Best Planispheres

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A planisphere is only correct for the latitude band printed on it, and that is the single spec to get right. The common northern bands cover 30 to 40, 40 to 50 and 50 to 60 degrees, and each one draws the horizon oval for the middle of its range, so using a 30 to 40 degree wheel from 52 degrees north puts stars below your horizon that are actually up and hides ones that are. Look up your latitude and buy the band that contains it; if you sit close to a boundary, choose the band whose center is nearer to you. Size is the second decision and it is a genuine trade rather than a matter of taste. A small wheel of a few inches fits a jacket pocket and goes to the telescope every time, but the constellation labels crowd together near the horizon oval where you most need them. A large format wheel is far easier to read by red torchlight and stays in the car or on the table. Construction is worth a glance: laminated card survives dew, a bare paper wheel does not last a season outdoors, and a rotating disc with a smooth pivot beats one that binds when damp. Be realistic about what it does. A planisphere shows which constellations and bright stars are above the horizon at a given date and time, which is what you want when planning a session, and it plots nothing faint and no planet positions.