Best solar binoculars 2024: Jump Menu
The best solar binoculars will help if you’re keen to observe the great North American eclipse on April 8, 2024. Not only will you need to be in the right place at the right time, but you’ll also want some of the best solar viewing kit to help you catch a closer glimpse. In the run-up to a total solar eclipse, solar glasses, binoculars and telescopes tend to fly off the shelves, so you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared ahead of time to avoid disappointment.
We’ll be looking at some of the best binoculars for solar viewing, including options with good magnification, lightweight for easy transportation and some budget-friendly options, too.
Solar binoculars are mostly designed to be a step up from solar glasses, but not quite as advanced as many solar telescopes. They’re ideal for anyone who wants to get a closer look at the upcoming total solar eclipse, and you can also use them to view sunspots in between the eclipses.
The most important aspect of solar binoculars is safety (you’ll be looking directly at the sun, after all). Whichever pair you choose, you must ensure they meet the ISO 12312-2:20 international safety standard to avoid causing permanent damage to your eyes. The great thing about solar binoculars is that they have built-in solar filters, so you can’t lose them or accidentally knock them off while you’re using them.
If you’re more of a night owl than a sun-worshipper, the best binoculars may be of more interest for you to gaze at the wonders of the night sky, observe wildlife and more.
The quick list
Best for magnification
Celestron EclipSmart 12x50mm
Best for magnification
If you’re ready for a close encounter with the sun’s surface these solar binoculars are hard to beat, though they’re best used sitting down or with a tripod.
Best lightweight pair
Celestron EclipSmart 10×25
Best lightweight pair
Affordable and easy to use, the Celestron EclipSmart 10x25mm roof solar binoculars are a step up from solar eclipse glasses yet almost as compact.
Best all-rounder
LUNT 8×33 SUNoculars
Best all-rounder
They seem to tick all the boxes — they’re lightweight, have good magnification for tracking the eclipse and seeing sunspots, are easy to use and come with useful accessories.
Best budget pair
LUNT 6×30 mini SUNoculars
Best budget pair
Affordable, lightweight and easy to use, these LUNT 6×30 mini SUNoculars are a nifty little pair for kids and adults to track the solar eclipse on a budget.
The best solar binoculars we recommend in 2024
Best for magnification
Buy it if
✅ You want a pair that lasts: They’re a great choice if you want a pair that you can use again and again.
✅ You don’t want to transport your telescope: They work as a good alternative to eclipse-chasers who don’t want to transport all their telescope gear.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a lightweight pair: They are fairly heavy and bulky, so are better used when sitting down or mounting them on a tripod.
❌ You won’t use them again: If you only want to view the upcoming eclipse and nothing beyond that, there are more affordable options.
The bottom line
🔎 Celestron EclipSmart 12×50: Specialist solar eclipse binoculars that offer a great close-up view of sunspots. However, their bulky size means they require a little patience, practice and preparation. They’re a wise choice if you’re after something serious that will last beyond the next eclipse. ★★★★
If you want to get a close-up view of the great North American Eclipse on April 8 and want a pair of solar binoculars with good magnification, the Celestron EclipSmart 12×50 solar binoculars are a fantastic choice.
Their 12x magnification means the sun will look 12x bigger in the sky than it does with the unaided eye, and the 50mm objective lenses have solar filters permanently built into them, so you can’t accidentally knock them off like you could with detachable filters. These solar filters meet the ISO 12312-2:20 international safety standard, so you can be sure your eyesight won’t be damaged while using them.
The porro prism design is renowned for producing good contrast, clarity and less light loss compared to roof prisms, giving these the advantage over the other pairs in this guide. There was a small amount of color fringing, but it was neither unusual nor distracting.
In our Celestron EclipSmart 12x50mm solar binocular review, we did note that some of the other parts and accessories left a bit to be desired — the eyecups were separate and easy to lose and the neck strap is a little on the slim side.
The main thing that could be a potential ‘make or break’ of these solar binoculars is their size and weight. Not only does the weight make them uncomfortable to use for long periods, but the weight coupled with the higher magnification also makes them more difficult to hold them still to get a steady image. We’d recommend using them on a tripod for a better experience and avoid any frustrating wobble, or take a lawn chair with you and use them sitting down. If you want even more magnification, they also sell a 20×50 pair, but these will absolutely need to be mounted on a tripod.
They may require a bit of patience and practice at first, as trying to find the sun in the sky with 12x magnification is not as easy as you’d first think. Plus, the solar filters mean the sun is the only thing you can actually see when you look through them. But overall, we think they’re a fantastic option for viewing the upcoming total solar eclipse, and you can also use them to view sunspots in between eclipses to avoid them spending their lives sitting in a drawer only to come out at special solar events.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Heavy and bulky, best used on a tripod. |
| Performance | Some color fringing, but otherwise a great view. |
| Functionality | Tripod adapter jack included. |
Best lightweight pair
Buy it if
✅ You want a small and lightweight pair: They are pocket-sized and lightweight — great for taking away with you.
✅ You don’t want to spend loads: They strike a good balance between quality and affordability.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re a seasoned skywatcher: They’re noticeably lower quality than premium binoculars, and their shortcomings would likely frustrate more experienced users.
❌ You don’t want something small and fiddly: If you have larger hands, they could be fiddly to use due to their small size.
The bottom line
🔎 Celestron EclipSmart 10×25: For an affordable alternative to solar eclipse glasses for safely watching North America’s upcoming annular and total solar eclipses, look no further than this pair of compact, travel-friendly and impressive binoculars with built-in solar filters. ★★★★
If the solar binoculars we mentioned above sounded a bit too much for you, the Celestron EclipSmart 10x25s might be more up your street. They have slightly less magnification (10x instead of 12x) and let in half the amount of light (25mm instead of 50mm objective lenses), but their smaller size and roof prism design means they are much lighter — less than half the weight in fact — and a lot easier to use for beginners and casual users, plus they’re about half the price.
Anyone with bigger hands might find them a bit fiddly and cumbersome, but their compact design makes them wonderfully portable.
They are designed to be travel-friendly, and their roof prism design helps keep the body slim for convenience. We noted in our Celestron EclipSmart 10×25 solar binocular review that they were comfortable to wear around the neck for long periods, which is vital since a solar eclipse can last up to three hours. In terms of safety, they meet the ISO 12312-2 standard and block infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV) and 99.99% of visible light. They have a fairly basic design, but for the price, they do the job nicely.
When it comes to the view, it’s best described as an upgrade on solar glasses rather than a premium solar viewing device. We wouldn’t describe the image as spectacular, or particularly bright, but you do see a lot more than you would with solar glasses. If you simply want to track the progress of the eclipse without seeing that much detail, they’re ideal.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Small and portable roof prism design. |
| Performance | Not optically amazing. |
| Functionality | Best used for tracking the progress of a solar eclipse. |
Best all-rounder
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Buy it if
✅ You want something compact and lightweight: There are certainly lighter options available, but at 1.12 lbs / 508g, they’re great for taking away with you.
✅ You wear glasses: They’re suitable to use with glasses and sunglasses.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want high magnification: 8x magnification isn’t bad, but the Celestron binos in this guide have higher magnification.
❌ You’re on a budget: There are much cheaper options available.
The bottom line
🔎 LUNT 8×32 SUNoculars: While they’re pricier than the other options, these solar binoculars provide decent magnification, are lightweight and portable, easy to use and produce pleasing images of the sun. ★★★★
If the upcoming eclipse on April 8 has inspired you to want to invest in some higher-quality (but more expensive) equipment for solar viewing, the LUNT 8×32 SUNoculars are a great option. They feature front-mounted fully dense white light glass filters making solar observation 100% safe, and they block all UV and IR light.
Their 8x magnification isn’t the highest, but you can still effortlessly track the movement of the moon during a solar eclipse, and you can still make out sunspots. Plus, the slightly lower magnification means it won’t be as tricky to find the sun in the sky when you look through them. The 32mm objective lens size sits nicely in between the two Celestron pairs we mentioned above, giving a pleasing, bright image of the solar eclipse.
They’re lightweight and portable for easy transportation thanks to their roof prism design, and they come with a soft case, strap, lens caps, cleaning cloth and even have a one year warranty. Users have praised their fantastic build quality, with the inclusion of a hard plastic covering and eyecups for convenience, and you can even use them when wearing glasses or sunglasses.
They come in four different colors: yellow, red, blue, and black. We think the colorful options are a smart choice to make it obvious what they are so you don’t accidentally pick up your pair of regular binoculars and damage your eyesight (something you could easily do with the two Celestron pairs).
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Great build quality, and eye catching colors sets them apart from standard binoculars. |
| Performance | Produces a bright, white image of the sun. |
| Functionality | Comes with useful accessories. |
Best budget pair
Image 1 of 1
Buy it if
✅ You want something small and lightweight: They’re perfectly pocket-sized making them great for traveling and easy for younger users to hold.
✅ You want something affordable: They’re great value for money and won’t break the bank.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want high magnification: If you want to see more details on the sun’s surface and sunspots, you’ll want to go for a pair with higher magnification.
❌ You want to mount them on a tripod: They don’t feature a tripod adaptor jack, so you won’t be able to use them on a tripod.
The bottom line
🔎 LUNT 6×30 mini SUNoculars: Affordable, compact and lightweight — they’re ideal for kids and adults who want to safely track the moon’s movement across the sun during an eclipse. ★★★★
If you’re just looking for a small, budget pair of solar binoculars to view the April 8 eclipse and not much else, these LUNT 6×30 mini SUNoculars could be just the ticket. Their front filters are manufactured from CE-certified film to ensure the highest level of viewing quality, and all UV and IR components are completely and safely blocked to avoid causing any permanent damage to your eyesight.
The 6x magnification isn’t quite high enough to be able to make out any sunspots, but they’re excellent for tracking the movement of the moon across the sun during a solar eclipse. The eyepieces need to be focused separately, which some users find inconvenient, but for an eclipse, you only need to focus them once, so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue for such an affordable pair of solar binoculars.
They’re available in three eye-catching colors — yellow, red and blue, and there’s also a regular size which is, predictably, bigger and heavier (and much more expensive) than the minis. They’re pocket-sized and incredibly portable, not to mention lightweight, which helps younger users hold them steady for longer and makes them comfortable to have around your neck for long periods. Just make sure kids and younger users have adult supervision when using them.
They don’t come with any extras like eyecups or any kind of storage box or bag, but for the price, you really can’t complain. They also don’t have a tripod adaptor jack, which isn’t totally surprising, so if you wanted a pair you could mount on a tripod, take a look at the other options on this list.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Eye catching design. |
| Performance | Magnification too low to make out sunspots. |
| Functionality | Eyepieces need to be focused separately. |
Best solar binoculars FAQ
What are the best binoculars for viewing the sun?
The Celestron EclipSmart 12×50 are the best binoculars for sun viewing due to their 12x magnification and 50mm objective lenses providing bright views. Their ISO certified solar capability makes them completely safe to view the sun, too.
Can I view the solar eclipse with regular binoculars?
No, you must never look at the sun with regular binoculars. Not unless they are protected with filter adapters that conform to ISO 12312-2 international safety standards.
Are solar binoculars safe?
Provided they conform to the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard and block infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV) and 99.99% of visible light, then yes, solar binoculars are safe to view the sun with. The in-built solar filters block 99% of the light, so when you look at the sky, the sun is the only thing you can see with them.
Should I buy solar binoculars if I already have regular binoculars?
If you already own a good pair of binoculars, you can purchase separate solar filters to attach to them instead of buying a new pair of solar binoculars. But if you plan on viewing the sun a lot, it might be best to invest in a pair of specialized solar binoculars.
Do solar binoculars work for stargazing?
As solar binoculars block 99% of visible light, they will not work for stargazing as they’ll block any starlight out completely. Binoculars for stargazing need to gather as much light as possible, whereas solar binoculars need to block out as much light as possible.
How we test the best solar binoculars
How we test the best solar binoculars
At Space.com, we want to ensure that you get honest and up-to-date recommendations on the best solar binoculars to purchase. To achieve this, we subject every product to a rigorous review process, where we evaluate its construction, design, optical performance, and overall functionality in the field.
Our expert staff and knowledgeable freelance contributors extensively test each product to ensure that we provide unbiased reviews based on factors such as price, category, and intended use.
We maintain complete editorial independence, ensuring that our buying guides and reviews are reliable and transparent. Our goal is to provide you with the best buying advice, whether it means purchasing an instrument or not.
If this guide has inspired you to invest in some astronomy gear, check out the best telescopes, best binoculars and best cameras to get you started.
