Binoculars: Which Ones are for You?

We have bought a variety of binoculars for a variety of price points from $5 on up. Some were purchased at the store, a few were gifted, and one pair was a great bargain found at a garage sale. If you do not own a pair and money isn’t available, then ask around to see if a family member or friend has a spare pair to borrow. If you can spend some money then think of the size and weight that you want. Will you be staying home to bird watch or will you be heading outdoors? Do you want to see birds that are farther than a couple of hundred feet away? It is important to answer these questions before you spend money. Once you answer those questions then you can begin your search to purchase a pair of binoculars.

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You can purchase binoculars almost anywhere from big box stores to sporting goods stores to flea markets to online sites. We like looking at reviews on Walmart and Amazon before making any purchases whether online or in person. While researching we gather pricing and quality information to determine what we need.

If you have young children, then be sure to include them in your purchasing decisions. We have a variety of binoculars for children both toys and real. We found a few for $1 or less at garage sales. The “real” ones we spent just $5 for and bought four of them, back before Lil’ Red was born, so each of us could have one. These were Coleman brand 8×25 and they have all lasted.

For the big people in our family (including Aunt & Uncle), we have larger, heavier binoculars. We own a pair of Tasco and a pair of Bushnell‘s; both would range $25-$50 brand new.