What is the best pair of binoculars for kids? The short answer is: That depends on the kid… and the binoculars! There are so many brands, types, sizes, and price points for binoculars, where does a person begin?
Before we take a look at a few binocular options, if you want a comprehensive education on the parts, features, components, and all other things binoculars, check out the B&H Binocular Buying Guide. In this kids binocular buying guide, we will first detail our recommendations and then discuss why we went with those picks—often referring to terms that are explained in the linked comprehensive guide. So, even if you haven’t read it all, feel free to open it in a separate tab for referencing.
To help you choose the best pair of binoculars for kids, we put together this list of our favorites.
– Best Binoculars for Kids Overall: Kowa 6x30 YF II
– Best Binoculars for Kids (Aged 5-8): Carson HU-530 Hawk
– Best Binoculars for Kids (Aged 8-12): Nikon 7x35 Aculon A211
– Best Binoculars for Teenagers: Nikon PROSTAFF P3 8x30
– Best Compact Binoculars for Kids: Pentax 8x21 U-Series UP
– Best Upgrade Binoculars for Kids: Nikon 8x42 Monarch M5
Best Binoculars Overall: Kowa YF II
Great quality for kids of almost any age
These Kowa 6x30 VF II Binoculars check every box that you’d want for a great binocular for kids of all ages—fantastic optics, rubber exterior armor, waterproof and fog proof, nitrogen filled, lightweight, long eye relief, compact size, generous interpupillary adjustment range, and a great balance between magnification and objective lens size for smaller hands
These are not the least expensive binoculars on the list, nor are they the most expensive, but they are as good optically as the more expensive pairs and as friendly to smaller hands as any discussed here.
When shopping for binoculars for my toddler, I chose this Porro prism pair knowing (hoping) that he would take good care of them and knowing that his first pair of binoculars would deliver an optical experience that would never let him down as he gets older and more into birding and other uses.
All Kowa binoculars have a limited lifetime warranty and these VF II binoculars, if cared for, will last long enough for your kids to pass them along to your grandkids.
Note: They are also available in 8x.
Best for Kids (Aged 5-8): Carson HU-530 Hawk
A pair of binoculars that looks like the ones the bigger people use
As kids get older, they might want to emulate their optical-enthusiast parents with a pair of binoculars that looks more like what they see adults using. The Carson HU-530 Hawk Kids 30mm Beginner Field Binoculars are an inexpensive gateway into the world of binoculars. These roof prism 5x30 binoculars are great all-around viewing optics for smaller hands.
For a super gift idea, check out the Carson HU-401 AdventurePak—a great way to get your little buddy into exploring the outdoors with the HU-530 binoculars, plus a flashlight, whistle, and compass.
Best for Kids (Aged 8-12): Nikon 7x35 Aculon A211
A small and compact Porro prism optic
A bit bigger and heavier than the kids’ binoculars listed above, the Nikon 7x35 Aculon A211 Binoculars are a capable and solid Porro prism optic with great “grownup” features. Nikon binoculars always feature optics that punch above their price point—here featuring BAK4 prisms and aspherical lenses. These Aculons are no exceptions. The rubber-coated body has great ergonomics and the overall size is compact and easy to take on hikes and other outdoor adventures.
If a Porro 7x35 isn’t your flavor, the Nikon Aculon line is extensive and includes both roof and Porro prism models of many magnifications and objective sizes.
Best for Teens: Nikon PROSTAFF P3
A roof prism option with a modern design
Another great value from Nikon, the Nikon PROSTAFF P3 8x30 Binoculars are another step up in optics and design—and a great pair to gift a teenager who might be getting into birding, hunting, astronomy, or other outdoor activities. The ultra-modern and sleek design of the PROSTAFF series looks great and is a worthy, rubberized housing to a waterproof and fog proof, nitrogen-filled optical system. The chassis is lightweight and compact—made of fiberglass-reinforced polycarbonate resin.
Like the Aculon line, there is a wide variety of binoculars in the PROSTAFF line including upgraded P7 versions of many of the P3 models.
Best Compact Binoculars: Pentax 8x21 U-Series
Great performance in a small optic
A longtime favorite of the salespeople at the B&H optics counter, the Pentax 8x21 U-Series UP Binoculars could fall under several of the above categories because they are a very good pair of binoculars, especially for the price. As reverse-Porro optics, their small, compact, and funky design houses some great optics. One potential drawback for smaller kids is the smaller-than-most-binoculars focus knob. This model of the U-Series is available in three different colors. My mother, no longer a kid, when being very limited by suitcase weight, took a pair of these small 8x21 binoculars to Africa on a safari and said that they performed great. She noted that some others on her trip, equipped with larger optics, were jealous of the Pentax’s performance.
Best Upgrade Binoculars: Nikon 8x42 Monarch M5
Maximum optical bang for your buck
If you know a youngster who is serious about birdwatching, astronomy, nature, or exploring their world, the Nikon Monarch line of binoculars has arguably always represented the most bang for your buck in the world of sport optics. Today’s Nikon 8x42 Monarch M5 Binoculars reinforce that reputation with an exceptional design and feature set that rivals even the most expensive binoculars on the market—all at a relatively affordable price. Sparkling no-nonsense optics, waterproof, armored, ergonomic, and great to look at, look through, and hold, these Monarch M5’s will be coveted by your enthusiastic tween or teen when they see the world with a new clarity.
And, like the other Nikons, the Monarch M5s come in several versions and there are upgraded Monarch M7 models as well—all rocking almost unanimous five-star reviews.
What to Look for in Binoculars for Kids
Here are some features to consider when shopping for a pair of binoculars for a youngster:
- Price: As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. When shopping for binoculars, know that prices of optics can feature a trend of diminishing value as prices increase. In the world of binoculars, a $200 pair of binoculars is much, much better—even to the casual observer—than a $20 pair, but you’ll find the difference between a $2,000 pair, when compared to a $200 pair, isn’t as noticeable—even to a seasoned birder or hunter.
- Quality: As mentioned above, the more expensive an optic, the better it is. If you feel like the youngster is going to want to pursue an outdoor passion with binoculars, it might be wise to introduce them to a quality pair of binoculars instead of a truly entry-level, nearly disposable optic.
- Size and Weight: Glass is heavy. Large binoculars are heavy. Depending on the size of the youngster—and the size of their hands—a good size and weight can make a huge difference in not only the process of raising the binoculars to your eyes for an extended observation (I say this knowing that kid’s attention spans can be measured in milliseconds), but in how long they might want to carry their optics when out on a hike before asking you to be the pack mule.
- Durability: Kids are known to drop things. Even less expensive binoculars are precision instruments that can suffer damage or degraded performance when dropped. Rubber armor is a must because it might save the optic from casual bumps and bruises―but know that no good pair of binoculars will be immune to hard impacts and abuse.
- Magnification: Many believe that the more powerful a binocular is, the better it is. This is not true. The more magnification you have, the harder it is to keep the image steady, and this is very important when youngsters are viewing through optics. Lower-power binoculars are a must for younger kids and even might be preferred for older ones, as well. I recommend staying at 5x or 6x for the younger users and venturing to 7x or 8x for older users. Personally, even with relatively steady hands, my comfortable magnification ceiling is 8x.
- Objective Size: This is another important consideration. The larger the objective lens, the more light can enter the binoculars and the brighter the image. The downside is that larger lenses mean heavier binoculars. A 30mm objective is very good for daylight and low-light viewing where a 21mm objective’s size and weight advantage might be reduced when it is not super bright out. If you think your youngster will be birding at dawn or dusk, or want to dabble in astronomy, err toward the larger optics.
- Porro Prism vs. Roof Prism: In the past, more traditional Porro prism binoculars could offer more value than roof prism models. This is no longer always true, but there are some differences worth noting. Roof prism binoculars can be lighter and more compact, but Porro prism optics might offer an ergonomic advantage depending on the user and what feels best in their hands
- Waterproof: Many binoculars have similar feature sets, but an almost required feature for any kind of serious outdoor viewing is: waterproofing. If it rains on a hike, if you go inside and outside on a cold day, or if your little person leaves them in the backyard when the sprinklers turn on, you’ll be thankful for a waterproof set of binoculars. Of course, unfortunately, that feature isn’t often seen in the less expensive pairs.
- Zoom: While the thought of binoculars that can change magnification to zoom into a distant subject is intriguing, zoom binoculars do not have the same level of optics as non-zoom binoculars at the same price point. I do not recommend zoom binoculars.
We hope this buying guide helps you reach a decision for a great pair of binoculars for a youngster. Know that there are many great, and inexpensive, binoculars on the market, so if you have questions about any listed above, or any others on the B&H SuperStore website, please don’t hesitate to write us in the Comments section below, or contact our experts by phone, chat, or email. Also, if you have suggestions that aren’t on our list, we would love to hear from you!
