Top 10 Best Small Binoculars for Travel and Hiking

A good pair of binoculars is an essential piece of gear for the outdoor lover. You may be a bird watcher, an explorer looking for small animals, or a hiker who doesn’t want to miss a single detail on the trails. The best way to watch animals from a distance without disturbing them is to use a pair of small binoculars.

If you aren’t familiar with the specifications of these devices (lens diameter, magnification, exit pupil, field of view, etc.), you may have some trouble choosing the right model. Don’t worry! In this article, I talk about the main features you should know. I’ll also review the best compact binoculars of the year.

Check out other articles to find the best luggage locks, sling packs, running headlamps, drones, travel duffel bags, and passport bags.

The Top 10 Travel Binoculars. Mid-high Range:

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CARL ZEISS CONQUEST 10×42

What I like most about the Carl Zeiss Conquest is its wide field of view, as well as its excellent performance in low light conditions. It features a Lotu Tec coating that repels water efficiently. Provides one of the highest light transmissions (90%) among hiking binoculars of a similar price.

Due to the solid construction and the high quality of the lenses, these binoculars are heavier than the other models on the list. Also, they aren’t cheap.

Advantages: This binocular stands out from other models due to the quality of its lenses. I love the clarity and sharpness of the images. In my opinion, Carl Zeiss binoculars are among the best in the world.

Disadvantages: I wish it were a bit cheaper.

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OLYMPUS 10X42 PRO

The Olympus EXWP is nitrogen filled; it’s water resistant, and it doesn’t get foggy. Phase correction and UV coating. These mid-range binoculars have very good optics for the price.

Pros: I like that it offers great clarity without being too expensive. I mean, it’s not cheap, but it’s fairly priced among the upper-middle range.

Cons: I feel that the overall construction of the lenses could be improved. For example, the plastic protector that covers the ocular lens comes off easily after some use.

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BUSHNELL LEGEND L SERIES 10×42

The Bushnell Legend has a fully multi-coated treatment that provides excellent luminosity and contrast.  They are great mid-range hiking binoculars—a good value for the money.

If you compare it with the previous model, you’ll notice that this model is slightly cheaper. The two models have a similar weight, the same aperture and magnification, and similar features. In any case, it seems to me that the Olympus can focus better than the Bushnell.

Advantages: It has a pretty good price for its features.

Disadvantages: It can’t focus well at short distances.

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LEICA ULTRAVID 10×25

The Leica Trinovid features a special treatment that provides fantastic colors. Despite their compact size and reduced weight, these travel binoculars offer great optical results and excellent performance. Perfect for traveling, hiking and outdoor activities. In my opinion, this model differentiates itself from its competitors by being surprisingly ultra-light.

Pros: Despite being a mid-range model, Leica never disappoints when it comes to lens quality. I love how bright it is.

Cons: I personally feel that it could be more affordable. In my opinion, other models, like the Bushnell Legend binoculars, offer similar performance at a lower price point.

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ZEISS TERRA 8×25

What I appreciate most about the Zeiss Terra is its remarkable optics and exceptional image quality, even in challenging weather conditions and low light environments. Easy and fast focus. One of the most affordable Carl Zeiss binoculars in a perfect size for your outdoor activities.

Advantages: When you carry these binoculars in your backpack, you hardly notice their presence due to their lightweight design. Furthermore, they are reasonably priced considering the level of quality they offer.

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VANGUARD ENDEAVOR 10X42

One of the most affordable options in mid-range binoculars. They aren’t ultracompact, but they are a reasonable size. A very popular option among hikers, birdwatchers and travelers.

I believe two of the standout features of this binocular are its exceptional resolution and color accuracy. In my opinion, it provides excellent clarity.

Pros: The overall build of this binocular is great. It feels incredibly robust and solid when held.

Cons: This binocular is noticeably bulkier and heavier than the Zeiss Terra and the Leica Trinovid.

The best small binoculars for travel and hiking. Budget range:

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NIKON TRAILBLAZER 8×25

Multi-coated lenses offer bright image quality, even in low light conditions. Thanks to their compact size and light weight, these binoculars are easy to store in your jacket pocket or in a small backpack. 

Advantages: This model stands out from the others for its unbeatable price. The truth is, it performs really well.

Disadvantages: The eye relief distance is a bit short. Keep this in mind if you wear glasses. Otherwise, they have a very good performance.

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NIKON PROSTAFF 8×42

I like the rubber reinforcements that protect the binoculars in the event of a fall. Have a long eye relief distance, which makes them suitable for people who wear glasses.

They aren’t as compact or lightweight as other models, but they offer great durability and good value for the money.

Pros: They feel solid when you hold them. You can tell that they are well constructed.

Cons: It seems to me that there is a slight image distortion at the edges.

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CELESTRON NATURE DX 8×32

The 17.5 mm eye relief distance is comfortable and long enough even for those who wear eyeglasses. Great quality for the price. One of the best options for first travel binoculars.

Pros: I love the image clarity, contrast, and resolution that this model offers.

Cons: It feels a bit heavy to carry around a mountain.

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BUSHNELL H20 10×42

In addition, they have a rugged construction and an ergonomic design. The only downside is that they aren’t ultralight. Otherwise, they are a great choice for the casual user.

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TYPES OF BINOCULARS

A wide range of binoculars are available on the market, with different features, designs and prices. Before making a purchase, you should know which type of binoculars you need and understand their technical characteristics.

A binocular’s optical system has three main parts: the front lenses or objective lenses, the rear lenses, and the prisms. The prisms transmit light and adjust the image position by the principle of total internal reflection.

Depending on the design of the prisms, there are two types of binoculars:

– Porro prisms: These prisms are placed in a non-linear way. They tend to be bulkier – and generally heavier – than roof prism binoculars.

– Roof prisms: These prisms are easy to identify because their objective lenses, rear lenses and prisms are built in line. They have a more complex internal structure that makes them compact and light.

Because we want to optimize space and weight in our outdoor activities, here we are going to focus only on the roof-type binoculars.

How to choose the best binoculars for hiking and travel:

Size

Most popular binoculars are manufactured in three sizes: full-size, mid-size and compact-size.

In this article, we will focus on mid-size and compact models, which are the best choice for traveling, hiking and outdoor activities. This way we will avoid carrying heavy and bulky gear on our expeditions.

Magnification

Magnification represents the degree of enlargement of the object we want to observe. It’s defined by a numerical value.

If you see a description like 7×26 on a pair of binoculars, that means the magnification is 7x. The number 26 relates to the lenses’ diameter, but we’ll see that later. The binoculars in the example, 7×26, can enlarge the object seven times in relation to the human eye.

If you want to watch animals in the wild, I recommend a magnification of 7x to 10x. Keep in mind that magnifications over 10x aren’t recommended for people with shaky hands. The smallest vibration can make it difficult to see. For magnifications over 12x, you’ll need to use a tripod.

Objective lens diameter

Going back to the previous example (the7x26 binoculars), the value 26 relates to the diameter of the objective lenses, which are the lenses located in the front. In this case, that means the lenses have a diameter of 26 millimeters.

Binoculars with large objective lenses are heavier and bulkier. However, they also let in more light, making the image clearer and sharper. One of the main disadvantages of compact binoculars is that they tend to provide less brightness than large models.

Field of view

Field of view is the width of the area you can see through the binoculars at a distance of 1,000 meters. This value is usually indicated in meters, although in some cases you can see it in yards.

If your binoculars have a field of view of 100 meters, you can see 100 meters wide on a background that is 1,000 meters away. For example, if you are 1,000 meters away from a football stadium, you will see 100 meters of the stadium.

The field of view is directly related to the magnification. The higher the magnification, the smaller the field of view.

Most birdwatchers opt for binoculars with a large field of view because they can more easily spot and track animals. With a small field of view, they could watch the animals in more detail but it would be very difficult to follow the animals if they made fast movements.

Relative brightness

Brightness refers to the ability of a lens to capture and transfer light. The relative brightness or relative aperture is the result of dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification value. For example, 7×35 binoculars have a relative brightness of 5. This value indicates how well the binoculars will perform in low light conditions.

Keep in mind that a relative brightness lower than 3.5 is considered low. Between 3.5 and 4 is considered OK. Between 4 and 5 is considered good. Higher than 5, we’re talking about extra-bright binoculars.

Exit pupil diameter

This value, which is obtained by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification, indicates the amount of light that passes through the rear lenses (the ones closer to the eyes). As you can see, it’s the same value as the relative brightness.

A high exit pupil diameter indicates that more light will be entering. Therefore, the images will be sharper and more detailed.

Eye relief

This value refers to the distance you must set between your eyes and the rear lenses so that you can correctly see the objects. When the eye relief distance is longer, you’ll find it more comfortable to look through the binoculars.

I recommend that you look for binoculars with an eye relief value of at least 10 mm. Otherwise, your eyes could get tired. If you wear glasses, go for a minimum eye relief of 15 mm.

Lens coatings

When light enters the lens, it is reflected on the lens’ surface. As a result, part of the light is lost. Manufacturers apply a thin layer of chemicals to reduce reflection and improve light transmission. There are different types of treatments.

The main coatings are:

Coated optics: One or more surfaces are treated.

Fully coated: All surfaces separated by air have been treated. If there are plastic lenses, they may not have been treated.

Multi-coated: One or more surfaces have a multilayer treatment.

Fully multi-coated: All surfaces separated by air have a multilayer treatment. This coating provides the best luminosity.

Waterproof

Most people use their binoculars outdoors. Whether you’re on safari or taking a multi-day hike, you’ll be exposed to rain at some point. It’s important to make sure your travel binoculars are water-resistant.

Water resistance is rated by the IPX value, which goes from 0 to 8. IPX 0 means that something isn’t water-resistant, IPX4 means that it resists water splashes and IPX8 means that it can be submerged up to 1 meter underwater.

Anti-fog treatment

Some models have specific treatments to prevent the lenses from fogging. Two methods are used to do this. The first method is to apply a chemical layer to the lenses. The second method is to fill the air spaces with an inert gas.

How much should you spend on hiking binoculars?

Hundreds of brands are on the market, some with pretty decent models starting from 40-50 dollars. Carl Zeiss is a reputable brand whose models are usually pretty expensive. Other famous brands, such as Nikon, Avalon, Vanguard, Leica and Bushnell, have high-quality binoculars at more reasonable prices, going between 100 and 1,000 dollars.

I recommend that you look for a model with good brightness, resistant construction and a sharp image. Most devices that include lenses in their construction, whether they’re cameras lenses, video cameras or binoculars, are usually pretty expensive. However, you’ll find that some affordable models have a decent performance.

If you’re starting out in the world of binoculars, I recommend that you get a relatively simple model for about 150 or 300 dollars. Later, you can move to more expensive models.

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