The best binoculars can connect you with the outdoor world as they bring nature closer, help you identify and observe distant animals and even let you gaze at the stars. Failing that, they can improve your view of the action at music and sporting events and upgrade your seat to the front row.
When buying binoculars it’s good to think how and where you will mostly use them. If it’s going to be wet, waterproof models make sense. More rugged designs will be better at surviving hiking and camping trips. If the wildlife you want to watch is going to be at a distance, look for higher magnifications although this will make them bulkier. Compact pairs you can slip in your pocket are more likely to be taken out on trips or to events if they are easier to carry. Binoculars can also work well for astronomy and experts will often recommend them over cheap, beginner telescopes. Here are the binoculars we recommend.
Adorrgon 12x42 Powerful Binoculars
Light but high-powered
These binoculars are light to carry at only 1.1 pounds but powerful enough to see a face clearly from 650 feet away thanks to their 42mm large objective lens and 367ft/1000yds field of view. The large eyepiece has 12x magnification and can deliver clear vision in weak light. Protected by an anti-slip rubber outer, they come with a carrying case and neck strap.
Occer 12x25 Compact Binoculars
Big eyepieces and coated lenses
Glasses wearers will love the large eyepieces on these high-powered binoculars that are comfortable for everyone to use for extended periods. They have 12x magnification, 25mm objective lens and wide field of view, 273ft/1000yds plus the lenses have an FMC broadband coating and come with a BAK4 prism texture. They are shockproof and water-resistant and can slip in a coat pocket.
Celestron SkyMaster 25x70 Binocular
Designed for stargazing
Celestron has crafted these SkyMaster binoculars for astronomy or long-distance viewing with large 70mm objective lenses and powerful 25x magnification. They feature multi-coated optics and high-quality BaK-4 prisms to enhance contrast. Expect them to stay comfortable for long stargazing sessions.
Vortex Optics Crossfire HD Binoculars
Tough, clear and easy to use
Combining HD optics with a rugged design and high-end form-factor, the Crossfire HD is a lot of binocular for the price. The included GlassPak binocular harness lets you deploy them quickly in the field and provides good protection and comfort, making them great for wildlife spotting.
Bottom line
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Binoculars have the potential to make any trip outdoors memorable by letting you get closer to nature. If you spot something that looks interesting at a distance you don’t want to miss the opportunity to observe it more closely that you can only get by using your binoculars. They are the easiest way to get started in astronomy too with none of the complicated setup of a telescope and often better results. The binoculars we recommend are the 12x42 Powerful Binoculars from Adorrgon. They offer lots of magnification in a lightweight form at a good price. Being light to hold means they come into their own for travel or when watching wildlife.
If you want to try astronomy, we would look at the Celestron SkyMaster 25x70 Binocular. Celestron knows what they’re doing when it comes to gazing at the night sky and they have made these powerful binoculars with multi-coated lenses comfortable to look through for extended periods.
