MEL Science Review: Excellent Kits, One Expensive Assumption

The kits are good. That part is not really in dispute, and 71% of 623 Trustpilot reviewers giving five stars is a strong number for a subscription box aimed at children.

This MEL Science review is about the pricing structure sitting underneath them, because the cheap way to buy it is only cheap under one condition.

What an Experiment Costs

Two to three experiments arrive in each box. On the annual plan that is $6.64 to $9.97 each, if the year is finished.

Paying month to month costs $29.90, or $358.80 across a year. The annual plan gives twelve months for the price of eight, which is $239.20 and a saving of $119.60, or 33.3%.

Divide that by the contents rather than the calendar. Each delivery carries two to three experiments, so a completed annual subscription lands between $6.64 and $9.97 per experiment, which is reasonable for something that arrives with every reagent measured out and the apparatus included.

Now the row most people never calculate.

The prepaid year is not refundable for months you choose not to receive, so a child who loses interest after four boxes has cost $239.20 for eight to twelve experiments, which is $19.93 to $29.90 each, and stopping at box three pushes it past thirty dollars an experiment on the lower count.

So the discount is real and it is also a bet on attention span.

The Honest Way to Buy It

The structure suggests its own answer, and it is not the one the checkout page pushes.

1. Start on the monthly subscription for two or three boxes
2. Watch whether the second box gets opened as fast as the first
3. Switch to annual once the interest is proven, not before
4. Treat the first box guarantee as your real trial

Paying $29.90 twice to find out costs $59.80, and the annual plan is still there afterwards, whereas discovering the same thing four boxes into a prepaid year costs $239.20 with no way back. Sixty dollars to test an assumption is cheap insurance.

Which Line Fits Which Child

Chemistry starts at ten and physics at eight. Buying a line above the child's age is a recurring complaint in reviews.

Chemistry is the flagship, and the first shipment includes a home lab with glassware, a macro lens for photographing reactions and a VR headset, which is a substantial amount of hardware to receive for one month's payment.

Physics starts younger at eight and leans on mechanics and electricity, where the result is visible and immediate rather than chemical.

The kids line opens at five and is designed to be run alongside an adult rather than handed over, and that distinction matters more than the number, because an eager six year old with a chemistry set is a different situation entirely.

What the Safety Claims Mean

The compliance claims are specific and checkable, which is more than most science kits offer.

The projects are stated to comply with United States Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements and with EN 71-4, the European standard listing which substances are permitted in children's chemistry sets, and the company states that no project includes explosives.

That is a meaningful thing to publish, because it means the reagent choices were constrained by a published list rather than by a marketing decision about what looks dramatic on video.

It is not a substitute for supervision. Real chemistry stains, spills and requires somewhere sensible to store the boxes, and the kits are designed to be run with a parent present rather than left with a child and a countertop.

Where the Complaints Are

Trustpilot shows 4.0 out of 5 from 623 reviews, at 71% five star and 11% one star, with the company replying to 83% of the negative ones.

Averaging that spread by hand gives 4.23 against a displayed 4.0, and since recent reviews carry more weight, that gap says newer customers are having a slightly worse time than older ones.

The complaints are administrative rather than scientific, which is a useful distinction for a parent deciding.

1. Boxes arriving late or not at all
2. Orders changed without notice
3. Specialist lines not delivering what was promised
4. Refunds moving slowly

Nobody is complaining that the experiments do not work, and that is worth saying clearly, because it means the risk here is a customer service risk rather than a product risk.

Who Should Buy

Buy if you have a child who already asks why things happen, you can sit with them for an hour a month, and you will start on the monthly subscription rather than committing to a prepaid year.

Look elsewhere if you want a one off gift rather than an ongoing commitment, if the child is below the age band for the line you like, or if a prepaid year you cannot unwind would bother you.

Final Verdict

Seven and a half out of ten. The kits themselves are excellent, the safety position is specific and published rather than vague, the first chemistry shipment includes real glassware and a VR headset, and 71% of 623 reviewers give five stars. What holds it back is administration rather than science, with late and altered orders, slow refunds, a displayed 4.0 against a raw average of 4.23, and a prepaid year that cannot be unwound. Anyone reading a MEL Science review should buy two boxes monthly first and switch to annual only once the interest holds.

FAQs

How much is the monthly subscription?

$29.90 a month, or twelve months for the price of eight on the annual plan, which is $239.20.

How many experiments come in a box?

Two to three, so a finished annual plan works out at roughly $6.64 to $9.97 per experiment, and an abandoned one costs far more per experiment.

Can I get a refund if I stop early?

The first box carries a happiness guarantee, but prepaid months you choose not to receive are not refunded.

What age is it for?

Five and up for the kids line, eight and up for physics, ten and up for chemistry.

Is it safe?

The projects state compliance with CPSC requirements and EN 71-4, and contain no explosives. Adult supervision is still expected.

What do people complain about?

Delivery and subscription administration, including late boxes, altered orders and slow refunds, rather than the experiments themselves.

Prices, contents, age guidance, safety claims and review figures were accurate at the time of writing and change often. Safety and compliance statements are the company's own published claims rather than our verification, and experiment counts per box come from published reviews. Cost per experiment figures are our own arithmetic. We have not run these kits ourselves, and adult supervision is the parent's responsibility.