Which type of night vision is best?

The best night vision goggles can open up a whole new nocturnal world. Many can also capture images and videos, giving you the opportunity to record your night-time explorations and adventures.

But night vision goggles are not the only option for seeing in the dark. Actually, there are really three types of device you can use for night-time viewing. They all do much the same thing, but vary in their physical design. 

• Night vision goggles are wearable, hands-free devices that use image enhancement and light amplification to see in the dark. 

• Night-vision binoculars are a combination of analog and digital viewing, with an optical lens and a digital LCD that allows you to see what the night-vision technology sees.

• Night-vision monoculars are a lighter alternative to night vision binoculars.

Security and surveillance is just one aspect of this kind of technology. Night vision goggles are also perfect for wildlife watching, especially species that are primarily nocturnal. If wildlife is your thing, we also have a guide to the best trail cameras (opens in new tab).

The best night vision goggles, binoculars and monoculars in 2022

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Binoculars let you see in the dark without breaking the bank

Specifications

Magnification: 3x optical

Objective lens size: -

Angle of view: -

Eye relief: -

Weight: 652g

Dimensions: 180 x 60 x 150mm

Reasons to buy

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Good price point

Reasons to avoid

-

HD video not the best

With its lightweight construction, albite slightly bulky size the NightFox Corsac is reasonably priced at $149.99 / £149.99 / AU $251 its ability to record Full HD footage both in night vision mode and daytime color is extremely useful. For the price and the functions available the NighFox Corsac are very capable digital night vision binoculars that will deliver good results to around 150 metres, with the image being slightly soft at 180m, yet you will still be able to make out sheep, deer, rabbits and other forms of wildlife.]

Read our NightFox Corsac review (opens in new tab)

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Compact digital night vision monocular for the masses

Specifications

Magnification: 3x optical / 2x digital

Objective lens size: -

Angle of view: -

Eye relief: -

Weight: 255 g

Dimensions: 127 x 46 x 72mm

Reasons to buy

+

Good price point

Reasons to avoid

-

No Full HD video

For the price and the functions available, the NightFox Cub is a very capable digital night vision monocular that will deliver good results to around 100 metres, with the image becoming slightly fuzz at 150 metres, but you will still able to make out deer and other forms of wildlife. It must be noted at this price point you are not getting the highest recording rates or formats available, but enough to show to your friends and family. For the price you are getting a great bit of kit that will serve you well in your observations.

Read our NightFox Cub review (opens in new tab)

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3. Nyte Vu NV60 night vision goggles

Powerful night vision goggles, though not available everywhere

Specifications

Magnification: 1x

Objective lens size: -

Angle of view: 22 degrees

Eye relief: -

Weight: 12 oz / 340 g

Dimensions: 6.25 x 3.25 x 2.5" (16 x 8 x 6 cm)

Reasons to buy

+

Can be worn whilst walking

Reasons to avoid

-

No magnification

This video-based set of night vision goggles uses a CCD sensor to capture the field of view and output the video feed to an LCD screen in the eyewear. The screen is decidedly low-resolution with a 800 x 225 pixel array, and what you see is monochrome rather than a color image, but there is an output socket so that the video can be captured using a suitable external video recorder. The system promises to let you see up to 200 feet in total darkness and up to 1000 feet in moonlight, and it's powered by a 12V rechargeable battery. The Nyte Vu NV60 night vision goggles are still available in the US, but can be trickier to get hold of in other territories like the UK and Europe. If you're interested, it can be worth keeping an eye on eBay and other reselling sites. 

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4. Nightfox Swift Night Vision Goggles

A great introduction to night vision goggles

Specifications

Magnification: 1x

Objective lens size: -

Angle of view: 10 degrees

Eye relief: -

Weight: 0.74lb / 335g

Dimensions: 5.51 x 6.3 x 2.6” / 140x165x66mm

Reasons to buy

+

Hands-free solution 

Reasons to avoid

-

Uncomfortable for prolonged use

This pair of night vision goggles is designed to be used with the supplied head mount, and they do not provide any additional magnification – they are simply for seeing in the dark. This does mean it is possible to walk with them without difficulty. They use their own 840nm infrared LEDs as an illumination source and a built-in digital camera to create the image, giving a quoted maximum range of 70m (76 yards). The Nightfox uses ra echargeable battery giving you between 90 minutes and three hours of operation, depending which of seven LED brightness settings you opt for. The resolution from the 320x240-pixel screen is not especially high and the 10° angle of view is a touch narrow, but for the price these goggles provide a great entry to those who want to observe wildlife after dark, or other special ops assignments.

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5. Rexing B1

Hard-wearing night-vision binoculars, both affordable and weatherproof

Specifications

Magnification: 10x

Objective lens size: 24mm

Range: 300 metres

Field of view at 100m: Not specified

Eye relief: 20mm

Weight: 589g (without batteries)

Dimensions: 127x133x57mm

Reasons to buy

+

Tough waterproofing

Reasons to avoid

-

No rechargeable battery

With a night-time range of 300m, the Rexing B1 binoculars are great for spotting nocturnal wildlife at a distance. The optical system is built around a 24mm f/1.2 objective lens to ensure good light transmission and strong image capture. These binoculars can also capture 1280x960 video and 1MP stills, saving them to a microSD card up to 32GB in size, though this isn't included. The Rexing B1 can be mounted onto a tripod via a standard screw thread, which is handy if you want to set the binoculars recording and move away so that your presence doesn't alarm shy subjects. Thanks to the IP56 water-resistance, the binoculars will be just fine even if it starts to rain. 

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6. Bushnell Equinox Z2 6x50 Night Vision Monocular

The best night vision monocular for tracking big game

Specifications

Magnification: 6x

Objective lens size: 50mm

Range: 305 metres

Angle of view: 15 degrees

Eye relief: 15mm

Weight: 765g

Dimensions: 191x98x64mm

Reasons to buy

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Magnified subjects over 1000ft away

Reasons to avoid

-

IR light can sap the battery quickly

The Equinox Z2 monocular from optical specialist Bushnell offers a magnification factor that, at 6x, is bigger than most of its ilk, coupled with an effective light gathering tool in a 50mm lens. This Wi-Fi enabled option shows its mettle by enabling users to livestream footage straight to a mobile device, and even control the zoom video, image capture and IR brightness directly. A built-in IR illuminator enables users to view long-range subjects comfortably during the day or night, while video capture is full HD 1080p resolution, which is respectable for its class. Overall, this monocular is a comprehensive choice, if a little weightier than lower-specified alternatives.

• See also Best light-light cameras (opens in new tab)

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7. SiOnyx Aurora Sport

An action camera that sees in color even in the dark

Specifications

Magnification: -

Objective lens size: 16mm

Range: 150 metres

Field of view at 100m: -

Eye relief: -

Weight: 274g

Dimensions: 7.3 x 4 x 4 inches

Reasons to buy

+

Records color videos at 720P at up to 60fps

Reasons to avoid

-

Video quality limited to 720P

SiOnyx makes a range of night vision monocular devices – but the handheld Aurora Sport is the most affordable of the range. It has its own 1-inch CMOS sensor, which can record 720P color videos when you are out after dark. Designed primarily for marine use, it is fully water-protected and the maker claims it can be submerged to 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. It is offers a 3x digital zoom, and is designed to be able to pick out a man-sized target at 150m in near moonless starlight.

• See also: Best marine binoculars (opens in new tab)

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8. Solomark Night Vision Binocular

A range of up to 400m and 7x magnification

Specifications

Magnification: 7x

Objective lens size: 31mm

Range: 1300ft/400 metres

Eye relief: 15mm

Weight: Not given

Dimensions: Not given

Reasons to buy

+

Familiar product type

Reasons to avoid

-

Requires 8x AA batteries

The Solomark Night Vision binoculars are a little more expensive but you get an infrared illuminator that enables viewing at a range of up to 400 metres, plus a good sized 4-inch viewscreen. The other key features are 7x magnification and a 31mm objective lens size, along with a 1/3-inch CMOS sensor. Unusually, a 4GB microSD card is provided as part of the package. You can capture video in HD quality 1280x720 pixels at 30fps, and the binoculars come with an AV cable plus USB cable for hooking up to a TV or PC. You'll need eight regular AA batteries for power, though, which does add to the weight.

• See also Best binocular harness (opens in new tab)

How we test night vision goggles, binoculars and monoculars 

We test (opens in new tab) night vision equipment within the field, on moving subjects and landmarks for our buying guides and look for a night vision device that combines magnification, good construction and image clarity, which can be used and withstand a day's bird watching or wildlife spotting. Budget is also an indicator and within this guide you will find spotting scopes to suit everyone's budget. 

Read more:

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For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specialising in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound and many more for various advertising campaigns, books and pre/post-event highlights.

He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science and is a Master of Arts in Publishing.  He is member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected in to BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association. 

He is familiar with and shows great interest in medium and large format photography with products by Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa and Sinar and has used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI and everything in between. His work covers the genres of Equestrian, Landscape, Abstract or Nature and combines nearly two decades of experience to offer exclusive limited-edition prints to the international stage from his film & digital photography.

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