John W.
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2025
Last year, I bought these for the solar eclipse that was on April 8, 2024. No complaints really. My son, boyfriend, and I enjoyed the phenomenon and was able to get great video. I read the reviews and made the decision to buy and was not disappointed.
Captain Moderate
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2024
2x magnification helps, but is not nearly as satisfying as binoculars with safe and effective solar filters added on.
Lakegirl 88
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
These were great for the eclipse. We were only in 90% totality and battled some clouds, but they were great. Very sturdy and great to use. Highly recommend!
W. Handy
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2023
These eclipse glasses by Celestron are a reasonably sturdy cardboard that fold out to a box-like viewer - little binoculars for the sun. They aren’t built to be used a lot, but most people don’t want to look at the solar disc on a daily basis. If you use them mainly to watch eclipses, they should last a lifetime. The view of the sun is excellent - sharp and clear, with just a bit of magnification (X2). I drove 6 hours to see the 2023 annular eclipse, with traffic much worse than expected. I knew the time of annularity was approaching, so I pulled over well before I reached the planned destination. I was within the path of annularity - but I missed it by about 3 minutes, I’d guess. An eyelash of sun that got bigger instead of smaller. Much gnashing of teeth. But the Celestrons worked great!
Cosmicsniper
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2017
The EclipSmart Ultra 8-Piece Solar Observing and Imaging Kit has something for everyone and its for this reason that I love this kit. You receive 4 pairs of standard solar shades that are perfect for kids and sharing with family or friends. The 1 pair of solar glasses included are similar to a pair of comfortable sun glasses but are specifically made for viewing the sun. A protective bag is provided for the solar glasses. There is also 1 solar safe photo filter for DSLR's and smartphones, an eclipse guide book, and informative transit map and poster.As an astrophotographer, having travel-friendly gear is a must. The EclipSmart photo filter safely covers up to a 67mm DSLR lens and can be temporarily taped in place over the lens when imaging (see photo). It's small enough to fit in the camera bag and perfect for travel. The eclipse guide book, authored by eclipse chasers Fred and Patricia Espenak, prepares you for August 21, 2017 with hints and tips, fun facts, beautiful photos and illustrations, and timing/magnitudes for cities inside AND outside of the totality path in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.The EclipSmart Ultra 8-Piece kit is a great all-around choice for the family and smartphone/photographer. You won't be disappointed! For those that desire a larger view of the sun, I highly recommend Celestron's EclipSmart 2x Power Viewers kit that can be purchased separately.----------------------The EclipSmart 2x Power Viewers are hands-down my favorite viewer for the magnification they provide when compared to standard solar shades or glasses. Two viewers are packaged with an informative transit map for the August 21, 2017 transit. The viewers are not worn, but instead are held to the eye like binoculars and feature a creative fold-flat design that incorporates a visor that protects the front solar film when folded flat. This protection is important when tossing the 2x Power Viewer into a bag or luggage because there is far less chance of damage. It's also meets ISO requirements for filters used to safely observe the sun, so you can enjoy the views knowing you have a quality product in your hands.During first use, I noted a double image of Sun. This was due to holding the viewer too close to my eyes. Simply holding them slightly further away from the eye made the images merge beautifully. My spouse and teen daughter compared the 2x Power Viewers with other standard, non-magification solar shades and each preferred the EclipSmart 2x Power Viewers for the larger and better view of the Sun. If you prefer to not hold something up to your eyes (or have trouble doing that), I'd recommend the Celestron solar shades or the deluxe shades found in the EclipSmart Ultra and Deluxe kits. For the price and the 2x magnification, you can't go wrong with this product from Celestron. I'll be ordering more for friends and family!
Mark H
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2017
What a great product! My family and I are planning a trip to Wyoming this summer to view the eclipse and I wanted something easy to use for our kids, safe and affordable. This product hits the mark on all three accounts. They fold to a compact size for easy transport. There is a built in sun visor over the top that folds over the lens to protect it. The filter is effective. When you look through the viewers it is ABSOLUTELY black until you find the sun. It takes a bit of practice to locate the sun but as soon as you find it, you can clearly see the solar disk. The disk has a yellowish hue to it. These are 2X viewers so they are not powerful enough to see any sun spots. You could just buy the Mylar sun filters with no magnification but for 10 bucks for a two pack, these are way cooler and the sun appears larger. The poster is great too. It has lots of facts about the eclipse and is perfect to go over with kids to explain what an eclipse is.We had a party at our house and these were very popular. Everyone wanted a close up view of the sun.One of the viewers was not optically aligned. There was actually two images of the sun. My kids said that it reminded them of 2 sun world of Tatooine from Star Wars. I contacted Clestron and they were AWESOME. They are sending me a replacement at no charge and my kids get to keep the old one so they can pretend they live on Tatooine!I give Celestron and the EcipSMart 2x Power Viewers a 5 start rating.