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See the 15 tests

1. In the box
2. Charging input
3. Indicator lights
4. Light modes
5. Run times
6. Lumen output (lantern)
7. Lumen output (flashlight)
8. Shine distance (lantern)
9. Beam distance (flashlight)
10. Hook
11. IP rating
12. Drop testing
13. Warranty
14. Quality
15. Portability
16. Pros, cons & recommendations
17. Bonus – MUST read!

In the Box

I bought the Micro Flash direct from Goal Zero, and it arrives in demo mode. The power button cycles between flashlight and lantern on its own until you plug it into a USB port once.

Charging Input

• Charging port: Built-in USB-A
• Charge time: 3 hrs 36 minmeasured at 5V, 1A on a multimeter

The indicator lights blink from one to four while it charges, and all four go solid when it’s full.

Indicator Lights

Those four lights are your only gauge of what’s left. Here’s how rough they are:

Lights	Ideal	Lantern (brightest)	Lantern (dimmest)	Flashlight (dimmest)
4/4	100%	100%	100%	100%
3/4	75%	59%	54%	60%
2/4	50%	21%	17%	19%
1/4	25%	8%	7%	8%
0/4	0%	0%	0%	0%

Each light should be worth 25%, and none of them are. Most of the battery drains inside the first light, and by the time you’re on the last one you’re at critically low battery.

Light Modes

One power button runs everything, and each press moves you along one mode.

• Modes: Flashlight → Full lantern → Half lantern → Off
• Dimming: Press and holdcontinuous, not stepped

Press and hold in any mode and the light dims. It blinks once you reach the dimmest setting, and every brightness in between is available.

Run Times

I ran every mode down to flat and timed it.

Mode	Brightness	My testing (hours)
Flashlight	High	8
Flashlight	Low	308
Lantern (full)	High	7.25
Lantern (full)	Low	288
Lantern (half)	High	14.1
Lantern (half)	Low	353

The cell is only 2,600 mAh, so those low-mode numbers blew me away.

Lumen Output (Lantern)

I read every mode off a lux meter at a fixed distance, on a full battery. Lumens drop as the battery does, so a full charge is the only fair starting point.

Mode	Brightness	My testing (lumens)
Lantern (full)	High	209
Lantern (full)	Low	0
Lantern (half)	High	142
Lantern (half)	Low	0

The full lantern is about 40% brighter than the half lantern, even with both on High. Both Low modes are night lights.

Lumen Output (Flashlight)

To test for the flashlight lumen output, I used a ceiling bounce test instead.

Brightness mode	Ceiling bounce (lux)	Estimated output (lumens)
High	4	99
Low	0	0

Note: A ceiling bounce gives only a very rough estimate, not a lab measurement. Mine was taken under a 9.2ft ceiling, over 265.12 sq ft of floor area.

Low didn’t register on the meter at all, so I kept moving closer until a reading showed up, and it was still basically zero.

Shine Distance (Lantern)

I set the lantern on a pole, backed away with the lux meter until it read zero, then measured back to the lantern.

• High (full): 4.09ft
• Low (full): 0.86ft

Beam Distance (Flashlight)

Same method again, with the same lux meter.

• High: 24.5ft
• Low: 3.6ft

Hook

• Hook: Fixedclips to either side, not removable

Because it doesn’t come off, it only works on open lantern loops. For a closed loop you’d need a separate lightweight carabiner.

IP Rating

• Official rating: IPX6heavy rain and water jets
• My tested rating: IPX5downgraded after the water jets

I started with 25 minutes of heavy rain.

Every mode still worked afterwards. The USB at the bottom was wet, and once I dried it out everything ran fine.

Then I tested the water jets, and after those my battery indicator lights no longer turn off. It’s slightly defective now, and I think that’s down to the open USB ports, so I rate it IPX5 rather than the IPX6 on the box.

Drop Testing

It takes drops from hand height with every mode still working, and not a single scrape on it.

Warranty

• Warranty: 2 years

Only a few selected Goal Zero products get the 5-year cover, and the Micro Flash isn’t one of them.

Quality

• Body: High-grade plastic
• Flashlight temperature: 3,000K
• Lantern temperature: 3,800K

It’s made almost entirely of plastic, but it feels high-grade and beefy.

I do wish the plastic covering was more frosted. You can see the LED bulbs straight through it, and on the brightest mode that’s blinding.

I liked the warmth of both lights though, and they’re easy on the eyes.

It also does simultaneous recharge and discharge, so you can use it while it’s charging. It’s designed in the USA and made in China.

Portability

• Weight: 2.75oz
• Packed length: 3.74in
• Width: 1.5inacross the top

Pros, Cons & Recommendations

Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Goal Zero Lighthouse Micro Flash?

Pro #1 – Very packable

I really liked the design. At 2.75oz it’s compact and light, and there’s no cable to carry with it.

Pro #2 – Great run-times

The run times on Low brightness are genuinely impressive:

Mode	Tested lumens	Tested run-time (hours)
Flashlight (Low)	0	308
Full lantern (Low)	0	288
Half lantern (Low)	0	353

On these low modes the lumen count is zero, but I still found it enough for reading and lounging about.

Goal Zero quotes 100 hrs for the flashlight on Low, 80 for the full lantern and 170 for the half. I got 3x, 3.5x and 2x those respectively.

Pro #3 – Pretty feature-rich

For the money you get a decent amount:

• Flashlight and lantern in one
• Battery indicator lights
• Completely adjustable brightness
• A half-lantern mode for conserving battery

Just bear in mind that the half lantern doesn’t double your run time. It adds about 20%.

Con #1 – No memory

There’s no memory setting, and the default is the brightest mode. That’s blinding if you’ve been on the dim full lantern, because turning it off cycles you through the brightest half lantern first.

Con #2 – Small button

The top button is quite small and almost flush with the surface.

Con #3 – Short USB

The charging USB is a bit short. If your USB port is deeper-set it won’t reach, and I had to use another plug to get this to charge.

Bonus – MUST Read!

I measured every number on this page myself.