Choosing Binoculars - always a challenge! (but it doesn't have to be)

How do you choose the best binocular for you?
1. Decide on your budget. How much can you realistically spend? Remember that price is usually a good representation of quality.
2. What do you need the binoculars for? Are you going to use them primarily for birding in your backyard or heading out on the occasional bird walk or are they going to be used for a more extensive birding excursion?
3. Size- are you looking for something that is more compact and lighter or does a larger pair of binoculars feel better in your hands?
4. Will you be primarily be looking at insects and wildflowers or will you be in the forests looking at birds? For the former you will need close-focusing and for the latter you will need binoculars with good light gathering abilities.

Some other tips:

1. Go on an organized birding walk to a local park or lake. For example, the local Audubon chapter, Blue Ridge Audubon has monthly bird walks that are free and open to the public. Take a look at what optics other birders are using and see which ones feel right and are the easiest to use. Most birders will happily let you look through their binoculars and tell you why they chose their particular pair.

2. Come and visit us at the North Asheville Wild Birds Unlimited store and talk to us about optics. We will break down the terminology and #'s in a way that is easy to understand and help you make the best purchasing decision. We proudly carry Vortex binoculars, which are made in the US and have an unconditional lifetime warranty.