Max’s background as a climber, cyclist, and wildlife ecologist has led to much time spent in the outdoors. Over the years he has worked and adventured in national parks on 4 continents, mapped thousands of acres of forest, and designed a statistical model to help combat the negative impacts of natural gas drilling. After a brief stint studying ecology and conservation in the UK, Max is happy to call the Sierra home, though he does miss the maple syrup making opportunities afforded by his previous stomping grounds in the northeast.
Showing 1-15 of 38 by Max Mutter

Best Binoculars of 2023
What are the best binoculars? We took 16 different models through rigorous testing in the outdoors to find out. We...
Editors' Choice
Vortex Viper HD 8x42 Review
Hitting a near-perfect balance between price and quality, the Vortex Viper is a great pair of bins for enthusiastic...
Editors' Choice
Swarovski EL 8.5x42 Review
Crystal lenses and thoughtful design touches make the Swarovski EL the best binoculars you can buy. If you want the...
Best Buy
Celestron Nature DX 8x42 Review
For those seeking a low cost introduction to birdwatching, or those that want an inexpensive way to get a better look...
How To Choose Binoculars For Your Needs and Budget
Binoculars are probably the world's most used optical instrument. That's not to say that telescopes don't have their...
Best Buy
Nikon Monarch M5 8x42 Review
Combing great optical quality and exceptional brightness with a mid-tier price, these bins are among the best pair...
Top Pick
Leica Ultravid BR 10x25 Review
As Leica says on their website, this pair of binoculars is "the reference standard". These are the compact binoculars...
Steiner Predator 8x42 Review
Offering average quality at an average price, there are definitely better deals to be found than the Steiner Predator...
How to Choose a Cooler
How do you choose the right cooler among so many fantastical claims? We've spent years testing the best products and...
Zeiss Victory HT 10x42 Review
With top notch optical quality the Zeiss Victory HT has everything you'd want form high-end bins, though the Swarovski...
Celestron Outland X 10x50 Review
While these bins are very bright, they also have some very notable clarity issues. If you're only looking at birds...
Best Buy
Vortex Diamondback 8x28 Review
For those looking for an inexpensive and portable pair of bins, the Vortex Diamondback mostly fits the bill. However...
Celestron TrailSeeker ED 8x42 Review
Offering good overall quality but failing to match the value provided by other models in the price range, these...
Vanguard Endeavor ED II 10x42 Review
This model builds upon the successful foundation of the award-winning Endeavor ED binoculars, bringing Vanguard Optics...
Leica Noctivid 10x42 Review
Leica offers top-of-the-line optical quality in the Noctivid, but slightly misses the mark on a couple of design...
Next >
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
Learn More