What are the best binoculars?

Travel

Anita Pearson

What are the best binoculars?

Hey everyone - What's the best set of binoculars you've found? My husband and I are quite outdoorsy, so a quality set of binoculars has become a must for travel, bird ... watching, hiking, boating, hunting (for him), and the occasional sporting event or concert. There are so many different types of binoculars out there and they can be pretty pricey so I want to make sure I'm getting the best one. Any suggestions?Read more

Top Community Picks

#1 USCAMEL Marine Binoculars

rating star 0rating star 1rating star 2rating star 3rating star 4
Check price on Amazon

Discussion highlights:

  • Eliminates glare; crystal clear focus
  • Wide, distant field of view
  • Night vision & compass show your way
  • Durable; avoid fogging or water damage
  • Comfortable with or without glasses
  • Calculates distance and size of object
  • Boating, birding, hunting, sports, etc.
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#1 USCAMEL Marine Binoculars

1152
rating star 0rating star 1rating star 2rating star 3rating star 4
...

Discussion highlights:

  • Eliminates glare; crystal clear focus
  • Wide, distant field of view
  • Night vision & compass show your way
  • Durable; avoid fogging or water damage
  • Comfortable with or without glasses
  • Calculates distance and size of object
  • Boating, birding, hunting, sports, etc.
Check price on Amazon

Top comments:

Bradley S. Bachman

I love using my USCAMEL binoculars—you should give them a try. Great ability to focus which gives a crystal clear view. There is plenty of brightness (without light glaring) and color in the image, even during a darker time of day. The field of vision is much wider than other sets I've tried, and a much farther distance, too. The compass on the top is quite convenient anytime I need a quick glance at the direction I'm headed. I've dropped them in water a couple times while boating, and they float right back up to the surface, and no lens fogging afterward. They are a bit heavy—definitely not little pocket binoculars—but I'd say that's a good thing. Overall, they are just sturdy, high quality, durable binoculars that I expect will last me a long time. They were quite useful at an NFL game last fall, as well, making my pricey attendance all the more worthwhile. I was able to fully enjoy the game because I could really keep up with each play. I plan to bring them to many future games—they've become quite the investment!

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Buddy Travers

The USCAMEL binoculars have been a great buy for me! I took them hunting and I was amazed at their quality. I normally wear glasses, but I can use these without wearing them because I've adjusted the diopters to my eyesight. They have a really helpful feature that helps calculate the distance and size of an object, which is nice sometimes when I'm spotting game.

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Angelita Clemens

I've been using my husband's USCAMEL binoculars for bird watching, and they are incredible! Sometimes I like watching at dusk or early morning, and the night vision works great—so neat! It also comes with a neck strap and a carrying bag, and a user-friendly manual. I highly recommend them!

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Top comments:

Alesia Burns

My Nikon ACULONs are a great option for many activities. I'm a photographer, and they have a nice, precise image—except for when I want a higher magnification (around 18-22x), at which point there is some distortion and fringing on the edges of objects.... The field of view is a bit small, so if you're zooming in, I definitely recommend using a tripod for a steady picture. Read more

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Sabas Cory

For the high quality name of Nikon and the affordable price, the Nikon ACULON binoculars are really great. They have a great view in most lightings—pretty much everything but night vision ... (found that out the hard way at an outdoor evening concert).They have a sleek look and are solid, but still quite lightweight and fairly easy to carry with the neck strap. They also come with a padded carrying case, lens covers, and a tripod adapter. For most purposes, these binoculars will do a fine job. Read more

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Anton Thorpe

I'd say Nikon binoculars are quite versatile and suitable to withstand most weather conditions. They are not waterproof or fog-proof—so be careful using in wet weather or ... water sports—but besides that, they perform well. Read more

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Top comments:

Horace Erickson

Their low price makes the Adorrgon Binoculars a good option for travel—so you don't have to be as concerned about the possibility of losing them. Have a pretty clear picture in various lighting (besides total darkness), with just a bit of blur ... on the image edges. They are quite light, so it's not a hassle if you're walking long distances. But they perform well for their quality. Read more

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M. Guest

My Adorrgon Binoculars have pleasantly surprised me with their ability. At 12x magnification, I can see a lot of detail with these handy little things, though I do have to take care to hold them quite steadily ... (which, at their light weight, is not too difficult). Sometimes there can be a glare blocking the view that's difficult to eliminate. But they are well worth the price. Read more

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Kaila Hardy

@M. Guest, do yours fog up? I know they say they're waterproof and fog-proof, but mine tend to fog when it's wet.

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Top comments:

Nicky Kopp

My Bushnell L Series binoculars do a fair job. They have a clear image and color contrast. Although the rubber cups that protect the ocular side and on the objective lens keep falling off... at the slightest touch—such as removing the covers or taking the binoculars out of their case. Still a great view, but at the price, I'd hope for a little more durability.Read more

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Ryan Pham

The Bushnell binoculars do a great job at truly being not only waterproof and fog-proof, but also oil resistant—helping to avoid oily fingerprints covering my view. However, I'm frustrated with... the focus knob—it seems to be loose, so it's difficult to turn it slowly and get a precisely focused image. Read more

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Top comments:

Farley Messer

The Occer Binoculars are a good option for kids, if that interests you. They have a compact, light design, so they'd be easier for kids to use. I bought a pair for myself for ... casual bird watching, but despite any adjustments I made, I could not get them to focus properly. My son, however, has enjoyed taking them over, since I no longer try to use them. Read more

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Sydney Blanchard

@Farley Messer, have yours held up okay? When I tried adjusting the focus on my Occers, they completely fell apart! Wondering if it's worth purchasing a replacement.

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Farley Messer

@Sydney Blanchard, ours are still holding together okay, but they do seem to be a bit cheaply made. I wouldn't expect them to last too long, but that's another reason I feel ... comfortable letting my son play with them. Without any carrying case, they're sure to get beat up before too long. Read more

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Top comments:

Reiko Daley

I got some Steiner Predator Series binoculars that are okay. The image clarity is alright, but the focus wheel turns too loosely, and doesn't hold focus well once you get it in ... place. It's definitely difficult to see in low light. And though they're advertised as water- and fog- proof, they're more like water and fog "resistant." Read more

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Daniel Williamson

@Reiko Daley, I was disappointed with my Steiner Predators. They didn't live up to the Steiner quality I've seen in previous sets. I had similar issues as you did, as well as a very... uncomfortable neck strap and lens covers that fell off with the slightest movement. Read more

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