Best Budget Binoculars ; Are $25 Amazon binos worth it

Today we will review the Anthter binos from Amazon and compare them with the Vortex Diamonback. The results may surprise you.
My SD card crapped out on me and I ended up missing some info that I talked about. The Vortex did better at dusk but unfortunately I lost the video of that. There was a noticeable difference but the Anthter still performed really well for only $25. They are a great entry level pair, or a great pair to leave in the truck, deer blind, back porch, etc.
Anthter Binoculars:
www.amazon.com/Powerful-Binoc...
Vortex Diamondback:
www.amazon.com/Vortex-Optics-...
Allen Bino Harness:
www.amazon.com/Allen-Adjustab...
Timeline
0:00 Intro
0:31 Unboxing
2:43 Vortex vs Amazon at 190 yards
3:04 Vortex vs Amazon at 400 yards
3:28 Vortex vs Amazon at 1/2 mile
4:12 Binocular Expert Opinion
5:55 Closing Thoughts

[@bettierose7955]

This video helped me more than any I've watched. Clear - concise - easy to understand. Thank you.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks so much for the kind words. Glad it helped.

[@pcofranc]

I started to wonder why so few videos actually show an image from each and instead used things that are hard to compare like "feel" and contrast, etc. I would rate the expensive pair as about 10% or so better and wouldn't mind spending extra $$$ but binoculars are a major theft target or could get dropped etc.

[@petropete3122]

Great test and review. I purchased an expensive pair of Bushnells and water got in them. Was going to cost me too much to send back for warranty so I purchased a cheap pair of Apeman binoculars for $50 and they are actually better than the Bushnells. More $$ don’t always mean better quality.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks. The older I get, the more I recognize that many times- you get what you pay for. BUT for some things there isn't that big of a difference.

[@commonsense5709]

Bushnell most likely won't even honor their own warranty anyway see the BBB gave Bushnell an F rating for screwing over way too many of their customers over all their warranty denials.

[@pcofranc]

I had a very old cheap pair of binoculars that got a tiny splash of salt water at the beach. Took them home and rinsed and dried with compressed air - they fogged and rusted and put in the trash. Simple lesson - don't buy unless water resistant / water proof whether cheap or expensive it only takes one time.

[@martysspringcreekoutdoors969]

Great unboxing and review. I have the vortex and love them but may get these for throw around in the truck binos

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I agree. For the price, I don't think you can go wrong.

[@JOHNWICK-hn3ng]

Nice comparison and review thanks for sharing this review

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks, I appreciate you watching.

[@44messier]

Nice video. Always like to see hands on reviews. Typical of me I always look at the edge of view rather than the centre. The comparison at 3.10 . Look at the right side white edge of the building. The Vortex gives a nice straight line, where the budget one gives some strong barrel distortion. Also look at the green part of the building lower right. With the Vortex it is sharp nearly to the edge, while the budget binocular view looks like a clear smeared grease effect. I don`t deal with either brand.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Great observations. I didn't even notice that. Thanks for watching.

[@alexvikendi1768]

I had some cheap ones as a kid it was alright, smooth Then some old Swiss guy who was loaded gave me to try his Zeiss... I don't even recall the model but I was seeing like I can't describe it, it's like the bird /tree was here at 30cm from me in an Imax spherical cinema 😂 Edit : felt a bit like you try a a VR headset for the first time but 100x better fov/resolution/luminosity wise of course 😅

[@drealraj]

Great feed back thank you

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks so much for watching.

[@cnbsdad]

Your music was way too loud. At times it was difficult to hear what you guys were saying

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks for the feedback. I watched it back, and you are right. Definitely missed that in editing. I'm always trying to get better. Thanks for your feedback and thanks for watching.

[@glasserallen]

Great review very well done 👍👍

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thank you! 👍

[@MrTimjm009]

Im glad he said that because I though the same . The 200 dollar pair was slightly brighter but both had good focus quality I would be happy with either

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Yes, the Vortex were clearer, but for the price- the $25 ones work great for what i use them for. Thanks for watching.

[@pcofranc]

@@j.r.outdoors247 and maybe at $45 to $60 there might be no difference.

[@MarkJLarsonOutdoors]

That totally blew my mind! I didn't think the $25 binos would be that good! Thank you for sharing my friend!

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Yeah, i was pretty surprised my self. I have been using that pair for the last 2 seasons with no issues.

[@pcofranc]

I saw a comparison of cheap Chinese made camera lenses for Sony cameras vs expensive vintage name brand lenses from 25 years ago and the conclusion is that mfg techniques have improved so much that a $100 Chinese lens would destroy any vintage lens. Maybe the same thing is happening in binoculars.

[@tonimoon6346]

🤘Really appreciate your time

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks you and thanks for watching.

[@rrrrr.55555]

Thank you for your video! I'm just about to buy my first binoculars

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks so much. I do want to let you know that they apparently no longer make this brand. The best "budget" amazon binos that i have tested at from WoSports- here is a link to that video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKHQlGN6i5WHnJosi=bH7yXp9_qDimzpzC

[@rrrrr.55555]

@@j.r.outdoors247 oooh thank you for telling me!! I still have time to cancel

[@andrewsapp856]

Thanks for the review. Looks like they are almost 40 dollars now so I’ll have to wait to see if they go on sale

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I payed $35 when I bought them, but when I recorded the video the price had dropped. They are $36 right now. Still not a bad deal for what they are.

[@kevinvitale8980]

Aw shoot… just seeing this now and they are currently unavailable 😒

[@jennifertaylor9700]

I hope this is the right person of tik tok I met last night. This is happi.... I am benge watching your videos.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Sorry to disappoint- I don't even have tik tok, but thanks for watching.

[@MichiganGreatOutdoors]

Its pretty crazy they only cost $20 nice comparison, I was gonna bring up the low light comparison but u did at the end!!

[@j.r.outdoors247]

My sd card crapped out on me and didn't have the dusk video footage. Not a huge difference, but definitely noticeable. Great for $25 but would definitely spend the money on something better if i was going out west.

[@sicks6six]

Good revue, One set is slightly better than the other but they are not ten times better, $20 = $200 . . thing is with the cheap ones you're not to bothered about dropping them in the mud or keeping them in a damp rucksack or when someone steals them out your car, The best binoculars I ever looked through where owned by the R.N.L.I. (make unknown) To say they were impressive would be the understatement of the year. . .

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks for watching, I appreciate it. They amazon ones definitely work for me for what i am doing.

[@massoudpn]

Helpful video but did you find out how harsh this video is with this nerve-racking background music? I have no idea why people like to add background music.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks, and i totally understand the music. I thought it was a good idea at the time, and it sounded way better when i was editing it with headphones on. Definitely won't be doing that again. Thanks for watching.

[@jimmynibbs6746]

Nice review

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks so much for following along. Hopefully this review helped you out.

[@commonsense5709]

Honestly I'm not too surprised since they are both made in China. One has a USA name brand label on it along with a 10x price markup as they typically do. Most people don't realize how cheap stuff from China actually are and how insane the markups are once they have a name brand USA company label on them.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

For sure. They words fine for what i am doing but if i were going out west and needed long range clarity, i would definitely not go with the cheap ones. Thanks for watching.

[@357Muzzleblast]

Yep, I bought a $35 Baofeng ham radio on Amazon, and $25 on a Baofeng UV-5R radio on eBay. The pundits say these radios are cheap and won't hold up. Then guys who have had them for six years plus replied and said theirs are still going strong and only new batteries were needed every couple of years of hard use. I got a 10W *Baofeng BF-H6* with a spare battery for $52 and it's the most powerful Baofeng made. Two- hundred dollar radios are 5 watts and many of them are made in China. The H6 reeks of quality and can transmit easily for ten miles line of sight, something CB bubblewrap walkie-talkies can't come close to doing! So yeah, you can get quality products for much cheaper prices. An inexpensive ham radio like the H6 should be in everyone's bugout bag - and be carried camping and other outdoor activities.

[@heavycream6682]

Good video! Seems like nowadays the cheap stuff is getting good and the good stuff is getting cheap! I'm not brand loyal anymore.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Yeah, i just can't see spending big bucks on binos for what i use them for. Thanks for watching.

[@jeffreygehrke259]

You need to do more videos with the mullet man!!

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Right on!

[@Michael-Benjamin1224]

I just bought a pair of Adasion 12x42. I think they were $50 and Amazon owed me a refund of $40 from something else so it ended up costing $10. What a score. My buddy has his expensive ones he paid for $200+. They look comparable.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks for watching, I appreciate it. They amazon ones definitely work for me for what i am doing.

[@calmarcalmar]

Thanks

[@j.r.outdoors247]

No problem. Thanks for watching.

[@zl1booker]

thanks

[@j.r.outdoors247]

You're welcome! I hope this helps out. If nothing else, they are a great pair of binos to just leave in the truck.

[@forloop7713]

Good you did a blind test

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks!

[@daniaditya7699]

We have apexel binocular 12x42 with low price. I like it!

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Great for whitetail hunting but if i was going out west, i would probably get something better. but overall impressed with them.

[@daniaditya7699]

@@j.r.outdoors247 Thanks.

[@NCtrailX]

Great job with the video - thanks for posting this comparison. I'm good slightly lower quality for that kind of savings!

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Yeah, for what i am using them for the budget binos work great. If I were going out west and needed long range clarity, i would spend more though. Thanks for watching.

[@mrsensibletimewastingarrog4185]

You might see through them better if you extended the eyecups.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks for the input.

[@gamersbynight4768]

Vortex are cleaner but the others seem to keep up.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Yes, they do pretty good. Thanks for watching.

[@357Muzzleblast]

Yep, I bought a $35 Baofeng ham radio on Amazon, and $25 on a Baofeng UV-5R radio on eBay. The pundits say these radios are cheap and won't hold up. Then guys who have had them for six years plus replied and said theirs are still going strong and only new batteries were needed every couple of years of hard use. I got a 10W *Baofeng BF-H6* with a spare battery for $52 and it's the most powerful Baofeng made. Two- hundred dollar radios are 5 watts and many of them are made in China. The H6 reeks of quality and can transmit easily for ten miles line of sight, something CB bubblewrap walkie-talkies can't come close to doing! So yeah, you can get quality products for much cheaper prices. An inexpensive ham radio like the H6 should be in everyone's bugout bag - and be carried camping and other outdoor activities.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks for the info, i appreciate you watching.

[@jaberelli]

The $25 are no longer available on Amazon. Do you have another cheap pair you recommend?

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I actually will be doing another budget bino review later this summer. I found a pair for $13 that were great for the money (however, they are no longer available either). He is a pair that should do the trick though. www.amazon.com/UBeesize-Binoculars-Upgraded-Professional-Waterproof/dp/B0B7LBTQF8/ref=pd_rhf_d_ee_s_pd_deals_sim_b2b_sccl_1_5/143-9040863-4638752?pd_rd_w=m2QBI&content-id=amzn1.sym.c655c90e-7942-4b80-93d4-4e94109d9429&pf_rd_p=c655c90e-7942-4b80-93d4-4e94109d9429&pf_rd_r=GND7XHB0B29WGZKVPTBN&pd_rd_wg=lSKoa&pd_rd_r=b0b00caa-1587-436d-93b4-d678019ac3e6&pd_rd_i=B0B7LBTQF8&psc=1

[@busman2050]

Actually there are lots of them all the time on Amazon.

[@mohamedalotalabmohamedali189]

How can I get in Kenya can you send me

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Sorry, unfortunately i cant help you with that.

[@maginojackson4718]

How can I get it in Uganda?

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Sorry, not really sure.

[@claudiaroman8142]

Amazon doesnt have them anymore😢

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Yeah, unfortunately they stopped selling them about 6 months after my video.

[@Pics2FlicksDennis]

Good video, but either lose the music, or reduce the volume. WAY too loud.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I agree. I thought it was a good idea at the time, but obviously wrong. I would make it totally different now. Thanks for watching.

[@MeowMeow-tl4xh]

For 25 Dollars this is extremely good. It got even cheaper. Its 11 dollars now.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Wow, for $11, might just have to buy another set.

[@Shaun-sh1op]

That music sounds like 100 flies dying playing kazoos Bzzx

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I agree with you. I was new to making videos and thought it was a good idea. I definitely don't use music like i did before. Here is a better budget bino video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKHQlGN6i5WHnJosi=4gw1rMbiS7eVaKBO

[@omidmehrab7016]

I want it bro please give me that 😭😢 !

[@j.r.outdoors247]

You can get them on Amazon, really cheap and easy. The link is in the description.

[@zorkonthegreat5879]

Don't need the music.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I agree with you. I though it was a good idea at the time, but have since improved my editing and realize it's not needed. Thanks for the input and for watching.

[@busman7228]

Please get rid of the horrible music

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I hear you. I didn't realize the music was that loud- didn't sound like that when i was editing. Unfortunately too late for this video but will improve on it in the future. Thanks for the input.

[@iancurrie8844]

These will only be remotely comparable if you: -Don't use them in the rain. -Don't use them in the snow. -Don't move from warm to cold. -Don't move from cold to warm. -Don't drop them. -Don't bump them on anything. -Don't look at anything that's low contrast like, say, a Deer's antler tine against some tree branches -Don't use them when the sun is low because they will wash out and flare. -Don't use them at twilight. (best hunting time) -Don't use them at dawn. (second best hunting time) But yes, if you're only looking at high contrast objects without fine detail in bright mid-day sun, they might pass. I have to say, though. In those conditions: you don't need binoculars.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I appreciate and respect your comments. However, i have been using these same binoculars for the last 3 seasons and they have served me well. If I hunted "trophy whitetail" and only shot over 150" deer i would probably upgrade, but for me, if i can see the antlers with the binos, it's enough for me. If i hunted out west- totally different story. I hunt mid Michigan and don't often have visibility over 150 yards, so these work great for me. For me the goal of binoculars is to see what is coming in so i don't have to make big movements with my rifle. Ultimately my low light visibility with the binoculars is irrelevant if i can't see them in my scope. Sooo, the scope is way more important than the binoculars for me. As far as them holding up to rain, sleet, snow, hot, cold, being dropped, bumped, etc. they have performed just fine for me. So you can spend $25 on some Amazon made in China binoculars or $250 on some Vortex- made in China binoculars, the choice is up to you. While i agree that there are far superior optics out there, it all comes down to what and how you use them. For me, my $25 ones work just fine.

[@iancurrie8844]

@@j.r.outdoors247 If your scope can't outperform a $25 pair of binoculars, I see where the root of the issue is. By the way, the $250 Vortex binoculars are crap as well, but slightly less crap than the ones you're shilling here.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I guess i am confused. You must just be here to argue. Your first comment infers that these 2 pairs of binoculars are not even comparable. Now you are telling be that the Vortex are crap??? This is why the video is called "budget binoculars" not high end binoculars. Sure i could buy $1,000+ binos but that's not the point. And I'm not shilling anything. I bought these bino's myself and have absolutely no affiliation with whatever brand these things are. Thanks for your input.

[@iancurrie8844]

@@j.r.outdoors247 Yes, they're optically very poor. Where they differ from the other pair you've got there is in build quality as I alluded to in my first post. (and the warranty which you pay for). Optically, though, they're very poor. If these $25 are a "1" then the vortex are a "2". 1 and 2 are not really the place you want to be. There is a sweet spot point of diminishing returns and this is well below it.

[@busman2050]

Hey Jan! It's a pair of inexpensive binoculars that perform well for the price, why so negative? I have a similar pair for $25.00 that I keep in the car and a much more expensive Nikons and a Pentax compact. Both work fine for what one uses them .

[@busman2050]

What's with that horrible music?

[@j.r.outdoors247]

I am sorry. I thought it was cool at the time (I was new to making videos). I would not make it that way again. Thanks for watching.

[@johnmc6293]

Why do people like this guy want to kill big beautiful animals? I don't care if your daddy did it, it's sick! If you need to prove something to yourself, pit your skills against those of your fellow man in a real sport or climb a mountain. Just leave the wild animals the fuck alone.

[@j.r.outdoors247]

John, I appreciate you watching my video. First, i want to say, you have the rights to have your own opinion, and I support your rights to have a differing opinion. No hate here. I am going to make the assumption that you are vegetarian or vegan based on your comment (maybe I am wrong). However, your anti-hunting sentiments are ignorant. Hunting and providing is a God given drive and ability. I am not trying to "prove" anything, and I don't feel that hunting is a "sport" (at least the way that I hunt.) I don't hunt for trophies or bragging rights. I hunt to provide healthy organic meat for myself and family. When God created man, he was given reign over all living creatures. I take hunting very seriously and pour hours upon hours into practicing my craft. I feel it is my duty to make only clean ethical shots. I applaud your personal conviction to not eat meat. However as for me and my family, we will eat meat. AND... I am NOT sorry if that offends you. I urge you to educate yourself. Watch this video of Russel Brand- a devote vegan and Joe Rogan. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGTMh6OJitecick These men have totally different views but can have a conversation and respect each others differences. Stop spreading hate because you have a different opinion.

[@johnmc6293]

@@j.r.outdoors247 Didn't mean to be a dick. I'm getting a bit preachy in retirement. I think it's cultural. Nobody where I grew up owned a gun, much less hunted. So maybe that's my problem. But when I think of all the dogs I've owned and mourned over my lifetime, and how noble and loving they were, I can't help but feel there was some kind of humanity in them. And I have no reason to believe that that's not true of deer, elk, bear and all the other big game out there. For what it's worth.

[@bufu1969]

Scroll on mountain boy

[@busman7228]

I disagree. Killing or shooting animals for the thrill or fun is wrong.

[@thomascatt5736]

Best comment of the lot! My thoughts exactly. Hunting can be acceptable, even necessary, for survival, as in the case of our distant ancestors, but not for recreation, as it is nowadays. But leaving that aside and concentrating on the binos, my first impression it that the Vortex aren't all that good either, they lose too much sharpness near the edges, and you can get better models for $200.

[@joshandhuntersadventures5046]

Nice comparison and review thanks for sharing this review

[@j.r.outdoors247]

Thanks, i appreciate it. If nothing else, they are a great pair for the truck.