Bear Archery Cruzer G4 Adjustable Compound Bow for Youth & Adults, Lightweight 3.2 lbs, 10–70 lb. Draw Weight, 14"–30" Draw Length, Trophy Ridge Ready-to-Hunt Package, Black

Why it's worth it

The Bear Cruzer G4 adjusts from 10 to 70 pounds and 14 to 30 inches, which is about as wide as adjustment ranges get. At 3.2 pounds it's the lightest full-size bow here, and it comes with a sight, rest, quiver and stabilizer.

No other bow here fits as many people. Ten to 70 pounds and 14 to 30 inches means a nine-year-old and a full-grown adult can share it, and neither has to compromise much. If you're buying one bow for a household with more than one archer, or for a kid who's about to grow six inches, this is the practical answer.

It's genuinely light — 3.2 pounds for the bare bow, which you feel most while you're holding at full draw waiting for your pin to settle. The 29-inch axle-to-axle length and 6.5-inch brace height put it in the same forgiving territory as the SAS, just in a more compact package that's easier to carry and easier for a smaller archer to manage.

From our review of 6 compound bows for beginners, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +No other bow here fits as many people
• +It's genuinely light — 3.2 pounds for the bare bow, which you feel most while you're holding at full draw waiting for your pin…
• +The ready-to-hunt package covers the basics: a four-pin sight, an arrow rest, a five-arrow quiver, a stabilizer, a peep and a…

What to know

• –Quality control is the problem, and it's why this isn't the top pick
• –The accessories in the box don't always match the listing
• –The 14-inch minimum draw is a headline number more than a practical one