Does This Budget Friendly Thermal Scope Prove Itself?

Originally published by Robbie and Adrian at Review This Thing, this article offers a detailed analysis of the DNT Hydra HS225. We're excited to share their insights.

If you're in the market for a thermal optic but don't want to drop upwards of $2,000–$5,000, you've probably wondered if any budget-friendly options are worth looking at. In this review, we're breaking down the DNT Hydra HS225 — a thermal scope priced around $900, making it one of the most affordable in its class. But does it perform above its price tag? Let's find out.

Key Features and Specs

The Hydra HS225 is one of the smallest and lightest thermals we tested in our recent comparison, weighing 1 pound. That compact design makes it incredibly versatile — ready for you to use it as:

• A standalone rifle scope

• A clip-on for your LPVO

• Or a handheld thermal monocular

It features a 12-micron pixel pitch with a <25mK NETD and a sensor resolution of 256×192. We've always said that 384×288 is the minimum you should aim for if you want a good image, but according to DNT, their proprietary AI algorithm enhances the 256-image to look like a 384-image.

Robbie at 100 yards with AI Image Enhancement on

That image held its own compared to the similarly priced thermal scope with a 384 resolution. With their image enhancement, the Hydra's clarity even looked slightly better, in our opinion. However, remember that the image enhancement setting can reduce your total battery life.

Power and Battery Life

Rechargeable 18650 flat-top batteries power the Hydra HS225 for close to 5.5 hours

The HS225 utilizes rechargeable 18650 flat-top batteries, which provide approximately 5.5 hours of runtime per battery. It comes with two batteries and a charger. If you need extended runtime in the field, you can also power it via USB-C.

Recording and Storage

Like most thermals these days, the Hydra HS225 lets you record video. It has 32GB of internal storage, so you won't have to remember an SD card — not that we've ever forgotten one… okay, maybe once.

If you're a Mac user, note that you can't transfer files directly. You'll need to do it through the DNT app. Speaking of their app, it works excellent for live viewing on your phone and transferring files, but unfortunately, you can't control scope settings or record from it.

Mounting and Controls

Mounting is easy with torque specs printed on the included mount

Mounting is simple, with four screws and an included clamp-style mount for your Picatinny rail. We've seen people mount it to a magnifier pivot mount for quick, clip-on use, although we haven't tested that ourselves.

Controls are easily placed right on top

Controls for the Hydra are easily found right on top:

• Power

• Zoom In

• Menu

• Shutter (for recording)

The diopter adjustment, focus ring, and protective lens cap are standard equipment. The focus ring placement is out on the objective end—not our favorite placement, but it works.

Magnification and Field of View

The base magnification is 3x, which is higher than some of the other thermals we tested. A lower base magnification gives you a wider field of view for close-in scanning. The Hydra zooms up to 12x, though like most digital thermals, the image clarity decreases as you zoom in.

Base magnification at 3.0 on left, Full zoom at 12.0 on right

The Hydra's AI image enhancement helps keep it a touch clearer than the competition, but it still gets pixelated the further you zoom.

Color Palettes and Reticles

You get four color palettes:

• White Hot

• Black Hot

• Red Hot

• Iron Hot

Four Different Color Paletes available on the DNT Hydra HS225

It's not as many as other models, but those four should cover most of your needs for hunting or scanning situations.

You can also choose from 8 reticle options, easily set your zero point getting the rifle sighted in, and choose if you want to use the Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode. A cool feature is that you can move the PIP window wherever you want on the screen, but we usually prefer dead center at the top.

Durability and Waterproof Rating

The Hydra HS225 is rated IP67, which means it's waterproof against heavy rain and fully protected from dust. It's also rated to handle recoil up to a .50 BMG, so you don't have to baby this thing.

DNT App

The DNT app allows you to stream your scope's view to your phone, which is particularly useful when scanning a field for hogs or coyotes. However, as mentioned, you can't control any settings or recording from the app. Most competitors let you adjust at least a few things through their apps, so hopefully, DNT will add that capability in future updates.

Clarity at Distance

Deer at 500 yards were easy to detect, not as easy to quickly identify at that range

While we could easily detect an animal's heat signature out to 500 yards, quickly identifying that animal proved to be much more difficult. As you probably already know, if you're planning on shooting an animal, you better be able to correctly identify that animal before pulling the trigger.

Based on our testing, it has been easy to identify targets at least 200 yards away. It was also easy to pick up a human heat signature at 400 yards, but identifying a specific animal could become much more difficult past that distance.

Sighting In

Getting the Hydra HS225 zeroed was as simple as chasing the bullet holes. The hardest part of sighting in was finding the best mounting position on my Smith & Wesson M&P 22. Once it was where I wanted it, the shooting commenced.

After 11 shots, the DNT Hydra HS225 was zeroed

I used a paper target and taped on a hand warmer to help with the heat signature. Of course, that worked great, and after three shots, I made my first adjustments. The freeze frame feature is always worth it on digital scopes because it allows for easy maneuvering of the crosshairs without requiring the shooter to keep the rifle completely still. Once I froze the frame, I adjusted the X and Y axis coordinates to coincide with the location where the bullets were grouped and made sure to save them.

Then, I completed the same process until the rifle was zeroed at the desired distance. You can see the results above.

With 26 different zero profiles, it should be easy to set up distance profiles or even switch between those profiles for other guns. I initially zeroed it while using a 22LR at 30 yards, and my thoughts would be to use another zero profile for a further distance, possibly out to 50 and then 100 yards.

Upgraded Features

No review of the Hydra HS225 would be complete without mentioning its more advanced but slightly more expensive siblings. We haven't tested those yet, but you never know what might be coming up soon!

The Hydra HS325 features a 384×288 resolution and is designed to deliver the next step up in quality. Once again, their AI image enhancement further improves the 384x288 picture to help you better identify animals. And this one comes with a lower base magnification. Of course, with that increase in quality, you can expect to see a price increase. The HS325 retails for $1,395 (after 10% off with code: SAVE10) as of the time of writing.

Continuing up the image quality ladder, we find the Hydra HS635. It has a 640×512 resolution with that same AI image enhancement that should produce more defined images still without breaking the bank. In comparison to many other 640-resolution thermals, the price tag of $2,295 (after 10% off with code: SAVE10) is lower than you'd expect. Once again, we haven't tested these, so I can't speak to the image quality. But I would expect to see the quality of images increase as the price increases.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable price point

• AI image enhancement noticeably improves clarity

• Lightweight and versatile

• Solid battery life with less expensive replacement batteries

• 32GB internal storage

• IP67 waterproof rating

Cons

• 256x192 resolution isn't as sharp as higher-end models

• Focus ring placement isn't ideal

• The app lacks control functions

• Limited to 4 color palettes

Should I Buy This Thing?

Verdict: "Better Than It Has Any Right To Be"

For around $900 (after 10% off with code: SAVE10), the DNT Hydra HS225 offers surprising performance for the money. The AI image enhancement works better than we expected. It's lightweight, has solid battery life, and stands out because it can be used as a scope, clip-on, or handheld.

The versatility in use and quality of images makes the Hydra HS225 one to consider

DNT offers higher-end models for those seeking high-resolution images. Still, the Hydra HS225 should be on your shortlist for budget-conscious hunters or land managers who require a dependable thermal without breaking the bank.

Keep in mind, if you're wanting the clearest picture that money can buy, this probably isn't the scope you're wanting. For one of those, make sure to check out our video below.

The Hydra HS225 is one of those rare budget optics that punches above its weight class. No, it's not perfect — but for $900, it's an absolute contender. If you're shopping on a budget, consider this scope as a viable option.

Adrian Jessen (@Review This Thing)

Learn More about Hydra: Hydra - 3 in 1 Multi-Function Thermal – DNT Optics Store