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Whether you're at a ball game, on safari or watching birds at your local park, binoculars help you see better and farther, enhancing your experience. But some binoculars are just better than others and some are suited to particular activities.
If it's your first time buying binoculars or you aren't clear on the terminology, perhaps the first things to get your head around are magnification and objective lens diameter. The magnification tells you how much the binoculars magnify a scene. The diameter of the objective lens dictates how much light the binoculars let in, which affects the brightness and sharpness of the image. However, there's more to consider, such as lens coatings and prism types.
We researched binoculars, and the Nikon Monarch M7 10x42 Binoculars are our top choice. They're available in various magnifications and objective lens diameters to suit your needs.
Best of the Best
Weight: 1.5 lb | Magnification: 10x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Yes
Offering 10x magnification and a handful of neat features, the Nikon Monarch M7 10x42 Binoculars are among the very best. They have a highly durable build thanks to a rubber armored exterior, which provides superior shock resistance and terrific grip.
The roof prisms have a phase-corrected coating for higher resolutions. The advanced multilayer coating allows for bright images and natural colors, and the nonstick coating on the objective and eyepiece lens makes it easy to wipe away moisture, fingerprints and smudges. You can get as close as 6.6 feet to your subject while maintaining a high resolution, and the locking diopter ensures your preferred setting doesn’t change unexpectedly.
These binoculars are well-built yet surprisingly compact and lightweight at just 1.5 pounds. The resolution is fantastic, and with 10x magnification, you can get a clear view of subjects up to 1,000 yards away and a wide field of vision of up to 435 yards.
Best Bang for the Buck
Weight: 7.2 oz | Magnification: 12x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Yes
The Occer 12x25 Compact Binoculars don’t offer as many features as some of our other top picks, but they’re a fantastic choice for kids or adults who want something cheap yet durable for hiking and bird-watching.
These binoculars boast a 25-millimeter objective lens and a broad field of vision of up to 273 feet at 1,000 yards. The BaK-4 prism texture, combined with the multilayer broadband green film over the objective lens, allows for a spectacular image with natural colors. They’re lightweight and easy to carry, making them suitable for extended periods of hiking, and the waterproof exterior makes them perfect for aquatic activities, such as kayaking.
These binoculars offer an impressive image and a highly durable build. They’re a fantastic value pick for kids or adults who want something basic and reliable for outdoor activities.
Best for Birding
Weight: 1.5 lb | Magnification: 8x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Yes
The Opticron Oregon Binoculars are a terrific midtier choice for just about any outdoor enthusiast. They have a 42-millimeter objective lens with 8x magnification and a 7-degree field of vision, and a nitrogen-filled body for superior durability and water-resistance.
The fully multicolored coating over the objective lens allows for sharper resolution at further distances and richer colors. The eyecups are adjustable and comfortable for all viewers, and the rubber exterior is easy to grip while offering superb durability. The dial makes it easy to zoom in and out, and many customers report fantastic image quality in bright environments.
These binoculars are an excellent value pick for avid bird-watchers. Their simple operation makes them a great option for beginners and kids, and the phase-corrected prism coating with Oasis high-light transmission coating allows for a clear image even under direct sunlight.
Best for Their Wide Viewing Angle
Weight: 1.5 lb | Magnification: 8x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Water Resistant
The Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 ED Binoculars will not disappoint those who want binoculars with a broad viewing angle and plenty of features. These binoculars have a premium extra-low dispersion objective lens that effectively eliminates aberration or color fringing, which is a common problem with low-end binoculars and results in a low-quality image.
The rubber-armored casing makes them highly durable and shock-resistant, and the large focus knobs make it easy to adjust focus. The nitrogen-filled body prevents fogging and the BaK-4 prism with phase coatings maximizes light transmission for a clear image and rich colors even in low-light environments.
These binoculars are excellent for nearly any outdoor activity. The 8x magnification makes them suitable for bird-watching, and the 6.5-inch close-focus feature allows you to study small subjects up close. Plus, they come with several accessories, including a carry harness, a padded neck strap, an eyepiece cover, tetherable objective covers and a padded carrying case.
Weight: 1.5 lb | Magnification: 8x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Yes
Best for Their Lightweight Design
Relatively compact and streamlined, the Vortex Optics Viper HD Roof Prism Binoculars come in four magnification and lens diameter combinations: 8x32, 10x42, 10x50 and 12x50.
They are some of the best binoculars for safaris and birding, as they provide a decent field of view of between 288 feet and 409 feet at 1,000 yards, depending on the magnification and lens diameter.
They are fully multicoated and have BaK-4 prisms, which improve the image quality, making it bright, clear and sharp. These binoculars are durable and easy to grip, and because they’re waterproof and fog-proof, they can also be used in all kinds of weather conditions.
Rugged & Backed by a Lifetime Warranty
Weight: 1.8 lb | Magnification: 8x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Yes
You would be hard-pressed to find a more durable pair of binoculars than the Celestron Nature DX 8x42 Binoculars. They're designed for outdoor use and are suitable for activities such as bird-watching, hunting and hiking. Plus, they’re backed by a lifetime guarantee.
They offer 8x zoom capabilities for a close look at faraway subjects. However, users can also take advantage of the 6.5-inch close-focus feature for studying subjects such as birds and butterflies up close. The phase-coating filter ensures a crystal-clear image in various lighting situations. The twist-up eyecups are comfortable and can be appropriately positioned for use while wearing eyeglasses.
Thanks to their rugged build, these binoculars can take quite a beating, making them one of the best options for outdoor use. Plus, this kit comes with various accessories, including objective lens caps, an eyepiece rain guard, a neck strap, a carrying case and a lens cloth.
Feature-Packed
Weight: 1.6 lb | Magnification: 8x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Yes
The Athlon Optics Midas UHD Binoculars are loaded with features and are excellent for both kids and adults. The magnesium chassis gives them a lightweight yet durable build and the UHD objective lens combined with the advanced multicoated optics delivers a crystal-clear viewing experience.
The rubber armor is highly shock-resistant and the nonslip texture makes them suitable for rainy weather. Argon purging provides superior waterproofing and thermal stability in inclement weather, and the BaK-4 prism reflects more light for a brighter and sharper image. Phase-corrected lenses produce images with improved contrast and color richness.
These binoculars are great for hunting, bird-watching and hunting thanks to their rugged build, long-distance magnification and superb image resolution. Customers also love it for its broad field of vision and accessories, which includes a padded neck strap, lens caps and a soft-sided case.
Excellent Value
Weight: 1.6 lb | Magnification: 8x | Prism Type: Roof | Waterproof: Yes
The Celestron Outland X Binoculars are a pair of relatively cheap binoculars, but they have plenty to offer casual hikers and bird-watchers. The lenses are made of high-quality Bak-4 glass, which delivers superior color fidelity and image sharpness.
At 1.6 pounds, these binoculars are lightweight and compact, making them easy to carry around during your outdoor adventures. They’re filled with nitrogen gas to prevent fogging and have a protective rubber exterior for protection from accidental drops. The large focus knobs make it easy to adjust the focus based on your preference, and the multicoated lenses allow for more light transmission for a better image in various lighting situations.
These binoculars have an ultra-wide field of view at 306.81 degrees, which makes them one of the best options for those who want to observe broad landscapes. Plus, 10x magnification is an improvement over some of our other favorites that only offer 8x magnification.
There are two main types of binoculars: roof prism and Porro prism.
Roof prism: These binoculars are more streamlined, with the eyepieces in line with the objective lenses at the front. While they are less bulky and easier to hold, they cost more to make, so they tend to be pricier than Porro prism binoculars. Most high-end binoculars use a roof prism, including most of our top picks.
Porro prism: These binoculars are bulkier because Porro prisms are offset from one another and the objective lenses are positioned farther apart than the eyepieces. However, these binoculars are much more affordable than roof prism types, meaning you’ll get better image quality for your money.
When browsing binoculars, you’ll notice they come with a set of numbers, such as 12x60 or 10x25. The first number is the magnification, and the second number is the diameter of the objective lens, which is the front lens of the binoculars.
Magnification: The magnification of a pair of binoculars is the number of times closer what you’re viewing appears compared to observing it with the naked eye. Binoculars with a magnification of 12x make objects appear 12 times closer. The right level of magnification depends on what you want to use your binoculars for. For instance, you need 3x to 5x for the theater, 7x for sporting events, 8x to 10x for bird-watching and 10x to 30x for stargazing.
Objective lens diameter: The second number is the diameter of each front lens in millimeters, such as 32 or 50. The larger the objective lens, the more light comes into the binoculars and the brighter and sharper the image. The tradeoff is the bigger the objective lens diameter, the heavier and bulkier the binoculars, which will also be more difficult to keep stable without a monopod or tripod.
The exit pupil is visualized as a circle of light in the center of each eyepiece in a pair of binoculars. For any binoculars you consider, the diameter of the exit pupil should be provided in the product specs.
A larger diameter yields a brighter field of view. Why does this matter? In bright conditions, it doesn’t, because even binoculars with a minimal exit pupil of 2 millimeters will afford you a bright view.
However, if you want to use your binoculars at night or in low-light conditions, this is an important spec to check before buying. We suggest binoculars with a minimum exit pupil of 4.5 millimeters if you'll be using them in low light.
The Opticron Oregon, Athlon Optics 8x42 Midas UHD Gray Binoculars and Celestron Nature DX 8x42 Binoculars all have exit pupils with a diameter of 5.25 mm. Our top pick, the Nikon Monarch M7, has a 4.2 mm exit pupil, and the Occer 12x25 Compact Binoculars has the smallest exit pupil at 2.5mm.
If you can't find the exit pupil measurement for a pair of binoculars, you can calculate it yourself by dividing the effective diameter of the objective lens by the magnification. For example, a pair of 7x42 binoculars would have an exit pupil of 6 millimeters.
The purpose of a coating on the lenses is fourfold: to reduce glare and reflections, to make colors appear more vivid and realistic, to increase light transmission and to improve contrast.
Lenses may be uncoated, coated (meaning they have one layer of coating), multicoated (several layers of coating) or fully multicoated (all lens surfaces inside and out have multiple layers of coating). You'll get the best results from fully multicoated lenses. It's best to avoid uncoated and coated lenses, but multicoated lenses are perfectly good for occasional or casual use.
Most of our favorite binoculars have fully multicoated lenses, but some, such as the Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 ED Binoculars and Celestron Outland X 10x42 Binoculars, have multicoated lenses.
You’ll find one of three types of prisms in most binoculars: BaK-4, SK-15 or BK-7. The properties to look for in a good prism are a high refractive index and a low critical angle. This means a prism can transmit with less light lost as a result of internal reflection.
BaK-4 prisms are considered the highest quality, followed by SK-15 and BK-7 prisms. That said, all are made of special optical glass, so even binoculars with BK-7 prisms provide a decent image quality. Of our top picks, the ones that specify that they are made with high-quality BaK-4 glass are the Occer 12x25 Compact Binoculars, Celestron TrailSeeker 8x42 ED Binoculars, Celestron Nature DX 8x42 Binoculars and Celestron Outland X 10x42 Binoculars.
Both the angle of view (measured in degrees) and the field of view (measured in feet) express how much scenery you can see when looking through your binoculars. Some manufacturers list both of these specs while others list just one. For most people, the field of view is more meaningful than the angle of view.
The Celestron Nature DX 8x42 Binoculars and Athlon Optics 8x42 Midas UHD Gray Binoculars both have a field of view of 388 feet at 1,000 yards, while the Nikon Monarch M7 10x42 Binocular has a field of view of 362 feet at 1,000 yards. Most high-end binoculars have a field of view inside the 200-to-400-foot range, but some models can exceed that by 50 to 100 feet.
The Nikon Monarch M7 10x42 Binocular and the Athlon Optics 8x42 Midas UHD Gray Binoculars both have an impressive angle of view at 62.2 and 65 degrees, respectively. Our other top picks all have comparable viewing angles that fall within the 6.5- to 7.5-degree range.
A. Basic binoculars start at around $20 to $50. They're fine for casual use, but the image quality isn't the clearest. You can find decent mid-range binoculars for around $80 to $150, while high-end options cost around $200 to $600. The very best professional-quality binoculars can cost well over $1,000, but these are overkill for most buyers.
A. Not all binoculars are water resistant, but those that are have different levels of water resistance. Those with no rating aren’t suitable for taking out on the water or in the mist or rain. Those that are rated weather resistant can stand up to mist or light rain. Those rated waterproof are fine to use in the rain and are even submersible to a certain depth, which varies between makes and models.
A. There’s no single best chassis material; all have their pros and cons. Aluminum is a popular choice because it’s inexpensive and fairly light. It’s not as light as magnesium, but binoculars with a magnesium chassis cost more. Polycarbonate is another great chassis choice because it’s corrosion-proof, strong and weather resistant.
A. It can be harder to get a clear image from binoculars with a higher magnification without the use of a tripod, monopod or other steadying device. You’ll definitely need a steadying device for any binoculars over 20x magnification. However, some users find they need a tripod for binoculars over 12x, especially when using them for long periods of time.
