Quick list
1. Best quality
2. Best for birding
3. Best for travel
4. Best cheap
5. Best for hiking
6. High magnification
How to choose
FAQs
How we test
The best compact binoculars help you bring the faraway closer, yet avoid having to bring an extra bag or rucksack to cart around a heavier pair of bins. And we've brought the best of the best together in our guide below.
The two main specs to focus on are magnification and lens (objective) size, typically shown as in the manufacturers' blurb in the form, 10x25 (10x magnification, 25mm diameter lens).
Higher magnification gives more zoomed-in view but narrower field of view, making it harder to locate objects. Larger lenses allow more light for brighter images, but make binoculars bulkier and heavier. It's also worth taking into account weight and size, because you don't want to sacrifice too much portability.
Our quick list
Best quality compact binoculars
If price isn't a concern and you want the best optical quality on the market to date, then these compact binoculars are just the thing.
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Best for bird watching
This pair offers outstanding image quality for the price, and has the perfect combination of magnification and brightness for bird-watching in any lighting condition.
Best for travel
These are remarkably light for a pair of 8x42 binoculars - and are rubberized to ensure they take the knocks when on your travels. They are remarkably good value too.
Best on a budget
Looking for a point-and-view for a very low cost? These compact binoculars are basic and performance in low light is variable, but for such a low price they offer great value for money.
Best for hikers
An inexpensive and portable offering for backpackers and hikers alike, this compact pair of binoculars would also be suitable for concert and theatre-goers, as well as sports fans.
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Best for high magnification
Incredibly affordable and with the rugged build quality, these 16x32 binoculars may lack ultimate brightness, clarity, and contrast yet they're helpful for getting impressive close-ups.
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Best compact binoculars in 2024
Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.
Best quality compact binoculars
If price isn't a concern and you want the best optical quality on the market to date, then these pair of Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 compact binoculars are just the thing to let you observe wildlife from as close to 3 meters all the way up to 132 meters with crystal clear vision.
If you are looking for the best optical quality binoculars that are also lightweight for carrying long distances, and that let you see your observations from a far distance, these are possibly the best compact binoculars you can buy to date.
With the lightweight construction of the CL Companion binoculars and the impeccable build quality, you can be sure your investment will withstand the test of time, which is what would expect as these are far from cheap. But you get what you pay for and the optical quality of these binoculars is possibly the best on the market.
Read our full Swarovski CL Companion 10x30 review for more details.
Best compact binoculars for birding
An 8x42 pair of binoculars is a great basic specification for birdwatching. That gives you enough magnification for getting in close, without the binoculars becoming too hard to hold steady. The 42mm diameter lenses, meanwhile, mean that the image is bright enough to make them suitable for use on dull days and at dusk.
On testing these Celestron binoculars, we found them to give exceptional image quality for the price. You can pay more to get these with ED (extra-low dispersion lenses), but in our test we think that the basic Trailfinders are brilliant enough not to warrant paying the extra.
We loved that these are waterproofed, and come supplied with a harness (a binocular harness is otherwise an extra investment for birdwatchers). Overall, these are perfect combination of portability, performance and affordability.
Best compact binoculars for travel
What you wan from a pair of travel binoculars may well depend on where you are going, and what you expect to see. But we think that you will want decent magnification and decent image brightness - so you can make the most of them in a variety of conditions. It is also not worth investing very heavily, perhaps, just in case they go missing. For this reason we pick this pair of Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 binoculars - which we think are a really great buy. The 8x42 spec means they are perfect for wildlife watching - and can be used in lowlight, so you are not limited to using them in bright daylight.
The rubberized exterior means that they can be packed in your suitcase without you worrying about how they will fare being thrown around by baggage handlers.
In our tests, we did observe some chromatic aberration - but for the price this is perfectly understandable, and is more than acceptable for the casual holiday maker.
Best cheap
Short on funds? These lovely binoculars are pocket friendly in terms of both size and price. Weighing just 195g and fitting in your palm, they're lovely and portable. As you'd expect from the price these binoculars are basic; simply point-and-view. But our reviewer found they did a good job in situations like bringing athletes closer from our seat faraway in the stands, or performers’ faces more clearly into focus at a concert.
Overall, performance veers between adequate and good depending on available light, but it broadly feels like you're getting decent value for money.
Read our Vanguard Vesta 8x21 compact binoculars review for more details.
Best for hiking
An inexpensive and portable offering for travelers and hikers alike, this compact pair of binos would also be suitable for concert and theatre-goers, as well as sports fans, or indeed anyone wanting an unobtrusive pair for daily use. Available in non-nonsense black plus several other colors, one of the main selling points here is that, at 195g in weight, users will barely notice they’re carrying Nikon’s Aculon T02.
While they are slightly light on features too for their budget-friendly price, we do get adjustable turn-and-slide eyecups, and a familiar central focus knob, as well as multi-coated lenses, to increase light transmission for a crisper view.
In our tests we found that these binoculars are best used in bright light - which is not surprising due to the 10x21 basic specification. Similarly, the relatively high magnification means they are easy to use when sitting down that standing up.
Best for high magnification
Incredibly affordable and with rugged build quality, the images created by the Celestron UpClose G2 16x32 binoculars lack ultimate brightness, clarity, and contrast yet prove useful for getting impressive close-ups. Binoculars with 16x magnification are often huge and cumbersome - but this pair are small enough to take away with you on trips.
Handy, travel-friendly, and highly affordable, these will suit anyone after close-ups of birds, animals, and objects in the middle distance. And they’re good enough for occasional use in vast landscapes and at sea, too.
Read our full Celestron UpClose G2 16x32 review for more details.
How to choose the best compact binoculars
Binoculars have lots of different specs, but there are two key ones that are best to focus on: magnification and lens size.
Most binoculars will list both in their name. When you're browsing for binoculars, you'll quickly notice that their names tend to include something like "10x20" or "6x30". These two numbers refer respectively to the magnification factor and the size of the lenses. So in this example, we've got binoculars with 10x magnification and 6x magnification. You might think it'd be a matter of picking the binoculars with the largest magnification, but in practicality, it limits your field of view, which can make things harder to spot.
The second number refers to lens size. A larger lens will make the image brighter and clearer, especially in low light, but will also make the binoculars bigger and heavier (and probably more expensive)
This means that for your hobby or subject, it's worth thinking about what the best combination of magnification of objective lens size will work for you. However, also ask yourself how far you’re willing to compromise on portablity.
For example, physically larger objective lenses and greater magnifications usually mean more sizable binoculars too, which is why we find most ultra-compact binoculars stick to magnifications of, say 8x or 10x, and objective lens sizes of a relatively modest 21mm or 25mm. That being said, for daytime use a lens size with a diameter of 21 to 25mm is arguably ideal.
FAQs
What are the best compact binoculars for observing nature?
A high magnification combined with a smaller and lighter objective lens will make for a good combination here. Some binoculars offer 10x26, and anything in that ballpark should work. However, if you do want to use a heavy pair, consider choosing one that can be affixed to a tripod. That way, you don't have to get tired arms from holding it.
What are the best compact binoculars for horse racing and other sports?
Sports tend to happen during the day, so a bright objective lens is less of a concern. Something like an 8x30 will hit the spot, as the 8x magnification should be plenty to see what's going on from the stand. There's no point getting something big and heavy if you don't need it.
What is a roof prism?
Due to the positioning of the internal prisms that make up their construction, roof prisms tend to be narrower and far more compact than the alternative Porro prism design also commonly used for binoculars. Thus compact binoculars always use the roof prism design.
How we test the best compact binoculars
When we test compact binoculars, we focus on three main things: optical performance, durability, and user experience. Our experts assess factors like image clarity, field of view, and low-light performance to ensure superior visual acuity across various conditions. Durability tests examine ruggedness, weather resistance, and ergonomic design for comfortable handling. And user experience evaluations gauge factors such as focusing mechanisms, eye relief, and overall usability to guarantee an exceptional viewing experience.
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