THE BEST Binoculars

This kit lets you view the night sky not with one eye, but two, for sharper, brighter, and more comfortable stargazing. It can be ordered as plans only, optics and hardware only, as a BYO 3D printing kit, or a kit with pre-printed parts. In 2022, they’ll also open source the build plans. There’s also a large, assembled model, but it’s much pricier.

Nocs pocketable binocs have a truly unique style, with a pattern that’s both aesthetically pleasing and grippy. They pack high-end 8×25 (400mm zoom equivalent), anti-reflective optics for crystal clear images, are waterproof and fogproof, and are designed to allow smartphone snaps through the lens.

Bestguarder’s NV-900 digital binoculars are great for hunters or outdoor adventurers. They can capture images in complete darkness from up to 1300 feet away, thanks to their 4.5x optical and 5x digital zoom and infrared LED illuminator. They can also record video images at 1280×720 resolution and stills up to 5 mp.

NexOptic’s upcoming DoubleTake binoculars can switch instantly between 2.5x and 10x optical zoom. They have image stabilization and real-time high resolution panning. Instead of eyecups, they have a 5″ LCD screen. They can also share photos to phones and record 4K video.

Watch Adam Savage make a replica of Deckard’s binoculars from Blade Runner 2049. He started with a 3D model made by fellow maker Jon-a-Tron, which he modified to make it more faithful to the movie prop.

An adapter that lets you use a pair of binoculars as a super telephoto lens for your smartphone, improving zoom and viewing angles. It can be adjusted to fit various phone sizes and can also be used with telescopes and microscopes.

You might not mind the bleachers with Sony’s new DEV-50V binoculars. They sport a much sleeker design, are 30 percent lighter than the DEV-5 predecessor and can record and play HD video in stereoscopic 3D. Out 6/13 for $2K.

Reminiscent of Luke Skywalker’s digital binoculars, Sony’s DEV-3 & DEV-5 shoot full HD video and stills whether you’re watching birds, beasts, butterflies or neighbors. Out this November for $1400-$2000.

The Icon’s rubber-coated magnesium-alloy frame is water-, shock- and fog-resistant. And if it still breaks, the warranty guarantees immediate replacement “for any reason, anywhere, for life.”

If the Transformers started out as binoculars instead of cars and trucks, this is what they’d look like. Argentine designer Juan Pablo Lasa’s concept Cyberbots binocs really need to be made.

Minox’s night vision NV line gets downsized in a good way: the NV mini II measures just 4.2″ x 1.6″ (about as large as lipstick) and offers 2x magnification and infrared illumination.

Just in time for football season, Bushnell’s new Spectator Binoculars sport wide-angle, multi-coated optics that reduce glare, while PermaFocus means no more adjusting for sharp images.