The Best Budget Telescope Eyepieces
You don't need premium glass to see more. Four eyepieces under about $100 that give a beginner telescope the biggest upgrade per dollar - wide-field, a flat-field step-up, planetary power, and a one-does-it-all zoom.
In this guide
Here’s the good news about upgrading your eyepieces: the biggest jump in what you see costs the least. Going from the single stock eyepiece to a couple of decent ones improves the view far more than spending the same money on a bigger telescope would — same mirror, same sky, just better glass in between. And “decent” doesn’t mean expensive.
These four are the best value in eyepieces for a beginner scope: none over about $100, each earning its place, together covering wide-field, a flat-field step-up, planetary power and everything between — and spread across two brands, not just one.
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Celestron Omni 32mm
The most view for the least money. A simple 4-element Plössl at around $45 that delivers the widest true field a 1.25″ focuser allows — big open clusters, the full Moon with black sky around it, the Milky Way in a slow sweep. Sharp on-axis, and the first eyepiece I’d hand a beginner working to a budget.
- A simple 4-element Plössl — the price is the appeal, not premium wide-angle correction
- Its 52° window feels modest; the wide true field comes from the low power
- The wrong tool for planets — 32mm is low magnification by design
SVBONY SV190 Ultra Flat Field 18mm
The quiet value story of the whole category. The SV190 is the same ultra-flat-field optic sold under the Celestron Ultima Edge and TS-Optics badges, often for two to three times the price — an 8-element design with a 65° window that stays sharp corner to corner and comfortable eye relief. At around $95 for the 18mm it’s the smartest single step up from a kit eyepiece here. (Prefer to buy Celestron on Prime? The identical Ultima Edge 18mm runs about $125.)
- At ~$95 it’s the priciest pick on this page — the value is in what it replaces, not the sticker
- One focal length: you still want a low-power and a high-power piece around it
- SVBONY sells mostly online, so there’s less local support than a Celestron
Celestron Omni 6mm
Around $35 buys genuine high power for the Moon and planets — 150–200× on a typical scope, enough for Saturn’s ring gap on a steady night. Tight eye relief is the price of the low price, but this is how you reach planetary magnification without spending three figures.
- About 5mm of eye relief — you press close to the glass, and glasses get in the way
- 150–200× only delivers on steady nights; the atmosphere sets the ceiling
- Cheap high power, not comfortable high power — the X-Cel 9mm is the relaxed route
SVBONY SV135 7–21mm Zoom
The cheapest honest way to cover the whole range with one eyepiece. Twist from 21mm (finding, wide views) down to 7mm (planets) without swapping glass in the dark, with a comfortable ~18mm of eye relief throughout. The field is narrower than a fixed eyepiece — the zoom tradeoff — but at around $45 it undercuts buying even two fixed focal lengths, and it’s the one I’d hand a beginner or a kid.
- A zoom, so a fixed eyepiece of the same focal length is sharper and shows more sky
- The field narrows at the low-power end
- Budget glass: it does everything well enough and nothing best
Where cheap glass is fine — and where it isn’t
A simple Plössl like the Omni is four elements of glass, and on-axis — the middle of the field, where the object you’re looking at sits — it’s sharp. What you give up against a $100 eyepiece is field width (the pricier glass shows a wider, more immersive window) and comfort at high power (short eye relief means you sit close to the lens). For a beginner, on-axis sharpness is what matters most, which is why cheap Plössls punch so far above their price.
The one place to spend up, when you can, is a comfortable high-power eyepiece: the Omni 6mm reaches planetary magnification but with tight eye relief, so if you wear glasses or want a relaxed planet view, the step up to an 18mm-eye-relief 9mm is the upgrade worth saving for. Everything else on this page you can happily keep for years.
Skip the big cheap set
It’s tempting to buy a bargain 15-piece kit instead of a few good eyepieces, but most of that glass gathers dust. Two or three of the eyepieces here cover what you’ll actually use, for similar money and better views — the full argument is in our eyepiece sets guide.
Beyond Celestron: two SVBONY value picks
Celestron isn’t the only budget game. SVBONY’s gold-line 66° ultra-wides (around $32 each) are the sub-$50 wide-field that longtime observers call a huge leap over a kit Plössl — a roomy 66° window with a comfortable 16mm of eye relief. And the SVBONY SV190 Ultra Flat Field (around $55–95 by focal length) is the quiet value story of the whole category: it’s the same flat-field optic sold as the pricier Celestron Ultima Edge and TS-Optics UFF, usually with the cheapest badge — the SV190 18mm runs about $95 against the Ultima Edge’s $260. If you want to spread your budget across brands, our eyepiece brands guide lays out who’s good at what.
The bottom line
On a budget, start with the Celestron Omni 32mm for the widest, most forgiving view and the Omni 6mm when you want planetary power. If you can stretch to about $95, the SVBONY SV190 flat-field is the smartest single step up — the same optic as eyepieces costing far more. Or skip the fixed pieces entirely and let the SVBONY SV135 zoom ($45) cover the whole range in one barrel. It’s the biggest upgrade a beginner scope can get for the money.
Ready to spend a little more? The full eyepiece guide covers the step-up glass, and the planetary eyepiece guide goes deeper on high power.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best cheap telescope eyepieces?
The Celestron Omni Plossl line is the best value for beginners: the Omni 32mm (around $45) gives a wide, forgiving low-power view, and the Omni 6mm (around $35) reaches planetary magnification. A Celestron 8-24mm zoom (around $85) replaces several fixed eyepieces if you'd rather buy one. All are sharp on-axis, which is what matters most on a budget.
Are expensive eyepieces worth it for a beginner?
The biggest improvement per dollar comes from leaving the single stock eyepiece behind for a couple of decent ones, not from buying premium glass. A $35-45 Plossl is sharp in the center of the field. Premium eyepieces buy you a wider, more immersive field and more comfort at high power, which are nice but not essential when you're starting out.
Is a zoom eyepiece a good budget choice?
For beginners and kids, yes. An 8-24mm zoom covers low to high power in one eyepiece, so there's no swapping glass in the dark, and at around $85 it undercuts buying two fixed eyepieces. The trade is a slightly narrower field at the wide end than a fixed eyepiece gives, but the convenience is worth it for many people.
How much should I spend on my first eyepiece upgrade?
You can meaningfully improve the view for $35-45 with a single good Plossl. A sensible budget starter set is two Omni Plossls (a 32mm and a 6mm) for well under $100 together, which covers wide-field and planetary. Beyond that, save for a comfortable 9mm with long eye relief rather than buying more cheap glass.
Rob founded Outer Space Trip and writes its operator cost guides, the Space Tourism Price Index, and the See Space Now gear reviews. He tracks pricing and flight-status announcements from every major operator and tests the stargazing gear we recommend. How we pick and source ▸
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