Sigwei’s night vision binoculars currently sell for $189.99 on Amazon and have hovered around that price for the past four years. The cheapest we’ve seen them is $139.99, but only for very short periods at a time – flash sale-like events.
On paper, these night vision binoculars have impressive specs, including an infrared light that extends 980 feet (298 m), a daytime viewing mode, and seven brightness levels. Not only that, but it can record 1080p videos and 3MP stills on the included MicroSD memory card.
The binoculars come in a specially adapted hard case of military quality. It also comes with a carbon-tipped lens cleaning brush, a 32GB high-speed MicroSD card, a shoulder strap and soft carrying case, and everything else you need to get started, apart from batteries – more on that later.
Sigwei’s Night Binocular Review
Sigwei’s night binoculars: Design
- Large LCD screen
- Robust construction
- Good placement of buttons
Compared to models we’ve tested in the past, including the Nightfox Swift, the Sigweis feels solid in the hand and less toy-like. However, this comes at the cost of them being noticeably heavier (1.3kg with batteries inserted) and bulkier, something you should consider if you take these with you on the slopes.
Key specifications
Sensor: CMOS
IR range: 980 ft / 298 m
Exhibition: 2.31-inch LCD
Battery: 6 x AA batteries
Battery life: 8 hours IR / 16 hours use during the day
Enlargement: 3x optical, 4x digital
Memory card: MicroSD
Weight: 2.86 lbs (1.3 kg)
Warranty: Not specified
There are six large buttons on the top of the night vision that are easy to reach with your fingertips when you hold them to your face. The most used buttons are on the outer edges, with the power and menu buttons in the center of the device. Each button provides a reassuring audible feedback (like a click) when pressed, and the buttons press down enough that you can easily feel that you’ve pressed them, even with cold hands or thick gloves. The textured cover helps wet fingers keep a secure grip on the binoculars, which is especially useful as the Sigweis can be used in inclement weather thanks to their IP56 waterproof rating.
There is a wrap around the large LCD screen, but we would have liked it to mold to the face by being more malleable; it lets in a lot of light, especially from the bottom, making the screen very reflective. We were staring back at ourselves in certain daytime lighting conditions, making it difficult to see the image on the screen.
Unlike previous night vision scopes, where the lenses are inside the body of the unit, in the Sigweis, they protrude from the front. One is a lens, and the other is an infrared LED light. The lens rotates to focus; left to close objects and right to focus on something further away.
Sigwei’s night binoculars: Performance
- Very clear night view
- Fixed optical zoom, 4x digital zoom
- Lighting only comes from the right
The infrared range is 980 feet, which is 750 feet more than the Nightfox Swift, which is only marginally cheaper. The lighting only comes from the right side of the device, meaning you’ll sometimes get noticeable shadows even if your target is right in front of you. Not important when you’re just observing, but something to be aware of if you’re filming or taking pictures.
When the device is turned on, the default mode is video. By pressing the mode button, you can step through to photo mode and media playback mode. You can just observe without recording or taking still pictures if you want.
Eight symbols visible on the LCD screen indicate mode, night vision sensitivity, memory card space, image resolution, SD warning, battery indicator, zoom level and IR level.
The 3x optical zoom is fixed, but the digital zoom (sensor crop) extends to 4x. As with digital zoom, image sharpness decreases the further you zoom.
The large focus wheel is smooth to turn, with an obvious start and end point. You could turn it with just one finger, but we found it easier to operate as you would a camera lens. Once it is in focus, the image on the large LCD screen is pleasantly sharp and clear both during the day and at night.
Sigwei’s night binoculars: Functionality
- Six AA batteries required (does not take rechargeable batteries)
- IP56 waterproof rating
- Daytime mode
When Sigwei’s night vision came, we were keen to start testing that night. After testing the Nightfox Whisker, which was easy to charge via USB-C, we were hoping for more of the same. Unfortunately, however, we found out that Sigweis needs 6x 1.5V (AA) batteries. Cool, we have some rechargeables in the closet. Except, wait, when you read the warning notice on the back of the binoculars, it said not to use rechargeable batteries. We tried it anyway just to be safe, but true to the warning, rechargeable batteries didn’t work and the scope wouldn’t boot up. Our testing was put on hold until we bought some non-rechargeable AA batteries. This is the worst thing about these binoculars. Non-rechargeable batteries are not only expensive, but also have a significantly worse environmental impact than rechargeable alternatives.
Putting concerns about the non-rechargeable batteries aside, Sigwei’s Night Vision binoculars have a generous IP56 rating. ‘5’ means that the binoculars have limited dust protection, and ‘6’ means that they withstand protection against strong water jets in all directions. You can use them in any terrain location (such as sandy deserts or pollen-filled fields) and in bad weather without worry.
Although you can use these night vision binoculars anywhere, weight is a significant factor. In comparison, the recently reviewed Nightfox Whisker weighs 609g, including the rechargeable battery; The Nightfox Swift weighs a tiny 360g, including the battery. Sigweis weighs a hefty 1.3 kg. They can be mounted on a tripod, which helps if you live in one place, but if you have a long way to go to the viewpoint, you will definitely feel the weight in your backpack or backpack.
Although these are primarily night binoculars, you can use them during the day as well. The best application for this would be research (eg animal research) as the image/video quality isn’t good enough for inspiring footage or stills. It’s a handy feature though and means they’re not completely redundant when the sun comes up.
The hard shell is of excellent quality. The other accessories, like the soft case and neck strap, are nice, but nothing to shout about.
Should you buy Sigwei’s night binoculars?
We really like Sigwei’s night vision, but there are two major drawbacks. The weight, but more importantly, the fact that you need 6x non-rechargeable batteries. Although you can apparently use them for 8-16 hours, depending on IR levels and screen brightness, this still doesn’t seem good enough to warrant the extra cost of buying new batteries each time, or the negative environmental impact.
If these things don’t concern you, this is a good night scope at a very reasonable price. They do what they’re meant to do – allow you to see objects, animals and people in the dark and capture still images or videos for future reference.
They are very easy to use; we just read the user manual to see what it contained. The English grammar is pretty bad throughout, but that’s pretty common when products have been made in a place where English isn’t spoken as a first language. Nevertheless, you can find everything you need in terms of operation and troubleshooting. We spent a couple of minutes familiarizing ourselves with what each button did and navigating the menu system – that was enough to get us started.
If Sigwei’s night binoculars are not for you
We recently reviewed the Nightfox Whisker night binoculars. We think they are comparable in terms of operation and image/video quality, but they are lighter, rechargeable and more compact. The only thing they lack compared to the Sigweis binoculars is a waterproof rating. This really only means if you intentionally plan to use them around water or in bad weather often.
For casual observation or surveillance, we recommend the Nightfox Swift, which, thanks to its head mount and maximum viewing distance of around 75 yards, is more akin to glasses than binoculars. The battery is micro-USB rechargeable and it weighs a tiny 360g. The Swift is particularly useful if you need your hands free while observing, perhaps feeding animals at a rescue center at night, or developing images in a dark room.
If you need a higher magnification night vision scope, check out the Luna Optics LN-G3-B50. The magnification varies from 6x to 36x. This provides the flexibility of wide-area scanning and close-up viewing. There’s also built-in 6x image stabilization to minimize shake. At 16MP, the resolution is also better, but they are more expensive.
For alternative ideas, check out our roundup of the best night vision binoculars. We review this guide regularly and update it with the best models we find as they hit the market.
