The 10 Best Mini Compass Of 2024, Tested By CampFireHQ

Sarah Combs By, Sarah Combs
Updated
Best Mini Compass
Best Mini Compass

Our Top Picks

1. Best Overall: TurnOnSport Compass

Navigate with precision using the TurnOnSport Compass. This compact yet powerful compass ensures accurate directional guidance, making it an essential tool for hikers, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: Sun Company GoCompass

This durable and lightweight compass is an excellent backup for your primary navigation tool. Designed for camping, hiking, and exploring, it offers accuracy and convenience in a compact package. Read Review

3. Best Design: MecArmy Compass

Navigate confidently with the MecArmy Compass, a professional-grade tool designed for extreme conditions. With its high sensitivity, fluorescence, and compact size, this compass is your reliable companion for camping, military, and emergencies. Read Review

4. Best Lightweight: Sun Company MiniComp II

This liquid-filled luminous compass is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts seeking a reliable and ultralight micro compass. Its rotating bezel and additional rulers make it a versatile tool for backpacking, hiking, camping, or survival situations. Read Review

5. Best Durable: BBTO Compass

For those seeking durability in quantity, the BBTO Compass presents an impressive package – 100 mini compasses made of high-strength plastic and sturdy nylon. This collection offers both functionality and convenience for the avid adventurer. Read Review

Are you looking for the best mini compass? Then you have come to the right place! A mini compass is essential for outdoor adventures, from camping and hiking to orienteering and geocaching. It’s also a great companion for everyday life, as it can help you stay on course even when you get lost. A mini compass is a reliable device that can give accurate direction, speed, and altitude readings.

But with so many different models on the market, how do you know which is the best? This article’ll review the top mini compasses in the market today. We’ll compare each model's features, accuracy, and durability to help you find the best mini compass for your needs.

Our team had to focus on researching for 17 hours to get such results for readers. As a result, We think the best mini compass is TurnOnSport Compass. Its Acrylic Baseplate, equipped with an Azimuth bearing and a 360-degree rotating bezel, facilitates precise navigation. We also show the other fantastic alternatives with a complete guide below, which is worth your consideration.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 TurnOnSport Compass
Our Score:
9.8
TurnOnSport

The TurnOnSport Compass is a versatile and reliable navigational tool. Its Acrylic Baseplate, equipped with an Azimuth bearing and a 360-degree rotating bezel, facilitates precise navigation. The magnetic needle, housed in a bubble-free liquid-filled capsule, swings swiftly, reliably pointing you north. 

Portable and lightweight, this Boy Scout compass is a must-have in your pocket or hiking backpack. Its compact design caters to both children and adults, ensuring ease of use during field trips or wilderness explorations. The compass features orienting lines, a directional arrow, and a convenient lanyard, enhancing user-friendliness.

Crafted for professional and advanced compass navigation, this orienteering compass caters to hikers, campers, and survivalists. The compass ruler scale of 1:24000 ensures precise route mapping, while its high-quality construction instills a sense of security during outdoor journeys. Nevertheless, it is quite hard to turn the dial single-handedly due to its tight mechanism. However, this doesn't overshadow its overall performance and functionality.

TOP Choice #2 Sun Company GoCompass
Our Score:
9.7
Sun Company

The Sun Company GoCompass is an essential backup map compass, guaranteeing you stay on the right track during tactical survival situations. Its ABS housing and cushion-mounted compass ensure durability, making it a reliable companion for outdoor adventures. The luminous, liquid-filled compass adds a practical touch, aiding navigation in low-light conditions.

Designed to fit most watch bands, the GoCompass doubles as a functional accessory for adults or kids. Its ultralight design, weighing just 0.2 ounces, makes it virtually unnoticeable on your watchband. Additionally, it can be attached to homemade paracord bracelets or backpack straps, providing flexibility in usage.

While the GoCompass excels in various aspects, users should be mindful of its compatibility with metal watch straps. Some may experience issues with proper functionality when paired with metal straps, but this minor setback doesn't diminish its overall performance.

TOP Choice #3 MecArmy Compass
Our Score:
9.6
MecArmy

MecArmy Compass is a professional-grade navigational companion, functioning flawlessly in temperatures ranging from -10°F to 120°F. Its waterproof design with an IPX5 rating ensures reliability in challenging environments, making it ideal for camping, military applications, and emergencies.

This compass boasts high sensitivity, thanks to its construction with TC4 titanium and brass. Special encapsulation technology enhances precision, providing accurate readings even in extreme temperatures. The fluorescence feature allows for easy reading in the dark, ensuring continuous functionality with a max runtime of up to 1 hour after exposure to light.

With a compact size of 1.08'' x 0.886'' x 0.34'' and a weight of 0.32 ounces, this pocket compass is both portable and accurate. However, you should note that for optimal accuracy, it is recommended to remove the compass from the keychain and keep it away from magnetic devices during use.

4 Sun Company MiniComp II
Our Score:
9.5
Sun Company

Embark on your outdoor ventures confidently with the Sun Company MiniComp II. Its unique liquid-filled luminous compass ensures readability even in challenging low-light scenarios, providing a distinct advantage for those who venture out during dawn or dusk. Nevertheless, it can be broken if you drop it, so you must use it carefully.

Moreover, the rotating bezel facilitates easy course-setting during orientation activities, providing versatility, especially for outdoor enthusiasts who navigate diverse terrains. It also includes body rulers on both the left and right sides of the baseplate in inches and centimeters, adding practical functionality. 

Weighing 0.4 oz, the MiniComp II is an ultralight marvel, perfect for those prioritizing minimizing their backpack load. The black nylon lanyard offers multiple wearing options, allowing users to drape it around their neck, attach it to a backpack, or convert it into a keychain. This adaptability ensures that the MiniComp II seamlessly integrates into your outdoor gear ensemble.

5 BBTO Compass
Our Score:
9.4
BBTO

The BBTO Compass offers a hundred mini compasses in a single package. Crafted from high-strength plastic and reinforced with sturdy nylon, these compasses promise durability and longevity. The liquid-filled design ensures accurate readings, and the flexible dial enhances precision, making these compasses reliable tools for extended outdoor use.

The non-slip texture on the handle provides a firm grip even in challenging weather conditions. This minimizes the risk of losing the compass during crucial moments in the great outdoors. The vibrant design, featuring a black chassis and a green direction indicator, adds a touch of aesthetics to the functionality. It also enhances the compass's readability, making it easier for users to confirm their direction swiftly. Nonetheless, it is a little flimsy. Overall, this compact size and wearable nature of these compasses make them ideal for various outdoor activities, offering a quick and efficient means of finding direction in emergencies.

6 BBTO Orienteering Compass
Our Score:
9.2
BBTO

The BBTO Orienteering Compass set is a comprehensive solution for outdoor enthusiasts who value precision and durability. With a generous quantity of nine compasses in one package, this set ensures you are well-prepared for any outdoor excursion, allowing for spares or sharing with friends during group activities. It also has a rope for easy carrying and hanging, coupled with the compass's pocket-friendly size, making it a versatile tool.

Constructed from sturdy acrylic material, these compasses offer both durability and lightness. The acrylic material ensures longevity and makes them resistant to breakage, even in challenging terrains or adverse weather conditions. The waterproof and fall-resistant design adds to their reliability, making them suitable for various outdoor scenarios. These compasses feature a 360-degree rotating bezel with an azimuth bearing, enhancing their functionality during navigation. The only downside is that the bezel may feel slightly wobbly, but it is not a big deal.

7 Silva Mini Compass
Our Score:
9.1
Silva

The Silva Mini Compass is a reliable companion for outdoor enthusiasts. Its super lightweight design and minimal space requirement make it an ideal extra compass for any journey. You can attach it to your jacket using a safety pin, which provides hands-free convenience, a feature appreciated by those engaged in demanding outdoor activities.

The mirror sighting capability is crucial for determining direction over extensive distances. Tilt the mirror at a 45-degree angle, and you can effortlessly check your direction by looking at the bezel in the mirror while sighting in the correct travel direction. The base plate, featuring map-measuring in inches and a built-in sundial, adds versatility to this compass. The sundial allows you to determine the time of day based on the sun's position.

Furthermore, the red/black North-South lines in the capsule bottom facilitate easy and secure settling. Crafted from the finest Swedish steel, the compass needle exhibits high-quality magnetic features, ensuring reliable and accurate readings. Although it can have bubble formation after extended use, it does not compromise the overall functionality of this exceptional compass.

More To Consider

8 HJLIKE Compass
Our Score:
9.0
HJLIKE

Made from quality plastic with a durable hard shell, the HJLIKE Compass guarantees accuracy and practicality. The freely swinging pointer responds sensitively to subtle direction changes, preventing you from losing your way in challenging terrains. Its compact size, with an outside diameter of 20mm and a height of 6.5mm, makes it easy for individuals with smaller hands to handle.

The circular chassis design enhances grip, allowing you to hold it effortlessly. Plus, the green direction label, coupled with a clear scale, ensures comfortable reading and precise navigation. While the compass may not always perform optimally, experiencing occasional issues, it remains a reliable companion for outdoor activities such as mountaineering, camping, and geological exploration.

For those who value preparedness, the package includes a generous 50 pieces of compasses, making it an excellent choice for sharing with team members or friends. The HJLIKE Compass is an essential outdoor gear for anyone seeking accuracy and reliability in their navigational tools.

9 NIEGIENNA Compass
Our Score:
8.8
NIEGENNA

The NIEGIENNA Compass is a piece of craftsmanship that fuses old-world aesthetics with contemporary utility. Measuring approximately 1.97 inches in diameter with closed heights ranging from 0.43 inches to 0.63 inches, this compass strikes the perfect balance between portability and functionality. Its compact size makes it an unobtrusive addition to your outdoor gear collection.

Besides, its clear and precise dial enhances your ability to distinguish directions accurately. This compass also boasts a noctilucent function, allowing for nighttime use. The luminous effect, activated by natural or solar light, ensures you can rely on this compass even in low-light conditions. The minor drawback is the cover may not latch very close sometimes.

Designed for discerning adventurers, the NIEGIENNA Compass helps you navigate and adds a touch of nostalgia to your journeys. It's susceptible, ensuring you receive accurate readings even in challenging environments. Whether exploring dense forests or hiking under the moonlight, this compass will precisely guide you. 

10 Artsper Compass
Our Score:
8.7

The Artsper Compass is famous for its small and unique shape, making it an aesthetically pleasing accessory that is also convenient to carry. Ideal for both adults and kids, this compass ensures precision and fast navigation with its floating compass dial, which improves sensitivity and accuracy.

Other than that, the clear compass scale and accurate pointer enhance its usability, making it an excellent choice for various outdoor activities. The durable alloy material and fully sealed design make it suitable for all weather conditions, while the attached metal loop allows for easy carrying on a belt or with a lanyard. The only downside is that it may take a bit of time for the compass to settle. Despite this minor delay, the Artsper Compass remains a reliable tool for those who appreciate a blend of functionality and novelty in their navigation equipment.

What to Look For in a best mini compass?

Different considerations must be taken during the shopping process. Study resources are obtained in a wide variety of ways. Thus, our staff is all here to lend a helping hand, advice, and solutions to your issues.

Please take a closer examination of the features below and that would be beneficial before your purchase of best mini compass: 

Quality

Although there are many affordable options for compasses, it is important to be able to rely on your instrument to get you where you need. It's not a question of safety, but it is a matter for life and death to have dependable and reliable compass.

Clinometer

The clinometer is usually found with an advanced compass and used to determine the slope angle (or rockbed for those geologists). A clinometer is a free-moving arrow that moves freely within a liquid capsule below the magnetized needle.
The feature was designed for mountaineers or backcountry skiers, and is used to assess avalanche dangers. This feature is unlikely to be used if you are hiking on maintained trails. This feature is essential for all students of geology.

Global Needle

Some compasses can't be used everywhere in the world. A compass that has a global needle is required if you plan to use your compass in any part of the world. It is usually indicated by the last 'G' in the description.
Compasses are sometimes only balanced in one of the two hemispheres for compasses which aren't global.

Durability

Because it is possible for your compass to get knocked around in your pack or land on the ground, a hiking compass must be strong. It happens more frequently than you might imagine, particularly since you'll likely be using a map while hiking. The risk of it being dropped increases when you add a little wind resistance and gloves. We only selected durable items in this list.

Features

For hiking, the compass should include a declination and rotating scales, as well as a plate that has a ruler. The declination scale allows you to make adjustments to declination for specific areas, so the compass points towards magnetic north. While the rotating bezel lets you measure azimuth easily. When measuring distances on a map, a ruler is useful.

Stability And Speed

It is better if the needle points north faster. You can be slower with older compasses. You might argue that speed does not matter when you're hiking or mountaineering, as you don't have to rush like orienteering race participants. You will want to get down as quickly as you can if it is bad.

FAQs

What is the Mini Compass?

The Mini Compass is a small, handheld device that is designed to help you find your way when you’re lost or need assistance navigating unknown terrain. It features a built-in LED light, a simple compass dial, and a convenient carrying loop.

How does the Mini Compass work?

The Mini Compass works by pointing in the direction of the geographical North Pole. It uses a built-in magnetic needle to point in the right direction and can be adjusted to fit your specific location and terrain.

What type of battery does the Mini Compass use?

The Mini Compass uses a CR2032 battery.

How long will the battery last?

The battery life will depend on how often you use the Mini Compass and how much light is available. Generally, you can expect the battery to last between 6 and 12 months.

How do I turn on the Mini Compass?

To turn on the Mini Compass, simply press and hold the power button for three seconds. The LED light will turn on, and the compass needle will begin to move as you adjust it.

Is the Mini Compass waterproof?

Yes, the Mini Compass is water-resistant and can be used in wet conditions. However, it should not be submerged in water for long periods of time.

When the latest info related to best mini compass comes available, we will update it as soon as possible. Please check our websites frequently for the most up-to-date research data.

Our team is able to support you with many problems, even the out of best mini compass. If you require support with your issues, please do not hesitate to contact us.


2 ratings

About Sarah Combs

Sarah Combs
Sarah Combs is a visual editor who loves to travel and hike. She enjoys taking photographs of her journeys, which help her to remember the beautiful places she's been to. Sarah is grateful for the opportunities that she has had to see the world and looks forward to continuing to explore new places in the future. Sarah is the editor of CampfireHQ since 2021 and has written on a variety of topics, from camping, and hiking to other outdoor guides.

Read Sarah's full bio