I’ve been asked a few times what binoculars I’d recommend. Honestly, the importance of good binoculars is often over-emphasized so for people getting into birding, I’d say start with the most accessible optics, either a pair you have or a cheap pair you find online.

If you are looking for your first pair of binoculars I’d recommend with something less than $200. Don’t get scared by the $500 or $1,000 brands. You don’t need to spend that kind of money unless you are ready to buy a high powered scope. I’d also recommend checking out some online reviews from organizations like Audubon, though they often target higher end optics.

What to look for

8x or 10x Magnification

There are some things you may want to keep in mind when looking at optics for birding. Firstly, you don’t need crazy magnification. This is because the stronger magnification usually leads to a narrower field of view which can make it really difficult to track a bird quickly moving in front of you. Additionally, the higher the magnification, the more hand shake affects your visibility. Technically field of view is a separate metric you can sometimes find listed on a spec sheet, typically in terms of degrees. So if you can get a higher magnification for the same field of view, that’s better. But the magnification is a decent proxy and most of my binoculars are 8x or 10x magnification. Stronger magnification can be helpful in situations like trying to identify shore birds that all look similar standing on a beach. But for that situation, you’d be better off investing in a higher powered scope with a stand. For a base pair, 8 or 10x is a good sweet spot.

Lens Size

The other primary metric you’ll see on optics is the lens size which is normally the second number listed. This is an indication of how much light can be directed to your eyes, which is important for lower lighting situation. If you’re birding late in the day, it can help to be able to see more clearly. But the tradeoff with lens size is usually the size, weight, and portability of the binoculars. I’ll bring my larger binoculars when I go out for a big birding trip. But I more often use my smaller pair which is easy to throw in a bag when I want to have a pair available. So my two main pairs of binoculars are 8x32 and 10x42, giving me good visibility without too much size/weight. Lens size also impacts price pretty significantly, so if you want something cheaper, you might go with a 25mm lens. While bigger is usually better in terms of visibility, it is more important to pick a size that you’ll practically be able carry around.

Glass Quality

The hardest thing to compare in optics is the glass quality. I don’t know of a good metric to check on a spec sheet. Unfortunately there are a lot of marketing terms and brand specific terminology. Often you’ll see companies have an “HD” variant of the same binocular body, which usually indicates a better quality glass. Essentially, some lenses have better accuracy than others which can help avoid problems like the different wavelengths of colors affecting the clarity of your view. Or lower quality glass will be clear in the center of your view but distorted at the edges. To get through the marketing terms, it’s helpful to try different optics in person in the same area. Different quality levels do make a difference, especially when you’re comparing different prices, but it’s probably the hardest thing to check when looking at different optics.

Ergonomics

Another advantage of trying out different optics in person is being able to feel the ergonomics of the surfaces. How does the eye cup feel against your face? How easy is it to adjust the focal depth? How does it feel in your hands? Does it have a nice case? If you find binoculars cumbersome, maybe a monocular with one eye hole is easier for you to use. These are more subjective but do affect your experience and comfort.

Brands

I have only tried a few brands but can share my impressions.

Brands I’ve Owned

The first pair of binoculars I remember are a tiny pair from Bushnell. Not high powered but nice and portable for a kid.

When I was young, I was given a pair of Nikon 10x42s which for a long time were my best pair of binoculars. Nikon is a great brand. However they were pretty large so I only took them on my day long birding trips.

In my 20s I was given a pair of Wingspan binoculars on Amazon. They were a perfect size and decent quality. The company also sent a replacement pair when they broke. It seems like they no longer sell that size but do have a pair of 8x42s for sale.

The first pair I bought myself were Vortex DIAMONDBACK HD 8X32s on sale at the San Diego Bird Festival in February 2026 for about $220. Then I found a pair of Vortex DIAMONDBACK HD 10X42s on sale at Costco in June 2026 for about $190 so I added those to replace my Nikons.

Brand Impressions

  • Vortex is what I use now. Has a few options $100-$200.
  • Hawke is a good value brand I considered purchasing. See their Vantage line.
  • Opitcron is a newer brand to me that had some good options at the SD bird festival under $200
  • Nikon: Longtime optics maker (especially cameras). See their 8x30 for an entry-level option.
  • Bushnell: Well established mid-tier brand. See their 8x32 for an entry-level option.
  • Kite Optics is a nice brand known for their active stabilization tech.
  • Zeiss high quality brand that also is involved in medical/science imaging.
  • Swarovski Optik is probably the most expensive brand I know.