You don’t have to invest too much to have a decent pair of binoculars for hunting. 50 bucks or even lower are reasonable to start with.
Here are the best hunting binoculars for the money (Apr 2024 Update):
- Best Overall (Full-Size Binoculars): SkyGenius 10 x 50 Powerful Binoculars
- Best For Weak Light Condition (Full-Size Binoculars): Adorrgon 12x42 Powerful Binoculars
- Lightweight (Full-Size Binoculars): toyuugo 10x42 Compact Binoculars
- Best Overall (Pocket-Size Binoculars): Aurosports 10x25 Folding Binoculars
- Best For Low-Light Condition (Pocket-Size Binoculars): Hontry 10x25 Binoculars
- Best For Glasses Wearer (Pocket-Size Binoculars): SkyGenius 10x25 Compact Binoculars
| 6 Best Hunting Binoculars For The Money | ||
|---|---|---|
Best Overall | SkyGenius 10 x 50 Powerful Binoculars
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Best For Weak Light Condition | Adorrgon 12x42 Powerful Binoculars
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Lightweight | toyuugo 10x42 Compact Binoculars
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Best Overall | Aurosports 10x25 Folding Binoculars
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Best For Low-Light Condition | Hontry 10x25 Binoculars
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Best For Glasses Wearer | SkyGenius 10x25 Compact Binoculars
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Best Overall (Full-Size Binoculars): SkyGenius 10 x 50 Powerful Binoculars
Larger objective lens to capture more light
Diopter System for imbalanced eyesight
Shock-resistant, Wear-resistant, Slip-resistant
Moisture-proof and odor-proof
Adjustable eye relief
Quite bulky & Not waterproof
SkyGenius 10 x 50 Binoculars are my pick for the best overall full-size hunting binoculars. They have a good magnification power - the highest magnification that you don’t need a tripod to stabilize the images. The image quality is good with high color fidelity and minimum distortion. They have larger objective lenses so they capture more light, allowing you to view clear and bright images even in dim conditions. This is a perfect choice for hunting in sunset or night concerts.
SkyGenius 10 x 50 Binoculars feature a rugged rubber armor to protect the lens system from shock, moisture, wear. The rubber armor is also odorless, as well as provides an anti-slip grip. However, the binoculars are not waterproof. They are pretty lightweight, only 1.76 lbs, however, quite bulky.
The diopter system is to balance out the imbalance vision of both eyes; The center focus knob is to easily adjust the focus. The eye relief is adjustable to fit the preference of different users, including glasses wearers.
| SkyGenius 10 x 50 Powerful Binoculars Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 10x |
Objective Lens Diameter (mm) | 50mm |
Field of View | 367ft/1000yds |
Eye Relief Distance (mm) | Adjustable |
Highlight Features | Larger objective lens |
SkyGenius 10 x 50 Binoculars have larger objective lenses so they capture more light.
Best For Weak Light Condition (Full-Size Binoculars): Adorrgon 12x42 Powerful Binoculars
Higher magnification power
Larger eyepieces for larger images
BAK4 Prism and Fully Multi-coated lens
Shock-resistant, Anti-slip, Odorless
Super lightweight
Higher price
Adorrgon 12x42 Binoculars have a higher magnification power than other portable hunting binoculars - 12x. Although this magnification tends to make the images shaking, these binoculars do not, which is a significant advantage. However, this great quality costs you a bit more. Still affordable though.
Not only the magnification power is higher, but also the eyepieces are larger. These larger eyepieces are to make the most out of the higher magnification - delivering larger images with clearer details. You can view a clear face from 650 feet away.
Adorrgon 12x42 Binoculars use BAK4 Prism, which is the best type of Porro prism for binoculars. The lenses are fully multi-coated for brighter and crisp HD images. On the outsides, the binoculars feature an odorless rubber armor that is shock-resistance, anti-slip, and super lightweight.
| Adorrgon 12x42 Powerful Binoculars Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 12x |
Objective Lens Diameter (mm) | 42mm |
Field of View | 367ft/1000yds |
Eye Relief Distance (mm) | Adjustable |
Highlight Features | Higher magnification |
Adorrgon 12x42 Binoculars have a higher magnification power and larger eyepieces.
Lightweight (Full-Size Binoculars): toyuugo 10x42 Compact Binoculars
More affordable
Lightweight and compact
Waterproof and Fog-proof
BAK4 Prism and FMC Broadband coating lenses
5.0/5.0 rated on Amazon
Narrower field of view
toyuugo 10x42 Binoculars are not only lightweight and compact but also pretty affordable. Despite that, these hunting binoculars are of great quality - no wonder why it is rated 5.0/5.0 on Amazon. In fact, you cannot find another pair of binoculars at this price that is waterproof and fog proof.
toyuugo 10x42 Binoculars features BAK4 Prism and FMC Broadband coating lenses for nearly 100% light transmission, so you can view brighter and crisp HD images even in dim conditions. The magnification power is standard - 10 times. The objective lens diameter is also standard - 42mm. The only drawback of the binoculars is the field of view, which is narrower than other models on this list.
| toyuugo 10x42 Compact Binoculars Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 10x |
Objective Lens Diameter (mm) | 42mm |
Field of View | 303ft/1000yds |
Eye Relief Distance (mm) | Adjustable |
Highlight Features | Lightweight & compact |
toyuugo 10x42 Binoculars are not only lightweight and compact but also pretty affordable.
Best Overall (Pocket-Size Binoculars): Aurosports 10x25 Folding Binoculars
Light transmittance up to 99.5%
Lightweight, small, foldable
Waterproof & hyper-durable
Skidproof & shockproof rubber armor
Diopter System for imbalanced eyesight
Nothing to complain
Aurosports 10x25 Binoculars feature fully multi-coated lenses, which enhances light transmittance up to 99.5%. This impressive light transmittance provides vivid and bright images, even in dim conditions. The right-eye diopter, along with the center diopter, helps people with imbalanced eyesight use the binoculars without glasses. Or you can also use the binoculars while wearing your glasses thanks to the far eye relief distance.
Aurosports 10x25 Binoculars are lightweight, small, and foldable, making them pretty portable. They have a strong and durable construction with rubber armor. The binoculars are skid-proof, shock-proof, and water-proof. Moreover, the price is very affordable. At this price, you won’t find any better pair of hunting binoculars.
| Aurosports 10x25 Folding Binoculars Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 10x |
Objective Lens Diameter (mm) | 25mm |
Field of View | 362ft/1000 yds |
Eye Relief Distance (mm) | 14.8mm |
Highlight Features | Waterproof |
Aurosports 10x25 Binoculars are unbeatable at the given price.
Best For Low-Light Condition (Pocket-Size Binoculars): Hontry 10x25 Binoculars
Fully multi-coated optics
Light transmission of 96.48%
Lightweight, small, and foldable
Ergonomic rubber armor for a secure grip
Super durable
The eye relief distance is quite short
Hontry 10x25 Binoculars feature fully multi-coated optics with the light-transmission of 96.48%. The optic quality is beyond the price you pay for them. The image quality in low-light condition is pretty impressive - bright and vivid.
Hontry 10x25 Binoculars have a rugged rubber textured armor that fits nicely into your palm, providing an anti-slip and secure grip. This armor also helps the binoculars bear impact and abrasion. Despite being super durable, Hontry 10x25 Binoculars are still lightweight, small, and foldable - you can put it into your pocket easily.
a big drawback of Hontry 10x25 Binoculars is its short eye relief distance, which may cause some troubles for glasses wearers. They don't feature a right-eye diopter as well. Users with vision conditions should be aware of this.
| Hontry 10x25 Binoculars Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 10x |
Objective Lens Diameter (mm) | 25mm |
Field of View | 362ft/1000yds |
Eye Relief Distance (mm) | 10 mm |
Highlight Features | Ergonomic rubber armor |
Hontry 10x25 Binoculars have an impressive image quality in low-light conditions.
Best For Glasses Wearer (Pocket-Size Binoculars): SkyGenius 10x25 Compact Binoculars
Fully multi-layer coated lens
Lightweight, Small, and Foldable
Shock-resistance & Anti-slip grip
Adjustable Eyepiece for glasses wearers
Diopter System for imbalanced eyesight
Not so good at stabilizing images
SkyGenius 10x25 Binoculars are a good choice for glasses wearers thanks to their adjustable eyepieces and right-eye diopter. Using the binoculars both with or without glasses is particularly comfortable.
The rubber armor of SkyGenius 10x25 Binoculars is good, which provides you with a firm, anti-slip grip and protects the lenses from impacts. The image quality is great - vivid, clear, and bright. However, if you don’t have a steady hand, you may feel that the images are a bit shaky.
| SkyGenius 10x25 Compact Binoculars Specifications | |
|---|---|
Magnification | 10x |
Objective Lens Diameter (mm) | 25mm |
Field of View | 362ft/1000yds |
Eye Relief Distance (mm) | 13mm |
Highlight Features | Adjustable Eyepiece |
SkyGenius 10x25 Binoculars are pretty comfortable for glasses wearers.
How To Choose The Best Hunting Binoculars For The Money?
Magnification
The common magnification power is 10 times. 10x means that you’ll the image 10 times closer through the binoculars. A magnification that is higher than 10 puts you at the risk of shaky images.
Objective Lens Diameter
The bigger this number is, the more light that can go through the lenses, and the brighter the image is. 50mm is a pretty standard number for full-size binoculars, while 25mm is the standard for pocket-size binoculars.
Field of View
This is the maximum distance from left to right of the scene that you can see at 1000 yards through the binoculars. The wider field of view, the less you have to move your binoculars, the better you track the prey.
Eye Relief
This is the longest distance from the eyecups to the user’s eyes that you can view the full angle. If you wear glasses, you should better choose binoculars with far eye relief.
Right Diopter
The right diopter helps you to adjust the focus of two lenses separately, which is pretty useful for those who have an imbalanced vision.
Shock-Resistance and Water-Resistance
While most binoculars feature a rubber armor to deal with shock and impacts, not many of them, especially when it comes to budget binoculars, are waterproof. If you intend to go hunting in the rain season or somewhere near the water, you should better choose water-resistant binoculars.
Which Brands Make The Best Hunting Binoculars For The Money?
SkyGenius
SkyGenius is a young yet potential company. It was founded in 2013, in the US; Up to now, it has successfully built its global brand on a wide range of products, such as Digital Electronics, Home Supplies, Car Accessories, Outdoor & Sports, etc. It’s a closed process that SkyGenius is doing, from designing, manufacturing, to marketing. This ensures their products are of great quality and great quality control. When it comes to binoculars, SkyGenius has a bunch of budget models for hunting or sightseeing.
Toyuugo
Toyuugo is a brand that belongs to Shenzhen JULANG Electronic Commerce Co., Ltd. It is based in Shenzhen, China. The main competitive advantage of Toyuugo is affordable yet high-quality binoculars. Besides binoculars, they also make from kitchen electronic appliances, smart home products, to outdoor supplies and pet supplies. They have some very good products at a very reasonable price. This is a brand worth considering.
Aurosports
Binoculars, monoculars, rangefinders, red dots - Aurosports make all the tools and accessories for vision-enhancing. No matter that you are looking for binoculars for hunting, for stargazing, or for sightseeing, Aurosports have the best models for you. When it comes to binoculars, Aurosports is well-known for its compact and affordable binoculars, which are also durable and of high quality. This is a brand that you should have a look at for your next pocket-size binoculars.
FAQs
What does 10x50 mean in binoculars?
The first number (10) indicates the magnification power. A magnification of 10 means that it zooms images 10 times bigger than the images’ original size. The latter number (50) tells you the diameter of the objective lens. A diameter of 50mm is quite large, which captures a lot of light, so the images are brighter and you’ll be able to see in dim conditions.
Should I buy phase coating or multi-coating?
While multi-coated lenses are more expensive, they definitely worth it. Multi-coated lenses reduce light loss at a significant amount. More light goes through means that the images are brighter and more vivid.
What strength of binoculars is best?
When it comes to binoculars, the most two important numbers are the magnification power and the objective lens diameter, which are usually written as 10x42 or 12x50. The first number is the magnification power. A magnification of 12 means that it zooms images 12 times bigger than the images’ original size. The latter number is the diameter of the objective lens. A diameter of 50mm is quite large, which captures a lot of light, so the images are brighter and you’ll be able to see in dim conditions.
How far can you see with 10x42 binoculars?
I would say you’ll probably see a clear face from 540 feet away.
Full-size vs. pocket-size binoculars?
Both can have the same magnification power, the same field of view, and the same image quality. Pocket-size binoculars are more compact, which is is pretty convenient when it comes to hunting. While full-size binoculars have larger objective lenses to capture more light, making images brighter - this is pretty useful in dim conditions. Besides, if the distance between your two eyes is quite far, pocket-size binoculars may be too small to fit you.
Conclusion
Binoculars on the above list are all below 50 bucks - the best hunting binoculars for the money. This is a reasonable number to start with. Enjoy your hunting with new binoculars.
Bryan Listor
