Where are Bushnell Binoculars Made?

Bushnell is one of the most famous optics brands working in the for decades. People from different outdoor interests love their products. In fact, this brand has made loyal customers who only prefer Bushnell binoculars for their activities.

But where are Bushnell binoculars made? Bushnell is an American brand and its headquarters is located in Overland Park, Kansas. However, the Bushnell binoculars are manufactured in China, Japan, and Hong Kong. The company does not produce optical products in the US due to high labor costs. 

You might think that the Bushnell binos which are made in China would be low quality, but that’s not true. A lot more detailed information is coming ahead that proves Bushnell binos held its quality from day one.

Related Article: Where are Leupold Binoculars Made?

History of Bushnell Optics

Bushnell Optics was founded back in 1948 by David P. Bushnell who was a famous American entrepreneur. He traveled to Japan for his honeymoon where he noticed that the optical instruments and components are really cheaper as compared to the US market.

For testing purposes, he bought a few binoculars from Japan. When he reached California, he sold and earned a good profit. It was the day he started this business by importing binoculars and other optics from Japan and started selling in the US market.

In 1950, Bushnell company introduced its first binoculars that was also made in Japan but with Bushnell branding and logo. After that, the company many other binoculars and got due attention in the US optics market.

It would be no wrong to say that this company actually expanded from the 1960s to 1970s when the company launched many new optics tools such as scopes, telescopes, and many other tools. All these devices received good attention due to the trust that customers had in the Bushnell.

Particularly in the 1970s, this company made a good name among the hunter when the company launched its first rifle scope. In the 1990s, Bushnell started to innovate, and incorporate newer technologies into its products. It was time when the Bushnell produced waterproof, and HD binoculars that were top-notch in terms of performance.

In the 2000s, the company also acquired some other smaller companies as well. Right now, this optics brand is ruling the optics industry through its binoculars, riflescopes, and other tools. It is said that Bushnell manufactures its products in America which is totally wrong. In fact, all the optical components are imported majorly from Japan as the labor cost in the Japanese market is exceptionally low.

Where are Bushnell Binoculars Made?

Almost all the Bushnell binoculars are manufactured in Japan, China, Hongkong, and Philipines and then exported to the USA for selling its the US market. However, the company has a strict quality control system in the USA which ensures that only top-quality products go into the market.

If someone has told you that Bushnell binoculars are made in the USA, it is totally wrong. Although Bushnell belong to USA, but their products are made in other countries. However, the assembly of some binoculars is done in the US after the importation of optical components from Japan, China, and the Philippines market.

The labor cost in the US is very high and the companies cannot afford to produce all the products in the USA. If they do so, they will have to increase the price of their product which will ruin their profit and good name in the market.

The labor cost in Japan, China, and the Philippines is comparatively lower. So, the USA optical brands import optical components like glasses, lenses, etc from these countries. Importation of components helps the USA brands to keep the prices low and gain some in the competitive USA market.

The assembly of the imported components is done in the USA and their headquarters is also located in Overland Park, Kansas. It is interesting to note that Bushnell also has a few manufacturing plants in Japan to produce the optical components and then export them to the US market.

You should also keep in mind that not all the binoculars are assembled in USA, infact, there are many Bushnell binoculars that are assembled and manufactured in Japan, and China.

Also Read: Where are Celestron Binoculars Made?

WhyDoes Bushnell Import components?

As said earlier, Bushnell imports all the optical components from Japan, China, and the Philippines. The reason behind this import is labor cost. In the USA, the labor cost is too high. If a company starts producing binoculars in the USA, then the price of those binoculars will be too high.

In the USA markets, there are many players who import products from other countries where labor cost is low. So, they will be selling at a lower price. On the contrary, binoculars that were produced in the USA will be very expensive and lose market value. Customers won’t buy it at all. So, this is the reason that all the optical components are imported from Japan, China, and the Philippines.

Bushnell Products

Initially, Bushnell used to manufacture binoculars. But with time, things have changed and you will see many other optical products with the tag of Bushnell optics in the market. Below is the list of the products which are being produced by Bushnell.

• Riflescopes
• Binoculars
• Telescopes
• Microscopes
• Night vision devices 
• Optical devices for gaming
• Radar guns for sporting purposes

Frequently Asked Question

Conclusion

Bushnell is a famous optics brand and many people love its product due to its versatility. No matter if you’re a birder, hunter, or hiker, Bushnell’s binoculars will give you an amazing view experience and you won’t have to be worried about anything. However, Bushnell is based in the USA but the components are not manufactured in the USA. In fact, the company imports all the optical components from Japan, China, and the Philippines.