There’s no need for you to spend hours, even days, scouring the internet for the best deal. We’ve got everything you need right here including some of the best binoculars under £100 and some helpful tips on what to look for when buying.
Why Do I Need Binoculars?
If you enjoy the great outdoors then a good pair of binoculars are an excellent addition to your kit. They can be used for a multitude of purposes not to mention that, in a survival situation, they will allow you to check out the wider area.
Of course, most people won’t find themselves in such a stressful situation so would normally use binoculars for things like bird watching, scouting locations for photography and looking further along a hiking trail to see where they need to go.
Best Binoculars Under £100
The great thing about being a modern consumer is that you have access to a whole world of binoculars with a range of different features. But short of checking out every website on the internet, you’ll need to narrow down your choices. Here are our top picks and there really is something for everyone!
What To Think About When Choosing Binoculars – Our Buyer’s Guide
Buying binoculars requires some careful consideration. While they’re by no means the most complicated bit of kit you’ll own, there are some things that may confuse new buyers so it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for and what all of that binocular jargon means. Here’s our guide on choosing the right pair of binoculars for you.
How Will You Use The Binoculars?
One of the first, and most important things you will need to ask yourself when buying a new set of binoculars is what you intend to use them for. Some people may be looking to upgrade their binoculars, in which case, you’ll already have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for.
However, if this is the first time you are buying binoculars, then it can feel a little overwhelming. Will you be bird watching or are you planning to use your binoculars on your boat, at a concert or maybe something else? Weighing up the features of any given pair becomes much easier when you know what they’ll be used for.
Primarily, you will need to consider how far away you will be from what you are looking at. This will allow you to better choose the right level of magnification. But more on that later.
Binocular Prisms
Yes, when it comes to buying binoculars, you are going to be confronted with a whole host of terms that you may have never heard before. But don’t worry, once you wrap your head around what they mean, it becomes a lot easier to understand.
One such example of this is deciding between the different types of prism in binoculars. There are two types; these are the roof prism and the porro prism. Generally speaking, roof prisms are much more common owing to the fact that they’re much more lightweight and compact compared to the porro type.
The roof prism consists of two tubes that go straight to the eyes through a set of prisms. On the other hand, the porro prism is much wider and angled which causes light to bounce as it makes its way to the eyes. The benefit of this is that porro prisms normally have much better magnification and not as much light is lost compared to roof prisms. However, some of the more modern and advanced roof prisms are just as good so it’s worth checking out your options before making a final decision.
Magnification
One thing that you absolutely must keep in mind when choosing binoculars based on magnification is that bigger doesn’t always mean better. Many people fall into the trap of believing that the higher the magnification, the better the binoculars. However, if you don’t have a steady hand then any slight movement will be just as magnified so this is something to think about.
To avoid your image shaking, it’s a good idea to stick with binoculars whose magnification is 8x or 10x. Doing this will ensure that the image remains crisp and clear as well as being more stable. A stable image allows you to see much more detail than a shaky one no matter how far away you are standing.
Do also consider that a larger lens will naturally let in more light which means the image you see will be brighter which is excellent if you’re going to be using the binoculars in low light conditions. However, the size of the lens will impact the overall weight of the binoculars so if you’re looking for something lightweight, it’s a factor to keep in mind.
What Features Do The Binoculars Have?
While looking at how well the binoculars perform is of the utmost importance, it’s also a very good idea to make sure that any additional features will meet your needs.
For example, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time outdoors in bad weather then it’s a wise idea to choose a waterproof pair. The good news is that there are many of these available and some can even withstand being submerged in water. Although, we wouldn’t recommend doing this and this feature should be reserved for accidents only!
You’ll also find some binoculars with a protective rubber layer which serves as an armour. If you drop or knock the binoculars in any way, this handy feature will ensure that they don’t break or get whacked out of focus. If you’re going to be exploring more rugged environments, this is something well worth considering.
One of the most annoying things about using binoculars is when the lenses mist up. You’ve just spotted that rare bird you’ve been aching to see but you’re having to view it through a fog. But not to worry! There are some binoculars that have features such as nitrogen gas and seals which prevent them from becoming fogged up.
Do The Binoculars Have A Coating?
As well as some of the features we have already discussed, you may come across binoculars that have a coating which gives additional protection against the elements. This means that there will be some kind of coating over the glass but what you get will depend on the binoculars you buy.
For example, there are some that come with an anti-reflective coating which is excellent in bright or sunny conditions. Others may even have multiple layers of this coating which improve the image quality even further. Again, it’s worth thinking about how and where you will use your binoculars to help you make the right choice.
Price And Quality
One of the reasons that you are reading this buyer’s guide is to find a pair of affordable binoculars under £100. But it is super important to make sure that the quality of the binoculars isn’t sacrificed in order to sell them at a lower price.
The good news is that there are a lot of manufacturers and retailers that are working hard to produce binoculars with amazing image quality for a fraction of what you would normally expect to pay. It’s worth setting a budget and sticking to this but also thinking about what features you’d like and whether they will realistically fit in with this budget.
Conclusion
Binoculars are the perfect small investment for people who want to get outdoors and explore. They’re great for so many things and can even come in handy if you find yourself in a sticky situation. However, one problem that a lot of people face is that many of the best binoculars out there come with an eye watering price tag.
But that isn’t always the case. There are plenty of pairs of binoculars out there that are under £100 and the quality isn’t something you will need to sacrifice. You’ve seen our top picks and our buying tips so now all that remains is for you to choose the pair that best suits your needs.