Review: Maven B1.2 10x42 Binos
Picture this scenario: you’re sitting on your favorite glassing knob, looking out across a series of hills and broken timber slopes. A handful of tracks bisect a snowy spot. Are those deer or elk tracks? And how fresh are they? The only way to tell is to pack up and hike the mile and a half over—in the process blowing out all the game that was potentially hiding nearby.
Now imagine this: same scenario, but instead of hiking all the way over, you pull out your Maven B1.2 10x42 binoculars to take a closer look. Stabilizing the binos on your trekking pole, it’s clear that the tracks are from a pile of does, and judging by how the ice has crystallized around them, they’re at least a couple days old. Best to stay put and hold out for the big buck that’s likely lurking in the timber below.
When it comes to spotting game, or signs of game, a good pair of binoculars makes a big difference—not just in terms of clarity, but also in what you can pick out. Little details, if noticed, can change the entire trajectory of a day or a hunt. Not to mention it’s just plain fun to see the world up close, with perfect clarity. Maven, a Lander, Wyoming-based company, understands these principles, and brings top-of-the-line glass to the hunting market at fraction of the cost of competitors, thanks to their direct-to-consumer business model.
I tested out their B-Series of binoculars shed hunting this spring, and was incredibly impressed with them all around. Dozens of times over the course of a week, I’d be sitting on a hill with a couple buddies, all glassing a hillslope with various brands of 10x42 binos. “Alright, I’ve got a potential antler,” someone would eventually chime in. “Eli, can I see those Maven’s for a sec?” A glance through the Maven’s would quickly confirm or deny the sighting—“nope, just a stick,” or “just a piece of grass,” or once, “massive seven point!” With edge-to-edge clarity, true color fidelity, and high contrast, objects and animals pop with the B1.2 binos. Additionally, they excel in low light situations, light dawn and dusk, when critters are most active.
In addition to the clarity, a few other features stood out. Primarily, the fog-proof lenses are truly fog-proof. Not once in a week of changing spring weather did I have issues with the glass fogging up—a common tribulation with other binoculars. I also appreciated the large focus dial, which is easy to use with gloves on and offers tons of room for fine-scale adjustments. Overall, at 26.8oz, the feel in hand is slightly heavier than most comparable binoculars—thanks to high-quality metal components—but that results in a little more stability when glassing, especially in windy situations.
My only gripe with the binos is that the eyepieces click down easily. When I’d pull them out of my bino harness, the eyecups would have frequently slid down one or two clicks from my preferred position. It only took a few hours of annoyance before I dropped a dab of super glue on each eyepiece thread, permanently fixing them into my favorite position. But maybe it’s for the best, because now my friends won’t be asking to borrow them all the time.
Backed by a lifetime warranty, and local western / Wyoming help should something go wrong, the Maven B1.2 series binoculars are truly impressive, and the price point tough be beat. Do yourself a favor and borrow a buddy’s to see what you’re missing—just not mine, cause they’ll be on my chest, somewhere in the woods.
Available at mavenbuilt.com; $1,000.
