Telescopes / Dobsonian
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Dobsonian Telescopes

Checked 2026-10-24

Simple, stable floor-based mounts paired with large Newtonian reflectors 19 telescopes · 6 brands

For adults For beginners For kids Refractor For moon viewing Portable Tripod included For travel Budget With phone adapter Altazimuth mounts 90mm aperture 80mm aperture Equatorial mounts Reflector 70mm aperture Professional For bird watching For deep sky For astrophotography 600mm focal length Black Smart Digital Dobsonian 800mm focal length Monocular 400mm focal length White 50mm aperture STEM learning Tabletop mounts Maksutov-Cassegrain 130mm aperture 60mm aperture 900mm focal length 114mm aperture 300mm focal length Blue Waterproof 700mm focal length Red Green

Best Dobsonian Telescopes

# Item Level House Notes See listing
1 Twelve inch smartphone guided dobsonian 8.8 Celestron Twelve inch smartphone guided dobsonian $879 Celestron Smart
$879 See listing
2 Heritage 130mm tabletop Dobsonian black telescope 9.0 Sky-Watcher Heritage 130mm tabletop Dobsonian black telescope $305 Sky-Watcher Black · For beginners · White
$305 See listing
3 Silver ripstop cover for twelve inch dobsonian 9.4 R-Sky Astroinstruments Silver ripstop cover for twelve inch dobsonian $95 R-Sky Astroinstruments Black · Waterproof
$95 See listing
4 Tabletop collapsible goto dobsonian 150mm Sky-Watcher U Tabletop collapsible goto dobsonian 150mm $469 Sky-Watcher U For moon viewing · Tabletop mounts
$469 See listing
5 Portable six inch Dobsonian with light shroud 9.4 BuiltAstro Portable six inch Dobsonian with light shroud $815 BuiltAstro For moon viewing · Portable · For travel
$815 See listing
6 Oxford cloth cover for tabletop Dobsonian EWEDGC Oxford cloth cover for tabletop Dobsonian $43.99 EWEDGC Tripod included · Tabletop mounts · Budget
$43.99 See listing
7 Eight inch dobsonian telescope with smartphone app Celestron Eight inch dobsonian telescope with smartphone app $879 Celestron Smart
$879 See listing
8 Flextube 200 Dobsonian 8 inch portable telescope 8.2 Sky-Watcher Flextube 200 Dobsonian 8 inch portable telescope $850 Sky-Watcher For beginners · Portable
$850 See listing
9 Black ripstop cover for ten inch dobsonian 9.3 R-Sky Astroinstruments Black ripstop cover for ten inch dobsonian $85 R-Sky Astroinstruments Black · Waterproof
$85 See listing
10 Tabletop collapsible goto dobsonian 130mm Sky-Watcher U Tabletop collapsible goto dobsonian 130mm $495 Sky-Watcher U For moon viewing · Tabletop mounts · 130mm aperture
$495 See listing
Before you buy

Dobsonian questions

Do I need to collimate a Dobsonian?

Yes, Newtonian reflectors need their mirrors aligned, and a Dobsonian is no exception. The process is straightforward with a collimation cap or laser, and many owners check it before a session. It is a routine part of owning this type of scope.

Can a Dobsonian be used on a balcony or small patio?

A tabletop model works well on a balcony because it sits on a small flat surface and does not need much room to swing. A full-size floor-standing Dobsonian needs a wider footprint and clear space around it. The base pivots in a full circle, so you need room for the tube to move.

What is the difference between a tabletop Dobsonian and a full-size one?

A tabletop Dobsonian has a short tube and a base that sits on a table or stool, making it easy to store and carry. A full-size Dobsonian stands on the ground with a taller base and a longer tube, which gives it more aperture and a higher eyepiece position. The trade-off is size and weight.

Is a Dobsonian good for looking at planets?

Yes, the large aperture of a Dobsonian gathers plenty of light, and planets show detail well when the scope is collimated and the atmosphere is steady. The simple mount tracks smoothly by hand, which is fine for visual observing. You do not need motors to follow a planet at low to medium power.

A Newtonian on a rocker box

A Dobsonian is a Newtonian reflector riding a simple, low-slung mount that sits directly on the ground or a table. The mount is the defining feature: a wooden or particle-board rocker box with a lazy-Susan bearing at the base and altitude bearings on the tube, so the whole thing pivots smoothly by hand. There are no motors, no counterweights, and no tripod legs to level or spread. You set the base down, drop the tube in, and you are ready to look.

The tube itself is usually a solid cylinder, though some larger models break down into a truss. The finish is almost always black or white, and the base is often a dark wood tone or black. Because the mount is so basic, the same money that would go toward a complex equatorial head on another scope goes into aperture here instead.

Sizes, tabletop versions, and what you actually get

Dobsonians come in a wide span of apertures, from small tabletop models around 114mm up through 150mm, 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch floor-standing tubes. The tabletop versions are short and squat, meant to sit on a picnic table or a sturdy stool, and they are light enough to carry out in one hand. The larger sizes are full-height tubes that stay assembled in a corner or a garage and get rolled or carried out in two pieces.

The eyepiece sits near the top of the tube on the side, which can mean standing or crouching depending on the scope’s height and your own. Focus is a simple rack-and-pinion knob. Some models include a smartphone dock that uses an app to help you find objects, but the optical tube and the rocker box are the whole product. A cover is a separate purchase, not part of the scope.

Related
For beginners Tabletop mounts Portable Black Smart White For moon viewing 130mm aperture