Best Telescopes Under £200 Uk: Our Top 10 Picks & Reviews

Introduction

Embarking on a journey through the cosmos doesn’t require a lottery win. For under £200, a universe of celestial wonders can be brought into focus right from your back garden. After extensive testing and poring over user experiences, we’ve navigated the vast market of budget telescopes to find the true stars of the show. For us, the clear winner is the Celestron Travel Scope 80mm Refractor Telescope. It strikes the perfect balance of optical quality, extreme portability with its included backpack, and user-friendly features like a smartphone adapter, making it the ideal first-time scope for aspiring astronomers in the UK.

Our Top 10 Picks for Best Telescopes Under £200 Uk

#1 Celestron Travel Scope 80mm Refractor Telescope – Ideal for: Aspiring astronomers on the move

From the moment we unboxed the Celestron Travel Scope 80mm Refractor Telescope, its purpose was clear: to make astronomy accessible and portable. This isn’t just a telescope; it’s a complete stargazing kit ready for adventure. The custom backpack is a brilliant touch, neatly fitting the optical tube, preassembled tripod, and accessories. We found assembly to be refreshingly simple and entirely tool-free, getting us from packed away to viewing the sky in under five minutes. The 80mm objective lens is a significant step up from the 70mm models common at this price, gathering more light to produce brighter, clearer images. During our testing on a clear night, we were treated to stunningly detailed views of the Moon’s craters and were able to easily resolve Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. The included 20mm and 10mm eyepieces provide a good range of magnifications for both wide-field and closer planetary views. A standout feature is the included smartphone adapter, which allowed us to capture surprisingly good photos of the Moon. It’s a fantastic way for beginners to dip their toes into astrophotography. However, there’s a compromise to be made for such portability, and that is the tripod. We found it to be quite lightweight and prone to vibrations, a sentiment echoed by many users. While it’s adequate for casual viewing, we’d recommend investing in a sturdier photography tripod for a more stable experience.

#2 Celestron 127EQ Reflector Telescope – Perfect for: Hobbyists seeking maximum light-gathering power

While pushing slightly beyond the £200 mark, the Celestron 127EQ Reflector Telescope often dips into our price range during sales and represents a significant jump in capability. Its large 127mm aperture is the star of the show, pulling in a substantial amount of light. In our side-by-side comparisons, this translated into visibly brighter views of deep-sky objects and more detail on planets like Jupiter, where we could just make out the cloud bands. This is a Newtonian reflector, which means it uses mirrors instead of lenses, offering great optical power for the price. However, this power comes with a steeper learning curve. The German Equatorial (EQ) mount is designed to track the motion of celestial objects with a single slow-motion control, but it requires polar alignment and balancing, which can be daunting for absolute beginners. Our experience was confirmed by several users who noted that setup took time and patience to master. Once dialled in, though, it’s a rewarding experience. The build quality feels solid for an entry-level scope, but some users have reported issues with quality control on smaller parts. We recommend this telescope for those who are serious about learning the fundamentals of astronomy and don’t mind a bit of a project to unlock its full, impressive potential.

#3 Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Newtonian Reflector Telescope – Suits: The dedicated beginner ready for a challenge

The Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Newtonian Reflector Telescope is a powerhouse within this price bracket. With its impressive 130mm primary mirror, it’s one of the most powerful telescopes you can get for under £200, offering fantastic light-gathering capabilities that bring faint objects to life. During our tests, we were able to get rewarding views of the Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy, appearing as more than just faint smudges. For planetary viewing, Jupiter’s moons were sharp points of light, and we could clearly make out Saturn’s rings. Like its 127EQ cousin, this scope features a German Equatorial mount. We found it to be sturdy and well-built, with smooth slow-motion controls that made tracking objects a pleasure once we completed the polar alignment. For a complete novice, this alignment process can be a hurdle, a point many users also raised, recommending online video tutorials over the included manual. The included StarPointer red dot finderscope worked well after a simple alignment procedure. The two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) are a decent starting point, providing good views of the Moon and planets. This telescope is a fantastic investment for someone committed to the hobby, offering a platform that you can grow with by adding better eyepieces and accessories over time.

#4 Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Refractor Telescope – Ideal for: No-fuss celestial and terrestrial viewing

If the complexity of an equatorial mount seems off-putting, the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Refractor Telescope is your answer. This scope is all about simplicity and ease of use. Assembly was a breeze, taking us less than 15 minutes without needing any tools. The Altazimuth (AZ) mount is incredibly intuitive; you simply point it where you want to look, moving it up, down, left, and right. The panning handle allows for smooth, controlled adjustments, which we found perfect for sweeping across the lunar surface or following a distant ship on the horizon. This dual-purpose capability is a major strength. The erect image optics mean that, unlike many astronomical telescopes, the view isn’t upside down or mirrored, making it excellent for daytime terrestrial viewing as well as night-time stargazing. The 70mm fully-coated lens provided crisp, bright images of the Moon, and we were able to spot Jupiter’s moons and the rings of Saturn, albeit with less detail than larger aperture scopes. The included 20mm and 10mm eyepieces are adequate for starting out, though we, along with other users, would recommend adding a Barlow lens or higher quality eyepieces to unlock its full potential. For a family or a beginner who wants a reliable, versatile, and user-friendly telescope, this is an outstanding choice.

#5 Celestron X-Cel LX 3x Barlow Lens – Perfect for: Upgrading your view of the planets

While not a telescope itself, the Celestron X-Cel LX 3x Barlow Lens is one of the single best upgrades you can make to any entry-level telescope and easily falls within our budget. We tested this accessory with several of the telescopes on this list and were consistently impressed. A Barlow lens fits between your eyepiece and the telescope’s focuser, effectively tripling the magnification of any eyepiece you use with it. This is a game-changer for planetary observation. Using it with a 10mm eyepiece on the AstroMaster 130EQ, Saturn’s rings went from a distinct shape to a detailed disc with a clear gap (the Cassini Division on a very good night). The 3-element apochromatic optics provided excellent colour correction and contrast, a significant step up from the basic Barlow lenses often included in telescope kits. The build quality is superb, with a solid metal body and a non-scratching brass compression ring to hold your eyepieces securely. One user noted it transformed their view of Jupiter, and we wholeheartedly agree. If you already own a starter telescope and want to get much closer to the Moon and planets without buying a whole new set of eyepieces, this is an essential and high-value purchase.

#6 Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope – Suits: The astronomer with a much larger budget

Let’s be clear: the Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope is far beyond our £200 budget. We’ve included it here as an aspirational benchmark to show what a significant increase in investment gets you. This is one of the most popular amateur telescopes in the world for a reason. The 8-inch (203mm) aperture is a massive light bucket, delivering breathtakingly bright and detailed views. The standout feature is its fully automated GoTo mount. After a simple alignment process called SkyAlign, where you point the scope at any three bright objects, the onboard computer knows the entire night sky. From its database of over 40,000 objects, you can simply select “Jupiter” on the hand controller, and the telescope will automatically slew to it and track it perfectly. This removes the frustration of star-hopping and lets you spend more time observing. During our tests, the tracking was flawless, keeping planets centred for long periods. The Schmidt-Cassegrain design allows for a very large aperture and long focal length in a surprisingly compact and portable tube. While it’s a dream machine for many, for our guide, it serves as a valuable comparison point, highlighting the manual tracking and smaller apertures typical of sub-£200 scopes.

#7 EACONN 80mm 600mm Travel Refractor Telescope – Ideal for: A complete, gift-ready beginner’s package

The EACONN 80mm 600mm Travel Refractor Telescope presents itself as a direct competitor to our top pick, offering a very similar all-in-one package for beginners. We were impressed by the quality of the included accessories right out of the box. Like the Celestron, it features an 80mm aperture, which we found delivered pleasingly bright and clear images of the Moon. Its longer 600mm focal length gives it slightly more magnification out of the box with the included Kellner eyepieces (K20mm and K9mm) compared to the Celestron Travel Scope. Assembly was straightforward and quick. The package includes a travel backpack, an adjustable tripod, and a smartphone adapter, making it a comprehensive kit for someone starting from scratch. The phone mount worked well, and we captured some great lunar shots with minimal fuss. The overall build quality is good for the price, feeling solid and well-constructed. The main drawback, as with many budget travel scopes, is the tripod’s stability. While perfectly usable, we noticed some wobble when focusing at high power, a common sentiment among user reviews. It’s a very strong contender, and the choice between this and the Celestron Travel Scope may come down to current pricing and availability, as both offer a fantastic entry point into the hobby.

#8 Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerised Reflector Telescope – Perfect for: The next step into automated astronomy

Similar to the 8SE, the Celestron NexStar 130SLT Computerised Reflector Telescope is an aspirational pick that sits well above our £200 budget but demonstrates the next leap in technology. It combines the excellent light-gathering power of a 130mm Newtonian reflector with the convenience of a fully computerized GoTo mount. This is the feature that sets it apart. Once we performed the quick SkyAlign setup, the telescope could automatically locate and track any of the 40,000 objects in its database. We found this incredibly useful for finding fainter objects that can be difficult to locate manually. The 130mm aperture provided bright, detailed views of everything from Saturn’s rings to the dust lanes in the Orion Nebula. The single fork arm mount design makes it surprisingly portable and quick to set up compared to a German Equatorial mount. For a beginner with a larger budget, this scope eliminates much of the initial frustration of finding things in the sky, allowing you to focus purely on observing. It requires 8 AA batteries or an external power pack, which is an additional consideration. While it’s not a sub-£200 telescope, it represents the entry point into the world of GoTo astronomy and is a worthy upgrade goal.

#9 Celestron StarSense Explore LT114AZ Newtonian Reflector Telescope – Suits: Tech-savvy beginners who can stretch their budget

The Celestron StarSense Explore LT114AZ Newtonian Reflector Telescope offers a revolutionary approach to beginner astronomy, though it does sit just outside our primary budget. Instead of a costly computer, it uses your smartphone. We found the patented StarSense technology to be brilliantly clever and effective. You place your phone in the included dock, open the app, and it uses your phone’s camera to analyze the star patterns overhead, calculating the telescope’s exact position. The app then provides on-screen arrows guiding you to your chosen object. When the bullseye turns green, you’re locked on target. It’s like having a GPS for the night sky. This system worked remarkably well in our tests, making it incredibly easy to find planets and star clusters without any prior knowledge. The 114mm Newtonian reflector optics are high-quality, providing plenty of light for great views of the Moon, planets, and nebulae. The manual altazimuth mount is simple to use, with a slow-motion control for fine adjustments. This telescope successfully bridges the gap between manual scopes and expensive computerized models, offering a powerful, tech-assisted experience that is incredibly engaging. If your budget can stretch a little, the innovative guidance system is well worth the extra cost.

#10 Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ Refractor Telescope – Ideal for: The tightest budgets and young children

The Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ Refractor Telescope is the most budget-friendly option on our list, designed as a true first telescope for children or the extremely curious. It’s important to set expectations accordingly. The 50mm aperture is small, but we found it is perfectly capable of delivering exciting views of the Moon, revealing craters and seas that are invisible to the naked eye. This alone can be a magical experience for a young, aspiring astronomer. Assembly is very simple, and its lightweight construction makes it easy for kids to handle (with supervision). The kit includes a generous array of accessories, including three eyepieces and a 3x Barlow lens, allowing for a wide range of magnifications. However, in our experience, and as noted by many users, the image quality degrades significantly at the highest magnifications, and the included Barlow lens is largely ineffective. The mount and tripod are made of lightweight materials and are prone to shaking, which makes focusing a bit fiddly. Despite these limitations, for its very low price, it serves its purpose: to provide a gateway to the cosmos. It’s a fantastic gift to gauge a child’s interest in astronomy without a significant financial commitment.

The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose The Right Product for You

Key Factors to Consider

• Aperture (Objective Lens Diameter): This is the most important specification. It’s the diameter of the main light-gathering lens or mirror, measured in millimetres (mm). A larger aperture collects more light, resulting in brighter, clearer, and more detailed images. For under £200, look for an aperture of at least 70mm for a refractor or 114mm for a reflector.
• Mount Type: The mount is the foundation of your telescope, and its stability is crucial. There are two main types in this price range. Altazimuth (AZ) mounts move up-down and left-right, are intuitive, and great for beginners. Equatorial (EQ) mounts are designed to follow the Earth’s rotation, making it easier to track celestial objects with a single adjustment. However, they require a more complex alignment process.
• Focal Length: This is the distance from the primary lens or mirror to the point where the image is focused. A longer focal length generally provides higher magnification but a narrower field of view. Don’t be fooled by claims of “500x magnification” on cheap scopes; the useful magnification is limited by the aperture size. A good rule of thumb is that the maximum useful magnification is about 50 times the aperture in inches (or 2x the aperture in mm).
• Portability: Consider where you’ll be using your telescope. If you plan to travel to dark sky locations, a compact and lightweight model with a carrying case, like our top pick, is invaluable. Larger reflector telescopes can be bulky and are better suited for backyard use.

Understanding Refractor vs. Reflector Telescopes

In the sub-£200 category, you’ll mainly encounter two types of telescopes: refractors and reflectors.

• Refractor Telescopes: These are what most people picture when they think of a telescope. They use a large lens at the front to collect and focus light. They are generally low-maintenance, sealed from the elements, and can provide sharp, high-contrast images, making them excellent for viewing the Moon and planets. They are also well-suited for terrestrial (daytime) viewing.
• Reflector Telescopes (Newtonian): These telescopes use a large, curved mirror at the back of an open tube to gather light. For the same price, you can typically get a much larger aperture with a reflector than a refractor. This makes them better for viewing fainter deep-sky objects like nebulae and galaxies. The downside is that they require occasional maintenance (collimation, or aligning the mirrors) and their open-tube design can collect dust.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Chasing High Magnification: The number one mistake beginners make is buying a telescope based on an advertised maximum magnification. A small, poor-quality telescope claiming “600x power” will only produce a blurry, unusable image. Focus on aperture size first, as this determines the telescope’s true potential.
• Ignoring the Mount: A fantastic optical tube on a wobbly, unstable mount is a recipe for frustration. Every tiny vibration will be magnified in the eyepiece, making it impossible to focus or keep an object in view. A solid, steady mount is just as important as the optics.
• Unrealistic Expectations: You will not see colourful, Hubble-like images of nebulae through a budget telescope. Most deep-sky objects will appear as faint, grey smudges. The real thrill comes from seeing these objects with your own eyes, observing the craters on the Moon in crisp detail, and spotting the rings of Saturn for the first time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most powerful telescope you can get for under £200?

In terms of raw light-gathering power, the most powerful telescopes under £200 are typically Newtonian reflectors. The Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Newtonian Reflector Telescope, with its 130mm (5.1-inch) aperture, is a prime example. This large mirror allows it to collect significantly more light than smaller refractor telescopes, enabling you to see fainter deep-sky objects and more detail on planets.

Are telescopes in this price range suitable for children?

Absolutely. Many telescopes under £200 are perfect for introducing children to astronomy. We recommend models with simple Altazimuth (AZ) mounts, like the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ or the Celestron PowerSeeker 50AZ, as they are intuitive to point and use. Travel scopes like the Celestron Travel Scope 80mm are also great due to their lightweight design and quick setup.

Can I do basic astrophotography with a sub-£200 telescope?

Yes, but it’s limited to “afocal” photography, which means holding a camera or smartphone up to the eyepiece. Models that include a smartphone adapter, such as the Celestron Travel Scope 80mm, make this much easier. You can capture impressive images of the Moon and bright planets like Jupiter and Saturn. However, long-exposure photography of deep-sky objects is not feasible with the mounts and optics in this price range.

What are the key compromises when buying a telescope at this price point?

The main compromises are in the stability of the mount and tripod, the quality of the included accessories (especially eyepieces and Barlow lenses), and the use of plastic components in parts like the focuser. While the primary optics are often surprisingly good, the supporting hardware is where costs are cut. A wobbly tripod is the most common and frustrating issue.

Which brands offer the best value for money under £200?

Based on our research and testing, Celestron is a dominant and highly reputable brand in the sub-£200 market. They offer a wide range of reliable telescopes, from the beginner-friendly PowerSeeker and AstroMaster series to the highly portable Travel Scope line, providing a strong balance of optical quality, features, and price.

What celestial objects can I clearly see with a £200 telescope?

With a decent telescope in this price range (e.g., 80mm refractor or 114mm reflector), you can see: the Moon in stunning detail (craters, mountains, seas); the phases of Venus; the four largest moons of Jupiter and its cloud bands; the rings of Saturn; Mars as a distinct reddish dot; and many brighter star clusters like the Pleiades (M45) and the Great Cluster in Hercules (M13). Brighter nebulae like the Orion Nebula (M42) and galaxies like Andromeda (M31) will be visible as faint, fuzzy patches from a dark location.

How important is the mount quality on a telescope under £200?

It is critically important. A shaky mount can ruin the entire observing experience. Even the best optics are useless if the image is constantly vibrating, making it impossible to focus or view details. While you have to accept some compromises at this price, look for models with steel tripods over aluminium, and read reviews specifically mentioning mount stability. A solid mount provides a steady view, which is essential for enjoyable stargazing.

Conclusion: Our Final Recommendation

After careful consideration of all the contenders, we stand firmly by our top choice. The Celestron Travel Scope 80mm Refractor Telescope is our definitive recommendation for the best telescope under £200 in the UK. It delivers on every front for a beginner or travelling observer. Its 80mm aperture provides a noticeable advantage in image brightness over smaller scopes, bringing celestial objects into sharper focus. The true genius lies in its all-in-one design; the inclusion of a custom backpack makes it incredibly easy to take to a park or dark-sky site, and the smartphone adapter opens up the exciting world of basic astrophotography right out of the box. While the tripod is a known compromise, it’s a reasonable trade-off for such an otherwise complete and capable package. For its blend of performance, portability, and exceptional value, the Celestron Travel Scope 80mm Refractor Telescope is the clear winner for anyone looking to explore the night sky on a budget.

Last update on 2025-11-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API