How We Select Our Offerings

Too Long Didn’t Read Version

Sifting through all of the binocular and scope options on the market can be daunting. We invest a tonne of time into doing the work, so you don’t have to!

Things we compare

• Available options
• Supplier Rep
• Optical Quality
• Maintaining the value

We like to think we have a massive selection of binoculars and spotting scopes—until we search “binoculars,” “birding binoculars,” or “best binoculars in Canada” on Google or Amazon. Give it a try! You’ll see hundreds, if not thousands, of brands and models. Some are well-known, while others seem to have appeared out of thin air. With so many choices, how is anyone supposed to know which brands are actually worth their hard-earned money? That’s where we come in.

We may not have the largest selection, but we stand by the fact that we have the right selection. Our store specializes in optics, and our team uses their gear just about every single day of the year. What we’re saying is—we take our optics selection very seriously. 🙂

Obviously, we can’t (and wouldn’t want to) stock hundreds of brands. So, how do we decide which ones make the cut? It all comes down to value. We make sure to have 2-3 solid options in each price range, so you can compare and find the perfect fit. Not every pair of binoculars will feel “just right” for every customer—kind of like when Harry Potter gets his first wand. 😉

But let’s get back to value.

How We Choose the Right Optics

We always want to provide the best value —either giving you similar optical quality for less money or better optics for the same amount. When evaluating new binoculars, we compare them apples to apples —a $300 8x42 against another $300 8x42, a $600 10x42 against another $600 10x42, and so on.

Here’s what we look for:

Available Options

Some brands make excellent 10x50s, 12x56s, or 10x25s—but if they’re lacking in the 8x field (the most popular size for our customers), they don’t make sense for us. A limited lineup like that would be quickly eliminated.

Supplier Reputation

Our relationship with our customers doesn’t end at the sale. We want brands that support our customers the way we would want our closest friends and family taken care of. That means digging deep—reading birding and hunting forums, getting real-world feedback on warranty claims and customer service. If a company has a reputation for ghosting customers after the sale, they won’t make it onto our shelves.

Optical Quality

Once we get samples, we put them through the same tests we recommend to our customers: brightness, field of view, edge-to-edge clarity. We compare them directly to our current offerings in the same price range. If they perform as well as, worse than, or better than our existing lineup, we take note.

Here’s an example: We once evaluated a binocular with an MSRP of $600. When compared to other $600 models, it didn’t stack up. But after a closer look at pricing, we realized the supplier had an extremely high markup. Adjusting for a more reasonable markup, it actually belonged in a lower price category—where it suddenly became a fantastic value. This allowed us to offer our customers a better product for the money.

Maintaining the Value

Our job doesn’t end once we choose a product. We constantly reassess our lineup to ensure we’re still offering the best value.

• If a company redesigns a product, we test it again.
• If a competitor releases something new, we compare.
• If a company stops supporting customers to our high standards, we make the tough call to drop them.

At the end of the day, our goal is simple: to offer the best optics at the best value, backed by brands we trust.