Need a portable power station for upcoming truck or RV camping trips? I trust Goal Zero, and I’ll tell you why in this Goal Zero Yeti 200x review.
Article Overview
What is the Goal Zero Yeti 200X?
The Goal Zero Yeti 200x is their most compact portable power station. It’s a step up from their portable power banks, like the Flip 24. It’s designed to be recharged via 12-volt DC or 120-volt AC outlets and is also compatible with several Goal Zero solar panels.
It’s a great power station for car or truck camping, but it can also come in handy for boondocking in an RV. You don’t need much space to store it and it’s a great supplement for charging a host of small electronics, instead of running down your RV’s coach battery.
Why Get the Goal Zero Yeti 200x Power Station?
Reliable Power. The lithium-ion battery provides reliable power for your small electronics.
Compact. It measures just 7.95 x 5.1 x 5.1 inches and weighs 5 pounds.
Multiple Charge Methods. Recharges via your vehicle’s 12v DC outlet or a standard 120v AC outlet. You can also purchase Goal Zero’s Nomad 50 or Boulder 50 solar panels for a third option.
Multi-Device Charging. Includes two USB outlets, an AC outlet, and a 12v DC outlet.
Charge Display. Tells you how much remaining charge you’re working with.
Cooling Fan. Turns on automatically to keep the power station cool.
How to Use the Goal Zero Yeti 200x Power Station
Plug it in whatever you need to charge! It really is that simple. Personally, I keep my power station in the passenger footwell of my truck when I’m road tripping. It recharges through my truck’s 12-volt cigarette lighter outlet and I can keep my phone, computers, and portable power tools charged as needed.
Here are some average figures from Goal Zero on how many times you can recharge devices when the Yeti 200x is fully charged to its 12,986 milliamp-hour battery storage capacity:
Smartphone: 16 recharges
Laptop: 4 recharges
Tablet: 6 recharges
DSLR Camera: 11 recharges
GoPro Camera: 38 recharges
GPS Watch: 17 recharges
Portable Speaker: 11 recharges
If you’re using it for boondocking, it can also power some small camping appliances, such as:
Portable Fridge: For up to 8 hours
Lights: For up to 17 hours
Modems/WiFi Boosters: For up to 20 hours
Who Can Benefit from this Goal Zero Yeti 200x Review?
My use experience with the Yeti 200x has mostly been as a solo traveler. So, I can state with confidence that it will work great for any fellow solo travelers out there. Heck, I rarely ran the battery down past 60% of its capacity.
What did I mostly charge? My phone, laptops, camera batteries, e-bike battery, wireless headphones, smart watch, and my dog’s WiFi-enabled collar.
So even if you charge more portable devices than I did, such as fancier cameras or even drone batteries, you should be fine with this power station. It should serve one person’s needs on long road trips, so long as you can recharge it via your vehicle’s battery.
For couples, families, and other travelers, you might want something with more battery capacity. Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of how the Yeti 200x stacks up against some of Goal Zero’s other popular power stations:
Yeti 200x | Yeti 500x | Yeti 1000x |
187 wH battery capacity | 505 wH battery capacity | 983 wH battery capacity |
4-5 hour recharge time | 8-11 hour recharge time | 8-9 hour recharge time |
7.95″ x 5.1″ x 5.1″ | 11.2″ x 7.5″ x 6″ | 15.25″ x 10.23″ x 9.86″ |
5 pounds | 12 lbs. 14.4 oz. | 31 lbs. 10.9 oz. |
Here are the links to these other power stations if you’re interested in exploring further.
Where to Buy the Goal Zero Yeti 200x Power Station
REI is one of my favorites, for obvious reasons. While there are other places to buy the Goal Zero Yeti 200x portable power station, you’ll get those precious rewards points on your REI membership if you buy from them. Who knows what else you’ll need when it comes time to redeam those points?!
What are Some Other Portable Power Stations?
There’s constant innovation in the portable power station industry. There’s plenty to compare, but Goal Zero has been a model for reliability and consistency for years. That’s why I trusted them when it came to my camping and boondocking power needs.
That said, it’s important to do some comparison shopping so you find the right power station for your needs. Here are a few others you might find interesting:
EcoFlow Delta
Here’s a good review of this power station.
Jackery Explorer 880
Check out this reviewer’s thoughts.
BioLite BaseCharge 1500
Learn more about the BaseCharge.
Do you have any questions about the Yeti 200x power station? Let me know in the comments below!
Comments
This is a timely article because we have been looking at a variety of battery backup systems for our RV. We don’t do much boon docking, but would like a reliable system that we can use on hikes or when we find ourselves need a generator but not being able to use ours. I was happy to see that Yeti offers a larger unit as well. I am bookmarking this site while I do a bit more research. Thanks for the information.
Jim
Author
You’re very welcome Jim! I hope the links to the other brands at the bottom of the article were also useful for some comparison shopping!
I was looking for a portable power station for my next camping trip and I believe in the Yeti brand. Their brand last longer than any other brand that offers the same product. I need to find out if this Yeti portable power station is suitable for me, and your guide helped me with that decision. Thank you for sharing this information publicly so people like me can find out if its suitable for us or go to another brand.
Author
You’re very welcome! I’ve been relying on this as a truck camper and then full-time RVer for over two years now and it’s never let me down!