Customer reviews from goalzero.com
Goal Zero - Skylight Portable Area Light - Black
Average customer rating
4.8
(48 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 48 reviews
5 Stars
40
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
0
1 Star
0
96%of customers recommend this product.
(
27 out of
28)
Customer Reviews for Goal Zero - Skylight Portable Area Light - Black
Posted by: Mjr5390
from Commerce, MI
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
This is a great way to get work done outside in the evening. The internal battery is convenient along with the max light function when plugged into a goal zero. I wish it came with a wall outlet to charge the light. It only came with a cigarette plug.
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Posted by: L578
Verified Purchase:Yes
Listen I bought this as a Christmas gift and sadly we haven’t even been able to use it because it requires the power station. Those things aren’t cheap, I just wish we could run an extension chord and use it with a regular outlet.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
5
Wonderful light with adjustable throw
on January 29, 2025
Posted by: Rdshark100
from Michigan
Gender:Male
I got this right after it came out. To gets used fairly often with my enclosed trailer. The trailer is often used off grid as it has full solar and this helps with everything from parking it to setting up and finding firewood. We have fixed quads and motorcycles by using this portable streetlight
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
5
Super convenient and bright
on February 19, 2024
Posted by: Daniel R.
from Selma, TX
Gender:Male
The Skylight is super easy to deploy and redeploy. The case is amazingly durable having fallen out of my vehicle several times. The internal battery lasts a long time and plugging it into a Yeti gives you turbo brightness 🤣. Absolutely love this innovation. A Bluetooth option would be the only thing I could think of to make this even better. Another job well done GZ.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
5
Very bright light with incredible reach.
on October 2, 2023
Posted by: Travbal92
from Alpine, UT
Gender:Male
I got this light a couple of weeks ago as I prepared for a coming trip to southern Utah. We tend to get back to camp late at night and need light to prep food. Everyone brought their own lights and this ended up being the only light needed. Nobody even wanted to get their out! We used to for several hours over three nights and it was perfect. Very bright and the batter lasts plenty of time. I have already advised several people to go out and buy it as soon as possible. It is the last camp light/lantern you will ever need.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
5
Heavy-Duty, Bright, and Energy Efficient
on October 11, 2023
Posted by: Michael Y
from California
Gender:Male
Goal Zero's Skylight is expensive. It also is heavy. Why would anyone want to buy one? I initially dismissed it, but after much thought I actually found some really good use cases calling for one and some against. To see why, I remembered Goal Zero's humanitarian roots and its mission to enable every human being to receive reliable power. In particular, in countries and places where electricity may not always be readily available but could mean the difference between life and death.
In fact, the company's founder made it his mission to bring electricity to the Republic of the Congo as part of his humanitarian efforts in 2007, and that philanthropy appears to live on in Goal Zero's DNA to this day. Life-bringing power in remote areas where quality, reliability, and longevity are paramount in the face of extreme temperatures and poverty. These became important points as I started to wrap up writing this review and asked myself why anyone would want a Skylight.
PACKAGING
From the outset, the Bazooka-looking hard case the Skylight was housed in looked intimidating. Did a weapon of mass destruction get delivered to my door? It had a collapsible carry handle in the middle, two stump feet on one side to lay it to rest on, and a strap to put over your shoulders. The cap unscrewed and I was ready to put the anti-tank rocket launcher on my shoulder to launch whatever was inside the case! Whoever the designer was at Goal Zero should be patted on his or her back for that design. Whether it was intentional or not, it made the Skylight seem like it could be taken to war. I would not be surprised if it did.
From the outset, the Bazooka-looking hard case the Skylight was housed in looked intimidating. Did a weapon of mass destruction get delivered to my door? It had a collapsible carry handle in the middle, two stump feet on one side to lay it to rest on, and a strap to put over your shoulders. The cap unscrewed and I was ready to put the anti-tank rocket launcher on my shoulder to launch whatever was inside the case! Whoever the designer was at Goal Zero should be patted on his or her back for that design. Whether it was intentional or not, it made the Skylight seem like it could be taken to war. I would not be surprised if it did.
HARDWARE
Material quality was immediately noticeable: solid construction (made of steel and iron), smooth opening and closing of the tripod legs through a green push-button on the sliding handle; and green, cushioned silicone legs that minimized the risk of scratching any surface while integrated holes allowed included stakes (stored in each leg) to hold the tripod firmly in place. They would not do well in sandy beaches, snow, soft ground, or hard surfaces, however: you will want to invest in relatively inexpensive anchors for those environments.
Material quality was immediately noticeable: solid construction (made of steel and iron), smooth opening and closing of the tripod legs through a green push-button on the sliding handle; and green, cushioned silicone legs that minimized the risk of scratching any surface while integrated holes allowed included stakes (stored in each leg) to hold the tripod firmly in place. They would not do well in sandy beaches, snow, soft ground, or hard surfaces, however: you will want to invest in relatively inexpensive anchors for those environments.
The bottom of the tripod had a hook from which you could attach weight to further help secure the Skylight. You will want to do this in windy conditions or to keep children from accidentally tripping it over. Trust me on that one as a former photographer who had a Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT ($630 at the time) fall and break during a wedding assignment. Could the light panels survive a fall from 12' high? Probably, but I did not test that.
Each leg could be independently extended to account for uneven surfaces, and three quick-release adjustment clamps at the top allowed the tripod to telescope between 4' and 12' tall.
At the very top were six LED light panels that each could be independently swung up and down at a 180-degree angle. They could not be rotated sideways nor could any panel be separately turned on or off to conserve energy.
On the flip side, the Skylight's large number of panels, high LED count, and significantly great maximum brightness made it ideal for illuminating large areas for an after-hour soccer game, tennis match, BBQ cookout, tailgating, or film making.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Goal Zero has been known for the quality, reliability, and safety of their products and the Skylight is no exception. Its metal construction, energy-efficient use of the built-in Li-ion NMC battery, and high brightness levels make it an ideal accessory for construction sites, remote areas, tailgating, filming locations, and places hit hard by disasters where strength and reliability are important. It is capable of illuminating nearly an entire soccer field, and its adjustable panels give it some flexibility in what areas should be lit.
Goal Zero has been known for the quality, reliability, and safety of their products and the Skylight is no exception. Its metal construction, energy-efficient use of the built-in Li-ion NMC battery, and high brightness levels make it an ideal accessory for construction sites, remote areas, tailgating, filming locations, and places hit hard by disasters where strength and reliability are important. It is capable of illuminating nearly an entire soccer field, and its adjustable panels give it some flexibility in what areas should be lit.
For casual campers, the Skylight is perhaps overkill and out of their price range, but those serious about a light that should reliably and safely last a long time -- especially when paired with a power station and solar panel -- ought to seriously consider it and not balk simply based on its higher price point. "You get what you pay for", as the saying goes.
The Skylight could be improved by providing the ability to independently switch (or a subset of) panels on or off, a USB-C charging option, colored LEDs to adjust the light for specific occasions or use cases, increasing the IP water and dust protection rating to withstand heavy rain and sand storms, and offering a smaller, lighter version for those seeking greater portability.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
5
A review from someone who does a bit of everything
on June 27, 2024
Posted by: Tacoma Kev
from CA
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
Our family does a lot of camping, about 12-16 trips a year. We do all styles of camping from RVing at national parks to over-landing for weeks at a time at remote beaches in Baja Mexico. When we camp, we tend to camp with other like-minded families, typically with multiple families with kids. So lighting is always important as we like to share family style meals, as well as other group activities at camp.
When I first received the new skylight, I had to take a step back due to the size of the light. The first thing that came to mine was, where am I going to put this thing it’s huge. However, after just a few trips, I became very reliant on this light. The size was no longer an issue as the thin and long profile actually makes it fairly easy to wedge between other items. The light itself has many brightness settings, and at all settings the light covers a very large area. You can turn it down for better ambience but still cover a large amount of space. The color is also very ideal, it’s not overwhelming, a soft shade ideal for what we use it for. The internal battery last surprisingly long for such a bright light. So far I haven’t had to plug in the light while in using it. The internal battery last hours, plenty of time for a big meal with the group and a soccer game with the kids.
Our group lobe this light so much that we now have five of them in total for the groups. Although only one is ever needed, but everyone wanted their own.
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com
Customer Rating
3
Needs an adapter to plug into a standard outlet.
on August 22, 2024
Posted by: Jonah seedner
from Maine
Love this light! However, it really needs an adapter so that it can plug into a standard home outlet. The fact that it only comes with a cigarette plug really limits the use of this item. Happy to buy an adapter separately but unfortunately they do not make one. I work in construction and would love to use this light on the job site but I can’t plug it in anywhere without bringing a battery pack. Please make an adapter and I will happily purchase it.
Written by a customer while visiting goalzero.com