GoalZero Micro Lantern

sunsethiker · 2022-11-13T02:16:51.000Z

Ultra Light backpacking lantern.

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pic of lantern lighting utility room

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Beam shot 105 feet to other side of road. 20221112 184711 — Postimages

50 feet to tree. 20221112 184723 — Postimages

While this lantern performs so well in some functions, it has a couple of flaws, the UI and a non-replaceable battery.

The User Interface was implemented by someone who never used the light in a low light environment. The first press of very stiff button turns on the flashlight to High. The problem with this is the button is on top and one needs to look at button to find it, resulting in blinding oneself when ever the light is turned on. A second press turns on 4 lantern leds to High again blinding oneself as you very likely pointed the flashlight away from face to perfectly align lantern leds directly into face. A third press turns off 2 of the 4 leds on one side. Holding button in any mode dims light. To turn off light it is necessary to scroll through all the modes to get to off.

The blinding of oneself can be mitigated by wrapping hand around light near the top, blocking lantern leds, putting thumb on top to block flashlight, using second hand to turn on light. The simplest way to to do this would have the default of low for all the modes. Scrolling through all the modes to turn off might be acceptable for simplicity of operation if there wasn’t the blinding affect on every mode.

But it is very small, 3.66” in length,1.5” at the head with the body being 1” wide. It is light weight, 2.4 ounces, has a built in 120 lumen flashlight that has some decent throw. Downward facing leds in the lantern with 135 lumens at 3800k.

The charging port is a USB-A male that was designed to work with Goal Zero solar panels. The male port does eliminate the need for a cable.

There are 4 small leds on top of light that indicate battery level.

The design of a lantern with flashlight is very good and the choice of warm leds is also very good. When white wall hunting there is a orange corona around hot spot but it’s not noticeable when using flashlight. (corona shows in pics but not very noticeable in person) The light as a whole does work very well. I was surprised by the performance of the flashlight, I never expected such a small shallow reflector to provide so much throw. The led is dome-less providing much of the throw.

The lantern leds do point down illuminating below the lantern very well. When setting the lantern on a table it is possible to sit a foot or two away and not have any light shining into face. When hanging from a 7’ height there is no shadow directly below. Because the light is focusing down, the light does taper off when getting several feet away. The lantern does illuminate a small room very well so lighting a tent or small campsite will not be problem.

It doesn’t take up a lot of room in pocket and was barely noticeable when carried for few hours. This might accompany me the next time I go out to dinner in case the lighting is to dim.

I would recommend this light for backpacking where weight and size is a priority. The flashlight lantern combo does make this a true multi-purpose light. In spite of its flaws it does perform really well.

For camping when size and weight is not an issue, there are other lights available with a better user interface.

The 25 dollar price does make it a tempting purchase.

Weight: 2.4 oz
Dimensions: 3.66 x 1.5 in (93 x 37.75 cm)

BATTERY DETAILS

Cell Chemistry: Li-on NMC
Cell Type: 18650 by LG chem/Samsung
Cell Capacity: 9.62 Wh (3.7V, 2600mAh)
Management System: Charging and low-battery protection built-in

LIGHT

Full Bright, 4 Lights (Average): 135 Lumens, 3800K
Dimmest, 2 Lights (Average): 7 Lumens, 3800K
Flashlight, Bright (Average): 115 Lumens, 3000K
Flashlight, Dim (Average): 15 Lumens, 3000K
Full Bright, 4 Lights (Full Battery): 150 Lumens, 3800K
Dimmest, 2 Lights (Full Battery): 10 Lumens, 3800K
Flashlight, Bright (Full Battery): 120 Lumens, 3000K
Flashlight, Dim (Full Battery): 20 Lumens, 3000K

RUN TIME

Flashlight: 100 hours (low), 8.5 hours (high)
One side lit: 170 hours (low), 15 hours (high)
Both sides lit: 80 hours (low), 7 hours (high)

SKV89 · 2022-11-13T06:10:09.000Z

I bought this light back in 2017. It was a great light. I used it several times during blackouts. The 3800k looks great. I didn’t like the buttons. They were hard to use.

sunsethiker · 2022-11-13T16:40:23.000Z

I have love, hate feelings for this little lantern. The button is stiff and difficult if not impossible to push while wearing gloves, but not that many people go backpacking in temperatures requiring gloves be worn all the time. The battery being lithium-ion isn’t going perform well below freezing anyway. I am sure the stiffness of button is a requirement to prevent accidentally turning on because the battery can not be removed or physically locked out.

Having the modes start on high is annoying as it gets. Scrolling through all the modes to turn off is annoying, especially when then next mode is on high. BUT the lantern works really well. I was impressed when I set the lantern on a table, the area around it was illuminated really well with zero shadow at the base and the light did not shine in my eyes. This is a perfect light for setting it on a map or menu to read. When hanging, the lantern reminds me of a 40 watt ceiling mounted bulb, the area below is flooded with light. The light is more intense directly under light than 10 feet away, when hanging 7 feet high.

The lantern has a built in flashlight that actually performs like a flashlight. When I looked at the light I thought it was going to be a flood light with 180 degree pattern. The first time I used it outside I was impressed by the throw. I know there are a lot better flashlights on the market but this one is an accessory to a lantern!

It is so small and light weight for a lantern. It is barely noticeable in pants or shirt pocket.

I don’t think I have ever been this excited and frustrated at the same time by a light. It is good but could be so much better. The lantern has been on the market for a few years and the flaws have never been addressed. I don’t know if this is indicative of Goal Zero but this is not a good practice for the long term success of a company.