How Do I Choose Sports Binoculars?

When it’s time to enjoy any particular sporting event in the stadium or on a large screen, a binocular is a must-have device along with popcorn! A good binocular pair is beneficial to observe every single detail of sporting events. But you will find hundreds of brands and thousands of models in the market, which are enough to confuse you before choosing the right pair for sports. At this point, buying a random binocular won’t perform effectively for sporting events. You should be concerned about some important factors before buying a sports binocular. Now the question is: How do I choose sports binoculars then? Nothing to worry about. We are here to help you who have faced the same problem while buying a sports binocular.

Why do you need special types of binoculars for sporting events?

Before starting the main section, we should know why we need special types of binoculars for sporting events or game shows. Well, different sporting events require different types of binoculars. For example, if you will be using them for bird watching, then you need a pair with a higher magnification so that you can see tiny details in the birds’ feathers. If you will be using them for watching sporting events, then you will want a pair with a wider field of view.

Sporting events, like football or soccer, typically require binoculars with a lower magnification, so that you can see the entire field at a time. For the car race or athletic race, you need highly magnified binoculars as the court is larger for these events. The duration of sports is quite long. The sports binoculars should be compact and lightweight, providing ease of use and carrying anywhere.

Considering factors to buying a sports binoculars

When looking to purchase a pair of sports binoculars there are a few factors you need to take into consideration. Here we are going to discuss some basic but crucial points that you should not skip choosing the right pair of sports binoculars–

Sports Type

The first thing you need to determine is what you will primarily be using the binoculars for. There are so many varieties among sporting events, types, movements, and accessories. Binoculars are mostly needed for several sports like football, hockey, ice hockey, beach hockey, cricket, baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, etc. According to the sports type, the binoculars will be varied. For example, you need lower magnified binoculars for hockey whereas golf requires a higher magnified pair to observe the long-distance details.

Stadium or field size

The size of the stadium or sports field is varied based on the sports. They have so many shapes like a square for baseball, rectangular for football, oval shape for cricket, diamond shape for softball, etc. Based on the length and shape, you should choose the right one. Where the field is comparatively small, use a low-magnified binocular like 6x, 7x, or 8x. As a result, you will get a wider field of view. And for bigger stadiums or fields, the binoculars should have more powerful features like 10x or 12x.

Magnification Power

You may notice the previous 2 factors are also correlated with the magnification power. This is the most important factor when selecting a sports binocular. The magnification power determines the amount that the object will be magnified. The higher the magnification power, the closer the object will appear. With a higher magnification power also comes a decrease in the field of view. At this point, 7x to 10x binoculars are suitable for most sporting events to observe every single detail so closely.

Size of the Objective Lens

The next factor to consider is the aperture size. This is the diameter of the objective lens of a binocular. A larger aperture size will allow more light in and produce a brighter image. This is important if you will be using your binoculars in low-light conditions. The aperture values have so many varieties too. It can be 35mm, 42mm, 50mm, etc. Based on the bigger size, it ensures the maximum light comes to your eyes through the lens and delivers razor-sharp, crystal clear images every time.

Eye Pupil & Eye Relief

The eye pupil distance can be measured by the magnification power and aperture value. The eye pupil distance should be more than 4.0mm. At this point, 7×35, 8×35, 10×42, 10×50, etc will be better choices for sports. Again the eye relief distance should be more than 15mm for glass wearers. Non-Glass wearers can view comfortably if the value is less than 15mm. The considerable range is 15-18mm for sporting events. Moreover, for a smooth viewing experience, you should check if the values are appropriate or not. That will ensure a long-time watching experience without any eye fatigue.

Field of View

The field of view is the area that you can see at a time. Choosing the field of view depends on the sports type too. And it reduces according to the increase of the magnification and vice versa. Usually 8x to 10x binoculars provide a decent amount of field of view which is suitable for most indoor and outdoor sports or game shows. The desirable field of view for sports is 320 feet at 1000 yards. You can choose from 300ft to 375ft at 1000 yards to cover sporting events.

Prism

Roof prism binoculars are so popular nowadays. They are compact and perform outstandingly. On the other hand, the Porro prism binoculars’ features are quite good but they are bulky in size. For sporting events, we recommend picking roof prism binoculars.

Optics Quality

Make sure the binoculars you choose have a premium optical quality. The lens should be fully multi-coated. That helps to keep the binoculars safe as well as reduce glare to deliver clear and high-resolution images.

Withstand Capacity

Sporting events or game shows occur outdoors most of the time. You should choose sports binoculars which come with o-sealing as well as nitrogen or argon purged. It can resist water and fog. So that your favorite binocular remains waterproof, fog, and moisture-proof even in wet conditions. The lens should be UV protected. Also, the package should provide lens cleaning cloths and a protective carrying bag. Besides, the whole body should be covered by rubber armor so that it can withstand shock, abuse, or rough handling.

Materials

A good binocular should be durable and stable. Usually, aluminum, rubber, plastic, etc are used to make the body of binoculars. You should not compromise on the quality. The lifespan depends on one of the manufacturing materials too. So choose the one which is durable as well as can be your sports companion for years to years!!

Weight and Size

The sports binoculars should be compact and palm-sized. You can carry and move easily. For longer periods of sports, tripod attachment is very beneficial. To choose lightweight binoculars, you must choose roof prism binoculars. Bigger objective lenses, thicker glass for high magnification, heavy materials, and unnecessary attachments like digital cameras are responsible for increasing the weight. So you should be concerned about these factors to get the lightweight pair. The recommended weight for sports binoculars is less than 1 pound.

Day of night time

Sporting events are held all day long, sometimes at night also. In night sporting events, there are light arrangements also. But in this case, you should pick the binoculars pair carefully. The binoculars with HD or ED properties will be helpful to enjoy nighttime or low-light sports shows. The ED(extra-low dispersion) binoculars can eliminate chromatic aberration effectively. That provides color-fringing-free and razor-sharp images every time.

Others

GlassPak Harness – to carry it with our chest while moving

Neck Strap – to hold the binoculars with your neck and move safely

Smartphone mount system – can take photos and record videos of the magnified objects

Warranty – ensures the quality as well as service when you need

Price

Finally, you have to consider the price. Spending on binoculars is one kind of investment. So far, sports binoculars can range in price from around $50 to $500 or more. You should decide what your budget is and what features you want in your binoculars. The features and price range should be balanced obviously.

Final Verdict

When selecting sports binoculars, the above factors must be considered. As a result, you will get a vivid, clear, and bright image. At the same time, you will get all the details of your favorite game show. There will be no chance to miss any shots. We guarantee, that if you buy binoculars for sports considering these factors, you will not be deceived or disappointed. Rather you will be amazed by the performance they will provide and can enjoy every sporting event perfectly.