Goal Zero Skylight Review

The Goal Zero Skylight is a massive, tripod-based lantern with the power to light up any campsite like a movie set. It's sheer size makes it somewhat of an odd-man-out, when compared to the rest of our grouping. However, if you're setting up basecamp — and you want a lot of luminescence — let there be light.

Performance Comparison

Brightness

Even the lowest of this unit's brightness settings has more power than two-thirds of the lanterns we tested. Bump that setting up one notch, and the Skylight will easily out-shine every single model in our entire lineup, placing this heavyweight lighting system in a class all by itself. We rarely shell out a perfect 10, but after seeing this mega torch in action, we felt anything lower would have been a little insulting.

The Skylight is simply the brightest lantern we've ever tested. It boasts four brightness settings that drastically increase in lumens with each click of a button (Low: 400, Med: 1350, High: 3500, Max: 6000). To put the Skylight's maximum setting of 6000 lumens into perspective, If we kindled all of the lanterns in our lineup at their highest setting, their combined output would be 7140 lumens. The Skylight's light housing is made up of six individual petals. Each petal houses 28 LED lights (168 in total). This flower-shaped system provides a complete circle of light reaching up to 150 feet in all directions for a combined 300-foot radius.

In addition to its powerful lumen output, we were also impressed with two other key lighting features this monster lantern brings to the table-- the first being the ability to extend the light housing high above camp. There's an old basketball coach saying: "You can't teach height. Either you got it, or you don't." During our testing period, we absolutely loved having the ability to extend our Skylight up to 12 feet in the air with just a few simple steps. At this height, we were able to bathe our entire camp in soft, bright light without any glare affecting our eyes.

The second thing we loved was the convenience of being able to adjust the direction of this lamp's rays. Each of the six petals is hinged at the center allowing it to be independently moved to cast light in a multitude of directions. We think the only improvement needed to perfect this feature would be the ability to individually turn off each petal to conserve battery power, offer more pinpoint lighting options, or to more drastically reduce the light output.

Our main complaint with the Skylight is the inability to use the 6000 lumens setting whenever the unit is operating under its own internal battery. Unless the Skylight is plugged into a larger power source (an external battery bank or a vehicle), it is incapable of producing 6000 lumens. In short, the Skylight has its own internal backup battery system, which allows it to produce light on its own. However, in order for it to produce its maximum output, it must be plugged into an automobile auxiliary power outlet or into one of the manufacturer's external power sources, like the Yeti Power Station.

Battery Life

Being compatible with multiple power sources is a plus for any lantern, but it also makes measuring battery-life performance somewhat of a challenging endeavor. In the end, we thought it was only fair to use this model's internal battery system as our baseline. When directly compared against the other units in our lineup, the Skylight performed on par with most of them, earning it solid marks for this metric. However, combining it with a separate power supply takes this lantern to an entirely different level.

As mentioned, the Skylight is equipped with its own internal battery housed inside its control switch. During our tests, we were able to power the Skylight at 3500 lumens (6000 lumens is not possible) for 1 hour and 40 minutes. At its lowest setting of 400 lumens, it can run for more than 8 hours — impressive considering 400 lumens. This is the maximum output for many of the models in our testing group. Likewise, our testing showed the internal battery of the Skylight can be fully charged in 2 hours and 29 minutes.

Having the ability to power the Skylight through a larger external power source is a serious game-changer. During our testing, we were able to produce sustained battery life results that were simply untouchable by the competing products in our testing group. When attached to our battery bank (the Yeti 300 Power Station), the Skylight can produce 6000 lumens of light for a whopping 3 hours and 3 minutes. Likewise, we were able to fully recharge our power station in just 53 minutes. It's also important to note that the Yeti 300 is one of the manufacturer's smallest power stations. For example, the Yeti 1500 allows the Skylight to run at its highest setting for 20 hours and at its lowest setting for an incredible 375 hours. Lastly, when plugged into your vehicle, the Skylight's run times are nearly endless — provided you have a full tank of gas.

When it comes to battery life, we didn't like the fact that the internal battery of Skylight does not appear to be rechargeable through a typical AC wall outlet. It doesn't ship with a wall adapter, and we were unable to find one for purchase as an accessory on the manufacturer's website. This means that if you only plan to purchase the Skylight and run it from its internal battery, your only option for recharging it would be your vehicle's auxiliary power outlet (cigarette lighter). For long-term use, the Skylight can certainly be powered by your car, but its radius will be limited to its 14-foot power cord.

Ease of Use

If there is a drawback to being the biggest and brightest lantern of them all, it would be this model's overall ease of use. It just can't compete with the lanterns on our list that can fit in your pocket, deploy in seconds, and light up with a push of a button. We gave the Skylight its lowest marks in this metric; however, given its size and complexity, we still feel it's very easy to use.

We love that the Skylight can be transported or stored in its own protective carrying case. During our testing, we accidentally dropped our Skylight twice and slammed it into a tree stump without causing any serious damage. A large portion of this unit is made of steel, making it heavier. It's also the only lantern on our list that sits on a tripod, so the setup process requires more effort and time. That all said, we were still able to deploy and power up our Skylight in about a minute.

On the nitpicky side, we think the carrying case has room for improvement, specifically the lid and carrying strap. We don't like how the strap attaches directly to the lid. It's held in place by a pivoting bracket that spins in place, allowing the lid to be unscrewed — none of which works very well. In fact, the carrying strap gets twisted and is a pain to unwind. We think the entire problem could be avoided with a hinged lid that locks in place with a latch.

Features

Thoughtful, user-friendly features — that really work, and add value — earned the Skylight solid scores in this metric. In fact, we feel it has some of the best features of the whole lot.

In addition to its four impressive brightness settings, hard plastic carrying case, and telescoping tripod system, the Skylight offers other key features that really add to this amazing system's entire function. The entire unit is water-resistant (IPX4), which allows it to still provide light when weather conditions are less than ideal. It also comes with built-in ground stakes, and each of its three tripod legs can be lengthened individually, allowing it to remain stable and upright on uneven ground. In addition to these features, we think the manufacturer should consider creating a flashing SOS mode for the Skylight as well.

Weight

The Skylight is large and made of metal, so there's no need to avoid the proverbial elephant in the room. This model is certainly the heaviest lantern we've ever examined, earning it rock-bottom scores for this metric. And, when you add in the weight of an external battery bank, this system tips the scales at 18.1 pounds.

Surprisingly, we found the Skylight fairly easy to lift, move, and transport. In fact, during our trip to some local dunes in Utah, one of our testers carried this model and its battery bank for nearly a half mile across windblown sand without much trouble.

Although considerably heavier than any of the smaller lanterns on our list, we feel most able-bodied adults will be able to transport the Skylight reasonable distances without a problem. The carrying case can be slung over the shoulder or carried by hand, and the Skylight itself also has a built-in handle, making it easy to transport.

Should You Buy the Goal Zero Skylight ?

The Goal Zero Skylight now makes it relatively easy to shed large amounts of light in situations and locations where, in the past, the only other option would have involved an electric generator. It's a great option for base camps, search and rescue operations, outdoor events, or any other activity where light is needed. When not in use in some remote corners of the globe, this lighting system also doubles nicely in the home as a backup light source during power outages or natural disasters. However, to receive its greatest benefit, we highly recommend combining the Skylight with one of the many battery banks the manufacturer has to offer.

What Other Lantern Should You Consider?

If you don't need your campsite to glow like a Hollywood movie set, but you still want a product that will deliver a decent amount of light for a good amount of time, check out the Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro (400 lumens), Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 (600 lumens), or the Lighting Ever Camping (1000 lumens). Each is far more portable and won't take up a ton of space.