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Best binoculars for eyeglass wearers

The two Nikon Prostaff models print the longest eye relief here at 20.2 mm, and the P3 is the lightest at 20.3 oz. All 10 models clear the 16 mm that the RSPB advises.

Top picks

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Best binoculars for eyeglass wearers
ModelSizeField of viewEye reliefClose focusWeightExit pupilAmazon
Vortex Viper HD 10x42 10x42 341 ft 17 mm 6 ft 24.9 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
Celestron Nature DX 8x42 8x42 388 ft 17.5 mm 6.5 ft 22.2 oz 5.3 mm Check price on Amazon
Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42 Widest field of view 8x42 393 ft 17 mm 5 ft 21.8 oz 5.3 mm Check price on Amazon
Vortex Triumph HD 10x42 10x42 334 ft 17 mm 15.3 ft 22.9 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
Nikon Monarch M5 8x42 8x42 335 ft 19.5 mm 8.2 ft 22.2 oz 5.3 mm Check price on Amazon
Nikon Monarch M7 10x42 10x42 362 ft 16.5 mm 8.2 ft 24 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
ZEISS Terra ED 8x42 8x42 375 ft 18 mm 5.3 ft 25.6 oz 5.3 mm Check price on Amazon
Swarovski EL 10x42 10x42 336 ft 20 mm 10.8 ft 29.6 oz 4.2 mm Check price on Amazon
Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42 Lightest 8x42 377 ft 20.2 mm 9.8 ft 20.3 oz 5.3 mm Check price on Amazon
Nikon Prostaff P7 8x42 8x42 377 ft 20.2 mm 9.8 ft 20.8 oz 5.3 mm Check price on Amazon

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How these binoculars were chosen

A model makes this list when the makers' documents print an eye relief of 16 mm or more, the least the RSPB shop advises for eyeglass wearers. The objective must be 30 to 42 mm, and each series appears once. All 10 picks pass the eye relief test, and all of them use 42 mm lenses.

Every figure comes from the makers' documents, listed most popular first. Fields run from 334 to 393 ft at 1,000 yd. The median is 369 ft, the median weight is 22.5 oz, and the median eye relief is 17.8 mm.

Picks for every use and price are in the main best binoculars list.

The picks, most popular first

Vortex Viper HD 10x42

  • Field of view 341 ft
  • Eye relief 17 mm
  • Close focus 6 ft
  • Weight 24.9 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

The Vortex Viper HD 10x42 prints 17 mm of eye relief, one millimeter past the RSPB minimum. Its 341 ft field sits just above the 336 ft median for 10x42 models. It weighs 24.9 oz, and its list band is $500 to $1,000.

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Celestron Nature DX 8x42

  • Field of view 388 ft
  • Eye relief 17.5 mm
  • Close focus 6.5 ft
  • Weight 22.2 oz
  • Maker list price $100 to $200

Celestron prints 17.5 mm of eye relief for the Nature DX 8x42, and the calculated exit pupil of 5.3 mm gives it a relative brightness figure of 27.6. The field of 388 ft is a little under the 393 ft median for 8x42. List band: $100 to $200.

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Widest field of view

Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42

  • Field of view 393 ft
  • Eye relief 17 mm
  • Close focus 5 ft
  • Weight 21.8 oz
  • Maker list price $200 to $500

The Diamondback HD 8x42 has the widest field on the list at 393 ft, which is 7.5 degrees. Eye relief is 17 mm and close focus is 5 ft, so it covers nearby subjects too. It weighs 21.8 oz. Its list band is $200 to $500.

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Vortex Triumph HD 10x42

  • Field of view 334 ft
  • Eye relief 17 mm
  • Close focus 15.3 ft
  • Weight 22.9 oz
  • Maker list price $100 to $200

Close focus is the catch with the Triumph HD 10x42: 15.3 ft, against a 6.6 ft median for 10x42 models. In return you get 17 mm of eye relief at 22.9 oz and a list band of $100 to $200. Its 334 ft field is the narrowest on the list.

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Nikon Monarch M5 8x42

  • Field of view 335 ft
  • Eye relief 19.5 mm
  • Close focus 8.2 ft
  • Weight 22.2 oz
  • Maker list price $200 to $500

The Monarch M5 8x42 offers 19.5 mm of eye relief plus ED glass, one of 3 models here with it. The cost is a 335 ft field, which places it 71st of 75 models of its size for view width. Weight is 22.2 oz. List band: $200 to $500.

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Nikon Monarch M7 10x42

  • Field of view 362 ft
  • Eye relief 16.5 mm
  • Close focus 8.2 ft
  • Weight 24 oz
  • Maker list price $500 to $1,000

At 362 ft, this Nikon has the widest field of any 10x42 on this list and places 13th of 87 models of its size. Eye relief is 16.5 mm, just over the RSPB minimum, and it uses ED glass. Weight is 24 oz and the list band is $500 to $1,000.

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ZEISS Terra ED 8x42

  • Field of view 375 ft
  • Eye relief 18 mm
  • Close focus 5.3 ft
  • Weight 25.6 oz

ZEISS prints a close focus of 5.3 ft for the Terra ED 8x42, with 18 mm of eye relief and ED glass. At 25.6 oz it is heavier than the 24.2 oz median for 8x42. The makers' documents print no list band for it.

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Swarovski EL 10x42

  • Field of view 336 ft
  • Eye relief 20 mm
  • Close focus 10.8 ft
  • Weight 29.6 oz
  • Maker list price $1,000 to $2,000

The Swarovski EL 10x42 prints 20 mm of eye relief, among the longest on the list, with a 336 ft field that matches the 10x42 median. The cost is weight and close focus: 29.6 oz and 10.8 ft. List band: $1,000 to $2,000.

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Lightest

Nikon Prostaff P3 8x42

  • Field of view 377 ft
  • Eye relief 20.2 mm
  • Close focus 9.8 ft
  • Weight 20.3 oz
  • Maker list price $100 to $200

Weighing 20.3 oz, the Prostaff P3 is the lightest on the list, and its 20.2 mm of eye relief is the longest. A field of 377 ft is a little under the 393 ft median for 8x42. Close focus is 9.8 ft. List band: $100 to $200.

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Nikon Prostaff P7 8x42

  • Field of view 377 ft
  • Eye relief 20.2 mm
  • Close focus 9.8 ft
  • Weight 20.8 oz
  • Maker list price $200 to $500

The P7 shares the Prostaff P3's 20.2 mm eye relief, 377 ft field and 9.8 ft close focus, and weighs 20.8 oz. You pay a higher maker list band, $200 to $500, against $100 to $200 for the P3. Choose it only if its build suits you.

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By the numbers

Binoculars compared
10
Median field of view
369 ft
Field of view range
334 to 393 ft
Median weight
22.5 oz
Median eye relief
17.8 mm
With 16 mm eye relief or more
10 of 10
With an Amazon listing
10 of 10

Field of view of each pick, widest first, from the makers' figures.

Why eye relief decides the fit

Nikon defines eye relief as the distance from the outer surface of the eyepiece lens to the position where the exit pupil forms. Glasses hold your eye away from the lens, so the exit pupil has to sit farther out. The RSPB shop says eyeglass wearers should look for at least 16 mm.

Birding binoculars usually fall in a band. National Audubon Society says binoculars made for birders offer 15 to 20 mm of eye relief, and Swarovski Optik puts high-quality binoculars at 14 to 19 mm. Every model here prints 16.5 mm or more, so none sits at the short end of those ranges.

Setting up binoculars with glasses on

Nikon's manual page for CF binoculars gives the order. Retract the eyecups fully for eyeglasses, then move the tubes until the two fields form one circle, then set the diopter. ZEISS and Swarovski Optik also say to turn the eyecups in when you wear glasses.

Celestron says to set the interpupillary distance by moving the two tubes toward or away from each other. The models here print an eye spacing range from 55 to 74 mm at the narrowest end to 58 to 76 mm for the ZEISS Terra ED 8x42, so check that your spacing falls inside the range.

What to weigh between the picks

View width and magnification split the list. Eight picks are 8x42 models and two are 10x42, so most of them show a 7.1 to 7.5 degree field at the 8x42 end. The Vortex Viper HD 10x42 and Triumph HD 10x42 print 6.5 and 6.4 degrees. If you want the widest view with glasses on, start with Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42.

Close focus ranges from 5 ft to 15.3 ft. If you watch butterflies or plants, the Diamondback at 5 ft and the ZEISS at 5.3 ft lead, and the Triumph HD at 15.3 ft trails. The median is 7.4 ft. The eyeglass eye relief calculator can help you judge how much room you need.

Weight runs from 20.3 oz to 25.6 oz. If long days matter, the two Prostaff models at 20.3 oz and 20.8 oz carry the least. For a deeper look at the 8x42 and 10x42 sizes, see 8x42 binoculars and 10x42 binoculars.

What this list leaves out

Compact binoculars with 25 or 28 mm lenses are not here, because the list holds objectives of 30 to 42 mm and the picks all landed at 42 mm. Models above 42 mm, such as 10x50, are also left out. Compare them in best binoculars compared.

Some makers print no eye relief figure, and those models cannot qualify. Pairs such as 8x42 against 10x42 show how the two sizes in this list differ. Budget readers can start at binoculars with a maker list price of $100 to $200.

The short answer

Eye relief is easy to meet at 42 mm, so use the other figures to decide. The Nikon Prostaff P3 pairs the longest eye relief, 20.2 mm, with the lowest weight, 20.3 oz. The Vortex Diamondback HD 8x42 gives the widest field at 393 ft.

More binocular lists

Questions and answers

How much eye relief do I need with glasses?

The RSPB shop says eyeglass wearers should look for at least 16 mm. All 10 models on this list print 16.5 mm or more.

Which model here has the longest eye relief?

Both Nikon Prostaff models print 20.2 mm. The Monarch M5 8x42 is next at 19.5 mm.

Should I fold the eyecups down when I wear glasses?

Yes, retract them. Nikon's manual page says to turn the eyecup to the fully retracted position for eyeglasses, and ZEISS and Swarovski Optik also say to turn the eyecups in.

What eye relief do birding binoculars usually have?

National Audubon Society says binoculars made for birders offer 15 to 20 mm of eye relief. Swarovski Optik puts high-quality binoculars at 14 to 19 mm.

Which pick is the lightest?

The Nikon Prostaff P3 is the lightest at 20.3 oz. The median for this list is 22.5 oz.