My First Lab Microscope Review
A child’s curiosity can be almost insatiable. What better way to let them get up close with their world than a My First Lab microscope? My First Lab is a family-owned company focusing on promoting STEM learning and providing quality, affordable scientific products for kids. Their products have received a seal of excellence and have been featured on ABC 7 News’ Education Spotlight. Their microscopes are made with top quality optics for clear viewing and electric LED lights for the best detail. Clear user guides provide step by step instructions.
My First Lab Microscope is a Powered by Mom Holiday Gift Guide pick. Check out our Gift Guide HERE.
We got to play with the Smartphone Inspector, the WOW Scope, and the Duo-Scope Starter kit.
The Smartphone Inspector
The Smartphone Inspector really blew me away. It seems a bit bulky at first and I had to remove my phone cover in order for it to sit flush against my phone, but it takes your phone’s camera and magnifies it 60 times! My phone’s auto-focus did just fine through the lens and the clarity was incredible. There is a coin battery operated light attached if you need some extra light which has a regular LED light and an Ultraviolet LED. The ultraviolet light is great if you want to examine fluorescent minerals like Amber or detect real currency.
The kids love being able to take my phone around and look at all the things up close like yeast, my mineral collection, and the slides that came with the other microscopes. This would be super fun to take with you when you’re out at the park! It has its own little bag to keep it clean and pack it away. It’s small enough to fit anywhere and it adapts to any smartphone camera.
The WOW Scope
The WOW or world of wonder microscope feels super high-tech and fancy, but it withstood the 7, 4, and 1 year old no problem! Pop two AA batteries in the bottom to run the two lights, one above and one below, so you can view traditional slides OR 3D objects! It includes a slide with 2 specimens and a solid card with three 3D objects. There is also a carrying case for both.
It comes with two sets of eyepieces for different magnification levels. You can get up to 50x total magnification. The eyepieces just slide in and out of each white base and can be independently adjusted. The dial on the side raises and lowers the glass optics smoothly and easily.
It is recommended for ages 7+ but my 4-year-old had no problem working it and loved looking at the crystal clear images of the feather and sand. He does often forget to shut the light off after playing but so far we’ve had no issues as the LED lamps should last practically forever and they do not take a heavy toll on the batteries.
The Duo Scope Starter Kit
The Duo Scope Starter Kit is a brilliant introduction to the sciences for kids. It was specifically designed with elementary and middle school-aged kids in mind. Known as the “Duo” because it too has two lights, the light above is for solid 3D objects and the one below is for viewing slides. It takes three AA batteries that are not included. It has a single removable eyepiece that is 10x and a cap to keep dust out when the eyepiece is not in. The rotating objectives allow for viewing at 40x, 100x, and 400x. The kit has 40 accessories including a magnifying glass, plastic pipet, graduated cylinder, specimen slicer (had to look up what this one was!), 3 prepared slides, 8 blank slides with cover strips and labels, tweezers, brine shrimp egg vial, yeast specimen, 3 empty specimen vials, a hatchery, and an experiment guide.
It is recommended for ages 8+ and the guide is written towards that level or a bit older. My younger two still thoroughly enjoyed it just as much as the WOW Scope. The guide details proper handling, using the microscope, and hatching and growing the brine shrimp and yeast in the hatchery. Again, the optics are super clear and the lighting sure beats those microscopes with the mirror to direct the light. This microscope even has and dial in the slide base to control how much light comes up from below. My oldest liked this one the best with the single viewing eyepiece and rotating optics.
Overall
I had just as much fun as the kids using these microscopes. They really are high-quality equipment but very durable and easy to use. The starter kit got us off to the right start and the WOW scope and Duo Scope got us up close to some very cool things. The Smartphone Investigator is great for exploring on the go and the kids spend way more time at the dining room table with the microscopes than in front of the TV now which is extra great! I cannot recommend My First Lab highly enough for anyone with a love of science or for sparking that love of science for their child.
Be sure to check back next week for a chance to WIN your very own WOW Scope!
And do not forget to check out the rest of the Holiday Gift Guide!
Don’t forget to check out our other categories such as our Recipes section for tasty meals!
Lily Kwan says
November 20, 2017 at 1:51 AMI learned that the company is located in Manassas, Virginia.
Jerry Marquardt says
November 19, 2017 at 10:58 PMThis is a very nice and exploratory scientific gift to have children waiting what to look at next. The review is most excellent and thanks for sharing it with us.
Christian Alejandro says
November 19, 2017 at 10:33 PMI like the hands on learning the microscope gives. It’s like a sneaky way to have a kid learn and have fun.
Meme says
November 19, 2017 at 9:39 PMI like tah you can view both solid 3d pieces and slides. I love that your 4 year old was able to handle it to as i have a 4 year old who has an older sibling so this should be great for both
Liz M says
November 19, 2017 at 8:37 PMHow much fun is this! My children would go crazy over having a microscope. I used to have one as a child and the little light never seemed to be enough. This seems so much better now!
Philip Lawrence says
November 19, 2017 at 8:35 PMI like that it has an Ultraviolet LED Light.
Bill Elliott says
November 19, 2017 at 7:13 PMHaving a microscope opens up a whole new world for our children. They are able to see
and examine things that the naked eye doesn’t allow.
Seyma Shabbir says
November 19, 2017 at 6:40 PMThis is awesome! I never thought of growing brine shrimp. There are so many things my sons 8 and 10 would love to look at under a microscope.
Colette says
November 19, 2017 at 6:13 PMOh my, I didn’t even know they have this!
It would make for a great gift!!
Allen Gibson says
November 19, 2017 at 6:04 PMHad a microscope years & years ago. Always amazed me what things looked like under it.
polly says
November 19, 2017 at 6:01 PMLove it comes with a starter kit. Both of my grandsons would love this.
Anita Jude says
November 19, 2017 at 5:05 PMThis looks like so much fun for the kids and they would love it ..they would look at bugs or something that crawls with it
Sandra Watts says
November 19, 2017 at 4:59 PMThis is really cool. What a great learning tool for my grand kids.
Richard Hicks says
November 19, 2017 at 4:27 PMI think every kid should have one. I remember mine as a kid and it was no where as sophisticated as this one.
Cindi o says
November 19, 2017 at 2:35 PMI think this is great to get kids involved in the world around them. I like the LED lights and the phone magnifier is pretty ingenious!
Kayla Klontz says
November 19, 2017 at 2:05 PMThis is so neat, I love how it comes with slides for you to look at before you do your own exploring, I love that this has an LED light on it as well so it’s brighter.
Rose Santuci-Sofranko says
November 19, 2017 at 12:48 PMOoh! I’d love to look at our pond water! There are all sorts of “critters” in it…amoebas, paramecium, etc…. Thanks and God Bless! ILuvTheEucharist @ aol dot com
Christy Caldwell says
November 19, 2017 at 9:59 AMI love that it can be portable. My youngest would love to look at leaves and bugs with a microscope.
Jennifer M says
November 19, 2017 at 9:56 AMI love the LED light feature, and that it magnifies up to 60 times. This would be a perfect addition to our homeschool. I love toys that are fun and educational.
Patricia Green says
November 19, 2017 at 9:29 AMI really like toys that are fun as well as educational. Who knows?..Maybe this will spark a future scientist! What a great way to get a child to explore their surroundings. Love it.
Michelle Catallo says
November 19, 2017 at 8:41 AMThese look very well made and loads of fun learning will be taking place 🙂 my kids and I are big into all different kinds of science.
denise low says
November 19, 2017 at 8:00 AMMy grandson would love this microscope. They love looking at bugs with this.
Kathy Pease says
November 19, 2017 at 5:53 AMI like the electric LED lights for the best detail
Stacey A Smith says
November 18, 2017 at 6:07 PMlooks like a great learning tool.kids would love it and it may help them like stuff like this.
Michelle H. says
November 17, 2017 at 3:40 PMI love things that make learning fun. I think that my son would have fun with this microscope.
Linda Madden says
November 17, 2017 at 3:39 PMMy granddaughter loves science! This would make a great Christmas gift for her! Thanks! ☺☺
Lisa Brown says
November 17, 2017 at 9:28 AMI think it’s fabulous for kids, such a good way to begin learning about basic science.
lv says
November 17, 2017 at 6:19 AMi know my kids will have so much fun with this
Eileen Richter says
November 17, 2017 at 4:39 AMIt s really cool it’s run on batteries so you can take to other locations like a park, marsh, etc easily. I think the UV light was cool to look at. I have 7 grandkids from ages 2 to 17 and any one of them would love to work this microscope. out of 6 kids, our family has never had one but even our senior in HS would love this. She’s very into science and bio tech.
cindy legg says
November 16, 2017 at 10:31 PMi love that these pieces are for numerous age groups to learn and play with and my fav is the mobile one
Terri S. says
November 16, 2017 at 6:53 PMI like that this microscope is made by makers of medical grade scientific equipment. It looks well-made and sturdy enough for children to use. I think my 2 granddaughters (sisters) would enjoy examining various specimens with it.
Jessica Miranda says
November 16, 2017 at 6:12 PMI really like the mobile feature. I accidently broke our microscope, so this would be nice ..
Sabrina Templin says
November 16, 2017 at 6:01 PMI love the eyepieces change out so easy for change in magnification
jennifer dansberger jones says
November 16, 2017 at 3:18 PMthe magnification slides out and it can be used with your smartphone, how cool is that?!?!?!
Patricia Hoffmeister says
November 16, 2017 at 1:40 PMI like that it includes a slide with 2 specimens and a solid card with three 3D objects.
Jennifer says
November 16, 2017 at 1:09 PMSounds awesome! My son is very interested in science & would love this.
BARBARA SCOTT says
November 15, 2017 at 9:51 PMIT WOULD BE FUN TO USE WITH MY GRANDSON, I’VE ALWAYS WANTED ONE.
susan smoaks says
November 15, 2017 at 5:55 PMthis would be awesome for our son. he would have so much fun with it.
Katherine S says
November 15, 2017 at 5:52 PMI love how it magnifies 60 times.
Jessica W. says
November 15, 2017 at 11:42 AMI like how these products will get kids excited about science. It’s so important and fun!
Tiffany Greene Elliott says
November 15, 2017 at 8:27 AMMy oldest son who is 8 years old would absolutely love these microscopes! He loves science! The microscope would make a great gift for him! Thank you!
Gina H. says
November 14, 2017 at 9:38 PMMy niece loves science & would be so excited to get this microscope.
Tara O. says
November 14, 2017 at 9:28 PMThis seems like a great starter microscope for my daughter. She LOVES science and I want to encourage that! Also, the Smartphone Inspector looks like a great tool!!
Helen says
November 14, 2017 at 2:20 PMI love how durable this microscope is and that it is a gift that will get your kids’ brains working while they are having some fun.
Calvin F. says
November 13, 2017 at 1:02 PMI remember my first microscope I got when I was a kid.. Was so excited..
Jessica Williams says
November 13, 2017 at 11:53 AMI am happy to learn that the microscope uses high quality optics instead of just regular plastic or glass.
Darlene Carbajal says
November 13, 2017 at 10:49 AMThis microscope looks super cool. To have one at home will be awesome. My nephew will have lots of fun with this.
Brandon Wright says
November 13, 2017 at 10:10 AMWe have a family very interested in science, and I know my kids as well as myself would love to have a microscope. I had one years agao and it was stolen, so to have another one would be nice.
Rae Nelson says
November 12, 2017 at 6:40 AMMagnifies 60 times! Think any age would enjoy this, even me!
Cynthia C says
November 12, 2017 at 4:16 AMI like that it has an ultraviolet light as well as LED. My nieces would enjoy looking at all kinds of things with this.
Margot C says
November 11, 2017 at 11:29 PMI think that Alysia would love this. She says that she wants to be a geologist. She’s 8 years old!
Wendy Caddy says
November 11, 2017 at 5:55 PMI like that the Wow scope lets you view both traditional slides lit from below and 3D objects lit from above.
linda w. says
November 11, 2017 at 2:20 PMMy kids love science so they would absolutely love this.
Donna L. says
November 10, 2017 at 10:59 PMI love these educational toys.
Leela says
November 10, 2017 at 6:00 PMMy daughter would love this.
aaron reck says
November 10, 2017 at 9:29 AMThat is so cool. Teach them the value of science young that is so great.
Dawn Zavacki says
November 10, 2017 at 7:18 AMThis sounds really interesting. I also want to check out the phone inspector, we always have a phone when out.
Crystal w says
November 9, 2017 at 10:45 PMWow this looks awesome. It is so much fun and it is the perfect size for kids. Love it
Tina B says
November 9, 2017 at 9:12 PMIt may be recommended for kids, but I think I would love that thing just as much as my kid! I used to love microscopes in school. I’m glad Mini has actually asked for one.
Katie Smith says
November 9, 2017 at 5:07 PMMy son loves anything science so this would be an amazing gift for him!
Peggy Rydzewski says
November 9, 2017 at 3:55 PMThis product great for the kids to discover Science and nature.
Marty says
November 9, 2017 at 12:18 PMThose look great. I have my own microscope at home, but I don’t let the kids use it unattended because it’s fragile and expensive and I’m afraid they’d damage it. It would be cool for them to have their own “real” microscope to play around with. 400X is more than enough.
Katie Bellamy says
November 9, 2017 at 9:57 AMMy kids would LOVE this! They are so into Science right now!
Carolsue says
November 9, 2017 at 12:09 AMI remember how much I loved my microscope when I was a kid! My kids should love this!
Dinah says
November 8, 2017 at 10:19 PMI love that the WOW microscope seems very easy to use. My nieces are 4 and 9, and I’m glad that your 4-year old was able to use it with no problems.
Sherrie Cruson says
November 8, 2017 at 10:00 PMMy granddaughter will be eight years old in January and would love this microscope and I love that it takes a phone’s camera and magnifies it 60 times. That’s pretty impressive 🙂
Michelle Elizondo says
November 8, 2017 at 6:48 PMI liked that it comes with light to it.
April Monty says
November 8, 2017 at 4:10 PMMy grand babies would love this to investigate things
Mia says
November 8, 2017 at 12:02 PMMy grandkids are all really interested in science and I like how durable and sturdy these microscopes are. Also nice that it can be used by younger kids.
Dana Murphy says
November 8, 2017 at 11:23 AMI think the whole family would enjoy this microscope. Which is a big plus because kids learn a lot better when parents get involved.
Cathleen King says
November 8, 2017 at 11:07 AMMy sister’s former co-worker’s daughter would enjoy looking at interesting things.
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
November 8, 2017 at 9:16 AMI love the LED lamps! That is a great idea for a product used by a child. Good to know the image quality was good on a feather and sand. I think my daughter would love using this so much!!
Angela Patino says
November 8, 2017 at 6:27 AMMy son loves science he is even on an special class this would be so awesome for him
Natalie Chan says
November 8, 2017 at 5:54 AMNot just for kids. This is super for anyone who wants to see the micro world out there in depth
Nicole Lancaster says
November 7, 2017 at 7:38 PMA very nice Microscope for kids. I that it uses light to better see the slides and its durable for young children. Not cheap looking like the kid’s Microscope of my day.
Amber Ludwig says
November 7, 2017 at 5:46 PMBoth look super fun!! I think you learn so much from seeing things up close and personal! Kids don’t believe you if you tell them everything is made of cells….until they can see them. Whole new ball game!
stephanie bastien says
November 7, 2017 at 4:20 PMi think these are wonderful for the kids that love to learn new things while having fun both my boys love microscopes
Byron C says
November 7, 2017 at 3:50 PMCool! I love how it can hookup to a smartphone
Amber cheras says
November 7, 2017 at 2:59 PMWow so many great features love how it’s educational and fun
LeAnn Harbert says
November 7, 2017 at 2:52 PMMy granddaughters would love this. They like anything about science.
Robin Creager says
November 7, 2017 at 11:52 AMI can’t wait ti get one for my grandson! He would have so much fun learning and seeing things in 3-D under the microscope. I had one growing up and I used to look at hair, plants and anything that would fit on a slide. I was totally amazed!
Jennifer Pellicone says
November 7, 2017 at 10:56 AMFirst of all…I LOVE that you also have a mineral collection. Mine includes phosphorescent minerals so the black light would be fantastic on the Smartphone Inspector. It looks convenient and easy to use. And the microscope…what a great setup and design. I think I just found my grandchildrens’ Christmas present!
Lauryn R says
November 7, 2017 at 10:04 AMMy kids would have so much fun with this microscope! They would love to at bugs, leaves, flowers, and pretty much anything they can fit on a slide! 🙂
Crystal Warnick says
November 7, 2017 at 8:47 AMI absolutely love the scope you put on your phone. My 10 year old would love this!
Darcy Koch says
November 7, 2017 at 8:46 AMI like that it has a light for easier viewing. I learned you can use it with your smartphone.
Crystal Walker says
November 7, 2017 at 8:45 AMI have always been facanated with science and anything to do with it. Now my Grandson is into Science now, he will love this gift. Great review Love the entire Blog
Sheila Carvell says
November 7, 2017 at 8:39 AMPerfect for my young man!!! His curiosity has turned to a love of science. Love the features!
John Smith says
November 7, 2017 at 7:52 AMInteresting to see this product! I like the design!
Denise L says
November 7, 2017 at 5:37 AMI love educational gifts. I happen to know a few little scientists that would be happy to unwrap this on Christmas morning. Thanks for the great gift idea!
marthalynn says
November 7, 2017 at 5:06 AMI love this! This is the type of gift that I prefer to give my children. It’s educational, fun, and expands their world. And it’s fun to use alongside them!
Cheryl Everitt says
November 7, 2017 at 4:50 AMWOW! Amazing! My grandchildren are excited about science. With this microscope the possibilities are endless.
Linda Manns Linneman says
November 7, 2017 at 2:14 AMThis is awesome. I love the magnification of this scope. My grandchildren love science so they would really enjoy this. I love educational toys for the kids. Thank you so much for sharing this great gift idea. God Bless
Jeanna Massman says
November 6, 2017 at 11:40 PMI learned that it has 2 sets of eyepieces. My grandson would love to examine things with this microscope.
Amy P says
November 6, 2017 at 9:50 PMI like that it uses an LED light for low battery consumption. I *really* like that it’s capable of looking at 3D objects.
Debra Holloway says
November 6, 2017 at 9:43 PMI would love to have this to instill a love of science in my grandson.
Anita Duvall says
November 6, 2017 at 9:31 PMI love that you can incorporate your smart phone with the Lab. Great that a great age difference can enjoy this.
Amanda Alvarado says
November 6, 2017 at 8:10 PMMy daughter would love any of these! She has a little cheap one that you can’t see much with and any of these would be an upgrade!
KENNETH OHL says
November 6, 2017 at 7:52 PMmy little niece wants to be a scientist this would be great
Dorothy Boucher says
November 6, 2017 at 6:14 PMThis scope is pretty amazing on what it can do. I know my granddaughter will enjoy this, being able to see what inside the flowers she picks.
@tisonlyme143
Robin Abrams says
November 6, 2017 at 5:55 PMMy grand son would love this. He has a inquisitive mind. I love that these are very durable and easy to use for kids
monique s says
November 6, 2017 at 5:53 PMmy son would love this. It would be great to look at leaves, plants and bugs
Christa says
November 6, 2017 at 5:30 PMI’m extremely interested in the smartphone inspector. My nephew and I could look at all sorts of things with that.
Angela Adelman says
November 6, 2017 at 5:11 PMThis would be a great gift for My son. He loves science.
Kara Marks says
November 6, 2017 at 4:24 PMIt’s so good to know more about these various products; one of these would be perfect for my older grandson and I’ve looked at them for him before. Thanks!
Sarah L says
November 5, 2017 at 2:08 PMI remember the microscope I had when I was growing up. So much fun to look at things. I like the lens for the phone.
April Monty says
November 4, 2017 at 7:03 PMThese are exactly the kind sir of toys you want school age kids to have
denise low says
November 3, 2017 at 2:43 PMThis is really very nice. Its a microscope that my grandson would really like.