The Best Binoculars

We analyzed 738 reviews from 25 websites to find the best binoculars. Sources included:
WalmartNeweggB&H Photo Video
+22 More

Top Binoculars

Best for Most People
Best Binoculars Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8X42 Binoculars
$190 from 11 stores
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Why Consider This:
These binoculars are a great option, with very clear optics, solid construction, and easy-to-use focusing. They also have a slightly smaller grip than most, which can either be a positive or negative, depending on the needs of the customer.
People Like:
  • Waterproof
  • Overall image is sharp and crisp
  • Vivid natural colours and contrast
People Dislike:
  • A little chromatic aberration in centre of image
  • Tripod adapter is sold separately
  • Grip may be weird for some
94
Owner Score
185 Reviews from 4 Sites
83
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Best Value
Best Binoculars Carson VP-842 Binoculars
$101 from 17 stores
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Why Consider This:
The VP-842 is an 8x42mm full size binocular. These binoculars feature BAK-4 prisms and fully multi-coated optics for crisp, clear viewing. In addition, the VP-842 8x42mm binoculars are phase coated, waterproof and fog proof.
People Like:
  • bright and sharp images,
  • waterproof and fog proof
  • Plenteous, useful accessories
People Dislike:
  • Can be hard to focus
  • Too pricey for some
  • Some chromatic abberation
90
Owner Score
144 Reviews from 11 Sites
70
Media & Critic Score
1 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com
Top Performance
Best Binoculars Athlon Midas ED Binoculars
$297 from 1 stores
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Why Consider This:
The Athlon Midas ED pair’s optics aren’t its only strong suit: These are exceptionally durable binoculars that can easily withstand the humid, dusty, and hostile environment of the Mexican rain forest and harsh sun of the Californian desert. And their focus dial adjusts reliably and smoothly across a wide range of depths, making it easy to focus on what you’re trying to see, no matter where it is.
People Like:
  • Good clarity and brightness
  • big field of view
  • relatively inexpensive
People Dislike:
  • Finicky focus knob
  • Relatively smaller sized lens
  • The focusing distance is fairly low
100
Owner Score
1 Reviews from 1 Sites
74
Media & Critic Score
2 Media Reviews
Buy On Amazon.com

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Unbiased & Unsponsored: Critic.ly aggregates and analyzes reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
Our reviews of the best binoculars were based on 738 reviews from 25 websites.
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How to Find the Right Binocular

Binocular, optical instrument, usually handheld, for providing a magnified stereoscopic view of distant objects, consisting of two similar telescopes, one for each eye, mounted on a single frame. A single thumbwheel may control the focus of both telescopes simultaneously, and provision may be made for adjusting the focus of each separately to allow for varying characteristics in the two eyes. Binoculars are designed to give an upright view that is correctly oriented left-to-right. Because they allow use of both eyes in a natural way, they are more comfortable than single telescopes, provide depth perception, and improve visual acuity by giving the human visual system two sets of data to process and combine. Anyone looking to make far-away objects appear a bit closer should consider a good pair of binoculars. Binoculars that are great for birders are great for anyone looking to make things appear closer—whether you’re hunting, watching sports, or otherwise. No matter what you plan to gaze at, your binoculars need to do two things well: They need to make distant objects closer, and they need to make them clearer. The better the binoculars, the better you can see those birds up in trees, those athletes down on a field, the antlers of a deer crouching at the edge of a woodlot, or the butterflies gathering at a drying patch of mud along a trail. If you need a pair of binoculars, this list is for you!

Binoculars We Eliminated

We research and analyzed 7 binoculars. Here's what we concluded about the ones that didn't make the cut.

Sources & Methodology

Critic.ly uses a combination of machine learning and human editors to help you find the best products.
We start by aggregating and analyzing reviews from real owners and industry critics. We remove spam, sponsored reviews, and other forms of bias to make sure you get the best possible sense of what people actually think about products.
We convert every review to a weight average score from 0 to 100.
For this article, we analyzed 738 reviews from 25 sites to find the best binocular.