10 Best Portable Telescopes 2025 in the United States

The Gskyer Telescope is well-suited for beginners and kids interested in astronomical observations. With a 70mm aperture and a 400mm focal length, it offers decent optical quality, allowing users to explore stars and the moon with clear and bright images. The fully coated optics glass lens enhances image clarity and protects the eyes.

This telescope comes with two eyepieces and a 3x Barlow lens, providing versatile magnification options, and a 5x24 finder scope to help locate objects easily in the night sky. The wireless remote and smartphone adapter are great for capturing and sharing celestial images, making the experience interactive and fun. Additionally, the adjustable tripod and carry bag enhance the portability aspect, making it convenient for travel and storage.

However, the Altazimuth mount, while easy to use, may not be as stable or suitable for advanced astronomical tracking compared to more sophisticated mount types. At 5.7 pounds and with dimensions of 24.8 x 4.92 x 8.46 inches, it's lightweight and compact, adding to its portability. This telescope is a solid choice for those starting out in astronomy, offering a good balance of features and ease of use at a beginner-friendly price point.

The EACONN 80mm aperture refractor telescope is a solid choice for beginners and kids interested in astronomy. Its 80mm aperture and fully coated green optics help gather ample light, making images of the moon and some planets bright and clear for this price range. With a 600mm focal length, it offers moderate magnification suited for casual stargazing without being too complex to handle.

The altazimuth mount with rough adjustment and a positioning gimbal is user-friendly, allowing easy movement up and down or side to side, which is ideal for beginners who are still learning how to track objects in the sky. Portability is another plus: the telescope is compact, lightweight at under 7 pounds, and comes with a backpack and adjustable tripod for easy transport and setup outdoors. Accessories included like two eyepieces (20mm and 9mm), a 5x24 finder scope, and a smartphone adapter enhance the viewing experience and convenience, especially for kids wanting to capture images through their phone.

The manual focus requires patience to get sharp views, and the altazimuth mount, while simple, is less precise than equatorial mounts for advanced tracking. This telescope is best suited for lunar and some planetary observations rather than deep-sky objects due to its aperture size. It serves as a practical, portable starter telescope that balances ease of use with decent optical quality, making it an excellent gift for astronomy beginners and families looking for casual night sky exploration.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is a great choice for those looking for an easy-to-use, portable telescope that leverages smartphone technology to enhance the stargazing experience. With its 130mm aperture, this telescope does an admirable job capturing clear images of celestial objects, including the Moon's craters, planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and even deep sky wonders like the Orion Nebula. The high optical quality ensures that you'll have a satisfying viewing experience, whether you're at home or out in darker skies.

One of the standout features is the StarSense app, which simplifies the process of locating stars and planets. This app, together with its patented sky recognition technology, allows even beginners to navigate the night sky without prior telescope experience. The manual altazimuth mount with smooth controls makes following targets straightforward, and the setup is user-friendly, making it accessible for families or individuals just starting in astronomy.

The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is ideal for novice astronomers and families looking for a fun and educational way to explore the night sky. It combines good optics and modern technology, making it a strong contender in the portable telescope category.