Searching for telescopes on Amazon is a great way to bag a bargain on your next bit of stargazing gear as the retailer stocks a range of top models.
After navigating our way through the expanse of telescopes on Amazon, we've highlighted the best discounts in our guide below. Amazon stocks some of the best telescopes and several of the best telescope deals as well as a few good budget telescopes under $500. We've included something suitable for every astronomer below that covers a range of budgets so you can pick out your next telescope without breaking the bank, regardless of whether you're trying your hand at astronomy or you're a seasoned stargazer.
Amazon sells a range of models from top manufacturers and if there's a name you trust, or you want to check out specific deals, it could be worth scrolling through our round-ups of the best Celestron telescope deals, Sky-Watcher telescope deals, Meade telescope deals and Orion telescope deals.
Generally speaking, if a deal seems too good to be true, it often is and if there's a name you don't recognize, it's safer to stay clear of it. Below the deals in this guide, we've included some handy buying advice, so you know what to look for. If you're starting out in astronomy, it might be worth checking out our best telescopes for beginners guide. This page is updated throughout the year, so when new deals become available, you'll find them here. So, for the best telescopes on Amazon and their deals, read on below.
Telescopes on Amazon: Today's best deals April 2024
Buying advice
When purchasing one of the telescopes on Amazon, or any telescope for that matter, you need to consider your budget and what you want to achieve from your stargazing experience. It can be worthwhile to wait for annual sales events like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday, but you can still bag a bargain through the year. There are three main types of telescope and each has different advantages, so we've explained each one below - so you know what to look out for in your next scope. Alternatively, you can check out our best telescopes guide for more information.
Refractors
These telescopes are usually best for providing high-magnification views of targets like planets and the moon. They're also very easy to set up and maintain. Combine this with the fact that they usually retail for a lower price point and you can see why this is a popular option with beginners. They do tend to suffer from a visual problem called ‘chromatic aberration’, where bright objects in the sky appear to be surrounded by a halo. However, this shouldn’t dampen the experience for any viewers.
Reflectors
With wider apertures, these types of telescopes are able to take in more light and therefore better suited for spotting fainter objects. They tend to be useful for views of low-magnification targets like galaxies and nebulas. Unfortunately, these types of telescopes can suffer from something called the ‘coma’ effect, where objects appear elongated instead of spherical/ circular. Again, though, this is a minor issue - and probably something you can get used to at this low price point.
Catadioptric
There are two main catadioptric designs: the Maksutov-Cassegrain and Schmidt-Cassegrain. Both types often come with a computerized GoTo system, which can work out your position and location - and align with night sky targets that you program into the device. They also usually fix the problems mentioned above (coma and chromatic aberration.) As such, they're also usually more expensive. Typically, you'll find that the Schmidt-Cassegrain designs have bigger apertures, and the Maksutov-Cassegrain sport smaller apertures, so the former is better for fainter deep sky targets and the latter will offer high magnification views.
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