2021 Top Pick: The Best Price for Night Vision Monocular Under $500 – Bestguarder WG-50 Plus
Night vision monoculars can be an expensive investment. High-end models can cost thousands of dollars, but the good news is that you can get a high-quality monocular for far less than that. Of course, you’re still making a big investment, and you want to make sure that you make a good one.
If you’re shopping online, it’s not always easy to figure out which models work well and are worth the price. We’ve done that hard work for you and assembled a list of reviews where we examine some of the top night vision monoculars under $500.
After reading those, you should have some idea of what you can get for your money. But, if you’ve never shopped for night vision monoculars before, you should check out our buyer’s guide, which is designed to help you learn about these devices and what you should be looking for when you shop for them.
The 5 Best Night Vision Monoculars Under $500
1. Armasight Night Vision Monoculars
The Armasight Spark CORE IIT 60-70 lp/mm is our top pick in night-vision monoculars. It comes with headgear, which means you’re saving the money you might have spent on that, and get a convenient, hands-free experience at the same time. The entire kit weighs less than a pound, which means that it’s light enough that you may forget it’s there while you use it. It also includes an infrared illuminator, which lights up the area 20-30 feet in front of you with infrared light seen by the monocular, not visible to the naked eye.
This model is still a Generation I night vision monocular, which means it doesn’t have the advancements in brightness and detail that you see with Generation II models. However, this one ditches the glass intensifier tube common to Gen I models and replaces it with a proprietary ceramic tube that greatly improves quality and reduces edge distortion. While this model is pricey, it delivers a high-quality experience, and the inclusion of headgear makes it a good value, as well.
2. Bestguarder WG-50 Plus Digital Night Vision Monocular
The best things about the Bestguarder WG-50 Plus include the impressive magnification and viewing distance, as well as the ability to take photos, record videos, and store them on a micro SD card. On the downside, the device is a little bulky and the battery may run down easily. It is well constructed ruggedly. The rubber coating also makes it water-resistant.
In terms of magnification, the Bestguarder WG-50 Plus offers impressive magnification. It also has a 1-5x digital zoom and 50mm objective lens; these all contribute to ensuring that you get clear images as far as 350 meters away. This makes it a very flexible and versatile monocular that can even be used for hunting. The fact that it offers the ability to take photos and record videos makes it ideal for adventure seekers. It is powered by AA batteries that may run down quickly so you need to be mindful when you are going to use it for long periods.
The Wifi allows you to share the pictures or videos from your hunting trip with family or friends wirelessly, iOS & Android apps compatible; 12Mega CMOS sensor; Taking HD 4000*3000Pixel photos and 720P videos with SOUND.PX4 water-resistant housing; Date & time and GPS ID stamped on the photo; Tripod mountable (2 tripods Jack); With Portable strap(removable), easy for hold.
3. Night Owl iGEN Night-Vision Monocular
The Night Owl iGEN 20/20 NOIGM 3X-IC works differently than traditional night vision, which means that it falls outside the traditional Gen I, Gen II, Gen III labeling that describes many night vision setups. However, it appears to work even better than the Gen III models, even if it takes a bit more tinkering to use correctly. With this model, you can amplify ambient infrared light up to 650 times. With the included infrared emitter, that number goes up to a whopping 1345 times, which gives a long viewing distance and a high degree of detail.
The IR emitter can automatically adjust to produce the best experience, or you can set it to manual and adjust it yourself if you feel you can do a better job. This model can also take pictures and stores them on an internal SD card, which makes this a great model for home security purposes, but also good for recording any fun encounters with wildlife that you have. This model doesn’t come with a neck strap or amount for one, which is a bit of a pain, but overall, it’s one of the best-functioning models on our list. Hope this post could help you make the decision, Bestguarder WG-50 price is a good choice for you.
4. Bushnell Equinox Z Night-Vision Monocular
The Bushnell 4.5×40 Equinox Z 260140MT is a poor model from an otherwise great brand. There’s no need to sugarcoat this, as Bushnell has made better equipment and will continue to do so, but this model doesn’t live up to that name. It is made from quality materials, as expected, and the image quality is also good. But, there’s more to a night vision monocular than just features. Hope this post could help you make the decision, Bestguarder WG-50 price is a good choice for you.
This model comes with an inefficient built-in IR illuminator, which is both visible to the naked eye when turned out, and not great at illuminating, which are both serious problems. Likewise, the LCD screen is too bright for most circumstances where you don’t want to be spotted. Topping it all off, this model chews through batteries at an alarming rate. Overall, this model does barely enough to get the job done but has several flaws that cost it value and may require you to spend money on additional devices to get good use out of this one.
5. Sightmark 1×24 Monocular (Night Vision)
The Sightmark SM14070 1×24 is a Generation I night vision device that comes with the price tag of the Generation II or III model. Consequently, it has several flaws that you’d expect from a Gen I model, without being cheap. It comes with a feature that automatically shuts the device off in bright light. If it didn’t shut off, the optics would quickly burn out. Compare that to previous models that you can use in the day.
It is weapon-mountable, which is a plus. However, you’re still going to have to deal with distortion around the edges if you use it in that capacity. If you instead choose to use it with the included headgear, that problem consists, but is arguably worse because the headgear doesn’t have lateral adjustment, which means that it’s hard to get it perfectly aligned over either eye. Overall, this model doesn’t provide great value for the price, and you could spend less and get a more satisfying experience. Hope this post could help you make the decision, Bestguarder WG-50 price is a good choice for you.
Conclusion
The Bestguarder WG-50 Plus is the best model on our list due to its lightweight, hands-free operation. In second is the Night Owl iGEN 20/20 NOIGM 3X-IC, which works well, but loses first due to a lack of a neck strap or headgear. The Bushnell 4.5×40 Equinox Z 260140MT doesn’t live up to its brand but does have good clarity and quality materials.
It’s not always easy to shop online, but we hope that our reviews have helped you get a better idea of what you can buy for less than $500. With this knowledge, you should be able to find a model that works great and won’t break the bank.
Bestguarder is one of the biggest manufacturers of high-quality hunting & night vision devices and accessories in China, we are committed to providing customers with high-quality products while providing the highest level of service. If any questions or any large order requests, feel free to contact us. Many thanks for shopping with us!