My main concern was whether or not it would really work. I didn't want something that just had a light attached that lit up the 10 foot space in front of the wearer like a little kid's toy. So the first thing we did when we received it was go into our pitch black walk-in closet to try it out. I was amazed to find that it really works! You can actually see things really well, which begs the questions why? and how? This toy has huge educational value as it brings up scientific questions about light. Our discussions have now crossed over to talking about the universe and light years, as well as the fact that color is only a reflection of light and that when you turn off the light, it's not that you cannot see the green in your sweater, it actually isn't green anymore until you turn the light back on. My son has developmental delays and could easily figure out the features which I haven't even taken the time to look at yet. I gave it a four star rating for durability because even though it is very durable in that my son doesn't take very good care of it and leaves it around on the floor and steps on it and stuff and it is still fine, the rubber piece that goes around the part that touches your face when you look through it keeps coming apart from the unit. I just have to take some time and glue it and it will be fine. It's only a minor problem which is nothing compared to the joy he derives from walking around with it around his neck and pretending he's going Squatchin'. We haven't actually brought it out to the woods yet and to tell you the truth I'm a little scared to find out what is nearby when we're camping. I'm sure we'll be able to see the raccoons all lined up and ready to invade our campsite as soon as we go to bed, as well as other animals. Maybe we'll even see a Sasquatch or two.

I'm a nerd and pretty preparedness minded. I've been looking for Gen-1 (or cheap Gen-2) Night Vision to familiarize myself with the technology and to have, just in case.After doing quite a bit of online research I found out that these types of "toys" use Gen-1 tech. I also figured for around $30 I couldn't go wrong.I know these are considered a toy so my expectations weren't high. My first impression when I took them out of the box was that they looked surprisingly realistic, keep in mind that they are plastic.I put these through very same tests that I assume the Military Special Forces use (Take it in the bathroom and turn the lights off). I could see in the dark. I took them off and could see no light from the IR bulbs (on the "high" setting you can see them faintly).Once it got dark outside I took them out into the night. I was able to see 50-75 feet pretty clearly, even farther once I turned it to the high setting). It does play with your perspective and depth perception (some minor magnification and small viewing area) so I'd be very careful about walking in these (practice makes perfect). If you try to ride a bike, or operate a motor vehicle in these then you will probably die. Do not do that!These would be fine for stationary night use (guard duty against woodland animals in your yard) and are better than not having any night vision at all. I am hoping to make some head gear to hold it on hands-free.For the person who needs night vision on the cheap this is good, if it involves life or death, well that's your call!

This is really a pretty impressive piece of equipment for the price and target audience. It's basically what you would get with a night vision camcorder (such as the Discovery Kids model) crammed into a set of cheap plastic binoculars- minus the recording part, of course. Another similar device would be a night-vision-enabled baby video monitor, minus the wireless link.In any case, what this consists of are two IR (infrared - so invisible to the naked eye) LED flashlights, an IR-sensitive digital camera sensor, and a tiny low-resolution (but full color!) screen.The screen is "split" via mirrors to create the "binocular" view. The IR CCD picks up the reflected IR light (and visible light, if present), and voila- you can see in the dark.Some important notes that are not immediately obvious:- These are telescopic binoculars. I didn't realize this when I purchased them, and they are not great for seeing things that are near you (within 5 feet or so)- The zoom level does not seem adjustable- They are not "wearable" such as you might think from the look of them. They are meant to be handheld binoculars.- The "binocular" vision is not really stereoscopic- it is a single image split and shown to both eyes (as far as I can tell), so don't expect any depth perception.All that being said, this is an incredible amount of technology in a little toy package, and it does work quite well. You can really see in the dark, and if you are trying not to scare wildlife or wake a sleeping baby, it's great that you aren't casting any light at all. Don't confuse this with the cheaper "night vision" toy glasses you'll see- those are just green flashlights. They may let you see in the dark, but they're not exactly "stealthy".Some good notes:- The system transitions well from dark to light. It's not going to blind you, the screen isn't that bright.- The display is full color (more or less) in normal light, for what that's worth.- It really works in the dark!The mirror system is adjustable to account for differences in face width (how far apart your eyes are), and thankfully works well for both adults and children. Furthermore, there is a focus adjustment to help with near versus far objects. The whole system can actually produce a fairly crisp image in the dark when properly focused. They also work with glasses- I am a glasses-wearing adult, and I can comfortably fit my face and glasses in the binoculars and still get a pretty decent "seal" (the eyepiece is framed with a bit of rubber, presumably to trap out the light cast by the LCD).There are also two additional controls. One will turn on the secondary "high power" LED flashlight, which also emits some visible red light. In the normal mode, the binoculars are completely invisible in the dark (unless the person looking at you is also wearing IR goggles, in which case you'll show up like a bright flashlight!). However, in this "high power" mode you'll be visible as a faint red glow. This does let you see a good bit farther away, though- so it's not just a gimmick.The other switch applies various color "filters" to the display- red, green, blue or normal. This can be useful in some circumstances (the green view looks much more "night vision", and I imagine the red view works well in conjunction with the high-power LEDs, though I have not tried it). This feature feels a bit more gimmicky, but it's a nice thought.The binoculars also come with a neck strap, which at first you might mistake for a head strap. It's a nice touch, though.All in all, I'm really impressed. I'm not entirely sure yet that it can do what I purchased it for (I did not expect the magnification!), but I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun with it looking out at the critters in the yard at night, if nothing else.