Binocular (Head-Worn) Magnifiers Compared

Last updated: July 22, 2025

The following article is about head-worn magnifiers, to see a fascinating article about everything you ever need to know about magnifiers and magnification click here.

Introduction
Standard type
Surgeon's type (Surgeon's type)
Which magnification?
Surgeons and Dentists
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Introduction

With simple lenses (the 'standard' type) the stronger the magnification, the closer the magnifier has to be to the object (the 'working distance'), so a magnifier of 2.5X magnification would give a working distance of 4 inches, at 4X this becomes 2.5 inches and at 7X it's 1.5 inches.

With any simple lens (including those on standard binocular magnifiers) you have a choice: a long working distance and low magnification, or a high magnification and a short working distance. Jewellers and watch repairers know this - they must bend over very very close to the work to get a powerful magnifier to focus. That's fine for tiny objects (though you might get backache leaning over!) - but its not much good for working at a lathe or painting a miniature or drilling a patient's tooth.

D ownload our Excel sheet, enter any magnification and it will show you the working distance, enter any working distance and it will show you the magnification.

It is possible to get magnifiers made out of "little telescopes" (the type that surgeons use) rather than 'simple lenses'. These 'surgeons-type' magnifiers have a good amount of magnification and a long working distance.

Standard type

As explained above, the magnification must be low if you want a good working distance. I particularly like the models with the interchangeable lenses, you get a choice of magnifications / working distances; these are especially good if you're not sure which you need, or if you tend to do different jobs requiring different lenses.

The simplest, binomag-L2, works fine, just two pairs of lenses (1.8 and 2.3X magnification); it also has an extra single lens (4.8X when combined with the others); the double light gives a wide 'floodlit' area. It certainly isn't the cheapest on the market but it's the cheapest that is 'OK' - the optical quality is acceptable, the headband design is crude but comfortable, it's absolutely fine for occassional use.

Good for reading text and the occasional fiddly DIY job is binocmag-specs. The lenses are large-spectacle size, selection of three lenses (can be used in pairs, maximum 4.5X), better than any ready-made reading spectacles. Very similar and suitable for a wide variety of DIY jobs is binocmag-9892, with its selection of five lenses. Good for working in fuse cupboards, soldering wires or pipes in dark corners, poking about under floorboards or in lofts or behind computers but not particularly comfortable to wear for long periods.

The most flexible and most comfortable to wear is binocmag-01H, it's sturdily built yet feels almost weightless due to the large adjustable headband, and it works just as well with or without spectacles. Good for long fiddly jobs or for serious use at a workbench. It has good effective LED lights (the light is adjustable, and is also removable); it has five pairs of lenses, making this the most versatile for magnification - combining the lenses (or using them singly) gives a selection of 20 different magnifications from 1.1X (working distance 9 inches) to 6X (working distance 1.5 inches) so you will be able to find the right combinations for any job. It's not small and neat to carry around it a bag (or unobtrusive to wear in a library) - but this is the best for both comfort and versatility.

By far the most powerful is binocmag-watchmaker. Combining various lenses gives 21 possible magnifications right up to 25X. But the rules listed at the top of this page apply: the more powerful the lens the shorter the working distance. This means that once you are very close to the object you lose stereo vision and can only use one eye at a time. Personally, I rather like this one for watchmaking. Working on a pocket watch? Set one side to 4X for general work and the other to 8X for more intricate work. General work on a wrist watch? Try 6X and 10X. Untangling a small hairspring? You may need 15X. You won't have stereo vision but you can 'swap eyeglasses' by closing one eye and opening the other. If you want to combine a relatively high magnification with a long working distance you will need a surgeons-type magnifier or a stereo microscope).

Finally, we do have a 'cheapie' that clips to spectacles, ref. clipon/d.

Surgeon's type (Surgeon's type)

These are made of two miniature telescopes rather than 'simple' lenses. Not only is this the only way to get a long working distance with a relatively high magnification but the optical quality is absolutely superb - it really takes you aback, you can see (at 2.5X or 3X) tiny detail that you struggle to see through the standard models at twice the magnification.

Binocmag-S2-clip clips to spectacles. What I like about these is that they are so small and neat, just keep it in your pocket or bag. You can flip the magnifier upwards, out of the way, without having to take it off.

Binocmag-S4 is THE standard model of surgeons-type. Large easily-adjustable headband for maximum comfort, you can wear this for hours. There is also (as an optional extra) a light that can be clipped to the frame. You can flip the magnifier upwards, out of the way, without having to take it off.

Which magnification?

I used a 3.5X at an evening class where I learnt watch making. It gave me stereo vision at comfortable working distance for working on wrist watches, so much easier than using an eyeglass of the same magnification (which would give mono vision and just 3 inches working distance). For larger items such as pocket watches I found 2.5X magnification to be ample.

I also found it perfect for when the tutor needed to show me something. Instead of trying to get so close that our noses were touching, I could stand back and see everything he was doing.

Surgeons and Dentists

I call these 'surgeons-type' magnifiers'. I do not seriously expect surgeons to use these particular models. True surgeons magnifiers cost from £2,000.00 (basic models) to £3,00.00 with lights. The user will go to their optician who will check their prescription, take lots of measurements, then customise the magnifier. Ours are not custom-made, you will have to spend the first 10 to 15 minutes adjusting them to line up with your eyes (collimating them) - though you only have to do this once, then it will be correct for your eyes. Imagine a surgeon about to perform an operation and finding someone has been playing with his magnifier and he has to spend 10mns collimating them! HOWEVER, for a GP Practice that carries out minor ops or a dental practice, where the budget is more limited, ours are perfect.

How to choose a magnifier (plus everything you would ever want to know about magnifying lenses)
How to choose a jewellers' loupe (including examples of what you will see through loupes)
How to choose a magnifier for the partially sighted (specialist low vision aids including lenses and video magnifiers)
How to choose a video magnifier (from small pocket-size electronic readers to a large table model)
How to choose a UV loupe (ultra violet light)
Calculator (Excel format) - enter the magnification, it tells you the working distance, or enter the working distance, it tells you the magnification.
How to choose a stereo binocular microscope (all sizes and magnifications)
Professional USB microscope attachment (it replaces the eyepiece of your microscope)