Celestron Outland X 10×42 Binoculars Review

As a kid, my parents encouraged me to use my imagination and explore the countryside. Everything around me was farmland, filled with barns attached to rolling hills that popped out of fields that stopped at the horizon. After breakfast, I would get on my bike with my backpack filled with everything I needed to explore for the day. My mom didn’t expect me home until dinner, and that’s when I came rolling in, wide-eyed and filled with stories to tell.

Part of the assortment in my pack was an affordable pair of binoculars that I found on a shelf while shopping with my mom. She got them for me so I would stop bugging her about buying me something. They became invaluable, so I’ve carried a pair in my pack ever since.

If you’re a long-time glasser (aka expert binocular user), the word “affordable” might make you shriek and run for cover. Some may think affordable binoculars can get the job done for a kid roaming around farmland after school and on weekends. But, to those devotees, I urge you to give the Celestron Outland X 10×42 binoculars a hearty chance. Especially seeing that they punch above their weight for $100.

I felt like a kid again when using the Outland X binos, from their tank-like build to their ability to catch a Warbler at dusk. At this price level, given what they’re capable of, there should be moms across the land igniting a passion for nature with these affordable binoculars.

But these aren’t just for kids. Anyone looking for a good pair of binoculars to use and abuse will find them sufficient for their daily needs.

In short: At $100, the Celestron Outland X 10×42 binoculars suit everyone looking for an everyday pair of binoculars. Though I wouldn’t rely on them solely for a day of hunting or birdwatching, they’re an accessible alternative to spending hundreds of dollars for casual use.

Compare the Celestron X 10×42 Binoculars with the rest of our picks in our guide to the best binoculars.

Celestron Outland X 10 x 42 Binoculars Review

Overview

The Celestron Outland X 10×42 binoculars offer casual users a lightweight and rugged glassing solution. Their durable, rubberized casing helps protect them from bumps and bruises and provides an excellent grip so they don’t slip out of your hands.

With a close focus range of 13 feet and a narrow field of view of 293 feet, they’re not going to be the binoculars you choose for stargazing or studying the habits of butterflies. However, you will find that they easily help you scan the landscape to track down something moving in the distance or scan the sky to spot everything from birds to planes.

They come with a carrying case, neck strap, and lens cover. The objective lenses have attached covers that you can’t lose unless you want to.

Even with their advanced clarity, these binoculars might not be the pair you want to use when sitting in a tree stand for hours. While I won’t call it monumental, I felt some eye strain when using them consistently for more than 15 minutes.

That said, they’re still a great pair of binoculars to take camping or to the beach. They are great for catching things flying in the air or wandering around in the distance.

Clarity

Thanks to their multicoated optics and BaK-4 prisms, the Outland X offers crisp and bright images from dawn to dusk, even on cloudy days. However, don’t expect to start seeing in 4K when you mosey up to the ocular lenses. You’ll get life-like resolution that includes refined detail, but you won’t get the enhanced contrast and vivid hues that you would with more premium binoculars.

You’ll only notice this if you switch between these and a more premium pair of binoculars. I have zero complaints about what I could focus on, even though it was cloudy and raining here in Connecticut for the last 2 weeks of wrapping up this review.

Size

In the world of binoculars, bigger doesn’t equate to heavier, but it can be a deciding factor when choosing which binoculars are right for you. The Outland X binoculars fall right in the middle of compact and large. The included carrying case has an ample shoulder strap for easy carrying, which I enjoyed using.

I wear my binoculars around my neck the entire time I’m outside wandering around. At 1 pound, 6 ounces, they never felt like a burden when using the included neck strap. They also fit fine, without their carrying case, in my Mystery Ranch Hip Monkey, an open-cavity, 8L waist pack.

Overall, the Overland X binoculars hit a sweet spot regarding size. They’re easy to carry and use for people of all ages.

Ease of Use

Though with all the buds on the trees and the crocuses filling flower beds, it may be spring around here, it feels like winter. Today may hit 50 degrees, but we’ve been floating around the mid-30s with rain and wind for a few weeks. The varied weather has given me an excellent opportunity to test the performance of the Outlander X.

Clear, sunny days are usually the best for binoculars because they offer the best lighting and clarity. However, using the binoculars on these gloomy days wasn’t an issue. I used them several times to spot the resident bald eagle down on the Connecticut River.

My kids and I also enjoyed a few trips hiking, and even out to a bird sanctuary, to see what we could catch in action. The three of us, aged 8, 11, and 43, all enjoyed using these binoculars. The girls even fought over who would wear them to our destinations.

The focusing knob is smooth and responsive so I could adjust my focus on the fly even while a bird flew closer and closer. As a result, I never lost the critters I was spying on.

Additionally, the Outland Xs have differing diopter adjustments. Both barrels can adjust the eye cup to fine-tune your focus, but the right side allows you to take it a step further with a secondary adjustment ring. As someone who’s worn contact lenses since seventh grade, this feature came in handy. I was able to compensate for better vision in my right eye and reduce eye strain.

Room for Improvement

For $100, you’re getting quite a lot out of the Outland 10×42 binoculars. However, if I were to recommend an improvement, it would be on the neck strap. Though it’s easy to adjust and has ample length to wear it across your body, there’s a lot of slack left behind that tends to get in the way.

Though the Outland X has a smooth focus wheel that provides crystal-clear imagery, the edges of the field of view are generally blurry. This increases at higher magnifications, and it is even more noticeable in low light. These downsides wouldn’t deter us from continuing to use these binoculars; however, they’re worth mentioning.

In Conclusion

I know many die-hard binocular users may read this and shake their heads because they’re used to spending ten times what the Celestron Outland X binoculars cost. If you’re an avid outdoors person, a dedicated birder, or a guide looking for critters daily, you probably won’t enjoy these binoculars as much as yours or another premium pair. However, these fit the bill for everyone looking to have fun with an affordable pair of binoculars.

Out of all the binoculars I have used and tested, these have one of the narrowest fields of view and one of the largest close-focus ranges. This combination limits what they can do when glassing a large landscape or zeroing in on smaller objects in the distance. However, casual users will find the clarity, magnification, and ease of use ideal for any age or level of experience.

Celestron built the Outland X 10×42 binoculars for everyone. Enjoying crisp, clean clarity in a rugged, lightweight package for $100 is rare.