Black Friday is here again, although retailers have been unveiling deals all week in anticipation of the biggest shopping event of 2023. While it's a great time to buy binoculars or a telescope, it can be tough to choose which to buy, or to determine whether or not something is actually a good offer.
Thankfully, we've been keeping our eye on these products all week, separating the good from the not-so-good, to curate the best deals for telescopes and binoculars. Whether you're looking to the skies, watching wildlife, or anything in between, we've checked out all the major retailers, to make sure you're getting the cheapest price right now.
We pride ourselves on having tested plenty of the available options for the best telescopes for stargazing and the best binoculars for skywatching and wildlife spotting, so we've actually used most of the models below.
Under this section, you'll find our favorite deals across optics. For telescopes, you'll likely spend up to $250 for a model to help get you started, or up to $800 once you've found your feet. For $1500 and above, you can reasonably expect the moon and the stars.
Binoculars can start from $100, but you'll usually get more the more you pay - making discounts on more premium options ideal on Black Friday. The build and weight, glass quality, and extra features are all things to keep in mind, but you can expect to pay up to $2000 for the best stargazing binocular options.
- Best Buy: A great range of binocular and telescope deals
- Amazon: Big deals on binoculars and telescopes
- Walmart: Binoculars for all ages and deals on telescopes for stargazers
- B&H: Expert retailer specializing in optical hardware
Best telescopes deals
Best binoculars deals
How to choose your binoculars
Haven’t decided which pair of binoculars is right for you? Here are some things to consider: How do you plan to use the binoculars: bird and nature watching, or skywatching? Some binoculars are made for being out in nature when the sun is bright, for instance, or perhaps a rugged, shock-resistant coating is in order for a heavy-duty adventure. After you have that figured out, as well as your budget, here’s what to look for when scanning the stores for the best binoculars deals:
Magnification and lens size: The two numbers that describe binoculars refer to the magnification (first number) and lens diameter. For instance, a set of 10 x 52 binoculars are equipped with 10x magnification and 52 millimeter lenses. Both 8x and 10x magnification are considered optimal to prevent shaking and show a stable image nearby and far away. Lens size determines the amount of light let in. In low-light settings, you might want binoculars with lenses that are larger than 42 mm.
Field of view: The FOV indicates how wide an image can be seen through a binoculars' lenses. The wider the FOV, the easier it will be to find what you’re looking for. However, there are trade-offs. The higher the magnification, the lower the FOV. According to Bushnell, companies measure FOV in feet at 1,000 yards, or the field of view you’d have if you were to measure it from 1,000 yards away.
Size/shape: Depending on where you plan to lug your binoculars, the physical size and weight can matter. Big and bulky might be fine for one adventurer, while another is interested in pocket-friendly binoculars that still feature powerful optics.
If you're ready for an outdoor adventure, keep checking back for more deals on binoculars for 2023.
How to choose your telescope
If this is your first time buying a telescope, or you're looking to upgrade from a beginner model, there are a few things you need to know before deciding which model to buy. If you're ever unsure, and want to know your options, don't forget to visit our best telescopes guide.
Aperture: The aperture of your telescope is usually measured in mm, and the higher the number, the wider the aperture. A wider aperture lets in more light, which is essential for night sky viewing. If you're a beginner, you're fine with around 90mm, but more advanced telescopes will have 120mm-300mm, which will allow you to pick out further away objects with greater clarity. Obviously, a wider aperture comes with higher weight and money costs.
Magnification: This is essentially a rating how far you can see while retaining a clear image. It's the focal length of your telescope multiplied by the magnification of your eyepiece. If you'd rather not calculate the numbers, as a rule of thumb, the maximum useful magnication of your telescope is about 50x the aperture, and the longer the magnification the better the image you'll get when viewing far-away objects. This is influenced by the eyepiece the telescope uses, so if you're looking to vary the types of object you're looking at, you should make sure you have a range of eye-pieces, like a 10mm and a 25mm.
Focal ratio: This is essentially the width of your field of view. A higher focal ratio number (represented as f/number) allows you to really narrow in to specific objects like planets, stars, and the moon. A lower focal ratio number gives a wider field of view, so is better for clusters like the Milky Way or the Horsehead Nebula. Obviously, the wider your focal ratio, the more light you're letting into your telescope, so the brighter and clearer the object your viewing is.
Weight and tripod: Don't forget that, especially if you live in an urban area, you will need to transport your telescope to dark sky spots in order to see the night sky clearly. Taking note of the weight, durability, and ease of collapsing of your tripod or mount is important.
Smart phone integration: Some of the more advanced telescopes can be controled via your smart phone, and many have in-built databases of celestial objects that you can pick out with the press of a button. If you struggle to actually find certain objects, these smart features will be worth the money.
