Best Telescopes (2026): 10 Makers, Classic and Smart

Type 'telescope' into a search bar and you'll get everything from a tabletop Dobsonian to a smart telescope built for deep sky photography. Those are very different buys, and the makers' own shops make the split plain once you look at how they're organised.

This list covers ten makers, using only what each one's own site says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. It sticks to product lines and what each maker sells beside its telescopes, so you won't find magnification claims or reviews here.

Telescope makers at a glance

Tool	Type	Good for
Apertura	Dobsonian telescope maker	Truss tube and closed tube Dobsonians
Celestron	Telescope maker	Named series from beginner to advanced
DwarfLab	Smart telescope maker	The DWARF mini and DWARF 3 smart telescopes
Explore Scientific	Telescope and science gear maker	Telescopes by type, plus microscopes and STEM kits
Gskyer	Telescope and binocular brand	A short shop of Explore telescopes
Levenhuk	Optics maker	Telescopes beside microscopes and binoculars
Sky-Watcher	Telescope and mount maker	Optical tubes, Dobsonians, mounts and solar telescopes
Unistellar	Smart telescope maker	Smart telescopes, smart binoculars and citizen science
Vaonis	Smart telescope maker	Vespera smart telescopes and the Hyperia observatory
William Optics	Telescope maker	Telescope lines with a model compare page

Ten telescope makers

Apertura

Best for: Dobsonian fans: a line-up built around truss tube and closed tube Dobsonian telescopes, plus astrophotography workshops and astronomy sessions for schools.

Celestron

Best for: Starting from a named family: StarSense Explorer, NexStar SE and Advanced VX series, plus the Origin Mark II camera telescope and smartphone adapters.

DwarfLab

Best for: Travelling light with a camera: the DWARF mini and DWARF 3 smart telescopes for deep sky photography, with a buying guide and the Draco on pre-order.

Explore Scientific

Best for: Browsing by design: refractors, reflectors, Dobsonians and Maksutov-Cassegrains, with a telescope finder quiz and a kids telescopes section.

Gskyer

Best for: Keeping it simple: a short shop of Explore telescopes, with binoculars and a monocular telescope on the same page.

Levenhuk

Best for: Families buying more than one kind of optics: telescopes beside microscopes and binoculars, and a LabZZ series designed for children and teenagers.

Sky-Watcher

Best for: Building a setup piece by piece: optical tubes, Flextube and tabletop Dobsonians, mounts such as the AZ-GTi, and the Heliostar solar telescope line.

Unistellar

Best for: Joining in with citizen science: ODYSSEY and EVSCOPE smart telescopes, smart binoculars and an app, with citizen science and education programs.

Vaonis

Best for: Telescope and camera in one: the Vespera range, the modular Atlas smart telescope and Hyperia, which it calls an all-in-one smart observatory.

William Optics

Best for: Choosing by use: shop sections for beginner friendly, portable travel, deep sky imaging, planetary and lunar setups, across its Cat, Pleiades and Gran Turismo lines.

Classic or smart: the split behind the search

Here's what the search term hides. The makers split into two kinds. Classic telescopes come in named families: Celestron sells a StarSense Explorer Series and a NexStar SE Series, Explore Scientific lets you shop Dobsonians and Maksutov-Cassegrains, and Sky-Watcher lists the Skymax 127 AZ-GTi. Smart telescopes are a different product. Unistellar lists Smart Telescopes and Smart Binoculars, Vaonis calls its line 'smart telescopes for any sky', and DwarfLab sells the DWARF mini Smart Telescope.

• Classic: a telescope from a named family of refractors, reflectors, Dobsonians or Maksutovs, sold as an optical tube or with a mount.
• Smart: a telescope and camera combined in one product.

So choose classic or smart first, then the brand. That one choice decides which half of this list you need.

Refractors, reflectors and Dobsonians: reading a classic shop

The classic makers organise their shops by design name, so it helps to learn the words before you browse. One maker lets you shop by type: refractors, reflectors, Dobsonians, Maksutov-Cassegrains, telescope and mount packages and astrophotography telescopes. Another splits its shop into beginner, intermediate and advanced telescopes, and by design: refractors, Newtonian reflectors and Schmidt Cassegrain.

A third lists optical tubes, from refractors to Newtonians and Maksutov reflectors, next to Flextube, Classic and tabletop Dobsonians and a long list of mounts. And one maker builds its whole line-up around Dobsonians, in truss tube and closed tube versions, with an observing chair and a binocular mount among its accessories.

Smart telescopes: a telescope and a camera in one box

The smart makers sell something else entirely. One says it 'combined a telescope and a camera to help you capture the Universe'. Another says its smart telescopes tell you which object to observe, with no need to plan your observation nights in advance. A third lists deep sky photography, panoramic shooting and time-lapse photography for its DWARF mini and DWARF 3.

The line between the two kinds is starting to blur, too. One of the classic makers now sells the Origin Mark II, which its page says comes equipped with a camera. If you like the idea of a camera telescope from a classic maker, that's worth a look beside the smart makers.

Mounts, binoculars and the rest of the shop

Look past the telescopes and these shops sell much more. The classic makers sell mounts and tripods, eyepieces, filters, camera adapters and smartphone adapters, and one lists its Star Adventurer models beside a long list of mounts. If you'd like to take a quick photo through the eyepiece with your phone, check the smartphone adapter section.

Several makers sell binoculars too. One optics brand puts telescopes beside microscopes, spotting scopes and night-vision devices, a smart maker sells smart binoculars, and another maker sells a Cat Eyes binocular. If you're buying for a family, a maker with both may save you a second shop.

A word on looking at the Sun

One maker here sells a solar telescope line, the Heliostar H-Alpha telescopes, and another lists solar filters among its accessories. Solar viewing needs solar-rated equipment from the maker, so read the maker's own instructions before you point anything at the Sun.

Questions to settle before you buy a telescope

• Do I want to find objects myself, or have the telescope suggest them?
• Do I want to look through an eyepiece, take photos, or both?
• Will I need a mount, and does the maker sell one with the tube?
• Am I buying for a child, and does the maker have a kids section?
• Would binoculars from the same maker be useful too?
• Does the maker have a compare page or a finder quiz to narrow things down?

Do you make telescopes? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My advice on picking a first telescope

Decide what kind of night you want before you compare models. If you'd like to learn the sky and look through an eyepiece, start with the classic makers' beginner families and their Dobsonians. If you'd rather the telescope suggest what to observe and take the photos, start with the smart telescopes. Either way, use the makers' own compare pages and finder quizzes: they're there to stop you buying the wrong kind.

Sharing what you see? Try my list of the best hashtags for nature photography posts and, for a sense of scale, my plain guide to what a light year is.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

What's a smart telescope?

It's a telescope and a camera combined in one product. One maker here says it combined the two to help you capture the Universe, and another says its smart telescopes tell you which object to observe. Three makers on this list sell smart telescopes as their main product.

Which makers sell Dobsonian telescopes?

Several do. Apertura builds its line-up around truss tube and closed tube Dobsonians, one maker lists Dobsonians as a type in its shop, and another sells Flextube, Classic and tabletop Dobsonians.

Can I take photos with these telescopes?

Yes, in a few ways. Smart telescopes combine a telescope and camera. The classic makers sell astrophotography telescopes, imaging cameras, camera adapters and smartphone adapters, and one has a deep sky imaging section in its shop.

Is there a telescope for children?

Two makers here have a section for it. Levenhuk sells a LabZZ series designed for children and teenagers, and another maker has a kids telescopes section. A third splits its shop into beginner, intermediate and advanced telescopes.

Do any of these makers sell binoculars too?

Yes. Gskyer sells binoculars and a monocular telescope beside its Explore telescopes, one optics brand sells binoculars and spotting scopes, one smart maker sells smart binoculars, and another maker sells a Cat Eyes binocular.

Which makers let me compare models?

Several. William Optics has a Compare Telescope Models page, two smart makers have compare pages, one has a buying guide with a help me choose section, and one classic maker has a telescope finder quiz.