When I got my first microscope, it was illuminated by moving a mirror into and out of the sunlight, hoping to light up the item on the slide. It worked some of the time, and hurt your eyes a fair number of times because you reflected too much light onto the slide.This is a cooler and much safer option. It has an LED to light up your slides, so you can look at slides in any weather without blinding yourself. The slides are plastic, which is much safer than the glass slides (especially the cover slips, which slipped into the skin of your feet in seconds). The manual is also decently written, so even an eight year old can get something out of playing with this, while a 13 year old won't be bored.I really like this as a STEM gift for any of the kids in your life, as long as you are willing to spend an hour or two joining in the fun. Too many educational gifts are lousy, because the kid is expected to play with and entertain his or her self. People don't usually learn that way, and if you give the gift, be prepared to discover together. (Just my 2 cents)All in all, a great first real microscope for kids.

My five-year-old daughter wanted to be able to see the 'bugs' on her hand. While the magnification on this microscope might not quite do that, it has still been a great way to introduce her to the 'little world' around us. Using the eyepiece and focus wheels, etc. is a bit tricky for her, but when the phone attachment is added it really brings everything to life for her (it just takes a bit getting used to). Being able to use it on the stand or just in your hand is also great. She can't wait to take it outside and explore the little world further!

I love this. It comes with ALOT!!!THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST YOU'LL FIND FOR THE PRICE.The lighting is adjustable. I seen some reviews where it said it wasn't but it is. This thing is ready to use out of the box. Hook it up to the wall or batteries for on the go.I keep the box to store it .I also love the premade slides and it comes with ones where you can make your own.Frogs blood is the pink spotted slide in the photos and then the others are my blood and a piece of dry skin.I think this is great and very educational. It came well packaged and so many accessories. It was easy to hide for a birthday present as the box doesn't say what it was which I loved.So very happy. Look no further... get this.

I bought this microscope for my elementary school aged children. They absolutely love it! I works great. It isn't a microscope like what you would see or use in a medical setting but for children or adults that are into science and looking at different items up close then this will do the trick. Its easy to use and pretty durable and sturdy. I am very impressed by how well you can actually see different things on it. So far we have looked at hair, bugs, dust, water bugs, carpet, and even ear wax from our kitten. This microscope is amazing and fun. I enjoy it probably just as much as my children do. I would definitely recommend this item. I will be buying another one soon for my stepson as well. I think it would make an awesome gift for any child.

My 9 year old wanted a microscope for her birthday so I started looking into them. I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a first microscope, but I didn't want to get her a cheap piece of junk either. I got this one on sale for $86, it is a good microscope, better than the one I had in high school, so it will last her a long time. It has lots of extras which made it even a better deal. Can't review on it's durability yet as we have only had it open for a few days, but it seems to be well made and durable. I didn't have any problem with broken parts like other reviewers did, everything was in the box intact. The only thing that would have made it better is if it had come with a carrying case. I ended up getting a case for it ,it is a bit big for the microscope, but with a little creative thinking, we made it work. We have the scope in the Styrofoam it came in inside the case and the extra little boxes on the side of that.

This is an excellent microscope to teach children how to work with this kind of equipment. It isn't terribly expensive and since it is primarily plastic it bounces back. I do wish that the light had the ability to flip so a mirror could be used for light when batteries die. It is important to use both hands when adjusting because otherwise the angle can be thrown off due to the top side getting tweaked bit, It is very minor but at the greatest magnification a slight twist could make a big difference.

We received it today and my daughter loves it. It's a great microscope for homeschooling. We started learning about microscopes, parts, usage, and how to explore it. If someone is is more advanced and knowledgable about microscopes than they might have more to say. For the most part, we love it.I thought the packaging was good. I wish this set came with a case, but it does come with a cover to protect it from dust, which is nice to have.Take a chance, worst case, return it.

I bought it for my 12 year old daughter, she loved it. Although it came with prepared slides that didn't stop her from going into the yard for extra material to look at, she's that hooked.The scope works well with good illumination and feels extra sturdy. I like the easy handle for moving it around. You can't beat the price for what you get, it looks very fancy and expensive.

This is an excellent introductory/student microscope. I had no problems at all with the damage due to lousy packaging mentioned in some other reviews. Came with everything listed and the quality is better than I expected for the price. My 5 year old daughter and I had a great time immediately with it out of the box looking at the prepared slides that came with it along with dead flies, fern spores, leaves, etc. I strongly recommend this microscope. Pretty cool that you can take pictures with a camera phone through the lens...

Excellent product!From references I read in this medium I thought I was going to arrive with broken slides, but I arrive in perfect condition, all well packed and packed, the microscope works perfectly, we have had a lot of fun. On the other hand for those who refer that the inks arrive dry, what happens is that they send the ink powder to dilute it and prepare the ink! They all come like this! My son is happy 🙂