The Yukon NV night vision goggles are ideal for outdoor enthusiasts looking for an affordable night vision device.
This is a gen 1 device with all the inherent limitations for that generation, including limited range and blurry edges. But for the price, it’s a good bargain for anyone looking for a decent pair of night vision binoculars.
Read on for our full review.
If this is not what you were looking for, see other good choices in our in-depth night vision goggles buying guide.
36 lines/mm Resolution
36 lines per mm are not too bad for a Gen 1 night vision device. It’s not as good as the resolution you’ll get with Gen 2 or 3 goggles, but it’s good enough for basic hobbyist uses.
The trick to getting the best out of the fairly low resolution is to focus on short and medium-range targets.
If you are using these goggles for open range hunting, it won’t help much since you can’t spot animals from distance. But for basic home security, night hiking, and ghost hunting, they’ll do.
87-yard Average
Detection Range
You can’t see very far with these goggles, which is why we recommend them for short and medium-range uses.
The average detection range is about 87 yards on a night with a quarter moon. On a full moon night, you can see as far as 100-150 yards.
On a moonless night with the IR illuminator on, the range is reduced to 50-75 yards.
Note that this is just the detection range. You’ll mostly see vague shapes of people, objects, and animals. To identify what exactly you are seeing, you’ll have to be much closer.
30-degree Field of View
When you first put on the goggles, the view can be disorienting. Not just because of the green tint of the image, though that also takes time to adjust to, but also the narrow FOV.
It feels like you have tunnel vision. The binoculars don’t provide a sweeping view of your surroundings, meaning you have to keep turning your head to see what’s around you.
The 30-degree FOV is enough for walking along a path at night or scanning your backyard. But for applications like hunting that requires a wider view, look for goggles that offer at least a 40-degree FOV.
Head Mount
You can use the Yukon NV binoculars handheld or head-mounted.
If you are not holding anything else in your hands, you can carry them in your hands and raise them to your eyes whenever you need to look at something.
But for applications like hiking, you’ll find it more convenient to attach them to the included head mount.
The mount has a convenient flip-up/down mechanism so you can easily push the binoculars up and out of the way when you need to use your naked eyes.
40 Hours Battery Life
You can go several nights before you need to replace the batteries, assuming you only use the goggles for a few hours every night.
The 40-hour battery life is without the IR illuminator turned on. If you need to use the illuminator, the batteries won’t last as long.
The IR illuminator produces a pulsing rather than continuous frequency to save battery. If you need to use the illuminator, it won’t drain your batteries as quickly as other illuminators.
The general imaging performance of these goggles is limited compared to Gen 2 or 3 binoculars. You get less range, reduced image sharpness, and the image is not as bright.
Beyond performance, there’s also an issue with the mount. It’s uncomfortable for people with bigger heads. You cannot adjust the chinstrap, so the fit can be a bit tight to keep the mount on for long.
The binoculars are a bit heavy, making the mount even more uncomfortable.
The Yukon NV night vision goggles don’t have many impressive features. But for the price, they are a great choice for outdoor enthusiasts looking for an inexpensive entry-level night vision device.
