Online: www.REI.com
URL for this product:

From the U.S. and Canada — Call 1-800-426-4840
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT.
International — Call 1-253-891-2500
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT. English language only.

REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars

This item is currently sold out or unavailable online.

Or, may we suggest shopping for similar items:

Shop more Mid-Size Binoculars Shop more REI

This page is provided for reference to historical product information.

Show me:
Product Description,
Product Specs,
Reviews

The REI XR 8 x 32 binoculars are an outstanding value and deliver great magnification and clarity. They are compact and light enough to go just about anywhere.

Fully multicoated lenses using anti-reflective coatings provide superb light transmission, even in low light
BaK4 prisms match the optical system to enhance image quality, brightness and resolution to discern fine detail at long distances
Roof-prism style is less bulky and more compact than traditional or porro prism styles, making it much easier to hold and carry
Long eye relief enhances viewing comfort by reducing eye strain regardless of whether user is wearing eyeglasses or not
Twist up/down eyecups make it easy for eyeglass wearers to enjoy a full field of view
Shockproof, rubberized aluminum body construction accommodates rugged use in the field; water- and fog-proof thanks to sealed O-rings and nitrogen filling
Excellent close focus ability allows user to enjoy a sharp view of images at a short distance
Includes carry case, neck strap, lens cleaning cloth and instructions for usage
Great for bird watching, travel, spectator sports and nearly any outdoor adventure

Imported.

Item 777606

REI Membership

REI Membership $20.00

REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars

3.8

(based on 5 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Close focus (5)
Compact (5)
Lightweight (5)
Strong construction (3)
Works well with glasses (3)

Cons

Best Uses

Wildlife viewing (4)
Bird watching (3)
Sporting events/concerts (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual/ recreational (5)

Reviewed by 5 customers

Sort by

Displaying reviews 1-5

May

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Very Good

By RDV

from Orange County, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Compact
Lightweight
Strong Construction
Works Well With Glasses

Cons

Best Uses

Sporting Events/Concerts
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars:

Extremely happy with purchase! Great clarity, lightweight and good focus. Would have given 5 stars, but I'm sure there is something better and I'm a recreational user. Great value and great product!

Comment on this review

May

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Light weight waterproof binoculars

By Martha B

from Shapleigh Maine

About Me Casual/ Recreational

Pros

Close Focus
Compact
Lightweight
Strong Construction
Waterproof

Cons

Best Uses

Bird Watching
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars:

I am pleasantly surprised to find a lightweight pair of such good quality to watch birds from my kayak, dock, and porch. They were not expensive and they were similar viewing quality to my expensive heavyweight waterproof pair.
The salesman was knowledgeable and helpful. He allowed me to go outside and try them out.
I love these binoculars. Since I have only had them about a month, I do not know how well they will hold out. I also wish they had lens caps which were attached.

Comment on this review

Aug

2010

(4 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

Some shortcomings

By ken2116

from Palo Alto, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Compact
Lightweight

Cons

Poor Construction

Best Uses

Sporting Events/Concerts

Comments about REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars:

I'm new to bird watching and looking for an above average pair of binoculars. Price is a consideration, but secondary to decent optics and construction. Comparisons were made in normal daylight to an early 1990's Russian 7x50 Porro prism model with apparently good optics, though rough mechanics.

Positives:

- Images seemed bright in daylight and up until dusk
- Nice feel, balance
- Central focus smooth, easy
- Accurate colors
- Minimal color fringing at high contrast edges, compare well to high end glasses in this respect

Concerns:

- Loose flakes of a thin filmy material up to 1/8in. dimension were found adherent to the back surfaces of the objective lenses.

- Interpupilarly pivot too free, easily moved with normal handling

- Diopter adjustment very stiff, must be "broken loose" the first time each session, but still so firm that use usually moves the interpupilary adjustment. Tolerable for a single user who adjusts infrequently, but a nuisance if sharing.

- Eye relief adequate, but not quite sufficient for me to view the full optical disk with glasses. May be better for others.

- Image not quite sharp enough to view finer details (around a song birds eye, fine stripes on feathers, etc) viewed at 12ft, lacks contrast. (My older pair were spot-on sharp and higher contrast, revealing more detail despite their slightly lower power). The particulate may be contributing to this problem.

- Field of focus not flat and image sharpness falls off substantially at outer edges despite refocusing . In comparison my old pair also requires refocusing, but retain sharpness at the edges. These are common trade-offs of less expensive binoculars and may be acceptable.

Summary:

Some of the shortcomings may be individual variations, but suggest quality control problems. Recommend comparing to others at the store.

The optical limitations are not particularly noticeable until compared with a better pair. They may be quite satisfactory for viewing sports, though a bit lacking for bird watching where the ability to resolve finer detail is more important.

I would recommend, but on the condition that the be evaluated carefully.

Comment on this review

Aug

2010

(9 of 10 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Look before you leap

By ken2116

from Palo Alto, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Compact
Lightweight
Works Well With Glasses

Cons

Stiff Diopter Adjustment

Best Uses

Backpacking
Bird Watching
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars:

Major uses: bird watching, backpacking.

Positive:

- Light weight, compact, appear rugged.
- High eye point good for glasses wearers.
- Retractable eye cups work well.
- Minimal color fringing at high contrast edges near edge of field of view - compare well with high end roof prism glasses.
- Reasonably bright.
- Accurate colors.
- Stars appear as points of light.
- Smooth central focus adjustment.
- Convenient eyepiece dust caps.

Not so positive:

- Diopter adjustment very stiff, though a bit better after freed up the first time each session. Even after freeing up, it is almost impossible to avoid changing the relatively loose interpupilary distance setting when making diopter adjustments - very annoying. This may vary among units and one would be wise to check this at the store.

- Compared to 7x Porro prism Sotems, the images are just slightly less sharp at the center and okay at top and bottom edges, but seem of much lower resolution at the side edges. Significant refocusing is required when an object is moved from center to the edges of field of view, though in use this may be acceptable or even go unnoticed in many applications.

- Objective eye piece caps not firm.

Conclusion:

Though simply not in the league of glasses costing 5x to 20x more, I feel that these are optically usable and sufficiently rugged and inexpensive as to fill a nitch with budget conscious users and in knock about situations where one doesn't want to put more costly glasses at risk, especially if a pair can be found with lighter diopter adjustment.

Regular users may soon want another pair, but these are good enough to be kept for back up and as loaners.

Comment on this review

Jul

2010

(9 of 9 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Best Binoculars under $700

By D.S.

from Scottsdale AZ

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Close Focus
Compact
Lightweight
Quality Lenses
Strong Construction
Works Well With Glasses

Cons

Best Uses

Bird Watching
Hunting
Sporting Events/Concerts
Wildlife Viewing

Comments about REI XR 8 x 32 Waterproof Binoculars:

I have never written a product review before but am so impressed with the quality of these binoculars I felt I should. I own $760 Leica 8X21 Ultravids. This pair of REI's has the same field of view and are equally clear and bright. True, I am comparing a 20 to a 32mm lens but the REI 8x32 is not too much larger than the 8x20s and is the smallest 8x32 I've seen. I looked through many binoculars that on paper met my criteria (waterproof, rubber armored and compact) and these were far superior to anything up to high-end European optics costing 6X the price. Excellent value and excellent product.