Because they use 4 or 5 foot long optical tubes, Dobsonians are bulky, and you may be surprised at how much bigger the telescope seems in person compared to photos. However, they don’t actually take up that much floor space. When stored with the tube vertical, the only floor space occupied is about a 2-foot circular area. Dobsonians can be transported in a car, but the solid tube versions will usually take up the whole backseat, and the rockerbox will take up another seat. Tabletop Dobsonians are smaller and much more compact, but their bases are still a little bulky compared to certain tripod-based arrangements.