Review: Celestron TravelScope 70 Telescope

The Competition

I picked mine up used for $50, and I think at that price it’s just about right. But at full price? There are better options in most cases.

If you want a telescope that is small, lightweight, and very easy to use, consider the Orion SkyScanner 100 or Zhumell Z100, a 4” tabletop reflector. And at this price point, if you want to scan wide fields of view across the sky searching for bright deep-sky-objects and star fields, consider a pair of binoculars instead. A 10x50mm or 7x50mm pair of binoculars have the same overall light gathering.

Our Verdict

If you’re already a telescope owner, this might be a good portable option for you, for the same reason as the ST80. I find the TravelScope 70 is lightweight enough that it plays much nicer on photo tripods than the ST80 that I own, and despite getting the ST80 specifically as a grab-n-go scope, I found that I would end up taking the TravelScope 70 outside instead, especially if I wanted a peek at something behind the trees, visible from a different part of my yard. It’s a bit like a ShortTube 70, in overall design and in application, and for an astro-tinkerer you may be able to fix some of its shortcomings.

But for a beginner? There are probably better options. Even Celestron’s TravelScope 80, though it has some similar bad accessories, has the beloved Synta-made ShortTube 80 optics and mechanical design, and it’s only around $20 more expensive. Meade’s AdventureScope 80 is like the TravelScope 80 but with a marginally better diagonal. (And if you’re considering getting a TS80 or AS80, why not go for the fully kitted out ST80-A or ST80-EQ?) 

Just be sure, before you buy, that you’re ok with buying a telescope without a tripod or mount, because that’s effectively what you’ll be getting--the tripod must be replaced to do astronomy with it, and should probably be replaced even if you just want a daytime spotting scope. Treat it as an optical tube and eyepieces only.