What Are the Major Telescope Brands?

Searching for the best telescope brands? We get it–not every telescope can form high-quality magnified images of distant objects. But major telescope brands produce optical devices that offer a clear view of star clusters, deep-sky objects, galaxies, and planets.

So what brands are popular in the market for astronomy equipment? Whether you’re looking for telescopes for stargazing or a passion project, the following telescope brands have you covered. Make sure you review each brand and its offerings to find the one that will suit you best.

Tasco

Tasco is a popular consumer sports optics company that also manufactures telescopes. It has been offering quality products at affordable prices for over five decades. Their motto is to deliver moments of magic and help users see things they can’t see with the naked eye. Whether you are a budding hiker, entry-level shooter, bird watcher, or astronomer, you can’t go wrong with Tasco’s affordable, reliable, and quality telescopes.

Tasco Spacestation 70x800mm Refractor AZ is one of Tasco’s best offerings. This telescope features an altazimuth mount and a finderscope, making it easy to spot various objects. You also get 70x magnification along with three eyepieces that allow you to control the visibility range

But you’d want to steer clear of some Tasco telescopes. Models like the Tasco 49114500 Space Station Reflector aren’t worth the investment because of poor directions and inaccurate focus.

Orion

Since 1975, Orion has dedicated itself to creating some of the most popular telescopes at reasonable prices. Keeping their products under the $400 range has made them an attractive and accessible source for budding sky watchers. Orion products for high quality at low prices are the best. 

Orion offers a range of sizes and options for refractors and reflectors across various budgets. Their selection of mounts is wide and varied, giving you great customizability. For the more seasoned star viewer, they offer several more expensive options.

The Orion Goscope III has a compact design for easy transport to your desired location. It has a 70mm aperture and a 400mm focal length that puts you in the action of even the busiest nights. It even comes with various educational tools, including the Moon Map 260. For more information on Orion and the company’s telescopes, you should take a look at our Guide to Orion Telescopes.

Celestron

Celestron is a great choice for those of you with a bigger budget. They’re not so accessible for beginners or buyers on a budget, but if you spare $1,000, you can get a fantastic mid-range telescope. Their high-quality refractors and great range of mounts keep avid fans coming back to set themselves up with the latest gear. This is a following they have built up since their humble beginnings in 1973. Though steeper, they have more than earned their rights to their reputation as excellent providers of scopes.

The Celestron 21049 Powerseeker is a fantastic reflector telescope. It comes complete with a 1.25-inch moon filter and an equatorial mount to aid you in tracking objects in the night sky. It also comes with a download of the Starry Night astronomy software to help you find and track all constellations and noteworthy stars. If you want to know more about Celestron, you can check our Guide to Celestron Telescopes, which also includes the different types of telescopes that the company offers.

Teenage girl using astronomy stars

Meade Instruments

As a compatriot of Orion, Meade has been in the telescope business since 1975. At that time, they made a great name for themselves. Their refractors and other products will be a bit more expensive than Orion, but for their £1,000+ range, you won’t find many better offerings. Their high-quality telescopes are not for beginners, but as you work your way up the complexity scale, you’d be remiss to pass them by. 

For crystal clear, bright images, why not try the Meade Instruments 228004 Lx65? It has a 203mm aperture to keep all your views bright and sharp, while its whooping 2,302mm focal length brings the sky in all its glory. To top it all off, it comes with a GoTo mount connected wirelessly to a database that will aid you in finding over 30,000 amazing celestial targets. For more information on this particular brand and the telescope that they produce, you can check out the Guide to Meade Telescopes.

Sky-Watcher

This is one of the lesser-known brands on our list, but it’s criminal that this is the case! Keeping most of its products under $500, Sky-Watcher is an excellent brand that provides some great refractors. The high-quality materials they use to make their products help to keep prices down and reliability sky high and cost low. If you’re starting on your telescope hobby or have been at it a while, you cannot afford (and by that, we mean can afford) to miss out on Sky-Watcher.

Sky-Watcher’s Flextube 300 is a marvel of computerized stargazing technology. Using a simple setup process, the Flextube gives you the same experience of using a Dobsonian, hassle-free! It is easily dismantlable for transportation to all your favorite spots. It wirelessly links up with Sky-Watcher’s SynScan database, with over 42,000 targets to explore. It’s a bit more expensive than any other telescope on this list, but it’s an amazing addition to any hardcore stargazer’s collection. If you want more info on this brand, check out The Guide to Sky-watcher Telescopes.

Zhumell

Zhumell promises the best “field-tested, precision-crafted optics at best possible value,” and this can be seen in all their products. Their binoculars, spotter scopes, and telescopes cover all hobbies and levels of experience, all at affordable prices. Their focus on portability helps you take stargazing wherever you go, giving you the best chances you could want to see the stars.

Whether starting with their 60mm portable refractor or splashing out on a Z130, you’ll find yourself fully kitted out. As the name suggests, the portable is ideal for taking on the road and hunting for your dream star gazing spot. It’s a simple set but comes with everything you need to get yourself in the know. The Z130 comes with an industry-standard 125 focuser, making it compatible with many other options from almost any brand. It also has a red dot finder that makes it easy for beginners and experts to find points of interest.

Zhumell telescopes cost a couple of hundred bucks. 

Vivitar

Vivitar produces and designs affordable electronics ranging from cameras and accessories for hobbyist photographers to telescopes and other optics devices. Its origins as an importer of photographic equipment give it an edge in product durability and quality. Various Vivid telescopes offer a unique way to see the world beyond your daily surroundings.

 The Vivitar telescope with tripod is one of the best options for stargazing and other beginner astronomy activities. This device has several magnification options to let you zoom on various levels, including 120x and 60x. Plus, the 3x finder scope on the optical device helps users locate objects easily and much faster.

Vivitar’s telescopes are also known for being lightweight. The tripod model has aluminum barrel construction, which allows for quick and easy assembly for viewing skyscrapers, gazing at the stars, or catching the next MLB game.

Konus

Founded in 1979 in the North of Italy, Konus has made a name for itself thanks to its lean and effective organization. The company makes telescopes that have their own identity and brand loyalty. All Konus products are shipped with instructional manuals in different languages, which should provide a significant advantage for multilingual hobbyists.

In terms of products, the Electronic Maksutov Reflector Telescope is a great option to consider because of its unique combination of features. The device features traits of different telescope types. This includes a flip-mirror system that allows users to switch the view angle to 90 degrees and back to 45 degrees with a mirror flip.

Final verdict

There you have it—the list of the top telescope brands in existence. We hand-picked each brand based on various factors, from their reputation to reviews, to how well their telescopes perform and suit various activities. Ultimately, the choice really comes down to your budget and preference for a specific brand. You can go for the budget-friendly brands that offer great telescopes at affordable prices. Gskyer is one of those brands that are perfect for beginners that want their first telescope and for experienced stargazers that want to have a budget-friendly option in their collection. To know more about Gskyer, read The Guide to Gskyer Telescopes.

Each of the brands above has been making telescopes since long and offers technologies that random telescopes just can’t beat. Although there’s more to buying a telescope than going with a reputable brand, you can have peace of mind knowing that the products you’re considering are a safe investment. Plus, you’ll earn bragging rights when stargazing with your friends or family members. To make sure that you are getting the most suitable telescope for you, check out our Guide to Picking a Telescope.