Goal Zero Torch 500 (90115)

Published · Researched 2026-09-21

2026 lineup note: The solar flashlight/power-bank hybrid: 500 lm combined (300-lm spotlight + 300-lm floodlight), 5200 mAh (18.7 Wh NMC), USB-A out (10.5 W) for phone charging, USB-C in (5 W), built-in 1.2 W solar panel, IP67, 363 g. MSRP $49.95. SKU 90115. Availability is thinning — B&H lists it as special order (2–4 weeks), Mountain Sports sold out — consistent with a late-lifecycle product.

Version lineage (2023–2026)

• Torch 500 (current gen): IP67 waterproof redesign of the older Torch 250 — 300+300 lm, 5200 mAh, USB-C input (5 W), USB-A output.
• 2023–2026: No generational change observed. Sept 2026 availability signals (special-order/sold-out at major retailers) suggest late lifecycle; treat continued availability as UNVERIFIED.
• Discontinued predecessors: Torch 250 (older, dimmer, not IP67).
• Smart-buy advice: At $38–50 it's a solid emergency-kit light. Don't expect modern charging speeds — the 5 W USB-C input is 2018-era.

Overview

A flashlight, floodlight, and power bank in one IP67-sealed bar: 300-lm spotlight and 300-lm floodlight (each with high/med/low), combinable for 500 lm total, powered by a 5200 mAh battery that also charges phones over USB-A. The built-in 1.2 W solar panel trickle-charges it (23–46 h for full — this is maintenance charging, not real recharging), and it tops up over USB-C in 4 h or from a Nomad 10 panel in 4–6 h. The use case is the go-bag and the boat: an emergency light that's always a little bit charged and can revive a dead phone.

Key Specs

Sources: bhphotovideo.com, mountainsports.com, sustainable.co.za listings; cdn.solarpowersupply.eu user-guide PDF (all observed 2026-09-20).

Long-term durability

• IP67 sealing is genuine — this is the light's core virtue for marine and emergency-kit use.
• The NMC battery has "hundreds of cycles" per GZ's own spec — modest by 2026 standards; capacity fade after 2–3 years of regular cycling is expected.
• The built-in solar panel is the slow-death component — UV degradation of small panels over 5+ years reduces the already-trickle output (general solar knowledge; UNVERIFIED for this unit specifically).
• Goal Zero warranty is 12 months (per mountainsports.com listing; GZ's current terms not re-verified — UNVERIFIED).

Pricing

• MSRP: $49.95 — SOURCES: bhphotovideo.com, mountainsports.com, rewardsproducts.com.
• Deal pricing hit $37.89 on Amazon (9to5toys.com, Oct 2025) — watch for sub-$40 sales.

In the Box

• Torch 500 flashlight
• (Cable inclusion varies by listing — UNVERIFIED.)

Warranty

12 months per retailer listings. Goal Zero's current terms not re-verified (UNVERIFIED).

Support & Parts

• Goal Zero (Bluffdale, UT). Sealed unit; no user-serviceable parts. Note brand ownership changes — support continuity UNVERIFIED.

Head-to-head vs closest rivals

• vs Stanley FatMax spotlight (stanley-fatmax-spotlight): FatMax is the throw king for spotting; Torch 500 is the versatile camp/emergency tool with flood + power bank. Different jobs.
• vs Goal Zero Crush Light (goal-zero-crush-light): Crush is the ultralight tent lantern (60 lm, 91 g); Torch 500 is the heavy-duty emergency light (500 lm, 363 g, IP67, phone charging). They complement.
• vs BioLite Charge 80 PD (biolite-charge-80-pd): As a power bank the Torch 500 is worse (18.7 Wh vs 74 Wh, 10.5 W out) — but it makes its own power via solar and provides 500 lm of light. Different products that overlap only on phone top-ups.

Care & maintenance

• Leave it on a windowsill (not a hot car window — GZ's own FAQ warns against vehicle-window heat damage) so the solar trickle keeps it topped up.
• Charge every 3–6 months per GZ's shelf-life guidance.
• The 5 W USB-C input means overnight charging — plan ahead.

Buying traps

• Late lifecycle: special-order/sold-out signals at major retailers. Verify stock and return policy before planning around it.
• 5 W USB-C input is glacial — 4 hours for a full charge from empty, and only with a decent source.
• Built-in solar is maintenance, not charging — 23–46 h for full. It keeps a stored light topped up; it won't recharge a dead one on a trip.
• 363 g is heavy for a flashlight — this is a basecamp/go-bag light, not a hiking light.
• NMC, hundreds of cycles — not the LiFePO4 longevity of modern stations.

Community Verdict

A well-regarded emergency and marine light: owners praise the IP67 sealing, the genuinely useful 500-lm combined output, the warm color temperature, and the phone-charging fallback — it's the light that lives in go-bags, boats, and gloveboxes. The honest consensus: the solar panel is a trickle maintainer, the 5 W input is dated, and it's too heavy for hiking. As an emergency-kit cornerstone at ~$40 it's excellent; as a primary camp light there are better options.

Images

• images/goal-zero-torch-500-1.jpg
• images/goal-zero-torch-500-2.jpg
• images/goal-zero-torch-500-3.jpg
• images/goal-zero-torch-500-4.jpg — Real review photo: 3/4 view, "TORCH 500" and GOAL ZERO markings
• images/goal-zero-torch-500-5.jpg — Lifestyle: night beam shot across a mountain lake, "TORCH 500" branded
• images/goal-zero-torch-500-6.jpg — Real photo at dusk: warm area light on, held over a tent line

Research date: 2026-09-20. Specs/prices change; re-verify live before buying. Claims dated above; anything marked UNVERIFIED was not confirmed from a primary source.