On top of that, the Trailblazer ATBs are waterproof, so no worries if they briefly slip into a puddle or creek. There were some pairs of binoculars with impressive features, but a few drawbacks that prevented them from making our main list. These binoculars have stood up remarkably well to several trips and many drops.
There are not many binoculars that provide such good imagery for such a low price. Whichever product you pick, however, you will have a hard time going wrong. The Thebinocularsite.com basics of binoculars are their ability to magnify distant objects, as well as the diameter of their lenses which determines how much light gets into them. They do this through a prism system, which can either be a roof-mounted prism system or a multi-lensed porro prism system.
The best binoculars In 2025: for astronomy, wildlife, sports fans, and more
So when you see “8×42”, the first number followed by an “x” is the magnification. So in this example, the binoculars have an 8x magnification and thus it will make whatever you look at through them seem eight times (8x) closer (or larger) than what they would with the naked eye. At it’s most basic level, the main purpose of any binocular is to magnify the view and thus bring distant objects more clearly into vision by making them look closer or larger.
View Subcategories
The Nocs Provisions Zoom Tube 8×32 ($75) hits the mark perfectly, offering an 8x magnification and fully multi-coated lens. The BX-2 Alpines are built around Leupold’s ‘Advanced Optical’ system, which is its base-tier prism and lens setup and consists of Abbe-Koenig roof prisms and calcium fluoride lenses. While not as tack-sharp as the BX-5 Santiams we tested concurrently, it’d be unfair to say that the BX-2s aren’t a sharp piece of optics. We did miss out on the hydrophobic lens coating that higher-end Leupold models receive, however. HD glass allows for incredible crispness in the field of view and maximizes light capture in low-light conditions. The rubber coating has become a staple of the Vortex line and provides added strength and grip on the Vipers as well, and the adjustable eyecups promote comfort for everybody.
- Compact; Swarovski binoculars do not really compromise, you just get degrees of greatness.
- The Occer 12×25 is covered with FMC Broadband coating and gives the objective lens a green color.
- I was also happy to see that Bushnell have used BaK-4 prisms on these.
- Or maybe you’re a biologist who needs to know the specific distance between camera trap and bait site.
Final thoughts on the best binoculars
While the magnification determines how large objects will appear, the diameter of the objective lens determines how much light the instrument can gather and the difference is exponential. For example, if you double the size of the lens, you get four times the light gathering capability. So, for low light applications, the larger the objective lens, the better. It makes sense when you start to think about astronomical telescopes, which have huge objective lenses for looking into the night sky. However, if you’re on a sunny safari, too much light may not be such a good thing…
Chromatic aberration can often be a problem with binoculars when you’re not paying into the high hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds. However, Vortex have done a bang up job with their DB-215s and you are given crystal clear images through the good-sized eye-cups. On top of that, you can really dial in the clarity with a combination of the central focus dial and diopter on the right eyepiece. If you’re looking to buy binoculars for birdwatching specifically, aim for a magnification in the lower range of 8x to 10x. You can achieve a much wider field of view when using binoculars with a lower magnification, which is ideal if you’re hoping to spot a fast-moving bird or animal. Binoculars with a lower magnification are also much easier to hold steady – a must unless you rest them on a support or choose a pair with image stabilisation.