Vortex Optics Solo Monocular 10x36 - Utility Clip, Adjustable Eyecup, Fully Multi-Coated Lenses, Rubber Armor, Non-Slip Grip,

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 1,669 ratings

Price: 129

Last update: 01-08-2025


About this item

10x magnification and 36mm objectives lens, the Solo Monocular is a small, lightweight optic with fully multi-coated lenses, increasing the light transmission and resolution giving you the clear, crisp images you want.
The monocular is fully rubber armored providing a non-slip grip to the user and making it extremely durable.
Nitrogen purged and o-ring sealed, the Solo delivers waterproof and fogproof performance in any environment.
The adjustable eyecup allows for comfortable viewing with or without glasses. The 36mm Solo comes with a versatile, multi-position utility clip for quick attachment to your equipment or clothing.
Backed by our unlimited, unconditional, lifetime, VIP Warranty. A fully transferable promise to repair or replace your item if it becomes damaged/defective. Does not cover loss, theft, deliberate damage or cosmetic damage that doesn't hinder performance.

Product information


Top reviews from the United States

Irish Dave
5.0 out of 5 stars great quality optic
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
just the right size ,easy to adjust and is built for rugged use ,very clear view ....Note: the lanyard is right out of a cracker jack box ...might be ok for a walk in the park but not for a outdoorsman ...I replaced it with a nice paracord one
Kat n Sam
5.0 out of 5 stars great optic for a good price
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2017
I bought this for bow hunting and camping/hiking. i tried out a bunch of differrnt binos and found that what I wanted was a good quality mono. I chose this after trying out several at gmountain. it is a little bulky for a mono but still smaller and lighter than all equivalent binos. the 36 obj lens makes it excellent at dusk and the 10x is more than adequate, even for rifle hunting, to ID animals. Some have said the adjuster is to stiff but i prefer it stays where i set it. I can still adjust it with just my thumb. comes with a belt clip, which I removed since I hang it arount my neck, also making it even more comfortable to hold. I did rig it up in my bino straps instead of the supplied lanyard as the lanyard isnt comfortable longterm and lets it flop around while walking and could hang up in my ghily suit or bow string. The optics are quite clear and holding it steady is just a matter of practice. I am very happy with this even tho its made in china, they seem to have done a good job with this.
George
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth it.
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2024
Great glass. Very clear. Perfect for hikes.
Miguel L.
4.0 out of 5 stars This is a review, also general information and personal experience
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2019
This is my first monocular, not my first experience with optics. After an extensive online search and gathering of information this one made it.

About the product: I went for the 10x36. The feel in hand is very good, hard rubber gripy and sturdy in general, it seems well made, with good fit and finish. No protective caps is good for practical carry and quick use, bad for storage, transportation or for people who cares about maintaining gear in good condition, I personally miss the caps, not only for scratch protection but for keeping the glass clean of fingerprints, it's really annoying having to be careful at handling.
I don't use the pocket clip so I dismounted it but it's good to have the option, it works. The eye relief is good with or without glasses. It works perfectly with Vankey cellphone adapter, it allows using the focus wheel while mounted. The focus wheel is a little stiff as I see in other reviews, it's true, it's a 2 hand operation but works well, although when turning the wheel all the way to both sides I can hear a "sanding" sound, like it's fragile, but this is an assumption. The optical experience is good, I'm glad I went with the 36 objective because the light gathering is better than I expected. I can see a clear an very defined image, with just a bit of blue glare at the edge of objects, but it's really hard to notice, not something that I consider a negative at this price point, moreover this happens only when the object is with heavy bright contrast at the background. Up to 100m the focus is excellent, past that distance the focus is very hard to find, it always seems tiny bit off focus, this is the main negative I've experienced so far. The second negative is a very very short range of focus, my guess is about 2m. I constantly find myself having to refocus.

Personal experience: The first time I use the cellphone adapter the eye relief plastic piece made a "crack" sound and came off. I red this in another review and it happened to me too. I found myself with the eye piece attached to the adapter in one hand and the monocular in the other with the glue exposed at the eyepiece, I thought it was over, but put it back together and it's like nothing happened. It's a very sticky soft glue I think that allows for this to happen but beeniusing it 2 weeks after that and it works fine.
There is no tripod mount but the monocular it's so light that I rather use the tripod attached to the cell phone adapter instead when digiscoping and works well.
I own a pair of old Simmons binoculars 7x50, I believe they are from the 90s, these binoculars deliver exceptionaly good optics, a great field of view and very generous range of fucus, I could say 100m range of focus, so I'm used to that experience, that's why I can't enjoy the short range of focus of this monocular. The only downside to my binoculars is the weight.

General information: My options where between unknown (or barely known) Chinese brands and very expensive known and established brands. The expensive Leica and zeis where out of range mainly because I don't want to babycare gear, so I started looking at these chinese ones. It seems that all brands are the same, same factory, same quality control, etc. Only the marketing changes. Too many "top 10 best monoculars" videos that are obviously paid advertising. Product reviews by doubtful channels and lame or inexistant socialmedia presence. That doesn't give me so much confidence. In a deeper subject I red on a forum that chinese BAK4 is not really BAK4 and that there are not really any standards in the optics industry for using that term or the famous "fully multi coated". I'm aware Vortex are produced in China but there are some standards by well stablished brands. At least there is customer service and warranty. So I recommend to dig into this matter of optics specs and marketing schemes if you are really into optics.
Jesse Oviatt
5.0 out of 5 stars Solid optic for the money
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
I was pretty stoked to get this as I have a Vortex rifle scope and it has not disappointed. Well made and the optics are great. Its become standard gear for my hikes
Daniel
5.0 out of 5 stars Seems good so far. I’ve compared 8x and 10x
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024
I’m going to be using this on my little outdoor adventures or even watching wildlife in my backyard. The monocular seems to be generally not recommended if you read up on them online. People was say that Binos are better in just about every way. The reason I bought this is that it’s small enough to always be with you and the best optics are going to be the ones that are with you. bought both 8x and 10x solos. I like the belt clip idea. Build quality seems ok, vortex is supposed to have a good warrantee policy. The 8x was very underwhelming. Clear and extremely stead but didn’t get me as close as I wanted. I ordered the 10x and was much more satisfied. It’s ever so slightly more unstable but I can actually see what I want to see. The two pictures of the rose bush are from around 30 ft or so. There’s a very small difference. It’s not until you look at an object farther away that the 10x really starts to shine. I’d actually be interested in a 12x but it seems most major brands don’t make a 12x monocular and most people think 10x is over kill for monoculars. I’m new to this but I’d rather use my naked eye than 8x in my humble opinion. I hardly ever order things to compare and send one back but the 8x will be getting returned this time round.

Note* As an added bonus you can flip it around and look into the end backward and use it as a magnifier. I can see the lines of my finger prints in detail like a microscope. Could be handy in the right circumstance!
Customer image
Daniel
5.0 out of 5 stars Seems good so far. I’ve compared 8x and 10x
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024
I’m going to be using this on my little outdoor adventures or even watching wildlife in my backyard. The monocular seems to be generally not recommended if you read up on them online. People was say that Binos are better in just about every way. The reason I bought this is that it’s small enough to always be with you and the best optics are going to be the ones that are with you. bought both 8x and 10x solos. I like the belt clip idea. Build quality seems ok, vortex is supposed to have a good warrantee policy. The 8x was very underwhelming. Clear and extremely stead but didn’t get me as close as I wanted. I ordered the 10x and was much more satisfied. It’s ever so slightly more unstable but I can actually see what I want to see. The two pictures of the rose bush are from around 30 ft or so. There’s a very small difference. It’s not until you look at an object farther away that the 10x really starts to shine. I’d actually be interested in a 12x but it seems most major brands don’t make a 12x monocular and most people think 10x is over kill for monoculars. I’m new to this but I’d rather use my naked eye than 8x in my humble opinion. I hardly ever order things to compare and send one back but the 8x will be getting returned this time round.

Note* As an added bonus you can flip it around and look into the end backward and use it as a magnifier. I can see the lines of my finger prints in detail like a microscope. Could be handy in the right circumstance!
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image

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