I've rounded up the best binoculars for bird watching based on clarity, brightness, color rendition, eye relief and price. Here's my personal ranking along with hands-on reviews.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Vortex Optics - Crossfire HD Binoculars for Bird Watching
Highlight: Rubber armor gives a secure, non-slip grip.
Helpful review: I ended up grabbing Vortex’s 10x42 binoculars for bird watching, and I knew I needed certain specs for my new hobby that would make it more enjoyable.
I needed the magnification to be large enough so I could easily spot all the different birds, but I also craved a wider field of view so that I could easily track the birds as they hopped from one branch to the next. My friend does whale watching, and had recommended these pairs because she has similar requirements for that hobby, as well.
And I’m so happy I ended up getting these. They’re lightweight and yet you can tell that they’re durable enough to withstand the elements of nature.
SOME PROS I LIKE THEM ABOUT:
– They have a crisp, clear image.
– There’s no refraction or colored fringes on the edges.
– The aperture allows a lot of light to stream in.
– Focusing is easy as pie, and the dial is in an intuitive spot.
CHOOSING MAGNIFICATION:
I’ve tried a lot of cheap binoculars on the market, and I’m really happy that I went with these, finally. I’m glad I didn’t go with the 12X magnification, mainly because I think they skip around when you use them. A lot of people prefer the 8, but I’m happy I went with 10, although it does tremble a little if you are only holding it with one hand, so I think that’s just personal preference.
CHOOSING FIELD OF VIEW:
I really wanted the diameter of the objective lens to be large enough so that I could track a bird as it’s flying around so I wouldn’t lose it if it went out of range. And I truly think that the 42mm is exactly what I wanted. The 50mm would probably have made them too bulky, so I’m glad I went with these.
ADJUSTMENTS:
I found that the inter pupil distance was easy to adjust, just keep in mind that if the left and right sides of it aren’t adjusted correctly, you’re going to see darkness on the edges. Once you get it adjusted, it’s not really an issue overall, but you can accidentally hit it and change that so just be careful. I also like the neck strap it came with and that it fits perfectly.
MINOR COMPLAINT:
In order to see everything super clear and really get the benefit of the full field of view, you’ll have to situate your eyes right in the center of the eye pieces with just the right distance from them. For me, that was about ⅜ inches from my eyes, and I managed to find that balance by resting my finger on my forehead when I used it. Not super comfortable, but it works. I ended up getting a 42mm rubber cushion and that solved the problem right up, so keep that in mind if you are having any issues with looking out of it.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, I love them and definitely recommend them. These are honestly the best binoculars for the money. My bird watching experience has been heightened and has never been better. — Vince Maggiore
Get it from Amazon now: $229.99 & FREE Returns
2. Nikon - Aculon 10-22x50 Binoculars For Birding
Highlight: Comfortable enough for extended use.
Helpful review: I don’t have a lot of experience using binoculars, but I started with a solid telescope so I do have some experience with how these things work. I live by the water and enjoy using them to watch the boats come into port.
I did a lot of research on the best binos for marine viewing and ended up choosing these. They’re not professional marine binoculars, but they’re pretty darn close. I love the zoom option, and that’s mainly the reason I ended up getting these. I was even able to take pictures with my Android through the lens of the left eye piece.
I ultimately ended up buying a phone adapter, but honestly I didn’t like how it was such a pain to install so I ended up not using it and found that free handing the pics was just as easy. You zoom with it on the right, and you can also change the width by moving the binoculars as a whole.
To get solid distance viewing, you need solid stability to eliminate the bounce, so I ultimately ended up putting these on a tripod to keep them steady. For that reason, I can’t speak on how heavy they are over time, but I will say that my eyes never started to strain, even with long term consistent use.
The distance is just purely amazing, honestly. I could see so much that I couldn’t see without them.
I will say that I wear glasses, but I still didn’t have any issues using these and they were comfortable both with and without my glasses. My husband is lucky enough to have perfect vision, and he enjoyed them just as much, however I think I saw better with my glasses on, but that’s probably just because I’m blind and my eyes are different strengths. So overall they were easy to use, I had no trouble zooming in and out, and refocusing was super easy.
Really, I love these and I plan to bring them on vacation when I go stay by the beach on the east coast this summer. I also found that I could use them just as well as at night to look at the moon. Really have zero complaints. — Tim Laurence
Get it from Amazon now: $189.95 & FREE Return
3. Celestron - Nature 8x42 Binoculars For Bird Watching
Highlight: Great contrast and resolution with top-notch light transmission.
Helpful review: I just need to talk about my favorite part of binoculars. The focus is smooth as butter, the view is great, and they just fit like they were made for my hands. Yes, you could say I’m having a love affair with these things. I really spent a lot of time researching for a good pair of 8x42 binos, so to finally find a pair is just the chef’s kiss if you ask me.
They seem really well made, and I love that they’re in my price range, too. Bird watching and being out in nature is a favorite hobby of mine, so I knew I wanted a good pair. I’ve tried a lot of models over the past decade, but honestly, I think these are up there.
I had a budget of about four hundred and I’ve really tried a lot of the top brands out there, and I wanted to compare all of the different kinds, mainly in the store, but still, I got a lot of time with them.
I did have a few different pairs for a couple weeks that I got to test out, including Vanguard Spirit ED, Carson HD, Celestron TrailSeeker, and the Atlas Intrepid ED, oh, and the Alpen Shasta Ridge 10x42.
Now, I also use some of my binoculars for stargazing, and if you’re new to the world of bino land, you should know that there are binos for day time and binos for night time. This pair of 8x42's were going to be my daytime binos, but I still tested them out at night, just to see how they worked. My biggest tips? Try the binos in your life to see how they will work with how you plan to use them. Don’t just listen to the reviewers, even the good ones like me haha. You’ll want to make sure they fit in your hands, and on your face. Everyone looks different, you know?
I truly stand by the fact that resolution is everything. You can have great edge performance, super bright binos, but if you don’t have resolution, you’re not going to have much.
The sharper the better, and while the Celestron Nature binos weren’t necessarily the sharpest out there, they were definitely up there in comparison to everything else I used. I really love these and plan to keep them for a long time. I found that compared to all my other binos, I could see a lot of different types of things, and I didn’t have to keep adjusting it to be able to see everything.
That’s how you know what a great pair of affordable binoculars are. You’ll feel like you’re right there in the middle of the action, not peering from far away.
Overall, you just really can’t beat the price either, and although I was open to spending the full four hundred I’d budgeted, I was happily pleased to find out that I didn’t need to. They’re also super compact and light, which is just an added bonus if you ask me. So, this is just a long winded way of saying that if you’re on the fence, I highly recommend just taking the plunge and grabbing these. These really are good binoculars for bird watching. You won’t be disappointed! — Jay Spencer
Get it from Amazon now: $169.95 & FREE Return
4. Adasion - 12x42 HD Birding Binoculars
Highlight: Binoculars designed for bird watching.
Helpful review: I live in Florida, aka the swamp, so I knew I wanted a good pair of binoculars so I could see all the friends in my neighborhood. And by friends I mean fish, frogs, birds, and turtles! This was imperative during COVID, when social distancing meant I couldn’t see my actual friends haha. This was my first time buying binoculars and I just love how well they work. I’ll give some tips for other first timers that I found out over time.
There’s two numbers in the bino spec: AxB
- A equals the magnification. The larger the number, the more the image looks zoomed-in
- B is the size of the objective lens: the glass at the very end of the binos. The bigger the number, the brighter and clearer the image looks.
There’s a focus wheel between both halves, which you rotate to help you focus the binos on something close up or far away.
There’s a fine tuner on the right eye piece that lets you adjust for any differences between your eyes. If it’s your first time using them, I recommend closing your right eye, and then using the focus wheel on your left eye, and then do the opposite. Then you can adjust the focus wheel.
I did have an older pair of Bushnell that were 12x25 and compared them to Adasion.
– Size: Adasion is bigger, mainly because it has a larger objective lens.
– Eye piece: The eye cups on the Adasion rotate, which allows for some breathing distance from your eyes and the lens. I think it’s a nice quality. The Bushnell lacked this feature, and my eyelashes always hit the glass, which would make it fog up.
– Straps: This seems silly, but honestly I noticed the difference a lot. Bushnell’s straps connect in the center, and Adasion’s are on each side. Because of this, Bushell bounces against my chest when I walk, while Adasion’s is comfortable to walk with.
– Protective covers: The objective lens comes with a removable rubber cover hanging off the end. I prefer to keep them on to protect the glass from smudging.
– Picture quality: This was a huge difference. The Bushnell were more magnified but I like the wider field of view that comes with the Adasion as it doesn’t shake as much if your hands are unsteady. Bushnell also gets a little blurry on the edges, while the Adasion is super clear in the whole image. The colors are also a lot brighter because of this, while Bushnell has more faded colors.
– Smartphone Adapter: I also really recommend adding a smartphone adapter that lets you attach your camera to the eyepiece to take really good pictures. It was a lot of fun to play with, it does make it really difficult to film video though.
If you do want to use it though, I recommend attaching your phone without the eye cups pulled out, that way you have the best distance. I had trouble finding one that fit my Bushnell, but the adapter that comes with the Adasion perfectly fits the eye cups with a nice snug. Hope that helps! I definitely recommend these. — Leo Holland
Get it from Amazon now: $119.99 & FREE Returns
5. RONHAN - 20x50 High-Power Military Binoculars
Highlight: Top-notch, quick focusing.
Helpful review: I just love these binoculars so much! As a boater, I wanted something high-powered, but water resistant and I’m so happy I went with these. The image quality is superb, and I had no issue adjusting the eye pieces and frame and found that they work well for different people, too.
Most importantly, they’re actually waterproof. I’ve used a lot of marine binos before and always ended up getting water splashed on the glass, which somehow seeped inside. It’s so nice to find a pair that actually work as they’re advertised.
I will say that they’re not listed as floating, so I ended up getting an extra attachment strap that would make them float if they ever fell in the sea. I really can’t recommend these enough if you’re a boater. You won’t be disappointed!
A FEW WORDS FROM A FRIEND:
Wow! With a capital W! I used these binos to literally see the rings of Saturn and the moon, Titan, and I also got to see the moons of Jupiter, Callisto and Ganymead, IO and Europa, and after checking with a small telescope set at 40X I saw I was correct. I love that these binoculars can be used at night and during the day. For stargazing, I’ve used a lot of binos and found I struggled to see the far off asteroids and stars, but nope, not with these! If you’re looking for something that has a high magnification and lets you feel like you’re right in the middle of space, then these are the binos for you! — Andrew C. Brown
Get it from Amazon now: $69.99 & FREE Returns
6. Occer - 12x25 Compact Binoculars with Clear Low Light Vision
Highlight: Comfortable even with glasses on.
Helpful review: There were a lot of reviews that listed these binoculars as cheap and subpar, and I’m really glad that I ignored them.
These have serious weight to them, enough that they feel durable and strong, and I’d say they’re a similar weight and feel to my Nikons that cost nearly five times the cost. And I think they work just as well.
I’ve owned a lot of binos and telescopes over the years and I’ve tried out all the types across the price spectrum. I think that with the designs these come with, they’re accurate color wise and have a good image sharpness. The aperture is small, but that’s to be expected in a pair of compact binos, which is what they are.
Make sure you manage your expectations, people. But even in comparison with my Nikons, I found that there were no differences in the chromatic aberrations. In other words, you’re getting a high quality pair of binoculars, and for a bargain, friends!
They’re listed as being night vision binos, but I’d say they’re better for daylight, but for the price, you should just get a pair and decide for yourself! I think these are the best value binoculars on the market, unless you want to pay much more. — Ryan Porter
Get it from Amazon now: $35.99 & FREE Returns
7. SkyGenius - 10x50 Inexpensive Binoculars with Low Light Night Vision
Highlight: Great for low light night vision.
Helpful review: I love camping in the great outdoors with my wife, and as much as I love her, she loves stealing my things, mainly my Bushnell 10 x 50 binos. I knew I wanted to get her her own pair, and I was tempted to try a new brand. I’d bought battery operated fans from Sky Genius before, so I knew I liked the company, so I decided to go with these for binoculars, too.
I’m seriously so happy I went with SkyGenius, and I’m honestly a little jealous, cause I think I like them more than my Bushell, and now I’m always asking her to use yours!
A FEW POINTS:
- They arrived well packaged, in a secure box with an air filled outer wrapping, and not damaged at all. They even arrived at night, which was awesome, because I could test them right out the box! Literally.
- I compared them side to side with my old Bushnell and although they both weigh the same and came with similar accessories, like a case, cleaning cloth, and strap, I knew I liked these better immediately.
- The lens cover of my Bushnells always falls off inside the case, and that didn’t happen with the Sky Genius lens caps! They’re attached, thank God! And yeah, the Bushnell strap is a bit wider, but not enough to annoy me with the Sky Genius.
When I tested them in the rain, I found that Sky Genius made a better image, and that that image was sharper, overall, although the amplifications were similar.
I like to remove my glasses when I use binoculars because it gives me an extra wide field of view, but when I pushed down the eye cups of both brands, and tried them with my glasses, the Sky Genius seriously blew me away!
The image ended up being just as clear and crisp–and wide! Which is what I wanted!
The image overall was just leaps and bounds better with Sky Genius at night. I plan to buy myself a pair so I stop stealing my wifes! Haha. Definitely recommend for night time camping! In my opinion, these are the best cheap binoculars. They're really cheap! No kidding. — Cory J. Gould
Get it from Amazon now: $58.99 & FREE Returns
8. Adorrgon - 12x42 HD Lightweight Binoculars for Bird Watching
Highlight: Over two times the image size of the fourteen mm eyepiece.
Helpful review: I’ll be honest right out the gate, I didn’t know a lot about binoculars when I purchased these, but I wanted to get my mom something of quality when she moved to Florida and took up bird watching.
After a few hours of research, I decided to go for a pair of Vortex that I had delivered directly to her. But when I decided to visit, I picked up these for myself, thinking they’d be something cheap I could use to enjoy the hobby with her.
And yeah, there’s obviously a difference in the image quality when you compare these two side by side, but let me tell you right now–the extra two hundred bucks that I spent on the Vortex was not worth it. The differences were not that great!
You can see the difference in the super fine details, like the clarity around the edges and the sharpness of objects at a far distance, but I was expecting to have my mind blown with using the Vortex, and I honestly wasn’t. Unless you’re super into optics, I don’t think you’ll notice the difference enough for it to matter that much. Maybe that says more about the Vortex quality than these, but if you’re looking for a good product for beginners, I’d say that these still do the trick.
I’d say they feel similar in their style and have similar features, too. Unless you’re really looking to just spend money and have something name brand, don’t go for something huge. Just start with these and go from there.
They do the job, they’re affordable, and they’re still fun to use. These even came with a similar lens cover that the Vortex had, and honestly my mom likes them just as much. So I’m getting her a pair of her own.
I will just say that experts with birth watching say that you want either a 10x42 or 12x42, and I found that I had no issue spotting bluejays and even woodpeckers with these! Worth the money, and I’ll go out on a limb and bet that you’re going to get more than you expected! — Kevin L. Tracey
Get it from Amazon now: $59.99 & FREE Returns