Celestron · Apochromat Refractor
Celestron 1.25 Inch X-Cel LX 3X Barlow Lens, Black
Triple your eyepiece magnification with apochromatic optics designed for fast telescopes and sharp planetary views.
Performance Scores
Overview
The Celestron X-Cel LX 3x Barlow is a straightforward way to extend what your existing eyepiece collection can do. Inserting it between your eyepiece and focuser triples your working magnification, which is particularly useful on short focal length, fast telescopes where reaching higher powers otherwise requires buying additional eyepieces. The three-element apochromatic design addresses the most common weakness of cheaper Barlows, which is color fringing. With fully multi-coated optics on all air-to-glass surfaces, you get noticeably better contrast and color correction than budget single or two-element alternatives.
That difference shows up most clearly during lunar and planetary sessions, where fine detail depends heavily on optical quality. One practical note: a 3x multiplier is powerful, but it demands good atmospheric seeing to be worthwhile. On nights with significant turbulence, you may find a 2x Barlow serves you better. This one shines when conditions cooperate.
The brass compression ring protects your eyepiece barrels from the scratching that setscrews can cause over time, which matters if you own quality eyepieces. At $99.99, this sits in a reasonable mid-range price bracket, and the 4.7-star rating across over 1,000 reviews suggests consistent real-world performance.
At a Glance
31.8mm
Aperture
Specifications
Key Features
- Triples magnification of any 1.25 inch eyepiece, effectively multiplying your collection without buying new glass
- Three-element apochromatic design reduces color fringing that commonly plagues cheaper Barlow lenses
- Fully multi-coated optics on all surfaces improve contrast and light transmission during planetary and lunar work
- Brass compression ring secures eyepieces without scratching barrels, a meaningful advantage over setscrew designs
- Threaded base accepts standard 1.25 inch filters, letting you use filters with any eyepiece through a single attachment point
- Textured rubber grip band aids handling in cold conditions or with gloves during winter sessions
- Backed by a 2-year warranty and US-based support from an established manufacturer
Customer Reviews
1,027 reviews
A real quality product that works well with my telescope. I'm new to using telescopes so I haven't done enough to make the necessary comparisons but this Barlow Lens appears to do what is was designed to do. I'm still playing with how it connects to the DSLR Camera Adapter and if the image quality i...
Only thing is it’s hard to find objects when you’re super zoomed in - but yeah probably better to get this than an eyepiece that is too powerful for your aperture. Recommend , but take the time to get used to finding objects before showing it off. Fit - Percect. Magnification- Excellent. Brightness ...
Opening) was suprised when I removed it , it was bigger than I imagined. (1st impressions) it appears first impressions was a factor when designing it . Looks good , feels nice . (Utilization) put it in , took a look and was satisfied but just barely. It was humid out so I figured the moist air dimi...