Which stethoscope should I buy? The ultimate stethoscope comparison.

A stethoscope is the most beautiful and prestigious ornament of a medical doctor, nurse, and paramedic. A health-professional wears this tool for his/her lifetime. There are many stethoscopes brands present in the market. Out of these, Littmann stethoscopes are by far the most renowned for their high precision acoustics and quality. In this article, I have written about my hands-on experience on several popular models of Littmann stethoscopes. This article will not cover the digital and electronic stethoscopes. 

Contents show

The popular Littmann stethoscope models

This article will discuss the following models:

Littmann® Lightweight II S.E. Stethoscope

Features:

    • Very lightweight (118 grams)
    • Turnable diaphragm, you can use both sides of the chest-piece to listen to high-pitched and low-pitched sounds.
    • Teardrop shape chest-piece helps to slide under the cuff easily during blood pressure measurement.
    • Tube: 28 inch, Y shaped single lumen tube. Non-latex material.
    • Ear-piece acoustic seal: 7/10
    • Sound quality: 7/10
    • Comfort: 6/10
    • Use scenario: Blood pressure measurement, learning purpose, listening to normal heart sounds, coarse lung crepitations. 
    • Suggested users: Nursing assistants, nursing students, vocational nurses, medical assistants

Littmann® Master Classic II™ Stethoscope

Features:

    • Turnable diaphragm, you can hear high or low-frequency sounds by slightly adjusting pressure on the chest-piece.
    • Round shape single-sided chest-piece for easy maneuverability.
    • Tube: 28 inches, Y shaped single lumen tube. Non-latex material.
    • Ear-piece acoustic seal: 7.5/10
    • Sound quality: 7.5/10
    • Comfort: 7.5/10
    • Use scenario: For learning purposes of medical students, the outpatient department, Blood pressure measurement, Heart sound, and lung sound assessment. Not recommended for listening to subtle heart murmurs. Not ideal for emergency or critical care medicine.
    • Suggested users: Medical students, registered nurse.

Littmann® Classic III™ Monitoring Stethoscope

Features:

    • Tunable, dual-sided stainless steel chest-piece with open or closed bell
    • Non-chill bell cover for patient comfort. Open bell design keeps it clean.
    • Round shape single-sided chest-piece for easy maneuverability.
    • Tube: 27 inches, Y shaped single lumen tube. Non-latex material.
    • Ear-piece acoustic seal: 8.5/10
    • Sound quality: 8.5/10
    • Comfort: 7.5/10
    • Use scenario: Heart murmur assessment, patient diagnosis, hearing fine lung sound, pediatric patient, general ward, general physical assessment. Not ideal for critical patients. 
    • Suggested users: Medical officers, medical registrars, general practitioners.
This is the best value stethoscope and I highly recommend it. It is one of the most widely used model, and all parts are easily available. I personally use this model and I have passed my MRCP PACES examination using this stethoscope. So it is a very easy product to recommend. 

Littmann® Cardiology IV™ Diagnostic Stethoscope

  • Tunable, dual-sided stainless steel chest-piece with open or closed bell
  • Non-chill bell cover for patient comfort. Open bell design keeps it clean.
  • Round shape single-sided chest-piece for easy maneuverability.
  • Tube: 27 inches, A-shaped dual lumen tube for better noise cancellation. Non-latex material.
  • Ear-piece acoustic seal: 9/10
  • Sound quality: 8.5/10
  • Comfort: 8.0/10
  • Use scenario: Cardiac care unit, Emergency department, High dependency ward, ICU, pediatric patient, Subtle heart murmur, bruit, lung sounds assessment. 
  • Suggested users: Specialist doctors, Medical registrars, Medical officers, Critical care physicians.

Littmann® Master Cardiology™ Stethoscope

  • Tunable, dual-sided stainless steel chest-piece with open or closed bell
  • Non-chill bell cover for patient comfort. Open bell design keeps it clean.
  • Round shape single-sided chest-piece for easy maneuverability.
  • Tube: 27 inches, A-shaped dual lumen tube for better noise cancellation. Non-latex material.
  • Ear-piece acoustic seal: 9.5/10
  • Sound quality: 9/10
  • Comfort: 8.0/10
  • Use scenario: Critical care, Cardiology patients, Pulmonology patients, NICU
  • Suggested users: Cardiologists, Internal Medicine Specialist, Professors, Specialist doctors.
This is the best mechanical stethoscope by Littmann, but it is not the best value model. If you can afford it then buy it but it is overkill for junior doctors and nurses. 
MRCP Part 1. Stethoscope comparison.

Verdict

If you are looking for a good all-rounder stethoscope and best value then go for 3M™ Littmann® Classic III™ Monitoring Stethoscope.

This model is appropriate for the widest variety of situations. In the hand of an experienced doctor, it can be almost equal to the highest-priced stethoscope. Most doctors and nurses usually do not need anything better than this. I use this model regularly and it has never disappointed me. 

Please let us know in the comment section which model do you prefer? Please check our other articles: www.costamedic.com/blog

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