11 Binoculars to Take With You on Your Next Nature Walk

A quality pair of binoculars can change the way you explore, birdwatch, hunt, whale-watch, sightsee, and travel. But with so many options to choose from, it's a good idea to understand what you're looking for in a new pair. The two most important factors are magnification power and objective diameter of the lens, which directly impact the overall size and weight.

Additional considerations include waterproofing, lens coatings, rubber protective coatings, and eye relief. Some pairs are great for stargazing, others for scouting big game when hunting, and others for examining wide swaths of landscape. Read on to learn more about the best binoculars to suit various interests, hobbies, and styles of travel.

Note: The numbers in the product titles below (e.g., “8x25,” “10x42”) represent magnification and objective diameter of the lens, respectively. Magnification usually ranges from 8 to 10 times, with a number of eight meaning that you will see a distant object eight times larger than if you were not using binoculars. Objective diameter, the size of the lens, ranges from 25 to 70 millimeters, with a 25-millimeter lens letting in much less light than a 70-millimeter, and thus producing darker images. An 8x25 binocular is compact and suitable for travel, while a larger 10x42 binocular is best used on a tripod for distant viewing.