Best Lightweight Monoculars of 2025

Kenneth Collin Avatar
Kenneth Collin
Last Updated: 11 Feb 2025

* We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

Lightweight monoculars are a type of portable optical device that allows users to view distant objects with only one eye. These monoculars are designed to be compact and easy to carry, making them perfect for outdoor activities such as hiking, birdwatching, and sports events. Despite their small size, they offer high-quality magnification and can be used in a variety of lighting conditions. Whether you're a nature enthusiast or simply enjoy exploring the great outdoors, lightweight monoculars are a valuable tool to have in your kit.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

Carson MonoZoom 7-21x21mm Compact Monocular Cover #TOP 1
Carson MonoZoom 7-21x21mm Compact Monocular
ftb score rating icon 9.8
K&F Concept 12X50 HD Monocular for Outdoor Use Cover #TOP 2
K&F Concept 12X50 HD Monocular for Outdoor Use
ftb score rating icon 9.7
Gosky Piper 12x55 High Definition Monocular Cover #TOP 3
Gosky Piper 12x55 High Definition Monocular
ftb score rating icon 9.5

Top 9 Lightweight Monoculars

#TOP 1

Carson MonoZoom 7-21x21mm Compact Monocular

ZM-721
Grey
7-21x21mm
Carson MonoZoom 7-21x21mm Compact Monocular Cover
Carson MonoZoom 7-21x21mm Zoom Monocular (ZM-721)

The Carson MonoZoom Monocular offers a powerful zoom range of 7x to 21x, making it an ideal companion for various outdoor activities. With a compact design and lightweight build, it's easy to carry during your travels or adventures. The fully coated optics enhance clarity, allowing you to enjoy clear, vivid images while bird watching or attending sporting events. The BAK-4 prisms provide exceptional light transmission, ensuring you can observe wildlife in detail, even in low-light conditions.

What We Like
Powerful zoom capabilities
Lightweight and portable design
Clear, vivid images
Suitable for various outdoor activities
#TOP 2

K&F Concept 12X50 HD Monocular for Outdoor Use

KF33.073
Green
K&F Concept 12X50 HD Monocular for Outdoor Use Cover
K&F Concept 12X50 HD Monocular,Monoculars Telescope for Adults with BAK4 Prism & FMC Lens- IP66 Waterproof- for Bird Watching Hiking Hunting Camping Travelling, Green

The K&F Concept Monocular offers a powerful 12X magnification and a 50mm objective lens, ensuring you get a clear and detailed view of distant subjects. Its FMC multi-coated lens enhances light transmission up to 99.6%, providing vibrant and bright images even up to 1,000 yards away. Lightweight and equipped with an IP66 waterproof design, this monocular is ideal for outdoor adventures, ensuring durability in various conditions. The easy-to-use focus wheel allows for quick adjustments, making it suitable for everyone, including those who wear glasses.

What We Like
High-quality optics
Lightweight and portable
Waterproof design
Quick focus adjustment
Comfortable for glasses wearers

Gosky Piper 12x55 High Definition Monocular

QHMN001
1255
Gosky Piper 12x55 High Definition Monocular Cover
Gosky Monocular Telescope, Piper 12x55 High Definition Monocular for Adult with BAK4 Prism & FMC Lens, Lightweight Monocular Handy with Phone Adapter, Suitable for Bird Watching Camping Traveling

The Gosky Piper Monocular features a powerful 12× magnification and a 55mm objective lens, making it ideal for distance watching, whether you're bird watching or hiking. With premium FMC and BAK-4 prism optics, you can enjoy bright and clear images, enhancing your outdoor experience. Its lightweight design and IPX7 waterproof rating ensure you can use it in various weather conditions without worry. Additionally, the comfortable twist-up eye cup provides a relaxing viewing experience, allowing you to spend more time enjoying nature.

What We Like
High magnification for distance viewing
Clear images with premium optics
Lightweight and portable design
Waterproof and shockproof features

Adasion 12x56 HD Monocular with Tripod

Adasion
Green
12×56
Adasion 12x56 HD Monocular with Tripod Cover
12x56 HD Monocular Telescope with Smartphone Adapter, Upgraded Tripod, Hand Strap - High Power Monocular with Clear Low Light Vision for Star Watching - Lightweight Monocular for Bird Watching Hunting

The Adasion HD Monocular offers a 12x magnification and a 56mm objective lens, providing you with a larger view and clearer details. Its fully multi-coated optics ensure crystal-clear images, even in low light, making it perfect for activities like star and bird watching. With a field of view extending up to 1200 yards, you can enjoy an unparalleled viewing experience during wildlife observations or outdoor events. The upgraded tripod and phone adapter allow for quick alignment and compatibility with most smartphones, enhancing your convenience while using the device.

What We Like
High magnification for detailed views
Clear images in low light
Wide field of view
Compatible with smartphones
Lightweight and portable
#TOP 5

Viking Cygnus 8X25 Waterproof Monocular

Viking
1197
Viking Cygnus 8X25 Waterproof Monocular Cover
Viking Cygnus 8X25 Monocular

The Viking Cygnus 8X25 is an ultra-compact and lightweight monocular designed for convenience and ease of use. Weighing just 131g, it is perfect for carrying on outdoor adventures. Its fully waterproof construction ensures that you can use it in various weather conditions without worry. The ergonomic body, combined with rubberised grips, provides comfortable handling, allowing you to enjoy viewing for extended periods. The fully multi-coated optics are designed to minimise internal reflection, ensuring a clear and bright image every time you look through it.

What We Like
Ultra-compact and lightweight
Fully waterproof design
Comfortable rubberised grips
Clear, bright images

DFlamepower 10X42 HD Monocular Telescope

AK-006
black
10*42
DFlamepower 10X42 HD Monocular Telescope Cover
DFlamepower 10X42 HD Clear Dual Focus Monocular Telescope, Compact BAK4 Multi-coated Zoom Optical Lens Scope Ideal for Hunting Camping Hiking, Sporting Events black

The DFlamepower Monocular offers a remarkable 10x magnification, allowing you to see distant sights in stunning detail. Its BAK-4 prism and fully multi-coated lens provide excellent light transmission, ensuring brighter and clearer images. You can easily adjust the focal length with the user-friendly one-hand focus wheel, making it convenient to use while on the move. The adjustable eye cups cater to both glasses wearers and non-wearers, enhancing your viewing comfort during outdoor activities.

What We Like
Compact and portable design
Excellent light transmission
User-friendly focus adjustment
Comfortable for glasses wearers
Durable and weather-resistant
#TOP 7

Tiddles 12X Waterproof Pocket Monocular

Tiddles
mono2024
Tiddles 12X Waterproof Pocket Monocular Cover
Monocular Telescope High Power Monocular 12X Monocular Telescope 2000x25 Monocular Waterproof Monocular HD Pocket Monocular Mini Monocular Telescope Portable Monocular for Adults

The Tiddles Pocket Monocular offers a powerful 12X magnification, ensuring you can see details clearly from a distance. Its FMC multilayer coating enhances light transmission, providing brighter images even in low light. With a rugged, waterproof, and shockproof design, this monocular is built for various outdoor adventures, allowing you to explore without worries. Its compact and lightweight nature makes it easy to carry, fitting perfectly in your pocket or backpack for all your excursions.

What We Like
High-quality optical performance
Durable and weather-resistant
Lightweight and portable
Easy to use without batteries
#TOP 8

APEXEL 10-20x50 Waterproof Zoom Monocular

10-20X50
10-20X50
10X-20X50 ZOOM
APEXEL 10-20x50 Waterproof Zoom Monocular Cover
APEXEL 10-20 x 50 Zoom Monocular Telescope, HD Monocular for Adults, BAK4/FMC Waterproof Lightweight Monocular Telescope with Low Night Vision for Hiking Bird Watching Camping Wildlife Animals

The APEXEL Monocular offers a powerful 10-20X magnification with a 50mm objective lens, ensuring that you experience clear and vibrant views of nature. Its fully multi-coated lenses enhance light transmission, making it easier for you to see details even in low light conditions. The BAK4 prisms provide a wider field of view, adding comfort to your observation. Designed to withstand various weather conditions, this lightweight and waterproof monocular is perfect for outdoor activities like bird watching and hiking, fitting comfortably in your hand for easy portability.

What We Like
High magnification range
Durable and waterproof design
Lightweight and portable
Comfortable eyepiece for viewing
Ideal for outdoor activities

PURSUAL 25x50 High Power Monocular Telescope

MT25
Green
25x50
PURSUAL 25x50 High Power Monocular Telescope Cover
PURSUAL 25x50 High Power Monocular Telescope with Smartphone Holder & Tripod for Adults & Kids, Waterproof FMC HD Lens & Scope for Bird Watching, Camping, Hiking, Hunting, Concert, Wildlife, Travel

The PURSUAL Monocular Telescope is an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts. With up to 25x magnification and a 50mm objective lens, you can enjoy crisp and bright images, perfect for bird watching or hiking. The lightweight design makes it easy to carry in your pocket or backpack. You can even use the included smartphone holder to capture videos and photos of your adventures. Additionally, its waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof features ensure durability in any environment, allowing you to explore worry-free.

What We Like
High power magnification
Lightweight and compact design
Waterproof and shockproof
Includes smartphone holder
Wide-angle lens for bright images
Buying Guide Image

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best magnification for a monocular?

Most monoculars have a magnification between 5 and 10. 5-8 is great for normal use and will give you a wider field of view, but if you'll be looking at things really far away, you'll want to go for 9 or 10 times magnification.

2. Are monoculars worth it?

Monocular is a lifesaver if you need to go lightweight, but if you want it to be actually useful, pick the one that doesn't come with poor optical elements. The best monocular offers at least 8x magnification, is decent in low-light, and durable enough, so you don't need to think about it.

3. What does 40x60 mean in a monocular?

40x60 MAGNIFICATION - See things 40X closer and Get Clearer and Brighter range of view with 60mm lens - The most powerful hand held monocular available in the market today, that also provides the most pleasant and clear view.

4. What is a good brand of monocular?

Bushnell Equinox Z2 6x50 Night Vision Monocular If you're looking to try some night-time nature-spotting, then we recommend giving the Bushnell Equinox Z2 6x50 Night Vision Monocular a try.

Editor's Notes

During our lightweight monocular research, we found 114 lightweight monocular products and shortlisted 9 quality products. We collected and analyzed 71,822 customer reviews through our big data system to write the lightweight monoculars list. We found that most customers choose lightweight monoculars with an average price of £30.87.

The lightweight monoculars are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of lightweight monoculars, including Carson, K&F Concept, Gosky, Adasion, Viking. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 59 consumers with an average rating of 4.6.

Written by
Kenneth Collin Avatar

Kenneth Collin graduated from Imperial College, London, at 22. He is a UX/UI designer, a web developer, and a writer, amongst others. At age 14, Kenneth programmed his first app. Kenneth's app served as a remote control for censored devices. "When I was 8, I would pick up scraps from electronics and try to rebuild or at least fix them," Kenneth said in one of his recent articles on Home repairs for top gadgets.