Every young scientist needs a microscope as a tool for discovery. This is one tool that our homeschool has lacked, until recently. We have borrowed microscopes in the past and have purchased a couple of cheap, poor quality microscopes that couldn’t stand up to the challenge of viewing anything of real substance. Now that I have a middle-schooler who thrives in science and wants all the tools, I knew we needed to invest in a more quality microscope. Needless to say, I was thrilled at the opportunity to review the Omano OM118-M3 Monocular Compound Microscope. This microscope sells on their website for $129.00.

The microscope was packed very securely in Styrofoam and included an extra lightbulb, fuse, and dust cover. Our box had no instruction booklet, but I was able to find it on the website and print it out with no difficulty. The microscope has a beautiful, sleek design and looks like any high-quality microscope that you would see in any school or science class. It felt very professional, durable, and user friendly. The magnifying power is from 40X -400X. There are three viewing capabilities that rotate with ease. The eye-piece also rotates at a 45-degree angle effortlessly and is convenient when sharing the microscope between multiple students.

Though this microscope is recommended for K-12 and described as an introductory microscope, I would say that this is one of the higher end introductory microscopes that I have seen. It has a large viewing area when you peer into the eye-piece and the focus controls are easy to use to get a nice, sharp, clear look at objects at a more cellular level. My kids put their hair, flower petals, finger nail, sugar crystals, and just about everything else they could find that was small enough to put on a slide and viewed them with awe and fascination. The slide clips do a great job of keeping the slide in place while viewing.

I had one recommendation for the company. I found this microscope does not come with any slide trays or pre-fabricated slides to enable an excited student to get started right away at zooming closely into their surroundings. We went to our local education supply store to purchase some clear slides, so that we could begin using the microscope. I think it would be so helpful and appreciated if the microscope came with at least one slide that students can begin viewing through the microscope straight out of the box. It would only make this product even better.

There are optional ad-ons for expanded use that include digital cameras with Windows or Mac operating systems that come in 1.3 or 3.1 megapixel resolution, as well as a reticle, or a smartphone adaptor. We did not review these items, but I can see how they would be beneficial depending on your needs.

I highly recommend this microscope. The quality and design will surely please any budding scientist. An excellent value for the dollar amount and a perfect addition to any homeschool.

-Product review by Audrey Tolle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, July, 2018