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Ranking 70 Dobsonian Telescopes Aperture-wise

Rank & ratings last updated on

Dobsonians give you the most aperture for your money, are extremely simple to assemble and aim, and are lighter and more compact than most telescopes of comparable aperture using other optical/mount configurations. For most beginners, an 8” or 10” Dobsonian telescope offers the most value for your money, though smaller 4-6” tabletop scopes are also superb, and some may opt for a larger 12”. Tabletop Dobsonians in the 4-6” aperture range are ideal for those who are tight on budget or storage space, while also making a superb complement to a larger telescope on those nights when you don’t feel like setting up the bigger one. Some people may even have three Dobsonians or a combination of multiple telescopes to fulfill their requirements. Equipped with tracking, Dobsonians are also superb planetary imaging telescopes. However, they are not usable for long-exposure deep-sky astrophotography.
Caution
Problems with the supply chain and COVID lockdowns in China, Taiwan, and Japan, where almost all mass-produced telescopes and accessories are made, have made it harder to get a telescope. There is an increase in backorders, delays, and costs across the board—by about 40% compared to 2019 levels. Due to their small size in a shipping container, tabletop dobsonians are least affected by these price increases and delays. Larger Dobsonians are often severely backordered.

Avoid Amazon and other mass retailers for any Dobsonian telescope besides a tabletop unit. As these scopes ship in more than one box, they can often suffer from the loss or failure to ship the second or additional boxes altogether. Reclaiming either the other half of your order or a full refund can be difficult. Instead, consider ordering from a reputable astronomy vendor. High Point Scientific, AgenaAstro, Astronomics, Orion's Telescope.com, Starizona, and Explore Scientific are all reputable US sellers with good shipping, return, and financing options. Your shopping experience will be similar to buying from Amazon, but with better support and often better deals. Of all the US retailers, High Point Scientific, the largest internet telescope retailer in the United States, is the community favorite. For smaller telescopes and accessories, ordering off Amazon tends to be the most seamless and often cheap option, and as such, for smaller telescopes in our rankings, an Amazon purchase link is provided by default.

Skip to the aperture of:
3"
4"
4.5"
5"
6"
8"
10"
12"

3" (76mm) Tabletop Dobsonians

The 3” tabletop Dobsonians are all 76mm f/4 units with spherical mirrors, which are unsurprisingly incapable of rendering sharp images. Their wide field of view makes aiming easy, provided the eyepieces provided are also up to snuff, but don’t expect high-resolution views. However, if it’s all you can afford, the tabletop Dobsonians still beat having nothing. Performance is roughly equal to a good pair of astronomy binoculars, which we would probably recommend instead if you are on a very tight budget.
Rank 1
3.7/5
While not particularly useful overall, the Funscope 76 offers a super-cheap introduction to the world of astronomy and telescopes in a diminutive package. It’s not a serious observing tool by any means, but the FunScope comes with quality accessories and handles similarly to a much larger instrument.
List Price: $79
Celestron Cometron Firstscope Tabletop Dobsonian
Rank 2
3.6/5
The Cometron FirstScope is similar to the Orion Funscope in terms of overall usefulness and sports largely the same optics and accessories, but uses an optical as opposed to a battery-powered red dot finder. This may make the scope a little more inconvenient to use, but it reduces the cost by a small amount.
List Price: $74.95
Rank 3
3.4/5
The basic bare-bones FirstScope will work okay, but it lacks a finder or acceptable quality eyepieces. The views through this instrument at even low powers are mushy, and the eyepieces feel like looking through a drinking straw.
List Price: $74.95
Celestron FirstScope Moon Signature Tabletop Dobsonian
Rank 4
3.4/5
It is identical to the Celestron Firstscope but with a different optical tube decoration.
List Price: $74.95
National Geographic 76mm Compact Reflector
Rank 5
3.1/5
Little more than a rebadged FirstScope with low-quality Huygens eyepieces and a higher price, the NatGeo 76mm is a poor deal when you can get FirstScope versions that come with acceptable-quality accessories (though the same flawed optics) at its price range.
List Price: $94.95
Galileo G-80DB Tabletop Dobsonian
Rank 6
3/5
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List Price: $139.99

4" (100mm) Tabletop Dobsonians

Most 4” (100mm) tabletop Dobsonians have parabolic primary mirrors for sharp images, though they often lack collimation adjustment for the primary mirror, which can lead to sub-par performance. They’re also capable of being mated to photo tripods for on-the-go use. Upgrading to nicer accessories with any of these scopes places you in a higher price bracket where there are better options. As such, it’s still worth considering binoculars or saving your money for a bigger scope if this is all you have to spend right now.
Rank 1
4.25/5
The Orion SkyScanner, unlike its smaller 3" brethren, offers a truly parabolic primary mirror, allowing for sharp images of the Moon, planets, and other targets at anything but the lowest powers. It’s also extremely portable, fitting into even a moderately sized backpack.
List Price: $129.99
Rank 2
4.25/5
The Zhumell Z100 has all of the same advantages and disadvantages as the Orion SkyScanner 100 and exactly the same optics, but includes a 17mm Kellner (24x) eyepiece instead of the SkyScanner’s 20mm Kellner (20x) for low power. Between Z100 and Skyscanner, your pick should be the least expensive option. If both are available at the same price, go for the Zhumell Z100.
List Price: $159.99
Rank 3
3.2/5
The SkyScanner BL102 has questionable optical quality, a mediocre build, and eyepieces that are straight up junk. It's a strange, unusual, and sudden departure for a company known primarily for its high-quality Dobsonians.
List Price: $109.99

4.5" (114mm) Dobsonians

4.5” tabletop Dobsonians are just a hair bigger than their smaller counterparts but offer a 30% gain in light-gathering ability and a 14% gain in resolving power, with the ability to adjust collimation provisioned for as well. Generally, these scopes are also subject to a higher level of quality control than more inexpensive options when it comes to optical and build quality as well.
Rank 1
4.3/5
With a 4.5” primary mirror that’s easily adjusted for collimation, a simple Dobsonian mount, and high-quality optics and accessories, the Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro (along with its copycats such as the Zhumell Z114 and Astroscan Millenium) is one of the best beginner scopes available, especially for its price, and is a significant step up from a smaller 100mm unit.
List Price: $229.99
Rank 2
4.3/5
Identical to the Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro apart from its branding and a 17mm instead of 20mm eyepiece included. The Zhumell Z114 offers many of the same advantages as the Z100, but with a collimatable and slightly larger primary mirror, offering sharper images and 30% more light gathering capability. It features the same red dot finder and 17mm/10mm Kellner eyepieces that are included with the Z100.
List Price: $239.99
Celestron StarSense Explorer 114mm Tabletop Dobsonian
Rank 3
4.1/5
Essentially a StarBlast or Z114 with the StarSense phone dock added on, the Celestron StarSense Explorer 114mm Dobsonian includes the same 17mm and 10mm Kellner eyepieces as supplied with the Z114 and is a capable but pricey pick. You could get a larger scope for the money, but the StarSense Explorer technology is extremely helpful in locating targets throughout the night sky.
Rank 4
4.1/5
Utilizing the same “department store” 114mm f/8 optics as many popular (but undermounted) instruments atop a sturdy Dobsonian base, the Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 offers better planetary performance than its faster f/ratio brethren such as the StarBlast 4.5 Astro. However, for the same price you could get a more powerful 130mm or 150mm tabletop dobsonian scope with a wider field of view too. As with Orion’s other products, the XT4.5 is also subject to more frequent stock issues than is generally regarded as normal in the industry.

5" (130mm) Tabletop Dobsonians

5” Dobsonians are usually tabletop scopes, though a few freestanding (usually subpar) options exist. A 5” telescope gives you another 30% gain in light-collecting power over a 4.5” (or 70% over a 4”) and is still extremely portable and easy to set up. The longer focal ratios of most of these scopes also make them more forgiving of cheap eyepieces like the ones provided, as well as lax in collimation tolerances.
Rank 1
4.4/5
The Heritage 130P has a whopping 130mm (5.1") of aperture, includes a pair of great eyepieces and a collimation tool, and also features a collapsible tube that allows it to fit into a smaller space, which makes it a better choice for kids. This does create the disadvantage of stray light being able to easily enter the tube, which can be (mostly) remedied by creating a foam shroud. However, the compactness and light weight are more than worth this minor inconvenience.
List Price: $275
Rank 2
4.2/5
The Z130 is the best of the Zhumell tabletop Dobs, featuring even more aperture and a slower focal ratio of f/5, which makes it less demanding of collimation and eyepiece quality. The Z130 comes with tube rings and a nicer focuser when compared to the Heritage 130P. The only downside is that, at over 20 pounds, you’ll be hard pressed to find a suitable surface for the scope to rest on.
List Price: $275
Rank 3
3.45/5
Not only does the SkyScanner BL135 have an uncomfortably low height for a free-standing instrument, but it also suffers from a variety of shortcomings. Its optics are satisfactory, but the Dobsonian mount is poorly made, the focuser is almost unusable, and the eyepieces and finder are cheap garbage. The BL135 is quite literally an Orion-branded generic instrument that can be found on Alibaba, so there isn't anything unique here.
List Price: $349.99

5" Computerized Tabletop Dobsonians

Rank 1
4.4/5
The Virtuoso GTi 130P adds GoTo functionality to the beloved Heritage 130P without hindering the ability to move the telescope manually—even when powered on and aligned—with a minimal increase in weight. However, the usefulness of this feature with a wide-field and relatively small instrument is questionable, especially when a larger scope could be purchased for the same price. The 150mm model is only a bit more expensive.
Celestron StarSense Explorer 130mm Dobsonian
Rank 2
4/5
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 130mm Dobsonian shares optics with the StarSense Explorer DX130 and other 130mm f/5 Newtonians, but like other 130mm f/5 tabletops it features only a 1.25” focuser, and cheap plastic rack-and-pinion one at that. The DX130 is more versatile with its 2” focuser, while you could also get the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 130mm tabletop Dobsonian with full motorized GoTo and tracking for around the same price as the StarSense 130mm scopes.

6" Dobs

6” Dobsonians are often considered to be the minimum “serious” telescopes to start out with by many amateurs, offering much better views and capabilities that you’re less likely to immediately get tired of compared to a smaller instrument. 

6" Freestanding Dobsonians

A full-sized 6′′ Dobsonian doesn’t need a table but is still surprisingly lightweight and portable, while being vastly easier to collimate than its shorter tabletop cousins. We would still recommend upsizing to an 8” or 10”, however, and a tabletop scope may offer more features or value for the money.
Best Performance
Apertura AD6
Dobsonian
Rank 1
4.7/5
A free-standing 6” f/8 Dobsonian, the Apertura AD6 sports the same 2” dual-speed focuser as its larger counterparts and offers a decent bundled accessory package, too. If you don’t like the idea of a tabletop telescope and can’t/won’t pay for an 8”, this is an excellent scope; however, if you can scale up to the AD8 or AD10, you’ll get all of the benefits of the AD6 in a similar weight/volume but with vastly greater light-collecting and resolving power.
Best Performance/Planetary
Rank 2
4.5/5
The XT6 is a nice scope with well-designed altitude bearings, good optics, and a 2” metal Crayford focuser, but its basic accessories mean there are better deals to be had elsewhere in some cases. With recent changes to the scope’s design, it also has a few positive differences from the more-expensive SkyLine 6.
Rank 3
4.4/5
The 6” Traditional has a poorly-designed “brake” for its altitude bearings, its rack-and-pinion focuser is inferior to a Crayford design, and the scope’s secondary mirror is too small to illuminate 2” eyepieces despite its focuser’s ability to take them. However, the included Super eyepieces are quite good, and optically, the scope is as good as any other 6” f/8 Dob out there.
Rank 4
4.3/5
The Orion SkyLine 6 used to be an improvement over the SkyQuest XT6, but due to shifts in price with both scopes and upgrades to the XT6, this is no longer the case. The SkyLine 6 features a 1.25” Crayford focuser, specs almost identical to the XT6, and an additional eyepiece; however, the included 9mm Plossl eyepiece isn’t anything special and is far from being worth the sacrifice of 2” eyepiece capability or an increase in price. The SkyLine 6 is also a little heavier than the XT6.

6" Tabletop Dobsonians

A 6′′ tabletop Dobsonian is great for those who need an ultra-portable scope with a decent aperture, but it will really need a custom support or a permanent solid surface, and not a table. You get a lot more portability compared to a freestanding 6” f/8 Dob, and the faster f/ratio of these scopes allows them to achieve a similar field of view to a 6” f/8 equipped with a 2” focuser. 
Rank 1
4.8/5
The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P is a fully GoTo 6” dobsonian telescope in a compact, lightweight package that can be used manually. With quality optics, well-made included eyepieces, and the ability to be used manually even while the mount’s electronics are powered on and aligned with the sky, it’s hard to argue against this fabulous instrument-especially at a price on par with most manual telescopes of its aperture.
Rank 2
4.5/5
The Heritage 150P is essentially a bigger version of the smaller 130mm Heritage, with the same user-friendly tabletop Dobsonian mount and collapsible tube but a bit more light gathering capability. While still a tabletop telescope, it packs great views in a package that can fit in almost any vehicle, storage space, or container. Heritage 130P is the manual version of Virtuoso GTi 150P.
Rank 3
4.4/5
The new Orion StarBlast 6 is a great tabletop 6” Dobsonian. It boasts identical specs and capabilities to the cheaper Heritage/Virtuoso GTi 150P from Sky-Watcher but has a simpler, solid tube with rotatable rings for balance and comfort, along with a 2” focuser. The 2” focuser enables the use of a coma corrector and 2” eyepieces for a far more expansive field of view, but these accessories will also likely cost more than the StarBlast 6 itself.
Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Dobsonian
Rank 4
3.9/5
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Dobsonian, to no surprise, uses standard 150mm f/5 optics and a single-armed tabletop base, essentially the same hardware as the Orion StarBlast 6” but with a 1.25”-only focuser. Considering that this scope is in the same price range as most 8” Dobsonians and the motorized, tracking Virtuoso GTi 150P which uses the same optical specs is quite a bit less expensive, we can’t really think of a good reason to go with the StarSense Explorer 150mm Dobsonian over the dozen picks ahead of it, though it certainly delivers excellent views and is aided by the easy-to-use StarSense Explorer smartphone app and technology.

8″ Dobs

For a beginner, the 8′′ Dobsonian offers the best balance of aperture, portability, affordability, and simplicity. An 8′′ Dobsonian is almost exactly the same physical size as a 6” f/8 freestanding Dob, apart from the wider tube, but offers significantly more resolution and nearly double the light collecting capability. 8-inch Dobsonians are usually the most recommended size for beginners and hobbyists and are made to last a lifetime. You may still want to consider a 10”, however, which offers a similar form factor to a 6” or 8” with even more capability. All three of these aperture sizes typically have 1200mm (48”) focal lengths and similarly long tubes, allowing them to fit across the back of the majority of vehicles and making them most comfortable to use when seated for adult observers.

8″ Classic Dobsonians

Rank 1
4.9/5
GSO-made ‘best bang for your buck’ offering from HighPointScientific, the most popular US telescope retailer. It’s optically and functionally the same as the Zhumell Z8/Orion Skyline 8, but often priced lower. The Z8 and AD8 have the exact same set of eyepieces, focuser, altitude bearing, and finderscope. As of 2023, Apertura AD8 is the least expensive of the three options, and HighPointScientific’s assistance makes it superior in every way.
Rank 2
4.9/5
Produced by the same company, GSO, the Zhumell Z8 is an exact replica of the Apertura AD8 and is optically similar to the Orion Skyline 8″. If you can’t get hold of Apertura AD8 for some reason, Zhumell Z8 is the clear 8″ Dobsonian of choice.
List Price: $699.99
Rank 3
4.7/5
The FirstLight 8” Dobsonian offers a high-quality mount with smooth motions, adjustable rings, and huge altitude bearings for minimizing balance issues, a high-quality 2” Crayford focuser, and a recently added, well-made reflex sight finder. However, the sole included eyepiece leaves much to be desired, and the scope is a little heavier and bulkier than the competition.
Orion Skyline 8″ Dobsonian
Rank 4
4.6/5
Other than the branding, altitude bearings, and accessories, the Skyline 8″ is the same scope as the AD8/Z8 and is made by GSO as well. Orion’s price markup because of its brand name makes it difficult to recommend it when AD8/Z8 are being sold cheaper.
Rank 5
4.5/5
The Orion XT8 is one of the cheaper 8″ Dobsonians on the market. It’s pretty bare with regards to accessories, but its price and high-quality 2″ Crayford focuser make it a good buy—although it certainly needs some additional accessories. Since the Apertura AD8 is just $50 more, at the moment, AD8 is the clear winner.
Rank 6
4.4/5
The Sky-Watcher 8″ Classic comes with everything you need to get started at a low price, with a 9×50 finderscope and two eyepieces. However, its focuser and Dobsonian mount are not the most well-designed and can frustrate newcomers.
Orion Limited Edition SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian
Rank 7
4.1/5
The “limited edition” XT8 bundle (which has been available for years) isn’t bad, but the included bonus accessories would cost less than $75 USD to purchase on your own despite the scope being quite a bit more than that over the regular XT8; you’re basically paying a premium for a red paint job.

8″ Truss Tube Dobsonians

A collapsible or truss tubed 8” Dobsonian is overkill, adding complexity and cost to an otherwise simple and affordable setup. However, they can save a bit of space if you must have one.
New Moon 8” Hardwood
4.7/5
A premium telescope, the 8” New Moon Dobsonian is hardly the most economical choice, and we would recommend their 10” or 12” models if you are already in the market for such an expensive scope. The 8” is almost too small for the fancy fittings of these instruments.
4.1/5
The 8” Flextube’s collapsible tube is nice for those needing the most compact 8″ dobsonian possible, but it comes at the cost of a higher weight, more frequent collimation, and stray light issues. It also lacks the dual-speed focuser of some of its competitors (the Z8, the AD8, the Skyline 8, and the XT8 Plus), which by itself is a $100 accessory.

8″ Computerized Dobsonians

A few 8” Dobsonians are offered with full GoTo or computer-assisted PushTo capabilities, which can bump them up into the price range of a larger scope but may be worth considering. Any of them can still be used manually as well.
Rank 1
4.7/5
While not as well-accessorized as the AD8 or the Z8, the StarSense Explorer 8″ is lightweight, provides great views, and the StarSense Explorer technology makes the scope extremely easy to use, even for newcomers. The only downsides are its price and lack of accessories.
List Price: $799
Rank 2
4.6/5
The XT8i offers almost identical features, form factor, and performance to the Celestron StarSense Explorer 8” Dobsonian at essentially the same price. Aside from an extra 10mm Plossl eyepiece and 9×50 finder, the only real difference is that you use a hand controller keypad with physical position encoders instead of the StarSense Explorer’s smartphone-aided design, which can be a little more prone to issues and may confuse beginners. However, it’s still a great choice.
Orion SkyQuest XT8G GoTo Dobsonian
Rank 3
4.1/5
The Orion SkyQuest XT8G is identical in optics, features, performance, and more or less price with the 8” FlexTube GoTo Dobsonian offered by Sky-Watcher, though Orion provides both a WiFi adapter and the SynScan V5 controller as standard. You get a dual-speed focuser, and a nice 2” eyepiece is included for low power. The XT8G automatically points at objects and tracks them with its GoTo system while its dual encoders ensure position accuracy is maintained even if you bump it or elect to aim the telescope manually. The XT8G is heavier than a standard 8” Dobsonian but not any bulkier, while the dual-speed focuser it is furnished with is a bit nicer than the unit provided with the GSO Dobsonians. However, we would recommend a bigger 10” or 12” model if possible, regardless of whether the computerized capabilities matter to you.
Rank 4
4/5
The Skywatcher 8″ Collapsible GoTo features full GoTo but can be pushed around manually with or without aligning the GoTo system-and without disrupting the alignment of said GoTo system. It can even be controlled via your phone or tablet with the SynScan Pro app or SkySafari. The GoTo 8” Collapsible is more or less a regular 8” Collapsible with the SynScan system

10″ Dobs

While a little less compact than smaller models, a 10′′ Dobsonian is easily transported in most vehicles and provides even more brilliant views. Most of the 10” Dobsonians available in this price range are marginally heavier than an 8” and have the same length tubes, which means that portability-wise, a 10” is still plenty easy to manage. With most units possessing a 1200mm focal length, it’s no trouble to fit one across the back of a vehicle. 10′′ Dobsonians gather 56% more light compared to 8′′ Dobsonians, and it is totally worth the upgrade if you don’t mind the extra bulk or cost. 8” is still the gold standard to many, but there’s little disadvantage to starting with a 10” telescope besides cost. You can also consider a truss tube option in lieu of a solid-tubed 10” Dobsonian, which can be portable and often affordable, with the drawback of increased setup time.
Rank 1
4.9/5
The Apertura AD10 builds on the AD8 by adding just a bit more aperture. The accessories and focal length are the same, and the scope is only a tiny bit more bulky, but the views are over 56% brighter than an 8” scope! If you can afford the additional expense, Apertura AD10 is well worth it compared to an 8-inch Dobsonian.
Rank 2
4.9/5
The Z10 is made by GSO, the same manufacturer as the Apertura AD scopes, but sold by a different company. It is absolutely identical to the AD10 in every way.
List Price: $979.99
Rank 3
4.7/5
The 10” FirstLight Dobsonian’s high-quality fittings, such as its smooth bearings, adjustable tube cradle, and deluxe 2” Crayford focuser, along with the high-quality included reflex sight and easily collapsed base, make it an excellent choice. However, you’ll need to spend some money equipping it with more eyepieces.
Orion Skyline 10″ Dobsonian
Rank 4
4.6/5
The Skyline 10 is identical to the Z10 and AD10 but at a significant price markup and occasionally with a cheap star chart tossed in.
Rank 5
4.5/5
The Orion SkyQuest XT10 Classic has the same great performance as any 10″ Dobsonian, with a sturdy base and high-quality 2″ single-speed Crayford focuser. The mount is better designed than those of the Sky-Watcher Dobsonians, too. However, you don’t get a lot of accessories for the money. The AD10/Z10/SkyLine 10 are only a little more expensive and offer a lot more bang for your buck.
Rank 6
4.4/5
Another more “bare-bones” entry, the Sky-Watcher 10” Classic comes with two eyepieces, a 9×50 finderscope, and a single-speed focuser.

10″ Truss Tube Dobsonians

A truss tube or collapsible 10” Dobsonian can save some weight and/or space compared to a solid-tubed unit. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to invest in a shroud, and assembly can be a little more time-consuming.
New Moon 10” Hardwood
Rank 1
4.7/5
The New Moon premium Dobsonians are expensive, but if you must have the best, then look no further. With a variety of high-quality fittings, super-smooth bearings, a compact design, and buyer-customized features coupled with premium optics, the only argument against the New Moon 10” Hardwood Dobsonian is simply its huge price.
Rank 2
4.6/5
The 10” Explore Scientific Hybrid Dobsonian offers excellent value for the money, at a price comparable to a typical solid-tubed 8”. The build quality is for the most part superb, with smooth motions and a super-compact form factor when dismantled. However, you will need to do some modifications to put the focuser (a mere single-speed) at a comfortable angle, add a shroud, and purchase some decent eyepieces and a finder scope as the stock ones are garbage. This may bump you up into the price range of a more well-equipped 10” solid tubed scope.
Rank 3
4.3/5
The 10” Explore Scientific Truss Tube Dobsonian offers the same features as the 10” Hybrid but adds a dual-speed focuser and cooling fans. The upper tube assembly is more minimalist in design but will require the addition of a plastic liner to keep stray light out. The same accessory upgrades as with the Hybrid are also a must. Whether the features added compared to the Hybrid are worth the huge jump in price is up to you.
Rank 4
4/5
The 10” FlexTube is marginally heavier than its solid-tubed counterpart, while the collapsible tube is not hugely advantageous compared to an actual truss and still requires a shroud. Compared to the solid-tubed 10” Dobs, you get fewer accessories and no weight savings, while a truss is far more compact.

10″ Computerized Dobsonians

10” computerized Dobsonian telescopes are available with full motorized GoTo and tracking, or PushTo. The GoTo adds weight but will still allow you to seamlessly aim the scope manually, while PushTo helps you find objects but won’t track or move the scope for you. Either is a great option if you can afford it and don’t mind the compromises.
Rank 1
4.7/5
The 10” StarSense Explorer uses Celestron StarSense Explorer technology to help you navigate the night sky with your smartphone, and it is considerably lighter and more portable than most other solid-tubed 10” Dobsonians thanks to its optimized design and numerous well-placed carry handles. However, you don’t get a lot of accessories provided with this scope, despite its fairly high price.
List Price: $1099
Rank 2
4.2/5
Featuring full GoTo and a collapsible tube, the 10” Collapsible is a great option for beginners and experienced users alike. Like most GoTo Dobsonians, the 10” Collapsible can be operated completely manually should you not want to use the GoTo system, and it can be adjusted manually without upsetting the GoTo alignment.
Orion SkyQuest XT10G Dobsonian GoTo
Rank 3
4.2/5
The Orion SkyQuest XT10G is virtually identical in features and performance to the 10” Collapsible GoTo Dobsonian offered by Sky-Watcher, but uses a solid tube and features an upgraded focuser. Upgrading the focuser on the Sky-Watcher 10” would cost only a bit more than the price difference between the two scopes, however, so the choice between one or the other is really up to personal preference.

12″ Dobs

A 12′′ Dobsonian often takes serious consideration before purchasing. The sheer size and bulk of cheap and simple solid-tubed offerings necessitate either a strong user and a large vehicle or an easy setup, such as rolling out of a garage. Some may consider even starting out with a monster instrument, but you should consider your options and living situation carefully. A 12” truss tube Dobsonian is fairly compact and easy to handle – possibly moreso than a solid-tubed 8” or 10” – but can be expensive and take some time to assemble. If you’re willing to put up with the hassle, scopes this size will deliver images that are nothing short of spectacular.

12″ Classic Dobsonians

At about 5 feet (1.5m) long), a solid-tubed 12” will not fit across the back of a standard car. This means that unless you have a truck or van, you will likely be folding down seats, which impinges on available storage space or the ability to bring passengers. The massive base can also be a pain to fit. Additionally, the weight and bulk of the tube require lifting straps to carry it yourself, while the base may need additional handles installed. Transporting the scope is best with a dolly or hand truck, which is ideal if you already have good skies at home and don’t want to bring your telescope to events/etc. If you do not think you are able to handle one of these scopes, a truss tube or downsizing to a 10” is a good idea.
Rank 1
4.8/5
The AD12’s massive tube requires a strong owner and a large vehicle (or a convenient at-home setup such as a dolly or cart to simply roll it outside) to be set up and transported easily, but if you can fulfill these requirements, you’ll be rewarded with a massive aperture and stunning views at a price that can’t be beat with the help of the best accessories in the class.
Rank 2
4.8/5
The Z12 is basically the same as the AD12, though it is offered at slightly higher or lower prices depending on circumstances and available stock.
Orion Skyline 12″ Dobsonian
Rank 3
4.5/5
The Skyline 12 is essentially identical to the Z12 and AD12 but at a much higher price. For even more money, you can also buy the Skyline 12 as a “kit” with a 2” UHC filter and some charts included.

12″ Truss Tube Dobsonians

When dismantled, a 12” truss tube Dobsonian is often more compact than a solid-tubed 8” or 10” scope and quite easy to haul around yourself. Many of these telescopes also feature lightweight or collapsible bases to aid in transportation/storage further.
New Moon 12.5” Hybrid
Rank 1
4.7/5
One of the highest-quality brands available, New Moon’s premium Dobsonians offer excellent mechanical and optical quality with a variety of features that can be customized by the user, along with a rugged and ultra-portable form factor.
Rank 2
4.5/5
The Sky-Watcher 12” FlexTube Dobsonian isn’t particularly lighter than a solid-tubed 12” Dobsonian, but if all you really care about is fitting the tube in a car and being able to carry it around yourself, the FlexTube design does the trick. However, other scopes offer better mechanical designs and/or better accessories.
Rank 3
4.3/5
Offering even more portability than the Skywatcher 12″ FlexTube Dobsonian, the ES 12” Truss Dobsonian can even fit in a passenger seat! However, assembly is a bit more complicated, and the scope needs quite a few DIY modifications and upgrades—as well as some better accessories—to work at its best.
Hubble Optics 12” UltraPortable Dobsonian
Rank 4
3.9/5
The Hubble Optics UP12 is a little bit inconsistent in its overall quality control; the mechanical design is a little unusual; and the telescope cannot be aimed near the horizon due to the limitations of its altitude bearings. However, it is extremely lightweight and portable if you are willing to accept its design concessions.

12” Computerized Dobsonians

It’s important to note that the addition of full GoTo and motors to a larger Dobsonian can result in a far heavier base due to the increased stiffness required as well as the weight of the electronics themselves. While most of these scopes do have collapsible bases, the ground disk on its own can still be a pain to haul around. Computer-assisted Push-To Dobsonians do not weigh any more than a manual instrument, thankfully.
Celestron StarSense Explorer 12″ Dobsonian
Rank 1
4.5/5
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 12” Dobsonian, as with the smaller 8” and 10” versions, isn’t as well-equipped as its GSO 12” counterpart sold by Apertura/Zhumell/Orion but features a considerably lighter base and built-in handles, which considerably aid portability, alongside the Celestron StarSense Explorer technology to help you navigate around the night sky. This is a beast of a scope, for sure, but the views through the eyepiece are more than worth it.
Rank 2
4.4/5
The Orion SkyQuest XX12i uses simple encoders to aid in its PushTo system to help navigate the sky, though it of course won’t swing around or track objects for you. This telescope is fairly lightweight and compact when disassembled thanks to its truss tube design, and the base is hardly an effort to carry around despite the fact that it doesn’t really come apart thanks to the lack of beefy motors or thick boards.
Orion SkyQuest XX12G Dobsonian GoTo
Rank 3
4.3/5
The Orion SkyQuest XX12G features a collapsible base and fully motorized GoTo/tracking capabilities with dual encoders to allow manual aiming even when the GoTo system is activated and aligned. The true truss system allows the scope to collapse down to a manageable size along with the flat-pack base, and the scope features a high-quality dual-speed 2” Crayford focuser as is to be expected with any high-and Dobsonian.
Sky-Watcher 12″ Flextube Dobsonian GoTo
Rank 4
4.3/5
The Sky-Watcher 12” FlexTube GoTo Dobsonian offers basically the same features as its Orion SkyQuest counterpart, but with the simpler FlexTube design in lieu of a truss. While less compact, the FlexTube design is fine if storage space is not the utmost concern, and the optical tube is still lighter than the massive ground base assembly anyway.
Orion SkyQuest XT12G Dobsonian GoTo
Rank 5
4.2/5
A regular solid-tubed 12” Dobsonian is a monster scope, and the weight of the Orion SkyQuest XT12G’s electronics doesn’t help much with that, bringing the assembled weight to over 100 lbs. You would probably be better served by a collapsible or truss 12” scope at this size with a more compact or collapsible base as well. However, for those who don’t mind the weight and bulk, the XT12G is an excellent scope with the same fabulous GoTo, dual encoders, and dual-speed 2” Crayford focuser bundled with a huge 12” aperture as many more expensive options.

14″ Dobs

A 14” Dobsonian is a monster telescope. All of these instruments are truss or collapsible tubes, and most 14” and larger scopes feature computerized pointing abilities in some fashion. We would probably recommend starting out with a smaller instrument as your first scope, however, and numerous aftermarket accessories will also be required to enjoy one of these instruments.
  • Orion SkyQuest XX14G
  • Sky-Watcher 14” Flextube SynScan GoTo Dobsonian
  • Hubble Optics 14″ f/4.6 Premium Ultra Light Dobsonian Telescope
  • Orion SkyQuest XX14i

16″ Dobs

The largest sized instruments you’re likely to see regularly mass-manufactured, a 16” Dobsonian is a serious telescope with massive light-gathering and resolving capabilities, though you may need a ladder or step stool to reach the eyepiece when these telescopes are aimed high in the sky.
  • Explore Scientific 16″ Truss Tube Dobsonian
  • Orion SkyQuest XX16G Dobsonian GoTo
  • Sky-Watcher 16″ Flextube SynScan GoTo Dobsonian
  • Hubble Optics 16″ Premium Ultra Light Dobsonian Telescope