Kids Binoculars

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Childrens Binoculars
Getting your kids interested in what you are interested in is always a rewarding experience, especially if it is educational as well. Think about it, what could be better than having your child outdoors, learning about and enjoying the wonders of nature.

But there are times when the equipment that you are using may not be ideally suited to small, sticky hands! The alternative to having your kids use your expensive optics is to get them a pair that is not only less painful for you should they drop them, but ones that are actually designed to be better suited for a child.

There are many "children's binoculars" on the market, many of which are very cheap toys that do little more than blur the image when you look through them! With a pair of these don't be surprised if their interest is very short lived. So in this article, I hope to point out some of the features to look out for in a binocular for a child, as well as take a look at some of the best ones available.

>Features

Below are the main features to look for in a good pair of binoculars for kids:

Magnification
Try to keep the magnification to a maximum of 8x. High magnifications sound great but it makes it much harder to keep the image still and therefore get a good view of what you are looking at.

What also usually happens as you increase the magnification on a pair of binoculars is that your field of view (the width of the image that you see through your optics) reduces. (see field of view below)

Another down side to higher magnifications is that generally the higher the magnification, the less bright the image produced will be. This is because they have a smaller exit pupil (The amount of light rays that enter the objective lens and exit the ocular lens.)

Field of View
A wide field of view will make it much easier for your child to locate what it is they are looking for through their optics. It will also make it easier for them to follow fast moving or erratic objects like birds. So if you have a choice between two binoculars that are very similar, go for the ones with a wider field of view.

Size of Binoculars
Binoculars with large objective lenses take in more light and therefore in general produce a brighter image which is optimal. The down side is obviously that the binoculars become larger and heavier. I would opt for pocket or compact binoculars that will make it much easier not only for you child to carry, but also hold up to their face.

Interpupillary Distance
If you do decide to get a binocular that has not been specifically designed for a child, something to look out for as well as the binoculars physical size and weight is the minimum Interpupillary Distance. Make sure that the binocular barrels can be adjusted to the width between the centers of the pupils in each eye of your child.

Price
This is a personal and I suppose relative option as what may be expensive to you and me will be cheap to someone like Bill Gates! I would say though don't go for the very cheapest binoculars in any class, they will in may cases frustrate your child and eventually put them off using them. Having said that I personally would not go for a very expensive pair.

So now we know the most important features to look for, we still have a couple options available depending on what the age and interests of your child are:

1. Get a pair of Binoculars specifically designed for children - usually better for younger kids
2. Get a standard pair of binoculars suitable children - better for older children or teenagers and should last for many years

>Binoculars Specifically Designed for Kids

A pair of binocular that has been specifically designed with children in mind should have all of the features listed above. This however is sadly not always the case. Children's binoculars come in two guises, ones that are little more than toys and are really not suitable for anything other than pretending to look through them and then there are a few ones that are actually pretty decent binoculars and with the features that we are looking for. So now all we have to do is separate the chaff from the wheat!

>Standard Binoculars Suitable for Kids

I think for slightly older children and those that are genuinely interested in nature, birding or even for use at things like sporting events, getting a standard pair of binoculars that is suitable (with all the features already mentioned above) is the way to go as this pair of binoculars should last them far longer and you can be more certain that the image quality would be as you expect it to be.

Below are some standard binoculars that I believe are most suitable for older children that I have reviewed: They are all lightweight, compact, have a magnification of 8x or less and are fairly inexpensive.

Amazon USA

Amazon UK