10 Best Cheap Telescopes 2025 in the United States

The Sky Watcher Sky-Watcher Flextube 300 SynScan Dobsonian is a budget-friendly telescope with some impressive features, making it a great option for amateur astronomers. Its large 12-inch aperture provides bright and detailed views of celestial objects, which is a significant advantage for a telescope in this price range. The focal length and magnification capabilities allow for detailed observations, and the included wide-angle eyepieces enhance the viewing experience.

The innovative collapsible design adds to its portability, making it convenient to transport despite its weight of 99.2 pounds when fully assembled. Additionally, the telescope's built-in WiFi and the extensive 42,000 object database controlled by the SynScan hand controller make it user-friendly and engaging, even for beginners. However, the telescope's weight and size can be a drawback for those looking for something more lightweight and compact. Although it is designed to be portable, it may still be cumbersome for some users to move and set up. Moreover, the altazimuth mount might require some practice for inexperienced users to get accustomed to.

Despite these drawbacks, the Sky Watcher Flextube 300 offers robust features and excellent value for those seeking a powerful, yet affordable telescope.

The Gskyer Telescope 600x90mm AZ is an affordable option for amateur astronomers and casual stargazers. With a 90mm aperture and a 600mm focal length, it offers a clear and bright view of celestial objects, making it great for beginners. The fully coated optics enhance image quality while protecting your eyes, ensuring a good viewing experience. The included three eyepieces (24X, 60X, 120X) along with a 3x Barlow lens allow for versatile magnification options, which is a fantastic feature for exploring various objects in the night sky.

Portability is another strong point, as the adjustable aluminum tripod makes it easy to set up and use in different locations. Its height range of about 31.5 inches to 49 inches caters to users of various heights. Additionally, the telescope is designed to be user-friendly, requiring no tools for assembly and offering quick focusing, which is ideal for novices.

There are some drawbacks to consider. Weighing 18 pounds, it’s not the lightest telescope out there, which might hinder portability for some users. The manual focus can be a bit challenging for those who prefer more automatic mechanisms. Also, while it's suitable for viewing planets and the moon, its performance may not be adequate for deep-sky objects, limiting its use for more advanced astronomical pursuits.

The CELESTRON StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is an excellent choice for beginners who want to explore the night sky without needing extensive knowledge of astronomy. Its standout feature is the StarSense App, which works with your smartphone to guide you in locating stars and planets. This makes the telescope particularly user-friendly, as it provides real-time feedback and suggests objects to view based on your location and time. The 130mm Newtonian reflector offers impressive light-gathering capabilities, allowing users to see details on the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and even some deep-sky objects like the Orion Nebula.

The telescope has a manual altazimuth mount that’s easy to set up and operate, with slow-motion controls that make tracking celestial objects straightforward. Weighing 18 pounds and with dimensions of 30 x 32 x 50 inches, it is reasonably portable, but you might need assistance moving it due to its weight and size.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a solid option for newcomers who appreciate technology and want a guided experience in stargazing. It excels in ease of use and viewing capabilities but may require a bit more effort in terms of setup and manual adjustments than some users might expect.