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Pocket microscopes offer the microscopic enthusiast a very portable option to view tiny specimens in great detail. They sacrifice magnifying power for compactness and low weight and are the ideal choice for outdoor microscopic exploration. Helping you find the right pocket microscope for your needs, stands as the purpose of this buying guide.
Best Pocket Microscopes
With so many brands on the market, finding the ideal pocket microscope can be tasking. We save you some shopping time and effort as we look at our top five pocket microscopes on the market that boast of great features.
1. Carson MicroBrite Plus Pocket Microscope
The Carson MicroBrite is top on our list and is a very compact, lightweight microscope small enough to fit into a pocket. It comes with 60x to 120x magnification, great image quality, and features battery-powered LED illumination. Its rubberized armor enables for a comfortable, non-slip grip while outdoors.
- Very compact and lightweight.
- Decent magnification and great image quality.
- Battery-powered LED illumination and ergonomic design.
2. Skybasic Digital WiFi Microscope
This compact pocket-sized microscope from Skybasic boasts of excellent connectivity and impressive 50x to 1000x magnification. It comes with LED illumination, a 2.0 MP HD CMOS sensor for image and video capture, and is easy to operate. Its WiFi makes it compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and it comes with a stand for added stability.
- Compact, lightweight design with high magnification.
- LED illumination and 2.0 MP camera.
- Excellent connectivity and carrying stand.
3. Carson MicroFlip Pocket Microscope
Another great gadget from Carson, this pocket microscope comes with powerful 100x to 250x magnification and emphasizes portability. It features LED illumination, a UV flashlight, and a foldable base for improved compactness. It also comes with a smartphone adapter to allow you to take images and record videos in real-time.
- Compact, lightweight, and pocket-sized.
- Decent magnification range, LED illumination, and UV flashlight.
- Comes with a smartphone adapter for microphotography.
4. Mustcam Handheld LCD Digital Microscope
The Mustcam Handheld LCD Digital Microscope boasts of a very powerful digitally controlled 300x to 1200x magnification packed into a smartphone-sized handy unit. It comes with an HD 5 MP camera, backed with micro SD storage, to enable image and video capture. It stands out with its unique design and exceptional ease of use.
- Impressive magnification and high image quality.
- Compact, lightweight, and pocket-sized.
- Powerful 5 MP camera with micro SD storage.
5. Celestron Kids Microscope
This pocket-sized microscope is the ideal gadget to ramp up your kids’ interest in the micro-world. It comes with a high 60x to 120x magnification range, easy to use focus controls, and is very compact and lightweight.
- Ideal for kids and young students.
- Decent magnification and great portability.
- Sleek, ergonomic design with easy controls.
Pocket Microscopes Buying Guide
Pocket microscopes are the ideal optical companions for microscopic enthusiasts and nature explorers who value portability and convenience. They are also a great buy for kids who are interested in the sciences. When scouting for a pocket microscope, there are a number of qualities you want to be on the lookout for to ensure you get the best value for your money.
Our buying guide reviews the best pocket microscopes on the market based on their specified features to give you a basis to compare them and make an informed choice quickly
Size and Portability
Pocket microscopes are valued first, for their compactness and portability. The ideal pocket microscope must come very lightweight and small enough to fit into a pocket. To ensure this, ensure to check the product dimensions to have an estimate on the size. Portability is necessary for outdoor exploration convenience. The portability of pocket microscopes also makes them the ideal choice for kids and the elderly for convenience.
Magnification
The primary purpose of all microscopes is to magnify a specimen and reveal details normally unavailable to the naked eye. Depending on the intended purpose, the magnification ranges of pocket microscopes stand anywhere between 20x to as high as 1200x in high power models. For kids and viewing large specimens like stones, leaves, insects, a microscope with lower magnification is ideal. For professionals who very tiny specimens like microorganisms, high power models are the preferred choice.
Connectivity
The connectivity of whatever pocket microscope you measures how well it can be integrated with external devices. Pocket microscopes can either come as analog or digital models. Analog models generally just use the conventional lens technologies and the image is viewed through the eyepiece with the naked eye.
Digital models, on the other hand, integrate modern features like cameras and use USB, HDMI, or WiFi to enable connection with external devices like smartphones, tablets, or PCs. They are the ideal choice if you want to capture images of the magnified specimen just for fun or for research.
Some pocket microscopes come with button control for focus, illumination, and magnification, for added convenience.