The best compact binoculars help you bring the faraway closer, yet avoid having to bring an extra bag or rucksack to cart around a heavier pair of bins. And we've brought the best of the best together in our guide below.
The two main specs to focus on are magnification and lens (objective) size, typically shown as in the manufacturers' blurb in the form, 10x25 (10x magnification, 25mm diameter lens).
Higher magnification gives more zoomed-in view but narrower field of view, making it harder to locate objects. Larger lenses allow more light for brighter images, but make binoculars bulkier and heavier. It's also worth taking into account weight and size, because you don't want to sacrifice too much portability.
Sebastian Oakley
As well as being a pro sports photographer, he is also a big country sportsman who can be often found in or around the shooting field, sailing on the open sea, or taking part in other country pursuits, and often has either a pair of binoculars, a monocular or a scope in his hand.
If price isn't a concern and you want the best optical quality on the market to date, then these compact binoculars are just the thing. Read more below
This pair offers outstanding image quality for the price, and has the perfect combination of magnification and brightness for bird-watching in any lighting condition. Read more below
Looking for a point-and-view for a very low cost? These compact binoculars are basic and performance in low light is variable, but for such a low price they offer great value for money. Read more below
These are remarkably light for a pair of 8x42 binoculars - and are rubberized to ensure they take the knocks when on your travels. They are remarkably good value too. Read more below
An inexpensive and portable offering for backpackers and hikers alike, this compact pair of binoculars would also be suitable for concert and theatre-goers, as well as sports fans. Read more below
Incredibly affordable and with rugged build quality, these 16x32 binoculars may lack ultimate brightness, clarity, and contrast yet they help get impressive close-ups. Read more
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Best overall
(Image credit: Sebastian Oakley/Digital Camera World)
✅ You want the best: Swarovski is known for its expertise in optics and these binos are the best in the business.
✅ You want great build quality: Built to last and act as an investment Swarovski has made these binos with the best quality materials around.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You're on a budget: If you're counting the pennies these are not the best option for you
❌ Accessories aren't the best: Unfortunately, the accessories don't match the high price
If price isn't a concern and you want the best optical quality on the market to date, then these pair of Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 compact binoculars are just the thing to let you observe wildlife from as close to 3 meters all the way up to 132 meters with crystal clear vision.
If you are looking for the best optical quality binoculars that are also lightweight for carrying long distances, and that let you see your observations from a far distance, these are possibly the best compact binoculars you can buy to date.
With the lightweight construction of the CL Companion binoculars and the impeccable build quality, you can be sure your investment will withstand the test of time, which is what would expect as these are far from cheap. But you get what you pay for and the optical quality of these binoculars is possibly the best on the market.
✅ You want a great all-rounder: Perfect for observing birds, but can also be used for many other subjects.
✅ You want compact: Great compact size to carry around all day or have in your pocket.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You're looking for a good deal: While these are not the most expensive in the market they are still a hefty price
An 8x42 pair of binoculars is a great basic specification for birdwatching. That gives you enough magnification for getting in close, without the binoculars becoming too hard to hold steady. The 42mm diameter lenses, meanwhile, mean that the image is bright enough to make them suitable for use on dull days and at dusk.
On testing these Celestron binoculars, we found them to give exceptional image quality for the price. You can pay more to get these with ED (extra-low dispersion lenses), but in our test we think that the basic Trailfinders are brilliant enough not to warrant paying the extra.
We loved that these are waterproofed, and come supplied with a harness (a binocular harness is otherwise an extra investment for birdwatchers). Overall, these are the perfect combination of portability, performance, and affordability.
✅ You're on a budget: Perfect for those wanting good quality on a limited budget.
✅ You want lightweight: At just 195g these are perfect for having in your pocket whenever you need them.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want optical quality: these are not the sharpest binos out there
Short on funds? These lovely binoculars are pocket friendly in terms of both size and price. Weighing just 195g and fitting in your palm, they're lovely and portable. As you'd expect from the price these binoculars are basic; simply point-and-view. But our reviewer found they did a good job in situations like bringing athletes closer from our seat faraway in the stands, or performers’ faces more clearly into focus at a concert.
Overall, performance veers between adequate and good depending on available light, but it broadly feels like you're getting decent value for money.
Dimensions: 125 x 130 x 52mm / 6 x 5.1 x 2.0 inches
Reasons to buy
+
Bright image and great quality for the money
+
Lighter than rival 8x42mm
+
Rubber coated
Reasons to avoid
-
The lens caps feel cheap
Buy it if:
✅ You love to travel: With amazing lenses and a compact form factor, these binos are perfect for travel.
✅ You want thought construction: With a rubberized outer shell these are great to use in all weather conditions
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want high-quality lenses: On testing, we did see some chromatic aberration which was slightly distracting.
What you want from a pair of travel binoculars may well depend on where you are going, and what you expect to see. But we think that you will want decent magnification and decent image brightness - so you can make the most of them in a variety of conditions. It is also not worth investing very heavily, perhaps, just in case they go missing.
For this reason, we pick this pair of Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 binoculars - which we think are a really great buy. The 8x42 spec means they are perfect for wildlife watching - and can be used in lowlight, so you are not limited to using them in bright daylight.
The rubberized exterior means that they can be packed in your suitcase without you worrying about how they will fare being thrown around by baggage handlers.
In our tests, we did observe some chromatic aberration - but for the price this is perfectly understandable, and is more than acceptable for the casual holiday maker.
Multi coated lenses to increase light transmission
Reasons to avoid
-
No indication of waterproofing
Buy it if:
✅ You want binos for everything: these are a great pair of binos for a number of observations, from wildlife to seascapes.
✅ You want bright lenses: with its multi-coated lenses you can be sure your observations will be bright and clear
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want waterproofing: unfortunately, the lack of waterproofing will put some off.
An inexpensive and portable offering for travelers and hikers alike, this compact pair of binos would also be suitable for concert and theatre-goers, as well as sports fans, or indeed anyone wanting an unobtrusive pair for daily use. Available in non-nonsense black plus several other colors, one of the main selling points here is that, at 195g in weight, users will barely notice they’re carrying Nikon’s Aculon T02.
While they are slightly light on features too for their budget-friendly price, we do get adjustable turn-and-slide eyecups, and a familiar central focus knob, as well as multi-coated lenses, to increase light transmission for a crisper view.
In our tests we found that these binoculars are best used in bright light - which is not surprising due to the 10x21 basic specification. Similarly, the relatively high magnification means they are easy to use when sitting down that standing up.
✅ You want high magnification: With its 16x32 lens set, these will get you closer to the action to make key observations.
✅ You want something sturdy: with its heavy-duty rubberized otter shell these binos are perfect for those tough conditions
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want true-to-life viewing: Unfortunately, these binos lack that '3D' pop that others on the market offer
Incredibly affordable and with rugged build quality, the images created by the Celestron UpClose G2 16x32 binoculars lack ultimate brightness, clarity, and contrast yet prove useful for getting impressive close-ups. Binoculars with 16x magnification are often huge and cumbersome - but this pair are small enough to take away with you on trips.
Handy, travel-friendly, and highly affordable, these will suit anyone after close-ups of birds, animals, and objects in the middle distance. And they’re good enough for occasional use in vast landscapes and at sea, too.
Binoculars have lots of different specs, but there are two key ones that are best to focus on: magnification and lens size.
Most binoculars will list both in their name. When you're browsing for binoculars, you'll quickly notice that their names tend to include something like "10x20" or "6x30". These two numbers refer respectively to the magnification factor and the size of the lenses. So in this example, we've got binoculars with 10x magnification and 6x magnification. You might think it'd be a matter of picking the binoculars with the largest magnification, but in practicality, it limits your field of view, which can make things harder to spot.
The second number refers to lens size. A larger lens will make the image brighter and clearer, especially in low light, but will also make the binoculars bigger and heavier (and probably more expensive)
This means that for your hobby or subject, it's worth thinking about what the best combination of magnification of objective lens size will work for you. However, also ask yourself how far you’re willing to compromise on portablity.
For example, physically larger objective lenses and greater magnifications usually mean more sizable binoculars too, which is why we find most ultra-compact binoculars stick to magnifications of, say 8x or 10x, and objective lens sizes of a relatively modest 21mm or 25mm. That being said, for daytime use a lens size with a diameter of 21 to 25mm is arguably ideal.
What are the best compact binoculars for observing nature?
A high magnification combined with a smaller and lighter objective lens will make for a good combination here. Some binoculars offer 10x26, and anything in that ballpark should work. However, if you do want to use a heavy pair, consider choosing one that can be affixed to a tripod. That way, you don't have to get tired arms from holding it.
What are the best compact binoculars for horse racing and other sports?
Sports tend to happen during the day, so a bright objective lens is less of a concern. Something like an 8x30 will hit the spot, as the 8x magnification should be plenty to see what's going on from the stand. There's no point getting something big and heavy if you don't need it.
What is a roof prism?
Due to the positioning of the internal prisms that make up their construction, roof prisms tend to be narrower and far more compact than the alternative Porro prism design also commonly used for binoculars. Thus compact binoculars always use the roof prism design.
How we test the best compact binoculars
When we test compact binoculars, we focus on three main things: optical performance, durability, and user experience. Our experts assess factors like image clarity, field of view, and low-light performance to ensure superior visual acuity across various conditions. Durability tests examine ruggedness, weather resistance, and ergonomic design for comfortable handling. And user experience evaluations gauge factors such as focusing mechanisms, eye relief, and overall usability to guarantee an exceptional viewing experience.
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.
He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.
