SpyX Micro Gear Set Review
Reviewed by David Ashworth
When I was little, I won’t tell you how many years ago that was, I remember getting my own spy set for my birthday. I was thrilled with it. It consisted of a plastic briefcase, toy gun, badge and plastic handcuffs. I played with it non-stop until it inevitably broke or got lost. Either way, I was eager to see how my nine-year-old son would react to his own spy kit and how much it would differ from the one I had as a child.
Enter the SpyX Micro Gear Set. This cool little item is for ages six and up and features 4 nifty little spy tools for young adventurers, as well as a carry belt and clips to store all your gadgets.
The SpyX Micro Gear Set includes a micro listening device, a micro spy light, an alarm that can be set to go off as a motion detector or vibration alarm and an invisible ink pen. Also included is the belt which can be adjusted to fit smaller or larger children and the clips can be attached and removed easily to hold your spy gadgets.
Honestly, this kit is way more advanced than anything I ever had as a child, my young son felt more like Batman with his utility belt than a generic spy. All of the gadgets are lightweight and function fantastically. The invisible ink pen allows you to write notes and messages which are virtually undetectable to the naked eye but when the decoding UV light at the other end of the pen is shone across the message the truth is exposed. There is even a secret compartment with a small writing scroll so you can record your intercepted messages on the go.
The listening device is possibly the least impressive item in the kit, its range is limited to about 5 feet and it amplifies the sound in the direction of its microphone slightly but unfortunately also adds a lot of distortion. There is also no volume control and I found it a little disorienting when my kids were speaking, even at a normal volume. Unfortunately, the increase in volume comes at the cost of the sound quality. My son would also like to add that he thought the wire between the listening device and earpiece could have benefited from being slightly longer, simply for the sake of comfort and manoeuvrability.
The spy light is a nifty part of the kit and fits snugly over the left or right ear and emits a strong orange glow in the shape of a target. My son really enjoyed this feature. Finally, the motion alarm was my favourite item in the SpyX pack. At the flip of a switch you can set the alarm to go off if someone crosses its path or change it to sound if somebody moves it. It was very sensitive, and the alarm is clear enough to hear from other rooms. My son really enjoyed trapping his sisters as they attempted to break into his room.
Each of these items fit precisely into the clips and can easily be attached to the cotton weaved belt.
All in all, I would rate this product four out of five stars as, aside from the listening device, all the gadgets functioned really well and my son really felt special as he was playing with it. For a toy it is really advanced and certainly a lot more technically superior to anything I played with as a kid. This would be a great idea for kids who are into role-playing or action adventure just be careful if you’re a parent… kids are always spying.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £19.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.
