Best Night Vision Monocular in 2023

Bushnell Night Vision_Equinox Z Monocular

First up is the Night Vision Equinox Z Monocular by Bushnell. Bushnell is a widely used brand known for making great equipment and they haven’t fallen short with this one.

The first thing you’ll notice is the weight. This night vision monocular is light and weighs just 15oz. Bushnell did all they could to keep this model as light as possible to ensure that it’s quick, comfortable, and easy to use.

This monocular will give you color images in the day and black and white images at night. The LCD is clear and the image you see is of pretty high quality.

It comes with a range of 200m/600ft during daytime use but while using the infra-red, clarity is only available up to 500ft, which is still pretty awesome. Perfect for seeing what’s coming or stalking animals from distance.

You can zoom up to 3x with this model but there are others available that go up to 6x zoom. The objective lens with 3x zoom is ample for stalking larger prey but if you’re looking for smaller creatures like mice or birds, then maybe a high zoom would suit you better.

This night vision monocular comes with the ability to record video and take pictures. Simply press the record button and off you go. Unfortunately, you can’t view your content on the monocular and will have to download them from the SD card.

This monocular has a large field of view, auto-off feature, and is powered by AA batteries. Meaning you can quickly swap them out in-situ rather than having to go and recharge.

There are a few negatives to these monoculars, the first being that the IR glows red while you’re in night vision mode. This makes you visible to whatever it is you’re trying to see and may spook them.

The buttons are also quite close together and it is easy to press the on/off button instead of the REC or zoom buttons, which could get pretty frustrating.

All in all, this is a pretty awesome piece of kit for the price.

Night Owl iGEN 20/20

The Night Owl iGEN 20/20 is a great option if you want to see clear images at night but have no need to record them. It has excellent IR sensitivity that auto-adjusts to give you the clearest night images it can.

It comes with a durable, rugged ergonomic design that makes it comfortable to use. It’ll fit naturally in your hands but you may get tired if you’re using it for a long period as it’s a little heavy.

Their objective lens comes with 2.6x magnification, which is enough for tracking animals and having some fun in the wild but it might not be enough if you’re into professional hunting or want to study animals at night.

There is an option to record through a video-out port but it’s hard to find a device that works with it. It’s a shame you can’t take pictures and videos that are stored in an in-built SD card like some other models.

The frame rate is adjustable on this model from 2-30 fps, which is very handy for capturing detailed video but it does take a lot of adjusting to get the image clarity you’re looking for.

This model uses AA batteries as its power source but it gets through them fast and it’s recommended to use rechargeable ones so that you don’t end up spending a lot on batteries.

Overall a good night vision monocular but if you want to record pictures and video easily, there are some better options out there.

Barska NVX100 Night Vision Monocular

The Barska NVX100 Night Vision Monoculars give you a lot of bang for your bucks. Coming in at just over $100 this night vision monocular gives you all the features and clarity you’ll need.

To start with the resolution is ok, in fact, it’s better than ok if you consider the price. The images are clear and aren’t grainy which is all you can expect. There is a micro SD card included with this model so that you can instantly start taking pictures and videos right out of the box.

The objective lens, along with the zoom on the NVX 100 Night Vision Monocular is pretty great too. You get 3x optical zoom which is ample for any stalking and even at full zoom the picture stays sharp. On top of the optical, you also get 2x digital, a little bit overkill if you ask me, but still nice to have. The picture does start to get a little grainy when the digital zoom is engaged though.

The ir illuminator is great and has ample wattage to give you a clear night vision picture. It isn’t adjustable but that’s not a big deal. The screen resolution is 640×480, which gives you clear images and you can review any pictures or videos you’ve recorded on the monocular, unlike others where you’d have to download them to your computer first.

The model is light and comfortable to use, it also has a kind of old-school look. It uses AA batteries for its power source, handy when you need to change over in the bush. They last about 2-5 hours depending on how intensely you use the unit, I’d recommend investing in some rechargeables.

Overall a great monocular at a great price.

Xgen Digital Night Vision Viewer

If you’re simply curious about what’s going on in your backyard or want a night vision monocular to play around with on camping trips and alike, the Xgen Digital Night Vision Viewer from Night Owl may be right up your street.

This small, practical, light pocket-sized view is awesome fun for all the family. It has a range of 200ft and gives clear images of what’s happening around you in the dark. You can spot eye’s looking back at you or keep an eye out for those annoying scavengers that wake you up at night.

The zoom on this model is 2.1x optical which is more than enough for identifying your target in the night. Combine this with the three different infrared output settings and once you’ve found the right one for your environment, you’ll end up with a great picture.  You can also just adjust the brightness as you go to see what you’re looking for more clearly.

The Xgen Digital Night Vision Viewer is definitely made more for fun than professional viewing. The small field of view, lack of recording option, and the limited range make it so. But it’s still a very fun thing to have around the house and when you’re out in the wild.

ATN Night Spirit-2 Gen

If you’re serious about hunting or capturing nature at night and you don’t mind spending some cash, then the ATN Night Spirit-2 Gen 2 will be right up your street.

This night vision monocular will give you some of the best night vision images you can get and at the largest range. It’s also extremely versatile and rugged, it’s waterproof plus it’s made for a huge range of climates.

You can mount it to your helmet, headgear, or simply use it as a handheld. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with an in-built recording system but you can mount it to a camera or video camera like you would with a normal lens to take some cool shots,

The zoom is 3x optical which is more than enough and the range is from 3m to infinity, so there is nothing holding you back here. The same goes with the battery life, 1 AA battery gives you 30 hours whereas others use 4 and give you 3 hours.

The images you’ll get with the ATN Night Spirit-2 Gen 2 will be the clearest and sharpest around thanks to the Gen 2 technology used. It’s the same technology used in models by the military and law enforcement.

The unit is expensive but it’s worth it if you’re working professionally at night. The customer service is also amazing from ATN.

Firefield Nightfall 5x

Another simple and easy-to-use night vision monocular, the Firefield Nightfall 5x is perfect for hunting, stalking, and generally having fun seeing what’s around at night.

It’s a pretty inexpensive model that offers quite a lot for the money in terms of imaging but it doesn’t include features like AV out or in-built recording. It’s light, ergonomic, and easy to use.

It comes with an impressive 5x optical zoom, and a large objective lens, which gives you crisp images in the viewfinder. This combined with a range of 300ft will give you all you need for some fun nighttime activities.

This unit features a built-in pulse ir illuminator which is pretty powerful and has enough gusto to give you the clear images you need. The casing is made with rubber grips and is water-resistant meaning you can be steady and keep going even if the rain comes in.

Overall a great night vision monocular for a great price.

ACPOTEL Night Vision Monocular

If you’re looking for an all-rounder night vision monocular that does pretty much everything at a good price then look no further. The ACPOTEL Night Vision Monocular comes with almost every feature you might need and it doesn’t break the bank while doing it.

The first thing that catches your attention when reading the specs is that it takes HD images that are saved on the included 8GB SD card. If you’re using one of these for nature imaging or science reviews then this one is great for recording your findings using night vision.

The next thing is the range and zoom combination. The range is up to 1000m in the day and 200m at night, that’s pretty dam awesome. Then add the 5x optical and 8x digital zoom to that and you’re going to be able to hold on to your target from huge distances and take great pics too.

You might expect that the digital zoom makes the images or photos grainy but this isn’t the case, they stay sharp.

This monocular is light and easy to use. It comes with a rechargeable lithium battery that can be charged through USB directly connected to the monocular. This is super handy but the battery dies after 2 hours in night vision mode. It’s worth carrying around a power bank to keep it going.

This is an awesome night vision monocular that’s well worth every penny.

Bestguarder Night Vision Monocular

The Bestguarder Night Vision Monocular is another one to add to the allrounder category. It has all the features you need and gives the clearest image it can for the price.

It comes with a large range of up to 300m at night along with a huge zoom of 6x optical and 5x digital so you can get really up close and personal with your target.

The in-built camera and video recorder take great quality footage of up to 5mp or 1280x720pixels a 30 fps. That’s some top draw stuff and it’s all stored on a 32GB SD card, unfortunately not included.

The exterior is grippy and rugged making the unit durable and easy to use. The casing is water-resistant too so you can keep your eyes on your target even when you’re in some damp conditions. It’s a little heavy though and your hands may get tired using it for a while.

This night vision monocular runs on 4 x AA batteries and gives you a battery life of 2-3 hours when in night vision mode. This is usually enough time to get the job done and if you run out you can always switch the batteries out. It might be worth investing in some rechargeable ones though, for your wallet and the environment.

Overall this is an awesome night vision monocular that’s worth every dollar.

ESSLNB Night Vision Monocular

This is the first ESSLNB Night Vision Monocular and it does it a lot for the relatively low price. You can expect clear images and fun night viewing but it’s by no means for pros.

The unit is a little heavy but fits nicely in your hand. The grippy outside makes it easy to hold and the buttons are well placed for quick access. The buttons are a little hard to use in the dark as they sit flush with the casing rather than poking out a bit. This means you could hit zoom instead of taking a picture which could become annoying.

There is a range of up to 200m at night and much more in the day. Add this to the 5x optical zoom and 8x digital and you’ve got the means to see your target close up. The zoom is a little tricky to get right though and you may need to spend some time getting used to it.

This night vision monocular comes with a 16GB SD card included and takes pretty good photos and videos. It also comes with a rechargeable lithium battery which you can also charge in situ with a power bank, so no need for nighttime battery changeovers.

Overall it’s a solid piece of gear that’s priced very well.

Sightmark Ghost Hunter Night Vision Monocular

If you’re looking for a hunting night vision viewer then the Sightmark Ghost Hunter Night Vision Monocular is the one for you. It holds very high standards and comes in at a reasonable price.

To start with, it’s weapons mountable, ideal for hunting. You won’t need to switch hands to take the shot, simply look down your scope and pull the trigger. Also, it has a huge battery life, lasting 72 hours without the infrared and 20 hours with it. That’s a lot considering it only uses 2 x AA batteries.

It’s not only weapons mountable but can be used as a handheld and head-mountable. It also shuts off immediately when exposed to bright lights, saving your eyes and ensuring the night vision works for a long time.

There are no recording options on this model, it’s simply made to find and then shoot rather than take pictures.

It comes with 5x optical zoom and a range of 5m to infinity. It’s super easy to use, light, and durable. If you’re looking for a hunting night vision monocular, here it is.