Satechi ReadMate LED Desktop Magnifier with up to 5X Magnification - Carrying Case Included (Black)

I received this today and was pleasantly surprised. It is a handsome, nice quality aluminum. It's very nicely finished with no sharp edges. The lens is clear and the LED lights work very well, with no dark or shadowy areas in the viewer. It has a nice heft to it, but it's not heavy. The hardcover case it comes in and the polishing cloth are a very nice touch to keep it clean and dust free when not in use. By pressing on the outer ring to turn it on and off, I find this a very well thought out design.

It's a great product. I really like it. I’ll have to repurchase it later.

Looking for the best magnifier to use with maps... and maybe for the FAA Part 107 exam? Then look no further, this is the one to get. It comes with a super-nice case that is semi-rigid and has a buttery smooth zipper. It includes a microfiber cloth and the batteries (two CR2016) installed. You simply remove the plastic insulator tab from the battery compartment and click the internal switch to ON and it's ready to go. The lens is large and measures 2-3/4 inches in diameter. The construction of the magnifier is anodized aluminum and is fairly light for the size-- that makes it easy to use but it's still heavy enough to hold your book open as a paper weight, if needed. To activate the light you then push down on the finely milled silver ring and you get a perfect illumination of the surface beneath the magnifier. No shadows and no hot spots. To turn the light off you simply push down again on the silver ring. The clarity of the optic is excellent and more than adequate for reading purposes. Most everything is in clear focus and it's big and easy to see! I tried the basic "dome" style acrylic magnifiers but without perfectly placed lighting they are dark and not usable. This one is probably the best of the illuminated ones available. Your search is over-- get this one. You will be glad you did.

Excellent quality of item and case for the money.

So far after one day of use, I really like it better than loupes. Very intuitive. Lights are very bright and easy to turn off and on by pressing down on the silver rim and then switching off completely with the switch underneath. It doesn’t flip text/image upside down when looking through the glass lens. Comes with a nice case. Plenty of space to place overtop of items. It does require two watch batteries though, not sure how frequently they will need to be changed. Only thing I am wondering is if 8x or 10x magnification would be better. Looking forward to using it more.

I love this light helps me with small print reading…. While you r at it, add another star total of 6!!

Great qualiry

Nice looking desk magnifier. Pressing the silver ring turns the LED's on or off...a nice feature. However, as a previous reviewer noted, the magnification is definitely NOT 5X. It is just about 1.5X. Which is for me an insufficient magnification for reading the newspaper or books. Nevertheless, I find it is good for placing against the small print or the nearly invisible to me red colored print on my 27" iMac. On many websites I am unable to change from their faint gray lettering on a glaring white background to the enormously better white lettering on black background, so this magnifier is good for at least reading small print on the desktop. The manufacturer may have thought that with a 1.5X magnification you could just drop the 1 and call it a 5X magnification. Be assured however it is NOT anywhere near a 5X magnification.