Eye relief is a term that is used when describing binoculars. Eye relief is the maximum distance in millimeters (mm) that you can hold the binoculars away from your eyes and still see the whole view.

A rule of thumb is that a pair of compact binoculars should have a minimum eye relief of 13 mm for eyeglass wearers to use comfortably. Even if you don’t wear corrective lenses, you might want to consider the eye relief of binoculars if you regularly wear sunglasses in the field. An eye relief of 16 to 18 mm is even better for those wearing glasses.

The more you explore the features of binoculars, you will find out that there are trade-offs to be made. For example, the Eagle Optics Energy Lava 8×21 Binoculars – – has a close focus of 8 feet, which is really good for viewing butterflies, bugs and other objects up close. These 8x21s are also pretty inexpensive at $50, but the eye relief is only 8 mm. Not good enough for eyeglass-wearers. Darn, I like that dayglow color.

Contrast that with the Travelite, model 7508, 8 X 25mm V Binoculars – – made by Nikon which have a close focus of 9.8 feet (pretty good!) and an eye relief of 14 mm. Although these binoculars are more expensive than the Eagle Optics pair, the extra cost is probably worth it for the eyeglass wearer. The Travelites are still under $100!

Compare all the features before you put down any money for a pair of binoculars. Remember to consider what you will use the binoculars for and your budget, too.