Quick answer
The Goal Zero Yeti 500X (505Wh) is a discontinued power station still floating around at various retailers — but its original ~$499.95 MSRP lands at almost the exact same price as Goal Zero’s current Yeti 500 6G (499.2Wh), per Goal Zero’s own product specs. The capacities are within 1% of each other. Unlike some of this site’s other naming-trap pairs, the gap here isn’t just battery chemistry: the 500X runs NMC lithium-ion cells rated for roughly 500 cycles to 80% capacity under a 2-year warranty and caps out at 300W continuous output, while the current Yeti 500 6G runs LiFePO4 cells rated for 4,000+ cycles under a 5-year warranty and delivers 500W continuous output — 67% more usable power on top of an 8x longer-rated battery, for the same money. Only buy the 500X if its street price drops meaningfully below the current Yeti 500’s actual retail price, not just its own original sticker.
This completes the same naming trap we’ve already flagged across the rest of the Yeti X-series in our Goal Zero Yeti review and our Yeti 1000X and Yeti 1500X reviews — Goal Zero’s X-suffix models share a battery platform with the older NMC-era Yeti line, not the current LiFePO4 generation. The 500X is the most one-sided case of the three: it’s the only X-series unit where the current replacement also beats it outright on continuous wattage, not just cycle life and warranty.
At a glance
| Spec | Yeti 500X (older) | Yeti 500 6G (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 505Wh, NMC lithium-ion | 499.2Wh, LiFePO4 |
| AC output | 300W continuous (1,200W surge) | 500W continuous (1,000W surge) |
| Cycle life | ~500 cycles to 80% | 4,000+ cycles to 80% |
| Warranty | 2 years | 5 years |
| Solar input | Lower-wattage path (older MPPT) | Up to 200W |
| AC wall recharge | ~14-25 hrs (slow, no fast-charge path) | ~1.4 hrs to full |
| Weight | ~12.9 lb | ~16.1 lb |
| Currently sold new by Goal Zero? | No — discontinued since mid-2024 | Yes |
| MSRP | ~$499.95 originally (now ~$375-750 by retailer) | ~$499.95 |
| Rating | ★★★☆☆ (3.0/5) | ★★★★☆ (4.3/5) |
What we like
- It’s genuinely compact and light for its capacity class. At roughly 12.9 lb, the 500X is still an easy grab-and-go unit for small CPAP or weekend-camping loads, if you already own one or find it at a real discount.
- 1,200W surge headroom is higher than the current model’s 1,000W. For a brief high-draw spike (a compressor kicking on, a power tool starting up), the 500X’s surge rating edges out the Yeti 500 6G on paper, even though its continuous output is weaker.
- If you genuinely find 500X pricing well under $300, the NMC battery and weaker output become a reasonable trade for a short-term backup-of-a-backup unit — it still works, it just won’t last as many cycles or push as much continuous wattage as the current model.
Where it falls short
- At matching list prices, the 500X has no financial case at all. Both units sit near $499.95 MSRP for near-identical capacity, but the current Yeti 500 6G also delivers 67% more continuous AC output (500W vs 300W). Paying the same money for less power and an 8x-shorter-rated battery is a bad trade unless the 500X’s actual street price goes meaningfully lower.
- The 2-year warranty reflects the weaker battery, not just an older product line. Goal Zero backs the 500X for 2 years against the current Yeti 500’s 5, a direct consequence of the NMC cell’s roughly 500-cycle rating versus LiFePO4’s 4,000+, per our broader LiFePO4 vs. lithium-ion guide.
- It’s discontinued, so pricing is scattered and stock is finite. CDW lists its discontinuation date as July 2024, and we’ve seen it priced anywhere from roughly $375 to $750 across different retailers — there’s no single reliable “sale price” to compare against, unlike a currently-sold model.
Who should buy it
Buy the current Yeti 500 6G if you’re shopping in this capacity class today — at essentially the same ~$499.95 price point, the LiFePO4 battery’s 4,000+ cycle rating, 5-year warranty, and higher 500W continuous output make it the clear pick over the 500X in every practical sense. Only consider the Yeti 500X if you find it priced well below what the current Yeti 500 actually sells for at retail — not just below its own original MSRP, and not just because it’s the cheapest “Goal Zero Yeti” search result you can find. For the full Goal Zero lineup including the larger Yeti 1000X and Yeti 1500X, see our Goal Zero Yeti review; for how Goal Zero stacks up against other brands at this capacity, see our Goal Zero vs. Jackery and Goal Zero vs. EcoFlow comparisons.
Goal Zero Yeti 500 6G (499.2Wh, current model)
- 499.2Wh LiFePO4 battery, 500W continuous AC output (1,000W surge), full recharge from a wall outlet in about 1.4 hours.
- Up to 200W of solar input — a real fast-charging path the 500X never had.
- Goal Zero's current direct-sale unit in this capacity tier, at the same price point as 500X resale stock.
If you’re also picking up a spare battery pack or a solar panel to pair with it, Amazon Prime ships accessories free in two days, and you can try it free for 30 days.
Goal Zero Yeti 500X (505Wh, discontinued — clearance pick only)
- 505Wh NMC lithium-ion battery, 300W continuous AC output (1,200W surge), slow multi-hour wall recharge with no fast-charge path.
- Fewer output ports and no real solar fast-charge path compared to the current Yeti 500 6G.
- Only worth buying if its actual street price meaningfully undercuts the current Yeti 500's retail price.
The bottom line
The “Goal Zero Yeti 500” search results split between two power stations sitting at nearly the same price for nearly the same capacity — but an 8x gap in rated cycle life and a real 67% output disadvantage for the older unit. At matching prices, the current LiFePO4 Yeti 500 6G is the easy recommendation; the 500X only earns its keep if you find pricing that actually undercuts the current model’s street price, not its old MSRP. The same same-capacity, different-chemistry pattern shows up elsewhere in this lineup — see our Goal Zero Yeti review for the 1000 vs 1000X and 1500 vs 1500X versions of this trap, or our LiFePO4 vs. lithium-ion guide for why the cycle-life gap is industry-wide, not a Goal Zero quirk. For how either stacks up against the competition, see our full portable power station rankings.