Home Ustad Review 9 Of The Best Telescope Under 100 $ in 2022 – Reviewed

9 Of The Best Telescope Under 100 $ in 2022 – Reviewed

This is a complete Buyer’s Guide to Best Telescope Under 100 $ in 2022. 🤴

Best Part?

In picking these telescopes, we have considered many factors like Optics, Aperture, Mount, Accessories, and Value for money.

So without further ado, let’s see the results. 📗

Space the final frontier – the famous tagline for the series Star Trek; while we all can’t have the luxury of sitting down in a spaceship and gazing at the stars and other astrological bodies like astronauts do, having a telescope can be the best way to stargaze and playing imaginary astronomer.

The universe is a beautiful place to behold, with incredible discoveries made daily in our solar system; space is the next big thing at the turn of the century. However, a telescope is a very reliable investment if you are hoping to see more than a couple of stars.

With the price tag of a telescope rather heavy on the wallet, finding one that works isn’t a needle in a haystack.

To help you navigate the galaxy better, we have some of the best telescopes under 100 dollars that won’t break the bank and are durable, high-quality, and will enable you to see the stars and beyond.

Best Telescope Under 100 $ – Our Top Picks👌👌

1. Orion SpaceProbe II Altazimuth Reflector Telescope

Best Telescope Under 100
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If you are on the hunt for an affordable but high-quality telescope to kick-start your hobby as a stargazer, then look no further than the Orion SpaceProbe 11; this beautifully designed telescope is a great gift for kids with interest in stargazing or astrology to help them explore the world far away above them.

Features:-

  • This petite telescope has a 3-inch lens and f/9.2 aperture that captures the right amount of light from the immediate surroundings to produce bright and defined images of the objects above.
  • It comes with a full-capacity reflector with a focal length of 700mm, creating sharp and clear images.
  • The Orion has two anti-reflective 1.25 inches Kellner eyepieces with diameters of 10mm and 25mm to increase or decrease magnification as desired.
  • The 25mm lens with produce a magnification 28 times the original size and 70 times the 10mm
  • This telescope comes with a lightweight Altazimuth mount where the telescope sits for easy movement, including up/down or side to side.

Pros:-

  • A great telescope to view the moon, planets, star clusters, and other brightly lit celestial bodies
  • A great instrument for the family with an easy-to-follow manual that enables you to target heavenly bodies
  • It comes with the Orion MoonMap 260 with over 260 names of features and locations on the moon, including craters, mountains, valleys, and points where spacecraft landed on the moon
  • It is a very simple, easy-to-use, portable telescope for kids and adults

Cons:-

  • Not the best for viewing on land, as images appear inverted

Overall, the Orion SpaceProbe II Altazimuth Reflector Telescope is a great beginner’s gadget and an excellent piece for the curious mind who wants to know what is out there.

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Overview of the Orion SpaceProbe II 76mm Altazimuth Reflector Telescope - Orion Telescopes

2. Gskyer 70mm Beginner’s Telescope

Best Telescope Under 100
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Gskyer is another fabulous product for enthusiast stargazers; this affordable and high-quality telescope is the perfect companion for gazing into clear skies to see the world out there.

Features:-

  • This refractor-type telescope comes with a 70mm objective lens with a 400mm focal length to enable you to view celestial and terrestrial objects with impeccable clarity. This telescope is also one of the best for moving objects with a perfectly crisp view.
  • It has two replaceable eyepieces for high and low magnification of 25mm and 10mm with an image enlargement of 16X and 40X, respectively. The Gskyer also has a Barlow lens that offers three times more than the original size and a maximum magnification of 120 times.
  • No need to search for celestial objects; the Gskyer comes with a five by 24 Finderscope with a cross-hair line to help you locate objects in the sky.
  • The telescope is seated on a 31.5 inches adjustable aluminum tripod with an Altazimuth mount for easy movement and use.
  • The Gskyer allows you to attach your smartphone adapter, and with a Bluetooth camera remote, you can view any image you see through the telescope on your phone screen.

Pros:-

  • Fully coated optics allow maximum light transmission for viewing, even on nights.
  • Take pictures or record videos of your exploration and show them to your friends.
  • It is a compact and portable design with a carry bag to enable you to travel or move to a gazing location with all items intact.
  • One-year warranty on the telescope

Cons:-

  • It isn’t easy to adjust the smartphone features

Overall, this is an excellent piece for beginners, and although the tripod won’t fit into the bag, the Gskyer telescope is an astounding product for any stargazer.

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3. Celestron PowerSeeker 70ED Portable Telescope

9 Of The Best Telescope Under 100 $ in 2022 - Reviewed
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If you are on the hunt for a robust night navigator but frugal with your spending, then you have just found the perfect telescope for your stargazing adventure.

The Celestron PowerSeeker combines portability, performance, quality, and ease of use to deliver an unusual design for a price below $100.

Features:-

  • The Celestron PowerSeeker 70Ed is a refractor optical design telescope with a 70mm aperture, 700mm focal length, and a focal ratio of f/10 for impeccable image clarity and definition.
  • This high-powered telescope comes with a dual replaceable eyepiece – a 20mm and 4mm with a Barlow lens that triples the magnification on the image, giving you a wider and more defined outlook of the object.
  • The Barlow lens has a minimum and maximum magnification of 150 and 525 times the normal size.
  • A sturdy manual German Equatorial mount with a slow-motion knob allows you to follow and track celestial images as they cross the sky. This mount is lightweight, easy to assemble, and great for the astronomer on the go.

Pros:-

  • A fully coated lens prevents darkness but enhances light to produce a beautifully bright image
  • Great for scouring the lands during the day and heavens at night
  • Users can download the Celestron software, which will help them identify all the planetary bodies you see above
  • many magnification capabilities with the Barlow lens features
  • An amazing telescope to see the moon, the rings around Saturn, the moon on Jupiter and the Orion nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy

Cons:-

  • The Barlow lens takes some getting used to
  • Not a very great Finderscope

Overall, this telescope is all you need, whether you are a beginner or a professional looking to scan the heavens without breaking the bank. The Celestron PowerSeeker 70ED is of great value for your money, and you get to discover a new celestial body one day with it.

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Note:- I have written a post for people looking for the Best Telescope Under 1000 $ To Buy, do read it If you are interested.

4. Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope

Best Telescope Under 100
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When you are on the hunt for a good but high-quality telescope, there are fewer names better than Celestron.

The AstroMaster 70AZ is a beautifully designed telescope for on-the-go stargazers, and although this unit is large and bulky, it is portable and ready to go on your next camping trip.

This telescope is above 100 dollars on Amazon, but hears us out; you will not regret spending the extra amount when you pick out stars and transcend galaxies.

Features:-

  • The AstroMaster AZ is a 70mm refractor optical lens with a 900mm focal length and f/13 focal ratio. This specification enables it to draw enough light to produce a defined space object during star gazing.
  • Using the Fraunhofer configuration, images in the objective lens are sharper with no chromatic aberration. 
  • The AstroMaster is a fully coated anti-reflective optic with a 90-degree diagonal prism and a 1.25 inches Rack-and Pinion focuser that allows you to see the object in the view.
  • It comes with a 1.25 –inches barrel and eyepiece holder with two eyepieces; a 10mm which magnifies the image 90X more, and a 20mm lens for 45x magnification.

Pros:-

  • It comes with an in-built dew shield that prevents cloudy images but also draws light for better viewing
  • A long focal ratio of F/13 makes the color of the celestial body clear and distinct in view.
  • A solid, sturdy telescope that will enable you to see the skies above and the ground beneath
  • Easy to set up straight out of the box without the stress of coupling or screwing
  • Fully coated optics glass, which eliminates shadowy or shady views to give excellent clarity on images
  • An adjustable steel tripod with an Altazimuth mount that will sit comfortably on any surface

Cons:-

  • The dovetail is too short
  • The lower eyepiece needs to go lower for better viewing
  • Positioning the telescope is tedious

Overall, the Celestron AstroMaster is an elegant beginner’s telescope that lets you see the unique celestial bodies in clear images.

While we wouldn’t necessarily recommend this telescope to an intermediate or professional stargazer, it is an great beginner piece that will make every night one remember.

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At the time of our research on Best Telescope Under 100 $, we found a video about “Something Strange Is Glowing in the Milky Way Right Now,” which is worth watching. 🤴😎

Something Strange Is Glowing in the Milky Way Right Now

5. ECOOPRO Kids/Beginners/Adult Telescope

9 Of The Best Telescope Under 100 $ in 2022 - Reviewed
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If you are looking for a cheap but effective telescope for your child for school or star gazing at home, the ECOOPRO telescope is the best product for you.

This refractor device comes with a carry bag those stores all the parts inside to ensure your kid doesn’t misplace any piece.

Features:-

  • Despite the price of this telescope, it comes with a fully coated, high-quality 360mm objective lens with a 70mm aperture that transmits adequate light for clearer, crisper, and sharper images.
  • It comes with two eyepieces; a K25mm that magnifies an image 51 times more than the original image and a K10mm that blows the image size by a whopping 128 times the actual size.
  • It comes with a five by 24 Finderscope that enables you to locate and track objects in the sky, including moving ones. It also comes with an Alt-Azimuth mount that allows you to move the telescope in any direction when tracking an object.

Pros:-

  • Easy to set up and portable on the go telescope
  • A great telescope for terrestrial and celestial viewing
  • An aluminum-based sturdy tripod that conveniently carries the telescope during use
  • It comes with a lifetime warranty
  • Great beginners telescope and very easy to use
  • The package comes with a map of the moon and the stars to enable you to know more about anyone you see
  • An adjustable tripod that can rotate up to 180 pr 360 degrees for better viewing

Cons:-

  • Made with mostly plastic material

Overall, as a beginner’s telescope, the design quality may not appeal to many people, but if you are purchasing this piece for a child, it is well worth it.

Furthermore, the body might be too plastic-ky for some people, but it doesn’t take away from the view quality and ease of use of the ECOOPRO beginner’s telescope.

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Emarth Telescope, Travel Scope, 70mm
Note:- I have written a post for people looking for the Best Telescope Under 500 $ To Buy, do read it If you are interested.

6. Meade 209003 Infinity Telescope

9 Of The Best Telescope Under 100 $ in 2022 - Reviewed
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This 70mm AZ telescope will make boring nights and days one to look forward to, and whether you are gazing into space or looking for stuff on earth, the Meade 209003 will not let you down. As a beginner telescope, its ease of use makes it a great choice for both kid and adult beginners.

Below are some of the Meade 209003 Infinity Telescope features that earned it a spot in our list of Best Telescope Under 100 $ to get in 2022.

Features:-

  • Whether you are trying to see the entire galaxy (that would be nice), catching a glimpse of some beautiful star or the rings of Saturn, the 70mm aperture and 700mm focal length with a focal ratio of f/10 will provide you with bright, sharp, vivid and wonderful images of the solar system and the world out there.
  • The large 700mm aperture on this telescope is responsible for the bright images you get with this device. It allows high transmission of light that distinguishes the object in the night sky.
  • It comes with two replaceable lenses; a 9mm and 26mm eyepiece for high and low-powered magnification. Besides the lenses, the Meade telescope has a Barlow lens that offers 2X magnification and three eyepieces with different magnification levels.
  • It also comes with a full-height aluminum tripod and a 90-degree prism.
  • Like most telescopes, it features the Alt-azimuth mount for slow motion and tracking of moving objects as their journey through the night skies.

Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Meade 209003 Infinity Telescope that earned it a spot in our list of Best Telescope Under 100 $.

Pros:-

  • It comes preassembled, reducing your setup time by half
  • Excellent crowd magnification power with an impeccable view
  • Capable of magnifying an object 140X its actual size enabling you to see more details in sharp colors too

Cons:-

  • The tripod could be sturdier
  • If it is not preassembled, the setup can be  finicky

Overall, the Meade telescope is a remarkable piece and one that will make your kids want to start stargazing. It s easy to use, and we highly recommend it as a beginner telescope for enthusiast astronomers.

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7. Barska Starwatcher Refractor Telescope

Best Telescope Under 100
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With a carry case, this tabletop tripod, this portable on-the-go telescope is a fabulous piece for up-and-coming astronomers with astounding features.

So if you are on the market for a telescope for less than 100 dollars, Barska is a choice you should look at for your kids.

Below are some of the features of the Barska Starwatcher Refractor Telescope that earned it a spot in our list of Best Telescope Under 100 $ to get in 2022.

Features:-

  • This 70mm aperture by 400mm focal length is a refractor optics lens with a magnification power of 300 times the image’s actual size. Its aperture draws light and makes an object in the darkness become bright and beautiful to the viewer.
  • The telescope also has a Barlow lens that offers 3X more magnification to the object, making them clearer.
  • Furthermore, it comes with a pan-head tripod with a mount that allows the telescope to rotate easily to allow you to track a stagnant and moving object in the skies.

Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Barska Starwatcher Refractor Telescope that earned it a spot in our list of Best Telescope Under 100 $ to get in 2022.

Pros:-

  • Excellent affordable, portable entry-level telescope option for beginners
  • Excellent aperture magnification and clarity
  • A high magnification of 300 allows you to see faraway planets very clear
  • Excellent light transmission for impeccable clarity

Cons:-

  • The mount is made solely of plastic and can create problems with the alignment
  • The lens is of low quality despite the high aperture and focal length 

Overall, the Barska is a good entry-level telescope with great features; while it is not your top-of-the-line product, it will help your child learn the rudimentary form of astrology before getting a bigger one.

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Unboxing & Assemble Telescope
Note:- I have written a post for people looking for the Best Telescope Under 300 $ To Buy, do read it If you are interested.

8. Orion GoScope III Refractor Travel Telescope

Best Telescope Under 100
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Are you a stargazer on the move? Then the Orion GoScope is the perfect on-the-road grab-and-go versatile telescope for the road. Asides from the petite design, this portable body will sit in it carrying luggage ready to be mounted with no stress.

Below are some of the features of the Orion GoScope III that earned it a spot in our list of Best Telescope Under 100 $ to get in 2022.

Features:-

  • This rugged backpack telescope has a 70mm aperture and 400mm focal length with f/5.7 for terrestrial and celestial gazing. This telescope will let you see the moon and other bright planetary bodies in our universe.
  • The GoScope comes with its own 5 by 24 Finderscope for easy tracking of a celestial body and two 1.25-inch Kellner anti-reflective eyepieces of size 20mm and 9mm with a magnification power of 16X and 40X, respectively.
  • It has an adjustable tripod stand that goes up to 43.5 inches high and 18 inches low; with a 45 degrees diagonal prism, images appear bright, clear, and sharp, just like you will see them with naked eyes, but better.

Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Orion GoScope III Refractor Travel Telescope that earned it a spot in our list of Best Telescope Under 100 $ to get in 2022.

Pros:-

  • A low-priced telescope for beginner star gazers
  • It comes fully mounted on its tripod and takes away mounting stress
  • Great beginners telescope and for the entire family
  • Easy to set up and use 

Cons:-

  • Images are not very great, but okay

Overall, the GoScope lives up to its name as a travel telescope, and although it is not the best for sharp images, it is a fabulous beginner’s telescope that would break the bank.

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Best Telescope Under 100 $: What to Consider

Just because a telescope is below 100 dollars doesn’t mean it is useless. These telescopes are durable and high-quality, enabling you to look at most celestial bodies in the heavens.

Yes, they don’t have the capabilities of the gigantic ones that see beyond the galaxies, but they are a great way to get your kids started in the mysterious world of astrology.

So while these aren’t your do-all type of telescope, what should you be looking for in a telescope of this price range? Since we are skipping the price, you should consider the following factors.

Optics

The optics in the eyes of the telescope, bad optics equals a bad image, bad view, and an unhappy kid. Though optics in this price range is plastic, the product relies on mirrors and prisms to capture light into the lens to produce clear and sharp images.

To enable color enhancement, some use a replica of real optics to make colored images clear and fun for the kids.

Aperture

The aperture is like the shutter on a camera. The aperture allows light to enter the telescope, making the object brighter.

In simpler terms, the larger the aperture, the more light enters the optics and the sharper image. However, because these are low-budget telescopes, you might find it difficult to see distant celestial bodies.

Mount

You can’t hold your telescope when stargazing, hence the need for a stand. Although $100 mounts aren’t that impressive, most are sturdy and stable enough to carry the telescope’s weight.

Furthermore, when buying a telescope, consider the usage and location, if you are outdoors in the woods, then ensure that the tripod is stable, durable, and sturdy to support the telescope but also allow you to rotate it when scanning the heavens for something old or new.

 Accessories

Having an extra lens or a Barlow is excellent, it gives you the option to see more in your view. When buying a telescope, ensure the accessories are the ones that will enhance your joy of stargazing and not just an addition to make the pack look bulky.

Telescopes that come with a bag are especially exceptional since it allows you to keep all your pieces in one place and reduce the chances of a part getting missing.

Conclusion on the best telescope for under $100 list

Although $100 or less, if you are looking for a beginner telescope for your child, this is a great place to start. Hopefully, they will become astronomers tomorrow, but stargazing is a fun hobby, and buying a telescope shouldn’t break the bank.