6 Best Budget Binoculars for Birding (Reviewed for 2023!)

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Bird watching is an amazingly low-entry hobby that many can easily pick up. This is because all you really need to get started with bird watching is a pair of binoculars!

However, not everyone can afford pricey binoculars for bird watching.

If you’re a student like me, or you would like a pair of affordable, compact binoculars then this article is for you.

I did a little research online on which pairs give you the most bang for their buck and here’s what I found:

Best Budget Binoculars For Birding:

1. Celestron Nature DX 8×42 Binoculars
2. Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10×42 Binoculars
3. Nikon Prostaff 3S 8×42 Binoculars
4. Wingspan Optics NaturePro HD 8×42 Binoculars
5. Vortex Optics Crossfire HD 8×42 Binoculars
6. Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 8×42 Binoculars

These top 6 binoculars come with different unique features that make them stand out from the crowd and from each other, but they share one common trait – affordability.

If you’re curious to find out more about their details and which one works best for you, read on to find out!

How to Choose Birding Binoculars?

Binoculars are a must-have tool for any birdwatcher. The right binoculars can make the difference between successfully spotting birds and missing out on rare sightings.

Knowing how to choose the best binoculars for bird watching can help you spot more birds, enjoy stunning views, and capture incredible memories.

Here are some key tips to consider when shopping for birding binoculars:

1) Magnification and Lens size

Optics with higher power (magnification) provides greater detail on distant subjects but sacrifice a wide field of view and may require additional hand support.

Lower power optics offer a wide field of view but have less detail resolution on distant objects.

Smaller lenses will provide a broader field of view compared to larger lenses with the same magnification rating, but lower light transmission levels.

2) Objective lens diameter

A larger objective lens diameter allows more light into the binoculars, resulting in brighter images in low-light situations and greater detail at distance. However, bigger lenses mean heavier optics which can be difficult to hold steady for long periods of time without using a tripod or monopod.

3) Eye relief

Eye relief refers to the distance from the rear eyecup where your eye can see the full field of view through your binoculars.

It’s important that you select binoculars with enough eye relief so you don’t strain your eyes while glassing – especially if you wear eyeglasses or sunglasses while birdwatching.

If you wear glasses like me, you’ll need to adjust the eye relief on your binoculars too.

4) Field of View (FOV)

Field of View (FOV) – The FOV is how much area is visible at 1000 yards away; it’s expressed as linear FOV (feet per 1,000 yards) or angular FOV (degrees).

A wider field of view helps find and track birds more quickly than narrower fields of view – just keep in mind that higher magnification will reduce the field of view significantly!

4) Budget

Additional features such as waterproof/fog-proof construction, strap slots, and diopter focus adjustments are nice extras but not essential depending on your price point and overall needs as a birder.

Many budget binoculars these days have great image quality for their price point.

Read on to find out more about the best binoculars for birding!

What are the Best Budget Binoculars for Birding?

s/n	Birding Binoculars Model	Magnification and Objective Lens Size	Approx Pricing
1	Celestron Nature DX	8×42	$140
2	Bushnell Legend Ultra HD	10×42	$175
3	Nikon Prostaff 3S	8×42	$125
4	Wingspan Optics NaturePro HD	8×42	$140
5	Vortex Optics Crossfire HD	8×42	$140-$150
6	Vortex Optics Diamondback HD	8×42	$220

1) Celestron Nature DX 8×42 Binoculars

Celestron is a well-known brand that many birders will know and trust because of its reliability.

In fact, it is actually the top pick for binoculars under $200 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I will now highlight some features of the binoculars that you should take note of.

Key Features:

• Robust frame
• High-quality imagery
• Extra accessories included
• Celestron warranty and customer support

Robust frame

The Celestron Nature DX features a robust frame that includes a waterproof mid-sized body that is compact and it great for portability.

So they’ll be fine if you slip up and leave them out overnight, drop them in water…or spill your drink on them! (But please don’t do it purposely) It features a precise build and consistent design to offer protection from outdoor elements. Overall, the binoculars don’t feel too heavy in the hand, and they have a nice rubber coating all around which makes them really comfortable to hold.

High-quality imagery

The binoculars feature fully multi-coated lenses for brighter images, more contrast, the highest resolution with phase-coated BaK-4 prisms, 8x magnification power, and 6.5-foot close focus.

As a result, the images are bright and crisp focus making these Celestron 10-42 binos a joy to use.

The image quality is really excellent, especially for the price. At 8x magnification, you’re obviously not going to get a great image when looking at a kite from 100 yards away, but anything reasonably close looks amazing. The color is true, and the field of view is pretty wide.

And here’s something that really sets these apart from a less expensive model also by Celestron: these are really good at close focus.

You would be able to observe objects (in our case, birds) just about 5 feet away. It’s great for instances during backyard bird watching, where birds will be closer by.

Extra accessories included

The birding binoculars also come with a compact carrying case, objective lens caps, an eyepiece rainguard, a neck strap, a lens cloth, and an instruction manual for easy use on the go.

These are items that are also made of really good quality, so you won’t have to worry about buying a pair of binoculars that’s too cheap and end up not lasting.

Also, if you purchase a separate tripod, the binoculars are tripod-adaptable, which means that you can mount your binoculars on a tripod. This will give you a more stable view.

Celestron warranty and customer support

If you’re worried about how the binoculars will last over time, you can purchase this pair with confidence because Celestron is backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

You’ll need to get registered and you’ll have access to technical support from their team. No worries about being tricked or scammed!

Video Demonstration:

Pricing:

The Celestron Nature DC 8×42 Binoculars are priced at a very price-efficient price of about $150. This is a very decent price for a pair of bird-watching binoculars of this caliber. I tend to see that those below $100 tend to be not worth it.

These compact binoculars are great for holding up to your eyes too because they do not weigh too much.

In my opinion, these are the best birding binoculars you can find in the market today.

Link to purchase:

You can grab ahold of these birding binoculars over on Amazon at this link. If you can, you can look around for a cheaper price if you come across one. You’ll definitely want to get this at the best deal.

2) Bushnell Legend Ultra HD 10×42 Binoculars

Bushnell is a great brand that many birders will recognize for its reliability. The Bushnell Legend Ultra HD Binoculars are a great starter pair for anyone looking for a great bang for their buck.

These bird-watching binoculars are great, but there are a few considerations to take note of. This pair comes in either black or camouflage-colored external body.

Key Features:

• Great quality optics
• Rainguard HD: Great for wet weather
• Extra accessories
• Lower build quality, higher optics focus

Great quality optics:

In the Legend series by Bushnell, there are some industry-leading features such as ED Prime glass and a locking eyepiece diopter.

The birding binoculars also have a 10x magnification zoom, which allows for looking at birds from a longer distance.

The ED glass makes for good-looking imagery when looking through the lenses.

Rainguard HD: Great for wet weather:

In the Bushnell Legend, there is a special feature that I really like called the Rainguard HD.

What’s useful and unique about this is that its lens will produce droplets when it comes into contact with water, allowing for it to not blur up the whole image.

The lenses are coated with hydrophobic and oleophobic lens coating that keeps water, fog, and oily fingerprints from wrecking your vision.

Fog-proof binoculars are a lifesaver.

This means that you can continue observing birds in the rain.

Extra accessories

When you purchase the Bushnell Legend, it typically comes with these other accessories:

• Cloth Drawstring Bag for storage and cleaning
• Carrying Case with Belt Loop for easy transportation and storage
• Neck Strap, allowing for easy carrying and use
• Rubber lens covers to protect the glass

Lower build quality, higher optics focus

These binoculars seem to focus more on their optics and clarity of view.

However, from my experience and also some reviewers on Amazon can agree that this pair is not for those who want to take hard knocks.

The focus adjuster is flimsy and it dents easily from small knocks. Eyecups also fall off easily, so you would want to take note of that and keep them in your backpack.

Video demonstration:

Pricing:

This pair can be found usually at around $175 a pair. It’s a great pair to consider for its great image quality and magnification.

Link to purchase:

If you’d like to consider purchasing the Bushnell Ultra Legend HD binoculars, you can check it out on Amazon here. You can also look around to see where to get the cheapest option, but I’ve mostly seen them around this range.

3) Nikon Prostaff 3S 8×42 Binoculars

Nikon is a trusted brand that is well-known not only in the US but internationally for its product quality and reliability.

The Nikon Prostaff 3S is part of the Nikon Prostaff series which features other binoculars. I’ll just be focusing on the Nikon Prostaff 3S.

Key Features:

• Bright, clear, and premium optics
• Long Eye Relief
• Rubber-Armored Design

Bright, clear, and premium optics:

The Nikon Prostaff 3S features an optical system created from lead-and-arsenic-free Eco-Glass. It also has multilayer coatings, which provide high light transmittance across the entire visible light spectrum, and are applied for bright images.

So you will expect to see fewer color aberrations that appear on the rims and on the edges of the image.

It features a high-reflectivity silver-alloy mirror coating applied on the mirror surfaces of the prisms for a bright and clear view.

If you intend to go birding during the night or in the early mornings, a pair of these will work fine! Also fog-proof!

Long Eye Relief:

Nikon has manufactured the PROSTAFF 3S binoculars, as well as many other of its optics, with a high-eyepoint design for long eye relief without vignetting.

This is great because it couples with turn-and-slide rubber eyecups that allow users to adjust the eye relief for a custom fit.

With great eye relief, for those of you who are wearing eyeglasses, or just don’t want to squint too hard to make out small features while looking through them, this pair will work great for you.

Rubber-Armored Design:

PROSTAFF 3S has a rugged rubber-armored coating to provide a non-slip grip, even in the wettest conditions.

By far, this binocular is the one with the best grip and ergonomic considerations in mind. The coating feels great to the touch and will help in preventing accidental slips.

Video Demonstration:

Pricing:

The Nikon 8×42 Prostaff 3S will cost about $126. You can expect most of this model to be around this range, but do look out for sales on Amazon.

Link to Purchase:

You can find the link to the Nikon Prostaff 3S on Amazon here.

4) Wingspan Optics NaturePro HD 8×42 Binoculars

Wingspan Optics produces its binoculars with the sole intention of birding. The Wingspan Optics NaturePro HD is also a popular and commonly recommended binocular for those looking to go bird-watching on a budget.

It’s a great buy if you want to get a decent pair that will last a really long time.

Key Features:

• Sharp image detail
• Crystal-View Phase Correction
• Great wide field of view
• Great for the outdoors
• Lifetime warranty

Sharp image detail:

Binoculars used for other purposes such as hunting and shooting aren’t too particular about the way the image has to be bright, sharp, and colorful like what’s required in bird watching.

The NaturePro HD binoculars pay attention to those with High-Definition sharpness that is great for looking at birds with higher detail.

Crystal-View Phase Correction:

NaturePro provides TRUEHue Color and Crystal-View Phase Correction that delivers great color clarity, saturation, and quality that other binoculars of this price range do not offer.

Great wide field of view:

This pair of binoculars offer an extra-wide field of view because it allows for switching between Close Focus and Wide View.

You can get to see more details on a Hummingbird plumage with the Close Focus, and also track a fast-moving bird in flight such as a peregrine falcon with the Wide View.

Great for the outdoors:

The birding binoculars are also great for the extreme outdoors because it is waterproof, fog-proof, drop proof, and also feature an anti-slip grip for added protection.

I really believe having all this ruggedness built into these binoculars is great because you don’t have to think about how to protect your binoculars when it rains or snows, you just keep on observing your birds.

Its anti-slip grip is also perfect for gloves worn during the winter, so you don’t keep accidentally dropping your binoculars when you hold them up.

Lifetime warranty

They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime warranty if you’re not happy with your purchase.

So you can purchase these binoculars to try them out without any extra worries if you don’t like them in the end.

Video demonstration:

Pricing:

The Wingspan Optics NaturePro HD 8×42 Binoculars typically cost around $140.

In my opinion, with its build quality and attention to detail, this price is an absolute steal and a great deal that cannot be ignored if you’re looking to start bird-watching with this.

Link to purchase:

You can purchase the Wingspan Optics NaturePro HD 8×42 Binoculars on Amazon through the link here.

5) Vortex Optics Crossfire HD 8×42 Binoculars

Vortex Optics is a well-known brand among those who love hunting and bird watching. It’s a reliable brand that many love.

With these Vortex Optics Crossfire HD 8×42 Binoculars, you’re likely to not be disappointed because of their dedication to good imagery. Here are some considerations to take note of if you choose to purchase this pair.

Key Features:

• Great magnification and objective lenses
• Great build quality
• Comes with GlassPak Binocular Harness
• Contains a tripod adapter socket

Great Magnification and Objective Lenses:

It offers 8x magnification & 42mm objective lenses and is optimized with select glass elements to deliver exceptional resolution, cut chromatic aberration, and provide outstanding color fidelity, edge-to-edge sharpness, and light transmission.

The images look incredibly clear and sharp while outdoors. As a birder, it’s a consideration you can consider if you want a consistently high-grade image of the birds.

It also features fully multi-coated lenses that increase light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces.

This is very beneficial for the bird watcher because you want to achieve the best color accuracy in your binos because sometimes, the plumage of a bird can differ between two very similar species of subspecies.

Sometimes a simple yellow vent can make all the difference. With these binos, you’ll do fine to get color-accurate images for your bird identification needs.

Great Build Quality:

The binocular features soft rubber adjustable eyecups that twist up and down. This provides great eye relief for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses.

I personally really like the center focus wheel here because of its smoothness but also it provides really nice traction to it, so it doesn’t turn too much or rollover.

There are diopters that can be adjusted to your eyes. Once you adjust these to your eyes, you don’t need to touch them anymore.

The binocular is built with nitrogen purging and O-ring seals that provide water and fog-proof performance in all environments.

In wet weather, it remains waterproof and also has anti-slip properties with its rubber non-slip grips so you won’t accidentally let it slip out of your hands.

Rugged construction withstands recoil and impact. This means that it can survive a drop or two if you’re a bit careless while outdoors.

These are built to last, and are a great investment for the long term, possibly for birders who want a pair of binoculars that can last at least 10 years.

Comes with GlassPak Binocular Harness

The Crossfire HD offers an interesting combination with the GlassPak Binocular Harness which is included with the purchase. It acts as a storage case and protection for your binoculars while still being kept close for quicker deployment.

It is strapped right across the chest, so you can stow away and take out your binoculars easily without fumbling around in your backpack. In my opinion, great for bird watching.

Some people carry their neck harnesses around but that still leaves the binos out and exposed, but because this harness is a case, you’ll also get extra protection.

There are tethers that fasten the binoculars to the harness, which prevents accidental drops.

Here are some steps included for you to follow when you want to set up the harness.

1. Thread the wide end of the binocular tether straps through the harness strap buckles.
2. Size to fit by adjusting the one-size-fits-all harness strap.
3. Thread the binocular tether straps through the strap attachments on the binoculars.
4. Thread the binocular tether straps back through the tether strap buckles to secure.

Contains a Tripod Adapter Socket:

This has got to be one of the more useful features that some other budget binoculars don’t have. The Crossfire HD has a tripod adapter socket down the middle so you can attach an adapter and a tripod to it.

A tripod will definitely help you to achieve greater stability while observing birds, especially if you’re ready to be camping at a spot without moving.

Video Demonstration:

Pricing:

The Vortex Optics Crossfire HD 8×42 Binoculars are typically sold at around $140-$150. This price is a great price and a great investment for budget binoculars that will last a long time with the best image quality.

Link to purchase:

The Vortex Optics Crossfire HD binos are available on Amazon at this link.

6) Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 8×42 Binoculars

Vortex is a well-loved and known brand that many bird watchers can identify with and trust.

The Vortex Optics Diamondback HD is one of the more affordable pairs of binoculars in its entire range. It was designed with great value at an affordable price for budget birders.

If you ask me, these look amazingly beautiful because of that olive green coating.

The Diamondback HD also comes in various sizes, but for the purpose of bird watching, I recommend getting one with 8x magnification & 42mm objective lenses.

Key Features:

• Great tool for nighttime bird watching
• Heavyweight binoculars
• Great optics for the price
• Delicate focus knobs and a great tripod adapter socket
• Well-protected lenses
• Rugged non-slip exterior
• Comes with GlassPak Binocular Harness
• Great optics for the price
• Lifetime warranty

Great tool for nighttime bird watching:

What makes the Diamondback HD really shine and stand out from the rest is its great suitability for nighttime birding. I don’t just mean dusk but pure pitch black. When you aim at objects that produce light even if it is minimal, you will be able to gather enough light to actually have a decent vision of it.

However, once again focusing is difficult as it was in the daytime, but no color fringing was apparent at this time.

Heavyweight binoculars:

This pair of binos are really heavy right off the bat. These are clearly not lightweight binoculars at about 30.1 oz without any ocular lens eyecups.

I would recommend that you either purchase a harness or use the harness that comes with the binoculars.

Great optics for the price:

If you were to compare these with the Razor HDs in their line of binoculars, they have a smaller field of view but not by a lot. 

This pair of binoculars only has a small number of chromatic aberrations. The optical system does a very good job of minimizing it.

However, on certain objects you can make out aberrations on the very edges of what you are looking at, I would rate it at 8/10.

In comparison to the Bushnell’s binoculars at the same magnification, the image quality is simply better – they were still considered brighter and far crisper.

Delicate focus knobs and a great tripod adapter socket:

Adjustable eyecups twist up and down for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses. The Center focus wheel adjusts the focus of both binocular barrels at the same time.

The diopter (located on the right eyepiece) adjusts for differences in a user’s eyes.

However, the diopter adjustment is a little on the sloppy side. The ring turns very easily and you can definitely accidentally bump them and change the settings unwantedly.

It’s definitely a more delicate piece of equipment and is an investment for a more comfortable bird-watching experience, maybe from your backyard.

The tripod adapter socket has got to be one of the more useful features that some other binos don’t have.

Similar to the Crossfire HD, it also features a tripod adapter socket down the middle so you can attach an adapter and a tripod to it.

A tripod will definitely help you to achieve greater stability while observing birds, especially if you’re ready to be camping at a spot without moving.

You’ll thank me for the higher image quality in your photos later.

Well-protected lenses:

The lenses are fully multicoated with dielectric coating and armortek coating. These two help to provide bright, clear, and color-accurate images and allow for some ruggedness by resisting scratches, oil, and dirt.

These are great if you are going bird-watching because color accuracy is key to identifying birds. Also, it’s also a good plus for a lens to have scratchproof and protect against oil and dirt damage to the lens.

Rugged non-slip exterior:

The exteriors have a really nice secure and non-slip rubber material and aluminum finish that allows for durable external protection.

It also features really nice dents on the underside for you to rest your thumbs ergonomically. I personally like that nice touch.

The brushed aluminum makes the whole frame look really professional and sleek.

The binoculars have been through argon purging and O-ring seals that are waterproof and fog-proof in all environments.

Comes with GlassPak Binocular Harness:

Similar to the Crossfire HD by Vortex Optics, the Diamondback HD also offers an interesting combination with the GlassPak Binocular Harness which is included with the purchase.

It acts as a storage case and protection for your binoculars while still being kept close for quicker deployment.

It is strapped right across the chest, so you can stow away and take out your binoculars easily without fumbling around in your backpack.

In my opinion, great for bird watching.

Some people carry their neck harnesses around but that still leaves the binos out and exposed, but because this harness is a case, you’ll also get extra protection.

There are tethers that fasten the binoculars to the harness, which prevents accidental drops. Here are some steps included for you to follow when you want to set up the harness.

1. Thread the wide end of the binocular tether straps through the harness strap buckles.
2. Size to fit by adjusting the one-size-fits-all harness strap.
3. Thread the binocular tether straps through the strap attachments on the binoculars.
4. Thread the binocular tether straps back through the tether strap buckles to secure.

Lifetime warranty:

As Vortex Optics binoculars are built to last, they also offer a lifetime warranty, so you don’t have to worry about discovering any minor faults that need to be corrected or replaced once you’ve received your pair of binoculars.

Video demonstration:

Pricing:

The Vortex Optics Diamondback HD 8×42 Binoculars typically cost around $220. You can have a look around to find a great price.

Link to purchase:

If you’d like to consider purchasing a pair of Diamondback HDs, you can find them on Amazon at this link.

What’s So Special About Bird Watching Binoculars?

Birding binoculars are designed to give birders an extra edge when searching for hidden birds. They provide excellent visibility in low light situations, a wide field of view, and enhanced detail resolution on distant objects.

What really sets binoculars used for birding apart from other types of optics is the image quality.

A good pair of birding binoculars will provide bright, clear images without any distortion while maximizing available light in order to deliver sharp details even in dimly lit environments.

They also typically offer comfortable eye relief which is important for eyeglass wearers or people who wear sunglasses while birdwatching.

Furthermore, these binoculars feature a variety of additional features such as waterproof/fog proof construction, tripod/monopod mounting slots, diopter focus adjustments, and more that can be used to enhance their performance even further.

Do Budget Binoculars Have Poorer Image Quality?

In general, yes.

Higher-quality optics are usually built with better-quality lenses and come equipped with more features that enhance performance and image quality.

The best binoculars cost more and have higher light transmission levels which allow more details to be seen in low-light settings.

Budget binoculars, on the other hand, often have lower light transmission levels and thus poorer image quality in dimly lit environments.

Additionally, they usually lack some of the more advanced features found in higher-end optics such as waterproof construction, diopter focus adjustments, and even tripod/monopod mounting slots which make them unsuitable for extended sessions.

Final Thoughts

With birding already being a fairly cheap hobby to get into, you’ll want to get the most bang for your buck when purchasing the best binoculars for bird watching and I get it.

Hopefully, after you’ve read through this entire article, you’ll be able to pick out the best binoculars that are ideal for your budget.

Do also take note that your choice should also take into consideration factors other than just price.

You should also consider portability, durability, look and feel, and usability when you make the decision.

Now go! Pick the best binoculars for bird watching that work for you and get birding outdoors!

Happy bird watching!