diff --git a/.changeset/array-defaults-support.md b/.changeset/array-defaults-support.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f01bae01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/array-defaults-support.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+---
+"arkenv": minor
+---
+
+#### Support array defaults using type().default() syntax
+
+Fix to an issue where `type("array[]").default(() => [...])` syntax was not accepted by `createEnv` due to overly restrictive type constraints. The function now accepts any string-keyed record while still maintaining type safety through ArkType's validation system.
+
+### New Features
+- Array defaults to empty using `type("string[]").default(() => [])` syntax
+- Support for complex array types with defaults
+- Mixed schemas combining string-based and type-based defaults
+
+### Example
+
+```typescript
+const env = arkenv({
+  ALLOWED_ORIGINS: type("string[]").default(() => ["localhost"]),
+  FEATURE_FLAGS: type("string[]").default(() => []),
+  PORT: "number.port",
+});
+```
diff --git a/apps/playgrounds/node/.env.example b/apps/playgrounds/node/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a191eaba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/playgrounds/node/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+HOST=localhost
+PORT=3000
+NODE_ENV=development
diff --git a/apps/playgrounds/node/index.ts b/apps/playgrounds/node/index.ts
index 1199ff0c4..a09dfa791 100644
--- a/apps/playgrounds/node/index.ts
+++ b/apps/playgrounds/node/index.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-import arkenv from "arkenv";
+import arkenv, { type } from "arkenv";
 
 const env = arkenv({
 	HOST: "string.host",
 	PORT: "number.port",
 	NODE_ENV: "'development' | 'production' | 'test' = 'development'",
+	ALLOWED_ORIGINS: type("string[]").default(() => []),
 });
 
 // Automatically validate and parse process.env
@@ -11,7 +12,8 @@ const env = arkenv({
 const host = env.HOST;
 const port = env.PORT;
 const nodeEnv = env.NODE_ENV;
+const allowedOrigins = env.ALLOWED_ORIGINS;
 
-console.log({ host, port, nodeEnv });
+console.log({ host, port, nodeEnv, allowedOrigins });
 
 export default env;
diff --git a/apps/www/content/docs/quickstart.mdx b/apps/www/content/docs/quickstart.mdx
index 79df20e91..059d02aee 100644
--- a/apps/www/content/docs/quickstart.mdx
+++ b/apps/www/content/docs/quickstart.mdx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ description: Let's get you started with a few simple steps.
     Add a schema to make your environment variables **validated** and **typesafe**:
 
     ```ts title="config/env.ts" twoslash
-    import arkenv from 'arkenv';
+    import arkenv, { type } from 'arkenv';
 
     export const env = arkenv({
       // Built-in validators
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ description: Let's get you started with a few simple steps.
       // Optional variables with defaults
       LOG_LEVEL: "'debug' | 'info' | 'warn' | 'error' = 'info'",
       
+      // Array defaults using type function
+      ALLOWED_ORIGINS: type("string[]").default(() => ["localhost"]),
+      FEATURE_FLAGS: type("string[]").default(() => []),
+      
       // Optional environment variable
       "API_KEY?": 'string'
     });
diff --git a/packages/arkenv/src/array-defaults-integration.test.ts b/packages/arkenv/src/array-defaults-integration.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea823bf09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/arkenv/src/array-defaults-integration.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import arkenv, { type } from "./index";
+
+describe("arkenv array defaults", () => {
+	it("should work with the exact syntax from the GitHub issue", () => {
+		// This is the exact code from the GitHub issue that should now work
+		const Thing = arkenv({
+			array: type("number.integer[]").default(() => []),
+		});
+
+		expect(Thing.array).toEqual([]);
+	});
+
+	it("should work with complex array defaults", () => {
+		const env = arkenv(
+			{
+				ALLOWED_HOSTS: type("string[]").default(() => [
+					"localhost",
+					"127.0.0.1",
+				]),
+				FEATURE_FLAGS: type("string[]").default(() => []),
+				PORTS: type("number[]").default(() => [3000, 8080]),
+			},
+			{},
+		);
+
+		expect(env.ALLOWED_HOSTS).toEqual(["localhost", "127.0.0.1"]);
+		expect(env.FEATURE_FLAGS).toEqual([]);
+		expect(env.PORTS).toEqual([3000, 8080]);
+	});
+
+	it("should support arrays with defaults and environment overrides", () => {
+		const env = arkenv(
+			{
+				NUMBERS: type("number[]").default(() => [1, 2, 3]),
+			},
+			{
+				NUMBERS: [4, 5, 6], // Non-string environment for testing
+			},
+		);
+
+		expect(env.NUMBERS).toEqual([4, 5, 6]);
+	});
+});
diff --git a/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.test.ts b/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.test.ts
index 25a656a45..5b0a917b7 100644
--- a/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.test.ts
+++ b/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { styleText } from "node:util";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { createEnv } from "./create-env";
+import { type } from "./type";
 import { indent } from "./utils";
 
 /**
@@ -83,4 +84,29 @@ describe("env", () => {
 
 		expect(TEST_STRING).toBe("hello");
 	});
+
+	it("should support array types with default values", () => {
+		const env = createEnv(
+			{
+				NUMBERS: type("number[]").default(() => [1, 2, 3]),
+				STRINGS: type("string[]").default(() => ["a", "b"]),
+			},
+			{},
+		);
+
+		expect(env.NUMBERS).toEqual([1, 2, 3]);
+		expect(env.STRINGS).toEqual(["a", "b"]);
+	});
+
+	it("should support array types with defaults when no environment value provided", () => {
+		// Test default value usage when environment variable is not set
+		const env = createEnv(
+			{
+				NUMBERS: type("number[]").default(() => [1, 2, 3]),
+			},
+			{},
+		);
+
+		expect(env.NUMBERS).toEqual([1, 2, 3]);
+	});
 });
diff --git a/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.ts b/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.ts
index 431962967..d2d0487a9 100644
--- a/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.ts
+++ b/packages/arkenv/src/create-env.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@ type RuntimeEnvironment = Record<string, string | undefined>;
 
 export type EnvSchema<def> = type.validate<def, (typeof $)["t"]>;
 
+/**
+ * TODO: If possible, find a better type than "const T extends Record<string, unknown>",
+ * and be as close as possible to the type accepted by ArkType's `type`.
+ */
+
 /**
  * Create an environment variables object from a schema and an environment
  * @param def - The environment variable schema
@@ -13,7 +18,7 @@ export type EnvSchema<def> = type.validate<def, (typeof $)["t"]>;
  * @returns The validated environment variable schema
  * @throws An {@link ArkEnvError | error} if the environment variables are invalid.
  */
-export function createEnv<const T extends Record<string, string | undefined>>(
+export function createEnv<const T extends Record<string, unknown>>(
 	def: EnvSchema<T>,
 	env: RuntimeEnvironment = process.env,
 ): distill.Out<type.infer<T, (typeof $)["t"]>> {
diff --git a/packages/arkenv/src/type.test.ts b/packages/arkenv/src/type.test.ts
index 9bece9280..9aff9e222 100644
--- a/packages/arkenv/src/type.test.ts
+++ b/packages/arkenv/src/type.test.ts
@@ -182,4 +182,14 @@ describe("type", () => {
 		expect(result.NUMBER_VALUE).toBe(42);
 		expect(result.BOOLEAN_VALUE).toBe(true);
 	});
+
+	it("should work with array defaults using type function", () => {
+		// This demonstrates the specific issue mentioned in the GitHub issue
+		const envType = type({
+			array: type("number.integer[]").default(() => []),
+		});
+
+		const result = envType.assert({});
+		expect(result.array).toEqual([]);
+	});
 });