If you’re looking to purchase your next pair of binoculars or switch to a different brand, research by Ethical Consumer recommends Canon, Opticron and Olympus as the most ethical brands. Companies with weak links to hunting include Celestron, Pentax, Kowa, Viking, Visionary and Barr & Stroud. You can buy direct from most of these companies online, purchase second-hand or try them out at various independent retailers.
Case Study: Cruelty-free Optics, Poole, Dorset
Following Ethical Consumer’s Shooting Wildlife I, II and III (2016, 2018, 2020), retailers have become more aware of the ethics of the brands that they are stocking. One such retailer, Cruelty-free Optics (Birds of Poole Harbour, Poole Quay, Dorset) opened in 2018. They were keen to sell a range of optics that best fitted within their own charity’s ethos and ethics, and therefore decided to only sell brands that scored well within the Ethical Consumer reports.
You can explore their range of cruelty-free optics online and get in touch with their team if you have any questions about choosing your products. The Visitor Centre on Poole Quay also stocks their optics range, where you can receive advice and try out the optics you are interested in.
Visit their website: birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/shop-optics/
Visit their shop: Birds of Poole Harbour, Enefco House, 19 The Quay, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HJ