The Sherpa 50 uses a Lithium-Ion NMC battery pack, and can hold its charge for several months. Goal Zero recommends recharging the pack every three to four months or keeping the pack plugged in between uses. On the back is a bright LED bulb that can be used as a flashlight, as well as a bunch of output ports for various purposes -- 12V, USB and a 19V laptop port. Touching the on/off switch turns the battery pack on and displays the state of charge on a small backlit LCD. That LCD also becomes visible when you plug the Nomad panel into the Sherpa 50 for recharging. The final piece of the kit is the Sherpa's inverter "sidecar" (sold separately), which attaches to the battery pack with one bolt and takes the 12 volt input and produces 110 Volt AC power at up to 65 watts. My first test of the Sherpa 50 was to see if I could run my MacBook Air off of the device for a while. To do this, I plugged the MacBook Air's AC adapter into the outlet on the inverter, flipped the switch to "on" and a few seconds later the charging light came on. Success! Unlike some inverters I've used in the past that make an annoying buzz, the Sherpa was virtually silent. Conclusion The Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit is the complete deal for keeping your technology up and running off the grid. Whether you're planning an adventure to a part of the world where power is unavailable or want to be prepared for situations where the power might be out for extended periods of time, it's a reasonably priced solution that can keep your devices going. Unfortunately, Goal Zero has had to push out availability of the Sherpa 50 kit, and at this time it's not available for order from the company's Web site. If you're interested specifically in the Sherpa 50 kit, I suggest that you visit the company's site on a regular basis to see when it is finally available to the public. I'm seriously considering getting one of these units, although I live in a part of the country where the power company does a great job of keeping the lights on. But I do some volunteer work where I need the ability to charge or power devices -- an iPad, a camera and a low-power amateur radio transceiver -- and may not always have access to reliable power. The Sherpa 50 Solar Recharging Kit would be perfect for that use case. Pros Lightweight and compact Ability to charge just about any consumer electronic device Even works (although not as fast) in cloudy conditions Battery pack can hold a charge for several months Additional solar panels can be daisy-chained for faster charging Cons Not available for sale at this time Who is it for? Anyone looking for reliable power for consumer electronics devices in remote locations or emergency situations
Goal Zero's Switch 8 solar charger bundle now available for $100
If you were put off by the price of Goal Zero's Sherpa, then here's something that might be more deserving of that slot in your backpack. The Switch 8 Solar Charging Kit costs $100 and bundles together a 2,200mAh battery and Nomad 3.5 solar panel. The manufacturer says that the 8-watt dynamite-shaped battery can be tanked up via sunlight in six hours, although this time can be reduced to four if you use a USB power source before you head into the wilderness. Interchangeable tips, which will be sold separately in the coming months, will allow compatibility with a variety of devices and also let you use the battery pack as a fan or flashlight -- no cranking or pedaling required.
Goal Zero's Solar Chargers light up the Outdoor Retailer show
The Outdoor Retailer show wrapped up on Sunday in Salt Lake City, Utah, and there were a surprising number of accessories and apps introduced at the annual trade show of interest to TUAW readers. Goal Zero, a company that specializes in portable solar chargers, introduced two new solar recharging kits that are designed to keep your Apple and other devices going when there's no power outlet nearby. The Sherpa 50 (at top) packs enough power to keep your iPad going for up to 15 hours, and can be charged by the sun in 5 to 10 hours with the Nomad 13 solar panel. The Sherpa 50 can also add up to 3 hours of life to your laptop. A much more portable solution to keep your iPhone or iPod touch powered up to 8 hours longer is the Switch 8 (below). Slightly smaller than a roll of quarters and weighing just 4 ounces, the Switch 8 can be fully charged up by the sun in 6 to 12 hours by the Nomad 3.5 solar panel. Pricing for the Goal Zero kits (including the solar chargers and accompanying solar panels) is US$399.99 for the Sherpa 50 and $199.99 for the Switch 8. The kits should prove to be a valuable tool for outdoors enthusiasts and emergency preparation. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Goal Zero Sherpa 50 personal charger hands-on
We're here at CES Unveiled and just got our hands on Goal Zero's new version of its Sherpa 50 personal power pack. Like its predecessor, it's a 50 watt lithium ion power pack meant to give you an extra few hours of juice for your portable devices wherever you go. However, this new version is about half the size of its elder -- not much bigger than three or four CDs stacked together -- and has a removable inverter to slim it down even more. That inverter lets you use a standard electrical plug to re-power your gadgets, but the new Sherpa 50 also has ports built in to allow you to plug in your lap. Available this June, it'll cost $250 as a standalone product and $400 if you want one of Goal Zero's solar panels thrown in for true go-anywhere (as long as it's sunny) computing. Zach Lutz contributed to this report.
