Which binoculars for under €300

Diamond back vortex, we tried a few pound for pound they where awesome

Opticron binoculars are worth looking at.
Can't fault mine and things always look nearer when I use them 😜

It all depends on what he will use them for. I love my Celestron binoculars, not the most powerful, but the optics are superb

I like my nikon 12x50.
Around 220£

Opticron +1.
I’ve got some Opticron Oasys 10x28’s, Leica Trinovid 10x25’s, Swarovski 10x28 CL’s & an old pair of Optolyth Alpin 10x50’s.
The Opticron are the best value for money, although you do get what you pay for so I can’t knock the others which are far better.

We've some opticron too but we both squabble over the vortexs

Not really given us enough to go on - Will he be using them on a tripod, or out in the field on their own? Does he want a fairly compact set to take with him or is he using them in the garden where it matters less? How much magnification does he need? What is he even looking at, birds on the other side of an estuary or something in the bush at the end of his garden? Will he want to use them in low light conditions at all?
All effect the balance between magnification and objective lens size.
The bigger the objective wheel the more light comes through so can be a sharper image in low light. But the binoculars are less compact and can be harder to hold still without a tripod or resting on something.
The Bigger the magnification the smaller the field of view is for the same size objective lens and the more difficult it is to scan around for an object.

WE have Nikon Prostaff 8x42 and Action Ex 10x50, both are great, the Prosfaff are much easier to carry around but the bigger EX has better quality.

Opticron binoculars are worth looking at.

They're worth looking into.

They’re worth looking into.

I see what you did there.

As stated above, it depends on use, but in general terms if they're for carrying about on walks etc the ideal weight to benefit ratio is around the 8x32 mark. They'll be compact, reasonably bright and clear. Anything much bigger than 10x magnification will be heavy, you soon get fed up with the weight and they're hard to hold steady. (voice of experience..... my 10x42 Meoptas stay in the cupboard unless I'm out hill-stalking but the 8x32s are my absolute go-to pair) Don't be tempted into anything with a zoom function, they really aren't practical for carrying, and the unnecessary complication of a zoom system means constant faffing, more to go wrong and a lot of unnecessary weight.

The market is flooded with cheap binos, but here's my two'pennorth:

Look at binos designed for the fieldsports market, in particular the manufacturers that also make sporting scopes and telescopic sights. The so-called "Alpha" glass makers such as Swarovski, Zeiss, Leica, Meopta, are likely to be out of your budget, but here are some fantastic runners-up;

Hawke
Vortex
Opticron
GPO
Meopta-Optika
Nikon

All of them make some really good binos, and the market they sell to is competitive and demanding, so at a given price-point you're going to find stunning quality in terms of value for money , with lifetime unconditional warranties (Hawke and Vortex in particular)

How well each pair is suited to the user is down to personal preferences. For example, some work better for glasses-wearers as the eye-relief can be altered using the eyecups. Most do, but some eye-cup systems are more user-friendly than others.

This website is an absolute mine of information, and reviews based on budget. Well-worth a read
https://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/

Really useful post, thanks @scapegoat

Some very good advice there from @scapegoat, I've made extensive use of that site in the past

Most of the brands mentioned above are very good. We have Celestron Granite HD and they've been great, and Vanguard Endeavour. The customer service from Vanguard in particular has been absolutely excellent