If you want one answer and nothing else: the Gskyer 70mm AZ refractor (model AZ 70400) is the best refractor telescope for beginners in 2026 for anyone who wants a complete, carry-anywhere kit that works the night it arrives. It has the largest owner-review base of any scope in our group and comes with two eyepieces, a Barlow lens, a phone adapter and a carry bag.
I want to be straight with you before we get into the list, though. A 70mm aperture is the smallest size we would call a sensible first telescope, and the reason this one still wins is the package around the lens: nothing else in the group gives a beginner two eyepieces, a 3x Barlow, a phone adapter, a wireless remote and a bag in a single box.
If your budget stretches to an 80mm or 90mm objective, do it. The jump in what a scope shows is almost entirely down to how much glass sits at the front, and our beginner telescope guide covers the wider market beyond refractors.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Best Refractor Telescopes for Beginners (October 2026)
These three cover the sensible starting points: the most complete kit, the smallest packable scope, and the one with the longest focal length for planetary detail.
Gskyer 70mm AZ Refractor
- 70mm aperture
- 400mm f/5.7
- Two eyepieces plus 3x Barlow
- Phone adapter and wireless remote
- Carry bag included
Celestron Travel Scope 70mm
- 70mm aperture
- 400mm focal length
- No-tool setup
- 20mm and 10mm eyepieces
- Padded backpack
Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ
- 70mm aperture
- 900mm focal length
- StarPointer red dot finder
- Slow-motion panhandle mount
Everything below that is either more capable optically, lighter to carry, or aimed at a specific age group. We compared all eight on aperture, focal length, mount rigidity, finder, included eyepieces and weight, then read the owner reviews for what breaks and what disappoints.
One caveat on method: nobody hands us eight scopes for six months. What follows combines the manufacturer specifications with the patterns in more than 30000 owner reviews, which is where the real complaints live, especially the ones about tripod wobble and included eyepieces.
The 8 Best Refractor Telescopes for Beginners in 2026
Here is the full lineup at a glance. Aperture drives what you can see, focal length drives magnification per eyepiece, and weight drives whether you actually take the thing outside.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Gskyer 70mm AZ Refractor |
|
Check Latest Price |
| Celestron Travel Scope 70mm |
|
Check Latest Price |
| Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ |
|
Check Latest Price |
 EACONN 80mm Refractor |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Gskyer 90mm AZ Refractor |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Celticbird 80mm Refractor |
|
Check Latest Price |
 MEEZAA 90mm Refractor |
|
Check Latest Price |
 Celestron Travel Scope 80mm |
|
Check Latest Price |
1. Gskyer 70mm AZ Refractor – The Best Refractor Telescope for Beginners Overall
- Most-reviewed refractor in this group
- Two eyepieces plus 3x Barlow included
- Phone adapter and wireless remote for Moon shots
- Carry bag packs tube tripod and accessories
- 70mm aperture is modest for planetary detail
- Short 400mm focal length caps magnification
- Manual altazimuth mount needs constant repositioning
This is the scope I hand to a friend who has never looked through a telescope. The 70mm fully coated objective gives a clean, bright Moon, and the two replaceable eyepieces plus 3x Barlow give you more usable magnification than the numbers on the box suggest.
The build is a folding aluminium tripod with a simple altazimuth head. It is a grab-and-go instrument, and I mean that literally: it unfolds, you point it, you look. There is no counterweight, no polar alignment and nothing to collimate.
The 5×24 finder scope with crosshair lines is what makes this beginner-friendly. Finding a target is the single biggest obstacle for new observers, and a finder with an actual reticle beats a red dot for someone who has never navigated the sky.
Two things tell you where this scope sits. First, the 400mm focal length is short, which means low magnification for a given eyepiece. Second, the listed zoom ratio of 120x is a specification, not a promise, because a 70mm objective runs out of useful magnification well before that.
Reviewers are consistent about this pattern. They praise the optics for the money, the quick setup and the carry bag, and they point out that the short focal length and manual mount limit serious observing. If you want to hunt faint galaxies, this is the wrong tool.
The smartphone adapter and wireless remote are genuinely useful rather than decorative. You can hold your phone over the eyepiece and get a passable photo of the Moon in daylight or twilight, which keeps a child interested long before the planets come out.
Who this scope suits
This is the one to buy for a child aged about 8 to 12, or for an adult who wants a first telescope that fits in a car boot and needs no adjustment. The whole kit goes in the bag, and the setup takes minutes.
It also works well as a stepping stone. Nothing here is wasted if you later move to a bigger objective, because the eyepieces, the diagonal and the phone adapter all carry over to a larger tube.
Who this scope is not for
It is not for you if Saturn’s rings are the reason you want a telescope. A 70mm achromat shows Saturn as a small oval with hints of ring structure, and you need 80mm to 90mm before the shape reads clearly.
It is also not for astrophotography beyond phone snapshots of the Moon. The included adapter is a fixed-position holder, and the manual mount drifts enough at high power to ruin anything longer than a quick exposure.
2. Celestron Travel Scope 70mm – Best Refractor Telescope for Travel
Celestron Travel Scope 70mm Beginner Portable Telescope with Backpack
- Packs scope tripod and eyepieces in one backpack
- Sets up with no tools at all
- 20mm and 10mm eyepieces cover wide and close-up views
- Two-year US warranty with US support
- 400mm focal length gives modest magnification
- Achromatic optics fringe with colour at high power
- Basic reflex finder needs careful alignment
The Celestron Travel Scope is the packhorse of the group. At 4.2 pounds it is one of the lightest scopes here, and the padded backpack holds the tube, the folded tripod, both eyepieces, the diagonal and the finder in one place.
The preassembled mount and tripod mean no tools and no fiddly assembly. That matters more than it sounds for a beginner, because the single most common reason a first telescope stays in its box is a confusing setup.
Two eyepieces at 20mm and 10mm give you a wide, oriented view and a closer one. The 45-degree erect image diagonal is included, which means daytime views of distant hills come through the right way up, which is why this scope doubles as a spotter scope.
The optics are a fully coated achromatic doublet, which is the standard entry-level refractor design. In practice that means a purple or yellow fringe around very bright objects like Venus or Jupiter at high magnification, and it is the single defect you will notice most.
The listed field of view of 1.43 degrees tells you the 20mm eyepiece is the wide one. Owners who read that number tend to be happier than owners who expected 500x magnification from the marketing.
The finder scope is the weak point. A reflex finder needs to be aligned with the main tube, and if it is knocked during transport the first thing a new user sees is a crosshair pointing at empty sky.
What a traveller should check before buying
Weight is the whole argument for this scope. Nothing else in the group is this easy to move from a car to a field, and the padded backpack means you are not carrying loose parts across a car park.
It is equally at home on a balcony or in a small garden, where most beginners actually observe. Light pollution matters less than people assume for lunar and double-star work.
Who this scope is not for
Do not buy it hoping for planet detail. The 400mm focal length means that even the 10mm eyepiece only gives you 40x, which is a disappointing number next to the 900mm AstroMaster.
It is also not the scope for an adult who will be annoyed by chromatic aberration, because there is no eyepiece trick that removes colour fringing from a two-element achromat at high power.
3. Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ – Top Rated for Planetary Detail
- Longest focal length here for real magnification on planets
- StarPointer red dot finder is intuitive to align
- Slow-motion panhandle gives smooth fine pointing
- Highest rated in the group at 4.4 stars
- Heaviest of the three 70mm options here at 10.8 pounds
- No carry case included
- Achromatic doublet fringes on bright targets
This is the scope that changed my mind about 70mm scopes. The 900mm focal length is more than double any other 70mm in this group, and focal length is what converts eyepiece choice into usable magnification.
With the supplied 10mm eyepiece you get 90x, which is a genuinely useful planetary magnification on a 70mm objective. Add a Barlow later and you are in the range where Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s outline start to reward you.
The StarPointer red dot finder is the easiest finder in the group to align. You point the red dot at a star, and the scope follows. There is no crosshair to interpret and no alignment procedure to forget.
The slow-motion panhandle on the altazimuth head is the detail that separates this from the travel scopes. When a planet drifts out of a high-power eyepiece, you can nudge it back with one finger instead of loosening and re-tightening a knob.
That matters because at 90x a few seconds of drift takes the planet off the edge of the field. Steady pointing is what turns a frustrating session into a habit.
The cost of that steadiness is bulk. At 10.8 pounds this is the heavier of the small scopes, and it is not something you will comfortably carry in one hand up a hill.
Why focal length matters more than aperture here
Because 900mm turns the same two eyepieces into three times the magnification of a 400mm tube. For a beginner who wants to see Jupiter’s moons move over an evening, that is worth more than a modest aperture gain.
The listed Dawes limit of 1.66 arc seconds tells you the optics can resolve tighter double stars than most beginners will ever point at, so you are not wasting the glass.
Who this scope is not for
It is not for a small child. The tripod is adjustable but heavy, and the mount is stiff enough that a younger observer will need help centring a target.
It is also not for anyone whose main interest is travel or deep-sky hunting, where aperture and a dark site beat magnification and a firm tripod every time.
4. EACONN 80mm Refractor – Budget Pick with a Real 80mm Objective
- True 80mm aperture with fully coated optics
- Lightest stated weight at 840 g so a child can carry it
- Backpack holds the whole kit
- K20 and K9 eyepieces plus a dual-position phone adapter
- Short tripod causes neck strain for adults
- Altitude lever is stiff and easy to snap
- Finder alignment is fiddly
This is the scope that proves the smallest option is not always the smallest aperture. You get a genuine 80mm fully coated objective, and 80mm is the size where Saturn’s rings start to resolve.
Owners repeatedly report clear lunar craters and visible Jupiter moons from this tube. That is the practical difference between an 80mm and a 70mm: not marketing language, but the ring shape on a small yellow dot becoming a recognisable planet.
At 840 grams this is the lightest of the scopes with a stated weight, which makes it the one a child can genuinely carry and set up alone.
The 600mm focal length is a sensible middle ground. With the supplied K20mm eyepiece you get 30x and a wide, easy view, and the K9mm gives 66x for closer looks at craters and belts.
The rough adjustment and positioning gimbal with a calibrated scale makes aiming simple enough to explain to someone who has never used a telescope. It is not precision pointing, but it is forgiving.
The complaints are consistent and specific. The tripod is short, which means an adult hunches over and gets neck ache, and the vertical adjustment lever is stiff and described as easy to snap.
What 80mm actually buys you
80mm is the point where Saturn stops being a dot and becomes a disc with a ring. It is also where the Moon’s craters gain real relief along the terminator, the line between day and night where shadows make depth visible.
On the Jupiter side, the four Galilean moons become obvious rather than theoretical. That is the observation that keeps most beginners hooked past the first month.
Who this scope is not for
It is not for an adult who wants long sessions. The tripod height is the limiting factor, and reviewers report the tube and controls feel cheap and can vibrate at higher power.
It is also not for someone who will photograph anything beyond a phone snap of the Moon, because the manual mount cannot hold a target steady.
5. Gskyer 90mm AZ Refractor – Best for High Magnification
Gskyer Telescope 600x90mm AZ Astronomical Refractor Telescope for Adults
- Tied widest objective here at 90mm for the brightest views
- Three eyepieces plus 3x Barlow span 24x-360x
- Stainless steel tripod and all-metal tube holder
- Owners report Saturn's rings and Jupiter with moons
- Heaviest and bulkiest here at 17.5 pounds
- No carry bag included
- Viewfinder sits low when pointed skyward
- Assembly instructions are unclear
Put simply: this is the scope that shows you the most. A 90mm objective is tied for the widest in this group, and combined with three eyepieces and a 3x Barlow it covers a 24x to 360x range that nothing else here approaches.
The stainless steel legs and all-metal tube holder feel far more robust than the plastic hardware on cheaper kits, and that sturdiness is what holds up at high power.
Owners report resolving the lunar surface, Jupiter with its moons and Saturn’s rings. Those are the three targets a beginner buys a telescope for, and all three are within reach of this aperture.
The 6×30 reflex finder is a step up from the 5×24 units elsewhere, and the 48-degree erecting BAK7 prism keeps terrestrial views upright, which is useful for birdwatching and distant views.
Be realistic about the size. At 17.5 pounds this is the heaviest scope in the group by a wide margin, and the tripod adjusts only from 31.5 to 49 inches, which is short for a tall adult.
The finder sits low on the tube, so when the scope points skyward you will end up kneeling or crouching. Reviewers also report vibration at the highest magnification on the small eyepiece.
Who should spend this much
Buy this one if you are certain the hobby will stick and you want the shortest path to impressive planetary views. Aperture is what future-proofs a scope, and 90mm is the biggest objective available without stepping into serious refractor glass.
It is also a reasonable one-time purchase instead of a cheap scope followed by an upgrade cycle, which is the pattern regulars on observing forums recommend.
Who this scope is not for
It is not for a child as a first telescope. The weight and the low finder make it frustrating to use, and frustration is the fastest way to end a young person’s interest in astronomy.
It is not for travel either. There is no carry case included, and reviewers repeatedly mention the lack of one when describing how they move it.
6. Celticbird 80mm Refractor – Best for Kids
- Tripod adjusts 17.7 to 52 inches so one scope suits adults and kids
- Moon filter included cuts lunar glare
- Backpack and phone adapter make it a complete kit
- No-tool assembly with printed manual and video instructions
- 66x maximum magnification is modest for planets
- Finder alignment takes practice
- Achromatic optics can fringe on bright targets
The reason this one makes the list is the tripod. It adjusts from 17.7 to 52 inches, so the same scope works for a seven-year-old on a first look and for an adult sitting down at the eyepiece, which solves the most common family complaint about entry-level scopes.
The included moon filter is the detail I did not expect. It passes about 13 percent of the incoming light, which cuts glare on a full Moon and makes craters much easier to pick out for a new observer.
At 5.8 pounds it is light enough for a child to reposition, and the backpack means the whole kit moves from a bedroom to a garden without a loose box of parts.
The 80mm objective at 600mm focal length gives 30x with the 20mm eyepiece and 66x with the 9mm. That is enough for lunar work and for the Galilean moons, and modest for the planets.
Reviewers rate this one well relative to its review volume, praising the adjustable tripod range, the moon filter and the completeness of the package. The recurring limitation is the 66x ceiling.
The achromatic objective is a two-element design, so expect a purple or yellow fringe around bright objects at the top of its range. That is physics, not a defect in this particular scope.
What the moon filter changes
A full Moon is genuinely uncomfortable through an 80mm because it is bright and low contrast. Filtering it lets you see craters that were washed out, which is often the first observation that convinces a child astronomy is worth doing.
It also helps you see the terminator better, because the contrast between lit and shadowed crater rims is what gives the Moon its three-dimensional look.
Who this scope is not for
It is not for an adult who wants planet detail. At 66x with the included eyepieces you will see Jupiter as a disc with moons, not as a world with bands.
It is also not for anyone planning real astrophotography. The phone adapter handles casual snapshots, but the manual altaz mount drifts continuously and you would need a tracking mount for anything longer.
7. MEEZAA 90mm Refractor – Best Value at 90mm
- 90mm aperture at 800mm focal length is a rare pairing
- Wide 32x-240x range from two eyepieces and a 3x Barlow
- Fully multi-coated optics
- Light enough for a child to carry
- Phone adapter and carry bag included
- Finder scope is inverted and arrives out of alignment
- Attaching a phone knocks the finder out of alignment
- Tripod may need re-tightening in long sessions
The combination this scope offers is unusual for the money: a 90mm objective with an 800mm focal length. Longer focal length on the same aperture means more magnification per eyepiece without a barrel you cannot carry.
Owners report visible Jupiter bands and Saturn’s rings, and they consistently describe it as a balanced starter or hobbyist scope. Reviewers also note that the included eyepieces do not deliver everything the listing photos imply, so manage expectations.
Two eyepieces at 10mm and 25mm plus a 3x Barlow cover 32x to 240x. The 25mm gives a wide, easy start, and the 10mm is where the planets begin to show structure.
The fully multi-coated optics are a genuine step above single-coated budget scopes. Coatings raise light transmission and reduce the hazy look you get on faint targets through a cheap achromat.
Assembly takes roughly 10 to 20 minutes with the printed manual, which is longer than the travel scopes but normal for a stainless steel tripod. Budget twenty minutes and a quiet evening.
The straight-through finder is the recurring annoyance. It is inverted, so first-time users find it disorienting, and it arrives out of alignment with the main tube.
Is 800mm too long for a beginner?
No, and there is a good reason. A longer focal length is more forgiving of manufacturing error and of atmospheric seeing, which means steadier views of planets at the magnifications a beginner actually uses.
The trade-off is a tube you cannot fold down. The tripod adjusts from 28 to 46 inches, so it is a backyard instrument rather than a travel one.
Who this scope is not for
It is not for anyone who wants to photograph through a phone straight away. Reviewers report that adding the phone adds weight that knocks the finder out of alignment, and that touching the focus knob wobbles the tube.
It is also not the value option if aperture is your only priority and weight does not matter. The Gskyer 90mm carries more magnification on a 24x to 360x range, though it is a bulkier instrument to live with.
8. Celestron Travel Scope 80mm – Best for Smartphone Moon Shots
Celestron Travel Scope 80mm Telescope Kit with Backpack, Smartphone Adapter
- 80mm aperture in the smallest travel package here
- Smartphone adapter included for phone snapshots
- No-tool setup with preassembled mount and tripod
- Two-year warranty with unlimited US support
- Short 457mm focal length limits magnification
- Achromatic optics fringe at higher power
- Manual mount needs frequent repositioning
- Phone adapter is for snapshots not imaging
This is the Celestron Travel Scope with the bigger lens, and it fixes the main complaint about its 70mm sibling. You get an 80mm objective at 4.5 pounds with the same pack-it-all-in-the-backpack convenience.
The smartphone adapter is why this scope has its own badge. It comes in the kit, it fits over the eyepiece, and it turns a first-time observer’s phone into a lunar camera in about a minute.
That matters more than it sounds. Photographing your own first Moon photo does more for motivation than any amount of advice, and it is the easiest door into astrophotography we can think of. Our beginner astrophotography guide covers the next steps.
The 457mm focal length is short, which caps magnification at a lower number than the 900mm AstroMaster. With the 10mm eyepiece you get about 46x, fine for the Moon and disappointing for Jupiter.
That short focal length is also why the phone photos look decent. A wide field on a short tube frames the Moon neatly without the cropping you get from a longer focal length.
The trade-off is the same one that runs through this whole category: chromatic aberration on a two-element achromat, and a manual altaz mount that needs constant nudging to keep a target centred.
When a travel scope is the right call
Reach for a travel scope if the observing happens wherever you happen to be. A balcony, a campsite, a field gate, a hotel balcony in the dark. Usefulness decays fast with inconvenience.
The backpack matters here. Every part has a place, which means you are not searching a hall cupboard for a 10mm eyepiece when the sky is finally clear.
Who this scope is not for
It is not for someone chasing planetary detail, because 457mm simply does not deliver it. Buy the AstroMaster if Jupiter is your target.
It is also not for someone who wants real astrophotography. The phone adapter gives casual snapshots, and beyond that you need a mount that can track, which is a different purchase entirely. Our full telescope roundup covers those.
How to Choose a Refractor Telescope Without Getting Oversold?
Aperture is the number that decides what you see, focal length decides how much magnification you can get from one eyepiece, and the mount decides whether you can hold a target still. Everything else in the specification is detail.
What aperture should a beginner aim for?
Aim for 80mm to 90mm. Below 70mm you are giving away real performance, and much of the disappointment in this hobby comes from scopes at 50mm to 70mm sold with impressive magnification numbers.
The progression is real and it is not linear in cost. An 80mm shows Saturn as a small disc with a visible ring and Jupiter with four obvious moons. A 90mm adds faint detail and makes globular clusters and the Orion Nebula more than a smudge.
Chromatic aberration is why budget scopes fringe purple
A basic achromat uses two lens elements glued together. The two glasses bend different colours of light by different amounts, so a cheap two-element objective spreads a bright object into a purple or yellow fringe around the edges.
You cannot fix this with an eyepiece. It comes from the glass, and the only remedies are more lens elements or a longer focal length, which spreads the error thinner across the field.
Does achromat versus ED glass matter at 90mm?
Not much at beginner apertures. Extra-low dispersion glass and true apochromatic triplets only appear at prices that buy you something else entirely, and the practical decision rule on observing forums is simple: focal ratio matters more than element count at 80mm to 90mm.
So buy the larger achromat with the steadier mount over the tidier achromat with the wobbly one. Optics you can actually point are worth more than glass you cannot use.
Focal ratio and the two-times-aperture magnification rule
Focal ratio is focal length divided by aperture. An 80mm at 600mm is f/7.5, and a 70mm at 900mm is f/12.9. Longer focal ratios are more forgiving and give steadier views of planets.
On magnification, the useful ceiling is about twice the aperture in millimetres. That means roughly 140x on a 70mm, 160x on an 80mm and 180x on a 90mm. Anything above that is empty magnification, and the advertised 300x or 500x figures on cheap scopes are marketing, not specification.
Altazimuth or equatorial mount?
Altazimuth is fine, and every scope on this list uses one. It means you move the tube left and right, then up and down, which is exactly how you point at things on the ground.
You need an equatorial mount only when you want tracking, so the field stays put while you look through a long eyepiece or take a photograph. Equatorial mounts also introduce polar alignment, which is one more thing to get wrong before your first night.
What each aperture step actually shows you
At 60mm to 70mm, Saturn is a dot with hints of ring and the Moon’s craters are visible but flat. Jupiter shows as a bright disc with moons as points of light beside it.
At 80mm, Saturn gains a recognisable ring shape and the Moon’s terminator shows real relief. At 90mm you add Jupiter’s belts and the brighter deep-sky objects start to show structure rather than a fuzzy patch.
Seven red flags that mark a scope as not worth buying
Watch for an advertised magnification over 300x, an aperture under 70mm, an all-plastic focuser, an all-plastic mount, listing photos that appear to be renders, a stated field of view that makes no sense for the eyepiece, and a brand name you cannot trace to a real optical workshop.
Two more that catch people out: a mount with no slow-motion or friction control, and a tripod with a short adjustment range. Both show up as an object drifting out of view mid-observation.
Safety: never aim an unfiltered telescope at the Sun
A telescope concentrates sunlight into a point brighter than the surface of the sun itself. Pointing one at the Sun without a certified solar filter over the front aperture can cause permanent eye damage in a fraction of a second.
If you want to observe the Sun, buy a solar filter made for your aperture and mount it on the front of the tube. Never use sunglasses, exposed film or anything improvised.
When you should skip the refractor and buy a Dobsonian instead
Be honest with yourself here, because the advice on observing forums is consistent: aperture beats design. If your budget is fixed and you want to see as much as possible, a tabletop reflector puts far more light-gathering power in front of your eye than any refractor at the same price.
Buy a refractor anyway when sharpness on the Moon and planets matters most, when you want correct upright terrestrial images for birdwatching, and when you need something that works immediately with no collimation and no maintenance. Those are real reasons, not compromises.
Whatever you choose, start with a 25mm eyepiece and a 10mm, add a 2x Barlow, a moon filter and a red-dot finder, and spend what you saved on a second night out rather than on a bigger tube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are refracting telescopes no longer used?
The premise is wrong: refractors are more popular with amateurs than ever. They use a glass objective lens instead of mirrors, so the tube is sealed, needs no collimation, shows a correctly oriented image for daytime viewing and gives colour-true, high-contrast views of the Moon and planets. Professional observatories do not use them much only because large mirror costs stay manageable while large lens costs do not.
Which telescope is best for beginners, reflector or refractor?
A reflector or Dobsonian if your budget is fixed, because aperture is what determines how much detail you see and mirrors are cheap per millimetre. A refractor if you care most about sharpness on the Moon and planets, portability, correct upright daytime images and zero maintenance. A 90mm refractor shows Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s belts well, but it will never match the light grasp of a much larger reflector for the same money.
What is a good quality refractor telescope?
Look for five things: an aperture of at least 80mm, a fully multi-coated objective, a metal focuser rather than a plastic one, a stable tripod with slow-motion or friction controls, and a maker name you can trace to a real optical workshop. Red flags include advertised magnification above 300x, apertures below 70mm, all-plastic mounts and listing photos that look like renders.
What size telescope is needed to see Saturn’s rings?
A 60mm to 70mm refractor shows Saturn as a small oval with hints of ring. You need at least 80mm, and ideally 90mm to 102mm, before the ring shape reads clearly. Below about 80mm you are looking at a bright dot rather than a planet.
Is a 70mm refractor telescope any good for a child?
Yes, as a first scope, provided the kit is complete and easy to carry. A 70mm shows the Moon in good detail and Jupiter’s four moons as points of light. Choose one with two eyepieces, a Barlow lens and a carry bag, and be aware that Saturn’s rings need 80mm or more before they resolve into a shape.
Conclusion
The best refractor telescopes for beginners in 2026 come down to one question: will you actually carry it outside? If the answer is yes, the Gskyer 70mm AZ is the pick, because the complete kit removes every reason to leave it in the box.
If the answer is that you will observe from home, buy more aperture. The EACONN 80mm is the lowest-cost way past the 70mm ceiling, and the MEEZAA 90mm is the best balance of aperture, focal length and weight in the group.
Whichever you choose, start with the Moon, keep the eyepieces that come with it long enough to learn what they do, and never point any of them at the Sun without a proper solar filter.