Those who know me will tell you that my favorite binoculars are the compacts - the little guys who are always with me, come rain or sunshine. No, compact binoculars don't offer the performance of their bigger brothers and sisters, but a premium grade compact binocular can narrow that gap considerably.
Christmas, however, tends to bring in the requests for the less expensive compact binoculars, so here are some of my favorites. The
Pentax UCF X II 8x25 is a great little bino at a very nice price. You would be hard pressed to find a better choice in this price range. Other nice choices here include the slightly larger
Bushnell Natureview 8x30, and the
Audubon 8x25 Compact. For slightly more, you can even get Nikon quality in the
Nikon 8x25 Travelite, one of the all-time best selling compacts made. None of these, however, is waterproof. If you are going on a cruise or will be out in all kinds of weather, paying a little more for a waterproof model is a good investment.
For waterproof compact binoculars, try the
Pentax 8x25 UCF WP, or the
Nikon 8x25 Prostaff. If you prefer the more slender design of a compact roof prism binocular, you can still get an an excellent binocular in either the
Swift 8x25 Trylite or the elegant
Kowa 8x25. Where else can you find a compact binocular in such an elegant lavender color?