Goal Zero say the Yeti PRO 4000 is their most advanced portable power station yet. According to them, it’s rainproof, rugged, and built specifically for the outdoors. These bold claims really got our attention, but is it really the ultimate outdoor power station, or just another oversized battery pack in a shiny suit?
This was our first look at a Goal Zero power station, and from first impressions, we weren’t sure if it was inspired by Tesla’s Cybertruck or a retro 1980s Airstream trailer, but looks aside, we had to put it to the test. Turns out that the Yeti PRO 4000 isn’t perfect, but it impressed us in more ways than we expected. Backed by American-based support, fully expandable, and with one of the most durable builds we've ever seen, this thing feels like it was designed to last. Still, we won't know until we actually put it to the test.
So, let’s dive in and see if it’s worth spending your hard-earned money on this enormous Goal Zero power bank.
Before we dive into our testing and main takeaways, here’s a breakdown of what you’re getting when you order the Goal Zero Yeti 4000 power station:
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At first glance, the Yeti PRO 4000 looks part cooler, part spacecraft. Its aluminum housing gives it a rugged, durable feel that’s a step above most high-capacity power stations, which tend to be made from hard plastics, rather than metal.
The output and input ports on the front and back of the unit are protected with magnetic flaps that snap shut to keep dust, dirt, and rain out. This is something we’ve never really seen on a power station, and it’s a small but clever design detail.
The included wheeled trolley helps move the hefty 115-pound beast around, and during testing, it held up surprisingly well over curbs, sidewalks, and paved roads. The handles on the unit itself are sturdy enough to sling it around, though this isn’t exactly “grab-and-go” portable. It also has an extendable, suit-case style handle, which works really well, but feels like it wouldn’t be strong enough if you were pulled the unit while it was stacked with expansion batteries.
We’d have to say that the display screen is one of the standout features of the entire power station. It’s bright, detailed, and easy to read at a glance, showing inputs, output watts, battery percentage, and much more. You can do all of this without have to connect to an app. With that said, the Goal Zero app is also excellent, and probably one of the most in-depth we’ve seen for any power station. We previously thought the EcoFlow app was the best out there, but Goal Zero managed to put it to shame.
This is where the Yeti PRO 4000 really shined. We pushed it hard, trying to make it trip with crazy high surges, but it kept powering through. It handled surges up to 5,250W for 10 seconds, and 4,800W for over a minute. It also did this repeatedly without any overheating issues.
For a unit with a 3,600W continuous output rating, being able to sustain a 4,800W output is crazy. It also eclipses the surge capacity you get with other popular units in its class, like the Pecron E3600LFP or the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3.
Even more impressive was its idle consumption. Left running with the inverter and display screen on, it only drew 21W per hour. For a unit this size, that’s fantastic. It means you can leave it powered on and ready without draining your battery bank in any signficiant way. For perspective, the impressive Anker SOLIX F3800 has an idle consumption closer to 80W, which is four times what the Goal Zero Yeti 4000 requires to stay on.
Since Goal Zero power stations are designed for rugged conditions, we also tested the Yeti PRO 4000’s rainproofing. In their own advertising, Goal Zero claims it can handle wet conditions and rain exposure. To test this, we simulated a rainstorm, and it kept on working without any sort of problems.
No, we didn’t throw it in a hot tub or anything, but we did spray it down with a hose. For camping in unpredictable weather, this is a hugely appealing feature. It’s also worth pointing out that this is the only power station we’ve ever tested this way, as other units aren’t even designed to withstand any exposure to water.
Finally, noise levels were also much lower than expected, especially given this is a big and powerful unit. Even when we were testing the inverter with some extreme surges, the fans were quiet enough that we wouldn’t mind sleeping in a tiny home or RV right next to it.
Now that we’ve covered our first impressions, as well as the impressive results we discovered when we tested this unit, let’s take a look at some of the things that stood out to us the most:
Put simply, this thing is a tank. Surging past 5,000W repeatedly without tripping is impressive enough, but being able to sustain those surges without overheating or becoming annoyingly loud is really impressive.
When we first became aware of the Goal Zero brand, we assumed all of their power stations were designed specifically for camping, meaning they'd mostly just work with small camping accessories and portable devices. However, with such a robust inverter and high surge capacity, this unit could also start some pretty demanding home appliances, making it a viable power station for emergency backup, as well as a titan for any sort of off-grid adventures.
For a huge unit, only using 21W per hour when it’s idling is also really impressive. If you want to use your power station for backup power by running it in standby mode, this low idle consumption means you won’t waste much of your precious battery life.
In fact, you could basically run this unit for a week without draining the battery, and that’s hugely impressive. Normally the idle power draw alone will drain a power station within a couple of days.
The aluminum exterior, magnetic port covers, and rugged trolley design make it feel built for real outdoor use. Even some of the best power stations on the market have a mostly plastic build, and those magnetic covers for the screen and ports are the first we’ve ever seen on a power station of any type.
This thing also just looks really nice. It has a premium look and feel, which makes sense given it has a pretty premium price tag. Still, just like some of the best EcoFlow and Anker power stations, we think it would look good in most living spaces, which is something we can’t say about power stations from a lot of the brands out there.
Speaking of the build quality, the Yeti PRO 4000 survived a rain test without issue. It’s worth mentioning that this is the first time we’ve ever conducted a rain test on a power station, as no other brand even tries to pretend their power stations could survive if they were left out in the rain.
Whether you plan to use it while camping, RVing, at a jobsite, or even to power a booth at a tradeshow, you won’t have to panic if a storm rolls in.
Both the display screen and the Goal Zero App are detailed, user-friendly, and allow you to monitor and control a bunch of stuff. Honestly, it’s one of the best apps we’ve used for any power station.
If you’re not an app person, or you just don't have Wi-Fi or a phone available, you can do everything from the display screen, which is also great for on-the-fly settings adjustments.
For those who want to upgrade their off-grid power system in the future, this power station is really easy to expand. With the option to add Tank PRO Batteries up to a total storage capacity of 20kWh, this power station is a solid option for larger off-grid setups.
It’s also nice how the expansion batteries sit underneath the main unit, and they even clamp into place with metal clips. Most brands have you stack expansion batteries on top of the main unit, which can be annoying if you have to bend down to reach the buttons and screen, but Goal Zero keeps the main Yeti power station module on top. This way they have it stack is a clever design choice, which we think shows that this brand puts a lot of time and consideration into functionality
While this Goal Zero power station crushed it in a few key areas, there are a few things we wish they’d address:
It’s a small gripe, but for a camping-focused unit, it’s a missed opportunity. It would have been awesome if Goal Zero added a little pop-up lantern, or even just a small LED light to make it easier to see the ports and main panel in the dark.
With that said, Goal Zero does sell a huge variety of rechargeable lanterns and solar flashlights, so maybe they figure Goal Zero fans will already own these types of accessories.
The cart works really well when you are just pulling the main Yeti Pro 4000 unit. However, once you add expansion batteries, the handle feels weak. These are heavy components, so we think they could have put a bit more effort into designing a handle that could support that kind of weight without bending or potentially snapping.
This was our biggest frustration. Goal Zero has their own branded solar panel cables for their power stations. They claim that some generic cables will work with one of the unit's solar inputs, but none of the solar cables we had on hand fit.
Keep in mind we have literal bins filled to the top with solar cables from all of the different power stations and solar panels we’ve tested, so if we can’t find a cable that is compatible, it’s very unlikely the average person will.
On top of all of that, the required proprietary cable isn’t included with the power station. Even if you want to go out and buy Goal Zero solar panels, you’ll need to buy their adapter cable separately. From our perspective, that’s ridiculous.
Again, it seems pretty clear that Goal Zero wants people to invest in their ecosystem. Much like Apple with their iPhones, AirPods, Apple Watches, and MacBooks, it seems like Goal Zero wants buyers to become entwined in their product line, rather than mixing and matching components from other brands.
Despite having a 3,600W inverter, AC charging maxes out at 1,800W. Worse, if your load exceeds 1,800W, it stops charging entirely until the load drops again. For fluctuating loads, that’s inconvenient and could leave you with a drained battery.
Without rubber feet on the back, tipping the unit up so it stands tall will lead to scratches. The wheels also sit pretty low to the ground, which looks great, but makes it really easy to scratch the underside of this unit if you’re pulling it on non-level ground.
Being susceptible to a few little scratches is far from a dealbreaker, but it’s a bit annoying.
This is another tiny gripe, but the curved lens cover that protects the display screen catches reflections in bright lighting. It can make it a little difficult to read the screen, which is a bit annoying given just how good the display actually is.
We like that they protect it with a cover, but that glare issue would be much less prominent if the screen protector wasn’t curved.
Competing units in this price range (like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 or Anker SOLIX F3800 Plus) offer 240V capabilities and faster charging, which the Yeti PRO 4000 lacks. For those that need those 240V inputs and outputs, that’s going to be pretty frustrating, especially given the cost of this unit.
No 240V support is also just kind of weird in a unit this big, so it could just be the Yeti PRO 4000 showing its age.
The Goal Zero Yeti PRO 4000 is a rugged, durable, and powerful portable power station that can handle outdoor conditions better than its competitors. In fact, it might be the best outdoor power station we’ve ever seen. Its performance when it comes to surging, idle efficiency, and solar charging are also genuinely impressive.
However, at around $3,399, it falls behind some 2025 competitors in a few key areas. The lack of 240V support, the reliance on proprietary solar cables, and slower AC charging hold it back from being the ultimate choice in its class.
That said, for campers, RVers, and anyone who wants a power station with a great app, solid American-based support, and proven durability, the Yeti PRO 4000 seems like an awesome power station.
If Goal Zero can address a few of these quirks in their next model, they could really shake up the high-capacity portable power station market. We’re also looking forward to testing out some of Goal Zero’s smaller camping power stations, like the Yeti 200X or Yeti 1000, which could be where the brand really shines.
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