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Best all-in-one

Goal Zero Torch 250

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Three tools in one, with three ways to charge them

The Goal Zero Torch 250 is the Swiss Army knife of emergency lights: a 180-lumen spotlight on one end, a 70-lumen area flood light on the other, and a 4400 mAh USB power bank in the middle. On top of that, it charges three ways — built-in USB cable, built-in monocrystalline solar panel, and a hand crank. Most "do everything" gadgets do everything badly; the Torch 250 is one of the few that earns its complexity, because every function addresses a real failure mode in a blackout: seeing far, seeing close, and keeping a phone alive.

A spotlight, a floodlight, and a red beacon

The flashlight end throws 180 lumens of warm white (4000K) Cree LED light — enough to sweep a yard or check a breaker panel — with seven hours on high and fifteen on low. Flip it over for the 70-lumen floodlight: 22 hours on high, 48 hours on the low setting, per manufacturer figures. A dedicated red LED mode switches between flashing for emergency signaling and steady for preserving night vision. Each light has high and low settings, so you trade brightness for endurance with a button press. The "250" in the name is a marketing total rather than a single-mode output — know what you're actually getting.

Power in, power out, and the crank's honest math

The 4400 mAh lithium battery charges in about 7 hours over USB with the integrated cable, or 23 to 46 hours via the built-in solar panel in direct sun. The hand crank is the honest emergency backup: one minute of cranking buys roughly two minutes of light. Goal Zero's arithmetic for the power bank side: about two full smartphone charges, three action-camera charges, or five headlamp charges, with a 5V/1.5A regulated USB output. That's a top-up hub, not a full power station — but in an outage, two phone charges is often the difference between connected and dark.

Who it's for, and who should skip it

Buy it if you want one device in the emergency drawer instead of three: the family that wants a grab-and-go kit, storm-country households, and campers who'd rather not pack a separate battery bank. The crank and solar mean it can't be rendered useless by dead batteries.

Skip it if you need maximum brightness — 180 lumens won't match a dedicated tactical flashlight — and note that Amazon's spec sheet lists it as not water resistant, so don't count on it in hard rain. If you only need area light, a pure lantern like the Coleman 390 runs circles around it on runtime per dollar.

Pros

• Three functions in one: 180-lumen spotlight, 70-lumen floodlight, 4400 mAh power bank
• Three charging methods: integrated USB cable, built-in solar panel, hand crank
• Red flashing and steady modes for signaling and night vision
• Up to 48 hours of floodlight runtime on low per manufacturer specs
• Roughly two smartphone charges from the USB output

Cons

• The "250 lumens" is a combined figure — individual modes max at 180 and 70 lumens
• Listed as not water resistant, unlike most rivals here
• Hand crank output is meager: one minute of cranking for two minutes of light
• Solar self-charging takes 23 to 46 hours in direct sun — it's a trickle, not a lifeline
• Power bank output (5V/1.5A) charges modern phones slowly

Specs

Frequently asked questions

Will it charge my phone during a blackout? Yes — the USB output delivers up to 1.5A, and the 4400 mAh battery holds roughly two smartphone charges per Goal Zero's figures. It's slow by modern fast-charger standards, but it works when nothing else does.

How practical is the hand crank, really? It's a last resort, not a strategy: one minute of cranking yields about two minutes of light. Keep it charged via USB before storm season and treat the crank as insurance.

Can the solar panel keep it topped up by itself? Only with patience. A full solar charge takes 23 to 46 hours of direct sunlight. The panel is a trickle-charger that offsets standby drain, not a substitute for the USB cable.

Is it waterproof? Amazon's spec listing says not water resistant. It'll survive a humid night, but don't leave it out in the rain — this is one area where rivals beat it.

Verdict

The Torch 250 is the best all-in-one emergency light here precisely because it refuses to be stranded: spotlight, floodlight, phone charger, and three ways to refill. It's not the brightest or the most waterproof, but it's the one device you'd hand to someone who needs light and a working phone right now. Check the current price on Amazon: View on Amazon

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