Haines 2.0 Solar Cooker vs GoSun Sport Solar Cooker

The short answer

For most van travellers who want to cook real meals with the sun, the Haines 2.0 SunUp Solar Cooker is the better fit. Its reflector folds flat and weighs 29 oz without the pot, according to Haines. It cooks in a pot big enough for a stew for several people (Haines sells it with a 4.5-quart Dutch oven). And it costs considerably less than the GoSun. The trade-off is speed: it's a slow cooker for clear, calm days, with about 87 W of measured cooking power.

Buy the GoSun Sport if speed matters more than capacity and storage. Its vacuum-insulated glass tube is rated to 550°F, and GoSun says it cooks a meal for two in about 20 to 30 minutes of strong sun. It copes with wind and cold far better than an open panel cooker. But it holds about 40 oz (1.2 L) per cook, and it's a rigid 29 x 12 x 6 inch, 7 lb package to store.

Our Haines 2.0 review and GoSun Sport review cover each in depth, and the solar cooking complete guide explains when solar cooking makes sense at all. VanLifeKitchens doesn't test cookers hands-on. Figures come from the manufacturers and, for the Haines, from published independent tests.

Specs side by side

The two makers publish different kinds of figures. Haines publishes cooking power in watts, measured by heating a known water load in standardised sun. GoSun publishes a peak temperature. You can't convert one into the other, but both point the same way: the GoSun is the hotter, faster cooker.

Speed and heat

GoSun Sport. Parabolic reflectors focus sunlight onto a black-coated tube inside an evacuated glass tube, which works like a thermos with one open end. Because the vacuum loses very little heat, the tube gets very hot, rated to 550°F. GoSun says it cooks a meal for two in about 20 to 30 minutes of strong sun. That's a weeknight dinner.

Haines 2.0. Foam reflector panels bounce sunlight onto a dark pot sitting in a clear insulating sleeve. A University of Malaga study, summarised by Solar Household Energy, measured 87.7 W of cooking power at a 3.5 kg load and 70° sun. Haines says it can boil a quart of water in as little as 40 minutes. Full meals take longer, often hours. That's a slow cooker you start late in the morning.

Edge: GoSun Sport, by a wide margin, for heat and speed.

Capacity and what you can cook

The Haines cooks in an ordinary pot. With the 4.5-quart Dutch oven Haines sells it with, that's enough for a stew, rice, beans or a small roast for several people. You can also use your own dark, lidded pot, as long as it fits the sleeve.

The GoSun Sport's cooking tray slides into a tube about 2 inches across and holds about 40 oz. That's a meal for two, or two meals for one. Long, thin and small foods work well. A whole chicken, a pot of beans for four, or anything that needs a wide pan won't fit.

Edge: Haines 2.0, for several times the capacity and a normal pot.

Storage and weight in a van

The Haines reflector weighs 29 oz, per Haines, and folds flat to slide behind a seat or under a mattress. The pot is the bulky part. A 4.5-quart Dutch oven needs a cabinet slot like any large pot, but it can double as your everyday stew pot on a stove. Haines doesn't publish a folded size on the page we checked.

The GoSun Sport is about 7 lb and folds to 29 x 12 x 6 inches, according to our GoSun review. It stays that shape and needs a dedicated spot, with the glass tube kept in its padded case.

Edge: Haines 2.0, lighter and flatter, though the pot takes room.

Sun, wind and attention

Both need strong, direct sun. Neither cooks under thick cloud.

Wind. This is the GoSun's big advantage. Its vacuum tube loses little heat to moving air, so it keeps cooking on breezy, cool days. The Haines is an open panel cooker. Wind carries heat away from the pot and sleeve, and the light foam reflector can blow over. Use it in the lee of the van and weigh it down.

Tracking. Our GoSun comparison notes it needs re-aiming every 15 to 20 minutes as the sun moves. The Haines also needs re-aiming as the sun moves, and its adjustable panels let it work with low and high sun, according to Haines. On a long cook, expect to turn it every hour or so.

Keeping food warm. Solar Household Energy describes folding the Haines petals up into a basket around the pot, keeping food hot for 4 to 6 hours. The GoSun's vacuum tube also holds heat well once the sun fades, but its small capacity limits how useful that is for a group.

Edge: GoSun Sport for wind and cold. Haines 2.0 for keeping a big pot hot into the evening.

Durability and parts

The GoSun's glass tube is its main fragile part. Owners report breakages are rare when it travels in its case, and the tube, reflectors and frame each exist as replacement parts, according to our GoSun review. GoSun's warranty terms exclude units bought from unauthorized resellers, so check the seller on the Amazon listing.

The Haines has no glass apart from the pot lid. Haines says the reflector "will not scratch or oxidize and is not affected by spilled boiling water." Foam can crease or tear if it's crushed, so store it flat. Haines doesn't publish a warranty term on the page we checked.

Edge: roughly even. The GoSun has a fragile tube but spare parts; the Haines is simple but its warranty terms are less clear.

Value

The Haines 2.0 kit costs considerably less than the GoSun Sport. Check current prices with the buttons on each review, since they change.

What the extra money buys is speed and wind tolerance. If you'll mostly cook for one or two, want dinner fast, and often camp where it's sunny but cool or breezy, that's worth paying for. If you cook for more people, prefer one-pot meals, and are happy to plan around the sun, the Haines does more cooking for less money. Both are fuel savers, not stove replacements. You'll still need a stove for cloudy days, and every fuel-burning stove on this site is labelled by its maker for outdoor use.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the Haines 2.0 SunUp kit if:

• You cook stews, rice, beans and roasts for two or more.
• You want a cooker that folds flat and weighs under 2 lb without its pot.
• You're happy to start cooking late morning and eat mid-afternoon or evening.
• You want the lower-cost way into solar cooking.

Buy the GoSun Sport if:

• You want food cooked in 20 to 30 minutes in strong sun.
• You cook for one or two.
• You camp where it's sunny but often cool or breezy.
• You have a dedicated spot for a rigid 29 x 12 x 6 inch package.

FAQ

Which is faster, the Haines 2.0 or the GoSun Sport? The GoSun Sport, by a wide margin. GoSun says it cooks a meal for two in about 20 to 30 minutes of strong sun. Haines says its cooker can boil a quart of water in as little as 40 minutes, and full meals take longer.

Which holds more food? The Haines 2.0. It cooks in a pot, and Haines sells it with a 4.5-quart Dutch oven. The GoSun Sport holds about 40 oz (1.2 L) per cook.

Which is better in wind? The GoSun Sport. Its vacuum tube loses little heat to wind. The Haines is an open panel cooker that cools in wind and needs to be weighed down.

Which is easier to store in a van? The Haines reflector folds flat and weighs 29 oz, but you also store the pot. The GoSun is a rigid 29 x 12 x 6 inch, 7 lb package.

Can either one replace my stove? No. Both need strong, direct sun. Use them to save fuel or battery on sunny days, and keep a stove for cloudy ones.

Sources and verification

• Haines Solar Cookers, Haines 2.0 Solar Cooker with Cooking Pot product page: 29 oz without pot, reflector materials, 4.5-quart black stainless Dutch oven, boil time, 87 W and 82 W ratings, sun-angle adjustment. https://www.hainessolarcookers.com/products/haines-2-solar-cooker (checked 2026-10-11)
• Solar Household Energy, University of Malaga study summary: 87.7 W at 3.5 kg load and 70° solar altitude. https://www.she-inc.org/?p=3510 (checked 2026-10-11)
• Solar Household Energy, heat-retention article: petals fold into a basket, food kept hot 4 to 6 hours. https://www.she-inc.org/?p=3534 (checked 2026-10-11)
• GoSun Sport figures (550°F rating, 20 to 30 minute meals for two, 29 x 12 x 6 in, about 7 lb, 40 oz capacity, warranty note) are from our GoSun Sport review and existing Sunflair vs GoSun Sport comparison. We didn't re-open GoSun's pages for this comparison.