Best Red Dot Sights for AR-15: 2021's Best Picks

When it comes to finding the right red dot sight for your firearm, it is not a quick and easy task to perform. You need to compare all the many features included, and there are so many on the market that it takes a lot of time.

In this review, we took the pain out of shopping for the best red dot sights and provided you with a shortlist. So sit back and relax while you read through these best red dot sights for AR-15 options we found to provide you with the right weapon improvement.

Best Red Dot Sights For AR-15 Reviews

Solar Power Micro Red Dot Sight From Holosun

With this sight on your rifle, you will not need to worry about the time of day or the weather conditions. This sight provided by Holosun comes with great features included to make your outdoor hunting much more fun and even more convenient.

Review

This AR-15 rifle and pistol micro red dot sight comes with a dual power operation mode to help preserve the battery power. This includes a solar power option that will charge it while it is in the light, and a battery operating mode when it is dark.

With this sight’s auto-brightness adjustment feature, it will adjust quickly to the available ambient light. So when it becomes too dark, the sight will automatically go over to battery operating mode to keep you going all the time.

This sight is also compatible with a wide range of other weapons, which includes rifles and pistols, as well as crossbows. This means that you can use just one sight on all of your weapons to save you money and for your convenience.

With the easily accessible + and – buttons added to the unit, you can quickly increase or decrease the red dot’s brightness. It will also provide much better accuracy with the on-the-spot red dot for improved aiming options.

Made from very strong aluminum, this unit is fully waterproof and very durable to last for a very long time. The lifetime warranty you get included with this red dot sight backs the high-quality and trust you can have in the unit.

However, this site provided by Holosun needs to be zeroed every time you use it because it quickly goes out when slightly bumped. This will take away some of the fun and functionality, and it is quite cumbersome to zero it every time.

Furthermore, regardless of the many settings, the red dot is not that bright while it is in solar power mode.

Pros

It comes with dual power mode
Can easily be used with other weapons
Included is a variety of brightness settings
A lifetime warranty is included

Cons

Need to zero the sight every time you use it
Not very bright in solar mode

Traditional 30MM Red Dot Sight From Truglo

It is going to be very easy to use this red dot sight on your rifle to help improve your overall accuracy and experience. This unit comes with quite a superior design included, making it ideal for both the beginner and the expert shooter.

Review

With improved visibility provided with this red dot sight for your weapon, it will make your shooting much easier and more comfortable. It will not take you long to acquire the target and get your shot in, improving your shooting experience quite a bit.

The lightweight and very compact construction of this sighting unit will not add total weight to your rifle or other weapons. It will also not add to the bulk size, keeping your weapon as close as possible to the original size and weight.

With the integrated weaver mounting style, you will not have problems mounting the sight on any of your weapons. The quick and easy mounting option will help save you time and effort so you can be on the go in minutes.

To add to the sight’s clear visibility, you also have quite a wide field of view to further improve your shooting skills. This will also help get you on target much faster and not waste your time.

The flip-up lens caps will help to protect the lens from any damage when it is not in use. This sight is suitable to be used on a wide range of weapons to improve your accuracy and overall shooting skill.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to use this sight on a 12-gauge shotgun because of the high impact of the gun. Some even experienced the lenses cracking after only a few uses on the mentioned firearm.

It is also not fog-proof, so you need to be careful when you use it in cold and wet outdoor conditions.

Pros

This unit provides improved visibility
It is made with quite a lightweight construction
Very easy to mount this on your weapon
Has a wide field of view

Cons

This rifle sight is not fog-proof
Not to be used with a 12 gauge shotgun

Precision Micro Red Dot Sight From Fieldsport

This unit is ideal for those who cannot really afford to buy a high-end sight for their rifle but still need a sight. This means you will not need to use just a barebone rifle when you go out hunting (or just shooting) for a better experience.

Review

This sight comes with up to 11 brightness settings that can easily be selected with the easy to use tuning knob. This will allow you to see the red dot much easier, even with the sun at its very brightest.

With quite a durable construction, this red dot sight provided by Fieldsport will last for a very long time for many hours of shooting. The materials used are of high-quality and are lightweight to make it quite easy to use on any of your weapons without adding to the weight.

The easy mounting method will help get this sight on your rifle in only a few minutes. This feature makes it a good option for those out in the field with very little time and need to be on the go.

You can easily set the zero in only a few shots to improve your accuracy and skill with this sight. With the easy adjustment of this unit, it can be secured relatively easily in place to keep the sight on zero for a while.

This unit comes with quite a low price tag attached to it to make it worth the money spent on improving your sight. It also comes with quite a nice lightweight design to make it very easy to install and use on your weapons.

However, with this rifle sight, you only have the red dot included and not the green dot, taking away some of the versatility of the unit. It also needs a raiser to be compatible with iron sights, making this unit a bit less functional.

It also is not made with a waterproof option, nor can it be used in a high humidity environment.

Pros

Comes with many brightness settings
Made from quite durable materials
Comes with a low price tag
Easy to mount on the rifle

Cons

No green dot included with this unit
Raiser is needed to use with iron sight

ITA Red And Green Circle Dot Sight By UTG

This well-designed weapon sight for most weapons comes with great features included to make it ideal for the expert and the beginner. It is also very easy to use for much better visibility and accuracy on any weapon it is attached to.

Review

When you zero this sight provided by UTG, it will stay zero for a long time and will not go out when bumped. This means you can trust that your aim will always be true when using this sight on any of your weapons.

This is quite an easy sight to use with your rifle, where you will be able to be on target with very little adjustments all the time. It will also help to save you time and effort to quickly acquire the target without any hassle.

With the strong and durable construction of this red dot sight from UTG, you have reliability and functionality in one single package. Also, it is durable enough to last a very long time to give you many hours of great shooting.

You can easily use this UTG ITA sight with the iron sights of your AR-15 rifle without making any adjustments. This will save you a lot of time and effort so you can be ready to go out shooting in only a few minutes.

The height of the sight makes it relatively easy to allow co-witnessing with your AR-15 rifle to improve the overall accuracy. You also have five levels of adjustment to improve the sight’s overall brightness quickly and easily to a point.

However, this sight will not allow much brightness in the bright daylight conditions, taking away some of the versatility of the unit. This means that you may have some visibility problems during the day.

There is also no auto shut-off with this unit, so you need to keep an eye on it and make sure it is off.

Pros

Can be used with iron sights without adjustments
Very easy to use
Comes with a red and green ring dot
Zero will not go out easily

Cons

There is no auto shut-off option available
It is not very bright in broad daylight

The Micro Red Dot Sight From TAC Vector Optics

With a decent design and rugged construction, this red dot optic sight will help to improve your overall shooting skill. Also, with the lightweight and compact design, it will not add overall weight or bulk to your rifle, making it a favorable choice.

Review

This red dot sight will give you no trouble when you want to zero it because of the easy zero option included. This sight will also hold the zero for a long time, and it will not go out quickly even if you bump it.

You can easily mount this sight on rifles with the standard Picatinny mounting options as well as those using the Weaver mount. These features make this red dot sight quite versatile to be mounted on a wide variety of weapons without the need for any adjustments.

With the very lightweight design of this unit, it will be no problem to use it on smaller and larger weapons. It will not add weight to the lighter weapons and also will not make them look much bigger.

You will also get ultra-clear images with the multi-coated lenses that are included with the unit. So you will not have problems acquiring your target quickly and easily with these sights attached to your firearm.

This sight’s quality materials will help it to last for a very long time to provide many happy shooting hours. The lenses are also protected against scratching, dirt, and oil while providing you with a crystal clear view.

However, the batteries supplied with this unit will not last very long because of the high drain it has on the battery life. This means you will have to replace the batteries quite often, which may add to the unit’s total cost.

It also has very small adjustment buttons, which might cause some frustration for those with larger hands.

Pros

It is very easy to zero this sight
Multi-coated lenses included for a clear view
A dual mounting system included
Can be used with many different firearms

Cons

The battery drains quite quickly in this unit
It has very small adjustment buttons

Conclusion

The winner among these great red dot sights is the Holosun Solar power micro red dot sight that comes with a durable design. It also comes with all the great features needed to make your shooting much easier and more fun.

In the number two spot, we have the Truglo traditional 30mm red dot sight with great eye relief and a wide field of view. This one also comes with what you need to improve your overall user experience as well as shooting skill.