BinoArmor Deluxe BA-07

Carson's BinoArmor Deluxe is an excellent product I highly recommend to any wildlife enthusiast who's tired of

-Fumbling around with lens covers
-Having to replace lens covers that have been lost or damaged, or lens covers that are loose or of bad quality.
-Cases with noisy velcro/zipper/etc. closures.
-Binoculars getting scratched and/or dirty

The BinoArmor Deluxe is the solution to all of this. Ever since I bought it the amount of work and worrying over protecting my binoculars has been vastly reduced. The BinoArmor eliminates the need of lens covers and binocular cases since it works as both! No longer do I have to waste time messing with lens covers or noisy closures in binocular cases, since all I have to do is--in less than 3 seconds--open up the BinoArmor and hold the binocs to my eyes. In addition, it has already saved my binoculars from one or two nasty falls and bumps, which would have otherwise damaged them. The BinoArmor also has two pouches in its sides that can fit pencils, pens, small cellphones, granola bars and other sizable objects.

But the BinoArmor has its cons, too. If you hold your binocs at a very acute angle (i.e. looking at the floor) in relation to your chest, the BinoArmor's outer flap may obtrude your view, forcing you to push them away with one hand while holding your binoculars with the other. However, the only occasion when you may find yourself looking straight down may be while on a balcony, in which case you can simply rest the flap against the rail.

Remember that adjusting and getting used to your new BinoArmor takes a little bit of time. At first it may seem a bit awkward, but afterwards the act of opening your BinoArmor becomes quick and mechanical.

The BinoArmor is currently available for x42 binoculars only, and works well with both binocular neck straps and harnesses.

(Note: Price varies, usually around $20-$30 in Amazon.com)

***UPDATE 29 April 2013:


Although I initially gave this product a very positive review, now that a significant amount of time has passed my opinions on the BinoArmor have changed a bit.

Although I still believe that the BinoArmor is an incredibly useful tool that succeeds at protecting my binoculars and allows me to carry them around safely while being able to use them, when you're out birding the act of repeatedly opening the flap gets tiring and annoying. Plus, the elastic band that holds the binoculars slips at times, dropping the BinoArmor on the forest floor. Sometimes I simply take off the BinoArmor, put it in my pack, and walk on with a feeling of relief at being able to handle my lightweight binoculars with my own hands.

Although the BinoArmor is a great product, the design is a bit clumsy and awkward to handle. I'd recommend you purchase another similar but better product, the BinoBib.

*** UPDATE 20 Dic 2014

Turns out the BinoArmor wasn't so good after all--it fell off my binocs sometime during a hike, and I haven't seen it since.