Rank #9 in Best Telescopes 2026: 10 Ranked, and the Specs That Don't Add Up
Celestron Travel Scope 70 Refractor with Backpack
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The Celestron Travel Scope 70 is a 70 mm refractor sold as a kit: the optical tube, a full-height tripod and a backpack, with a 20 mm and a 10 mm eyepiece in the box. It sits at number 9 in our best telescopes guide, with a 4.3 average from 14,391 ratings and a price of £89.95 on the listing this page is built from.
The listing's own numbers do not agree with each other. It states a 700 mm focal length and two eyepieces, 20 mm and 10 mm, which on that focal length work out at 35x and 70x. The same spec table gives an exit pupil diameter of 35 mm. On a 70 mm objective lens, a 35 mm exit pupil means 2x magnification — not the 35x and 70x those eyepieces produce. The table also carries a "Zoom Ratio" of 2:1 and an "Eye Piece Lens Description" of "Barlow", neither of which fits a fixed-focal refractor supplied with two eyepieces. Everything on this page comes from the Amazon listing, not from any testing of our own.
How those 14,391 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.3 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £89.95 |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.3 out of 5, from 14,391 ratings |
| Objective lens diameter | 70 mm |
| Focal length | 700 mm |
| Supplied eyepieces | 20 mm and 10 mm (35x and 70x at 700 mm focal length) |
| Exit pupil diameter (as listed) | 35 mm |
| Item weight | 1.91 kg |
| Field of view | 1.43 degrees |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Celestron is a trusted name for good reason. This travel scope is a good basic scope clear optics a 10mm and 20mm eyepieces and a crisp diagnonal. You can add a camera like ZWO Svbony for great pics use filters for moon and solar viewing NOT included.”
Verified purchase“Superb optics and a lot of kit for little money. Some people complain about the height of the tripod but it can be extended further by raising the central pole.The software download only works on Windows or Mac though, so if you have a Chromebook don't expect to use it.”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best Telescopes 2026: 10 Ranked, and the Specs That Don't Add Up.
Questions people ask
What magnification does the Celestron Travel Scope 70 give?
The listing states a 700 mm focal length and two eyepieces, 20 mm and 10 mm. 700 divided by 20 is 35x and 700 divided by 10 is 70x; the listing itself only calls them low- and high-power views.
What does the listing say about the exit pupil of the Celestron Travel Scope 70?
The spec table lists an exit pupil diameter of 35 mm. On the stated 70 mm objective lens that works out at 2x magnification, which does not match the 35x and 70x the supplied eyepieces give on the stated 700 mm focal length.
What comes in the box with the Celestron Travel Scope 70?
The listing describes the telescope, a full-height tripod, a custom travel backpack, a built-on StarPointer red dot finderscope, and a free download of an astronomy software program.
How heavy is the Celestron Travel Scope 70?
The listing gives the item weight as 1.91 kg and the optical tube length as 431 mm.
What warranty does the Celestron Travel Scope 70 carry?
The listing states a two-year warranty and Celestron customer support, describing Celestron as a brand based in California since 1960.
What mount and focus type does the Celestron Travel Scope 70 use?
The listing gives an altazimuth mount with manual focus and a panning handle with clutch for alt-az manual control.
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