Portable Telescope

R egardless of your passion being stargazing or bird watching, a telescope should never miss from your equipment. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a certain size for you to be able to enjoy the night starry sky, as a portable one can offer you more benefits, allowing you the freedom of taking it with you to the best sky gazing spot in your neighborhood. So, to help you find the best solution and the suitable equipment, we present you with our best recommendations.

Top 11 Portable Telescopes Comparison

Photo	Product Name	Dimensions	Weight	Type	Aperture	Magnification levels	Mount	Focal Length	Price
Best Overall	1. Celestron 31045	35 x 19 x 12 inches	17 pounds	Newtonian Reflector	130mm	50x, 100x	CG-3 Equatorial	650mm	Check Price
Our Choice	2. Gskyer AZ70400	24.8 x 8.26 x 4.33 inches	6.17 pounds	Refractor	70mm	16x, 40x	Altazimuth	400mm	Check Price
	3. TELMU Refractor Telescope	25.75 x 3.54 inches	8.25 pounds	Refractor	60mm	16x, 67x	Altazimuth	700mm	Check Price
	4. Meade Instruments 209005	53 x 34 x 34 inches	11.2 pounds	Achromatic Refractor	90mm	Low, medium. high	Altazimuth	600mm	Check Price
	5. Gskyer AZ90600	38 x 12 x 8 inches	18 pounds	Refractor	90mm	24x, 60x, 120x	AZ Altazimuth	600mm	Check Price
Best for Deep Space	6. Orion 10015	25 x 18.5 x 23.5 inches	13 pounds	Newtonian Reflector	114mm	26x, 75x	Dobsonian Altazimuth	450mm	Check Price
Best for Astrophotography	7. Celestron 22030	22 x 12.5 x 5.6 inches	4.5 pounds	Refractor	80mm	20x, 40x	Altazimuth	400mm	Check Price
	8. Aomekie AO2002N	18 x 9 x 5 inches	4.35 pounds	Refractor	70mm	16x, 27x	Altazimuth	400mm	Check Price
	9. Emarth TELE-01	15.7 x 2.7 x 39.3 inches	2.87 pounds	Refractor	70mm	10x, 25x	Altazimuth	360mm	Check Price
Best Budget-friendly	10. Merkmak F36050	15.35 x 14.56 x 8.6 icnhes	1.7 pounds	Refractor	50mm	16x, 20x	Aluminum tripod	360mm	Check Price
	11. ToyerBee 100224	20.86 x 11.8 x 5.5 inches	3.5 pounds	Refractor	70mm	15x, 150x	Aluminum tripod	300mm

1. Celestron 31045

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It measures 35 inches by 19 inches by 12 and it weighs 17 pounds and with the mount on it weighs 26.5 pounds. A Newtonian reflector type, you don’t have to worry about chromatic aberration, but you will have to calibrate it quite often. Its aperture is 130mm wide and the focal length is 650mm, making it ideal for transportation and storage, without compromising the quality of your image. It has two types of magnification – 50x and 100x – with two eyepieces, a 20mm, with an already built-in image corrector and a 10mm one. The lowest magnification it can reach is 19x while the highest is 307x and it comes with a finderscope that has a built-in StarPointer.

Mount

It comes with a CG-3 equatorial mount, with 1.25 inches steel tube legs for the tripod.It has two slow-motion control knobs, that allow you to make adjustments to the telescope in both Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (DEC) axes. Thus, you have the freedom of moving it in whatever direction you want, without losing focus and the quality of your already found star. Plus, it can follow the Earth’s rotation, so you won’t miss any celestial body passing by.

Accessories and Warranty

It comes with Starry Night Basic Edition software, which provides you with resources and knowledge about planets and the solar system. Moreover, it has an accessory tray so you can easily reach any accessory whenever you want to switch them up. It is easy to assemble, as the manuals, instructions, and assembly guides are extremely detailed, offering you images, video tutorials and accurate information on how to properly set it up. Additionally, it comes with a 2-year warranty from the moment of your purchase.

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2. Gskyer AZ70400

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It measures 24.8 inches by 8.26 inches by 4.33 inches and it weighs 6.17 pounds. It has an aperture of 70mm, a focal length of 400mm and a focal ratio of 5.7 for clear and crisp image quality. Additionally, it comes with an antireflection blue film optical coating to better protect your eyes, and it also comes with a Barlow lens of 3x. It is a refractor type, and it has two magnification eyepieces, the first measuring 10mm with a magnification level of 16x and the other measuring 25mm with 40x magnification. It has an Altazimuth mount, with an aluminum alloy tripod and tube, and a 5×24 finderscope with mounting brackets. Moreover, it has a 48° erecting BAK7 prism for its zenith mirror and a 2°and 24-minutes angular field of view. Moreover it has an inverted image Star Finder while it is beginner friendly, so it requires no additional tools to set it up. Easy to carry around, it comes with a backpack for hassle-free transportation and storage, and a 1-year limited warranty from the moment of your purchase.

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3. TELMU Refractor Telescope

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It measures 25.75 inches in length, has a lens diameter of 3.54 inches, and it weighs 8.25 pounds, thus it is lightweight and easy to transport. The stand it comes with is also adjustable, as you can choose between 27.55 inches or 46.45 inches in height, according to your needs. It is a refractor telescope, and it comes with 2 replaceable eyepieces, one measuring K25mm which is able to increase the zoom by 16x, and the second one, K6mm, which comes with a zoom of 67x.

It has a 60mm aperture and a 700mm focal length, with a focal ratio of f/12, thus making it an excellent choice for beginners in the field. Thanks to its 5×24 finderscope which comes with a rack-and-pinion focuser, it will allow you to quickly detect your target. Additionally, it comes with azimuth control, meaning you can adjust it left and right, as well as height control, and it can be rotated 360 degrees, in order to allow you a larger viewing area. It comes with a real-time sharing application, which allows you to directly transmit the images you see right to your phone. It takes just a few minutes to assemble it, so you don’t have to worry about taking it with you on a camp. It comes with a limited 2-year warranty from the moment of your purchase.

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4. Meade Instruments 209005

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Beginner friendly, this achromatic refractor telescope comes with a precision Altazimuth pre-assembled mount, with slow motion controls that will allow you to easily track celestial objects as they move, without you having to worry about chromatic aberration. It measures 53 inches by 34 inches by 34 inches and it weighs 11.2 pounds completely assembled. It has a 90mm aperture that offers you bright and sharp images for both terrestrial and celestial objects.

Its focal length is 600mm and its focal ratio is 6.7, and it has a Red Dot viewfinder. Additionally, it comes with 3 eyepieces of different lengths: 26mm, 9 mm and 6.3mm, thus allowing you a wider range to observe. It features a Barlow lens of 2x, and has a rack and pinion focuser mechanism while it has a 90-degree erect-prism diagonal system. Additionally, it comes with AutoStart Suite Astronomer Edition Software on DVD, so you can learn even more about the night sky, and with a 1-year warranty from the moment of your purchase.

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5. Gskyer AZ90600

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It weighs 18 pounds and it measures 38 by 12 by 8 inches. It is a refractor type and it comes with a 90mm aperture, a focal length of 600mm and a focal ratio of 6.7. It has 3 eyepieces for a diverse magnification, 25mm with 24x, 10mm with 60x and 5mm with 120x, its maximum magnification going up to 360x. It comes with a 6×30 finderscope and with Barlow lens of 3x. Additionally, it has a 48° erecting BAK7 prism for its zenith mirrors and, thanks to its optical multi anti-reflection green film coating, your eyes will be out of danger, even if you use it during the daytime. It comes with a 2.8 resolution and with an angular field of view of 1° and 36 minutes. It comes with an AZ Altazimuth mount, with a hook dovetail plate connection for better stability and safety and with a tripod that has 1.27-inch long, stainless steel feet. It comes with a step-by-step installation guide and a 12-month worry-free warranty.

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6. Orion 10015

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It has a height of 25 inches, a width of 18.5 inches and a length of 23.5 inches and it weighs 13 pounds. It is a Newtonian reflector type and it comes with a single arm Dobsonian altazimuth mount type, which will allow you to easily place it on its wood base, while thanks to its integrated carry handle it will provide you with easy transport and storage. It has an aperture of 4.5 inches and it has a focal ratio of f/4.0, and a focal length of 450mm. Even more, it comes with a primary mirror diameter of 113mm and a secondary mirror minor axis of 34.3 mm.

It comes with a focuser in a rach-and-pinion style which accepts eyepieces measuring 1.25 inches, and with 2 eyepieces included, one of 17mm and the other of 6mm, Explorer II. Furthermore, it comes with an EZ Finder II, with a reflex sight, thus you will be able to quickly find your target. Its tube length is 18 inches while its outer diameter reaches 5.5 inches, thus providing you with a clear image of what you’re looking at. Additionally, it comes with a dust cover, so you can store it safely, and with a Starry Night Astronomy Software to help you detect planets easier.

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7. Celestron 22030

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It measures 22 by 12.5 by 5.6 inches and it weighs 4.5 pounds. It is a refractor type, with an aperture of 80mm, a focal length of 400mm and a focal ratio of 5. It comes with two eyepieces, 20mm, and 10mm with the ability to magnify 20x and 40x, respectively, while the highest useful magnification reaches up to 189x and the lowest useful magnification drops to 11x. It comes with a manual Altazimuth mount, with a height adjustment range of 558.8mm to 1320.8mm, and with a tripod with the legs diameter of 31.75mm. It has an accessory tray, and a 5×24 finderscope so you can easily track and find what you’re looking for.

It has a dovetail compatibility vixen/CG-5 saddle plate type, thus allowing it to have a star diagonal erect image of 45°. Plus, thanks to the bag it comes with, you can keep all its accessories in one place, for better transportation and storage. Additionally, it comes with a smartphone adapter so you can take breathtaking images of the planets directly from your telescope. Moreover, it comes with two different softwares: a Starry Night Basic Edition DVD and the SkyPortal App. The former teaches you about the planets and the solar system while the latter is similar to a planetarium, allowing you to experience the night sky. The app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. Furthermore, it will align your telescope with the stars you’re seeing on it, for an even more enhanced experience.

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8. Aomekie AO2002N

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This refractory type telescope features a large 70mm aperture, thus providing you with increased performance, regardless if you’re a beginner or a professional, and with 400mm focal length. It comes with fully multi-coated lenses to offer you excellent contrast and enough brightness, while its 5×24 finderscope with mounting bracket will create a 45-degree erect-image diagonally, to allow you to locate the celestial bodies easier. It comes with an adjustable aluminum coated tripod, which can go from 16.1 inches in height up to 51.6 inches once fully deployed, providing you with versatility according to how you wish to operate it. Once mounted on the tripod you can easily rotate your telescope in 360° left and right, with a spin up and down of 90°.

The telescope measures 18 inches in length, 9 inches in width and 5 inches in depth, and it weighs 4.35 pounds, and it comes with several accessories. It has two eyepieces, K6/16x, and K25/67x which allow you to focus light and see the planets clearer, and with a metal-made, moon filter to reduce the brightness of the moon and allow you to see it in a sharp image. Additionally, it comes with a phone adapter, thus it can easily project the image you see right into your phone, while the Star target planisphere helps you find various stars.

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9. Emarth TELE-01

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It measures 15.7 inches in length, has a lens diameter of 2.7 inches, and it has a height of 39.3 inches. It weighs 2.87 pounds, thus it is lightweight, easy to store and move anywhere you need it to. It is a refractor type, thus it is susceptible to chromatic aberration. The objective lens has an aperture of 70mm, and it has a focal length of 360mm, with the lens fully coated so you’ll be able to enjoy stunning images and clear views, thanks to the BAK-4 prism it is equipped with.

Additionally, it comes with an Altazimuth mount, which can have a maximum height of 47.2 inches, and a minimum height of 15.7 inches. It has a ¼ screw to allow you to easily set your preferred height, and it features anti-skid mat covers, to protect your mount from slipping. It comes with a carry bag, so you can store all the pieces in one place and take them with you whenever you wish.

It comes with 2 interchangeable eyepieces – K10mm and K25mm – to provide you with the ability to not only view the moon but also enjoy bird watching or the general scenery. It comes with a cross star finder scope, which provides 5×24 low magnification to allow you to easily locate the objects you’re looking for. Furthermore, it comes with a 90° prism, which allows you to gaze directly at the sky. It comes with a friendly 24h customer service and a limited 24-month warranty from the moment of your purchase.

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10. Merkmak F36050

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It is made from aluminum alloy metal, with a mirror finish, which makes it extremely lightweight, 1.7 pounds, thus easy to take it with you wherever you need. It measures 15.35 inches in length, has a main objective of 50mm and it has an aluminum tripod which has a height of 14.56 inches. It is equipped with two eyepieces, an H6, and an H20mm, to provide you with different magnification levels, and allow you to view different distances.

The 50mm caliber has a multi-layer coated F40040M lens, which not only improves the light transmittance but prevents the reflection of light, as well. It has a focal length of 360mm, and it comes with a finder scope to allow you to easily find the objects you’re looking for. Additionally, it comes with an adjustable knob, to allow you to easily turn it in whichever direction you want to look, and it has a 90 ° zenith mirror to allow you to look at the sky unperturbed.

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11. ToyerBee 100224

It measures 20.86” in height, with the mount included, 11.8” in length, and a diameter of 5.5”, therefore it is compact and easy to move around. It comes with a lightweight design3.5 pounds, which makes it extremely lightweight, and it is equipped with a 3X Barlow lens that has an aperture of 70mm and a focal length of 300mm. Therefore, the images are clear and large, while the light is brighter.

It comes with 2 magnification eyepieces, a 15X one, and a 150X, ensuring you’ll be able to see clearly even at long distances, including the moon craters. It comes with a moon mirror, which will help you get a clearer view of it, and it features a finderscope to help you locate what you’re looking for faster.

The mount allows you to rotate it 360 degrees and incline it up to 90 degrees for increased versatility. It comes with a phone adapter and a wireless remote control which enables you to take pictures directly through your phone for sharp clarity, while the star map it comes with will help you locate the stars. To help you keep everything together, it comes with a carry bag, and it has a limited 3-year warranty from the moment of your purchase.

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Types and Mounts

While there are several models of telescopes already on the market, if you travel a lot or if you simply prefer to have the freedom of choosing your stargazing locations, instead of viewing the sky from your room and balcony, then a portable telescope is what you’re searching for. Easy to carry, but packing a powerful and high-quality image, let’s take a look at what types you can choose from.

• Refractor – standard, durable and the most common type. It gathers environmental light from one end and focuses it into the eyepiece on the other side. While it is true that it regained its popularity thanks to the fluorite, and despite the fact that it can offer high-quality images, it does tend to be susceptible to chromatic aberration.
• Newtonian reflector – named after the well-known scientist, it uses a parabolic mirror to focus light from the front end to the eyepiece at the back. It doesn’t suffer from chromatic aberration, but it does require constant collimation, as it tends to defocus quite easily. Additionally, you have to be careful not to use it on cold days, as the mirrors inside it can cloud up.
• Schmidt-Cassegrain – commonly known as SCTs, it tends to be quite compact. It uses a mirror at both ends to fold the optical path, thus making it a more compact version to its counterparts. It tends to come with a variety of accessories, but its image quality cannot reach its counterparts.
• Catadioptric – also known as compound telescopes, they are a hybrid between a reflecting and refractor one. With an overall shorter length, they are portable and are capable of avoiding the aberrations the other versions tend to not escape from. While they might seem better at first glance, they are quite pricey and they do require calibration from time to time.

Aside from the lenses, the mount is an essential part of your stargazing experience, as well. There are two types of mounts that, according to what you need it for, will definitely fit your requirements:

• Equatorial – it is designed to follow the rotation of the sky. A bit on the pricey side, it will make, however, your ‘starry’ experience a lot more immersive and will be able to help you track the celestial bodies, easier.
• Altazimuth – it can be considered more like a standard mount. It can move up, down, left and right, but it will not automatically track the sky, so it will need manual adjustment. However, it is more affordable and more compact, thus it packs lighter than its counterpart.

So, it all depends on what you’re looking for and how much your budget can stretch. While an expensive one can be exactly what you’ve been searching for, a more modest version can easily offer you a high-quality for your stargazing moments, as well.

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Verdict

The sky is not always visible in the city, especially during night time. A portable telescope provides you with the freedom of taking it wherever you need it to be, for you to obtain the best sky shots. Suited to all ages, there are several models to choose from according to your needs, so let’s review them quickly:

Best Overall : Celestron 31045
Celestron 31045 is a great choice if you want to be able to stargaze without worrying about chromatic aberrations. It is a reflector telescope that comes with two magnification units, so you’ll be able to switch them up whenever you want, while thanks to its stable but highly adjustable mount, you can set it up according to your needs. The finderscope will help you find the stars you’re looking for as it comes with a built-in star pointer for increased convenience.

Our Choice : Gskyer AZ70400
If you prefer a refractor type, which will be able to provide you with enhanced contrast as you stargaze, then Gskyer AZ70400 is a great choice. It is beginner-friendly as well, so you don’t have to worry if you don’t have experience in the field. It has an antireflection blue optical coating, to help protect your eyes, and it has a simple installation, so you don’t have to worry about setting it up.

Best Portable Telescope for Deep Space : Orion 10015
Best suited for observing deep space, Orion 10015 comes with a generous focal length. Since it is a Newtonian reflector type, you won’t have to worry about chromatic aberrations, while its compact size combined with the integrated carry handle will offer you hassle-free maneuverability. Even more, it comes with a software that provides you with a clear sky map to help you locate the planets faster.

Best Telescope for Astrophotography : Celestron 22030
If you want to be able to take pictures directly on your phone, then you need a telescope that can directly link to your phone. Celestron 22030 is perfect for this task, as it comes with a smartphone adapter, it offers clear and beautiful images. It comes with a manual altazimuth mount which is adjustable according to the height you need, while the 2 software it comes with will help you discover the planets and the solar system as well as offer a planetarium-like experience.

Best Budget-friendly Portable Telescope : Merkmak F36050
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to be able to view the sky. Merkmak F36050 comes with an asking price under $60, therefore perfect for all pocket sizes. Sturdy and durable, it provides you a clean image of the stars, as well as several accessories to help you in finding the celestial bodies you’re looking for. Even more, it is compact and lightweight, thus it won’t weigh you down when you’re moving it around.