The Goal Zero Torch 250 is one of the most popular products from Goal Zero’s extensive line of rechargeable and solar-powered electronics aimed at people interested in camping, emergency, and preparedness.
The Goal Zero Torch 250 is an emergency LED light with a built-in USB charging cable, solar panel, and hand-crank charging. The Torch 250 also features an emergency red light and a USB port to charge your phone.
- Length: 10″
- Width: 3.5″
- Height: 1.75″
- Weight: .9 lbs
This product functions as a battery pack, flashlight, and solar panel.
Who Should be Interested in the Torch 250
This versatile, multi-function light deserves a place in any emergency kit. Anyone interested in a battery pack that can recharge itself, recharge USB products, and function as a light should seriously consider picking up this product.
- Built-in solar panel, USB charging cable, and hand-crank for light anywhere
- Multiple light options that allow to use as a 250 total lumen output flashlight, floodlight or red...
- Save on power with bright and half-bright modes
- Long-lasting, advanced lithium 4400mAh battery and integrated USB port charges phones and boosts...
- Run Time: 7 - 48 Hours
Features
The Goal Zero Torch 250 has an internal 4400mAh battery that can be charged with an integrated solar panel, USB cable, or hand crank.
It has a USB port that can be used to charge other electronic items, such as a cell phone or tablet.
The battery can recharge an average cell phone 1-2 times, depending on the size of the phone’s battery.
Best Selling Solar Flashlights
The Torch 250 also has a 250-lumen flashlight, a floodlight on the opposite side of the solar panel, and a red light for use when you save your night vision. The red light also has a strobe setting for emergency signaling. All of these options have two power settings to let you choose the lowest amount of light you need to preserve battery power.
On the lowest setting, which is still pretty bright, the floodlight can run for 48 hours. It’s perfect for lighting an area when the power goes out or doesn’t exist.
The body has a slightly rubberized coating that makes it feel very secure in the hand. It also has an angled design to allow the solar panel to be aimed at a 45-degree angle for maximum charging and a two-piece hook system to allow the entire light to hang from nearly anything.
Fully charging the battery requires 7 hours if it’s plugged into a USB port, 7 hours from an external solar panel (like the Goal Zero Nomad 7), and 24 hours from the integral solar panel.
The hand crank provides around 2 minutes of run time for every minute of cranking.
Pros
The biggest advantage that the Goal Zero Torch 250 Flashlight has is its versatility. Being able to charge other electronic items, recharge itself with no external power sources, and add an emergency hand crank means that this single flashlight can get you out of many bad situations.
It can also be kept in an always ready status by keeping it in a window or other area that gets a lot of sunlight.
Adding an external solar panel is easy. This reduces the charging time to about a 1/3 compared to the internal solar panel.
Cons
Charging the battery with the integrated solar panel takes at least 24 hours of direct sunlight. It would take about three days to charge the battery to full with just the solar panel.
The hand crank is plastic, and the internal gears are plastic too. This means you will want to be gentle with it if you use it a lot. I would only use it as an emergency since it takes much work to get any meaningful power by cranking it.
Conclusion
I keep a Goal Zero Torch 250 in my kitchen window, so it’s always charged and ready to go in case of a power outage or other emergency. It mainly stays around my house for that use, but I have taken it camping and had good results. The floodlight is a nice feature to light up an area the size of a four-man tent up to a small room.
I’ve given these out as presents to 7 different family members, and each one has made it a point to tell me how great it is. Several people use it like I do, as a light, always there in an emergency. My sister-in-law keeps it with her to top off her cell phone during the day when she’s out and about, and my brother-in-law takes it on every camping trip he goes on.
After conducting this Goal Zero Torch 250 review, we can happily say that as an all-in-one battery, light, and solar charger, it’s really hard to beat the Goal Zero Torch 250.
