So you are a nursing practitioner and you are torn about which stethoscope to buy. Used by a great number of proud doctors, nurses and medical professionals around the world, Littman stethoscopes offer terrific acoustic response, exceptional value, and superior results overall.
Best Littmann Stethoscopes
In this roundup, we are going to take a look at some of the best from the Littman stable.
3M™ Littmann® Master Cardiology Stethoscope
If you are looking to buy one of the best Littmann stethoscopes around and are willing to pay for great build, ergonomic design, excellent acoustics, and, most importantly, the more-than-handy option of listening to both high and low frequency sounds clearly, 3M™ Littmann® Master Cardiology™ is the stethoscope you should get. It strikes the right balance between cost and benefits for essentially any clinician. At a price just above $200, buying the Master Cardiology™ is definitely an investment in your healthcare profession. But what you get in return is a solid, high quality stethoscope that delivers impressively clear, detailed sounds at different frequency ranges by just adjusting the pressure on the chest piece thanks to its tunable diaphragm.
Littmann Master Classic II Stethoscope
Next on the list is the famous Littmann Master Classic II Stethoscope which also features the advanced tunable diaphragm technology. This technology is great to have, in particular, because it basically allows you to get a quick and complete sonic image of a location without having to futz around with the stethoscope. The chest piece is made of fine-grade materials that hold up to chemicals, impacts and scratches that come with daily use. The ear tips are quite soft and fit snugly thus filtering out noise- the whoosh of heating and air conditioning systems, sounds of medical monitors and human noise. Oh yeah, it’s a loud, loud world.
3M Littmann Cardiology III Stethoscope
Enter the Littmann Cardiology III Stethoscope. The Cardiology III is not entirely different from the Classic II: the tube length, lumen and diameter are almost identical. The headset, again, in terms of the springing and weight, there is a very little difference between the two Littman stethoscopes. Having said that, there are quite a few improvements (that are worth mentioning, particularly in regards to the acoustics: the sounds are well defined and clear during auscultation. As with most Littman models, the acoustics are terrific; with just the right amount of pressure adjustment, different variations in sounds are heard. Moreover, the soft large ear pieces snap on well and do not cause any discomfort even while using it for quite a long period of time.
Littman Lightweight II S.E Stethoscope
The Littman Lightweight II S.E stethoscope, as its name indicates, has a lightweight yet durable design and features a one-of-its-kind double sided chest piece, which is actually ovoid in shape. Thanks to such an innovative design, it allows better movement around body contours and blood pressure cuffs, making it perfect for listening to a range of sounds including blood pressure, heart, lung, chest, bowel and abdominal sounds. It is pretty cheap compared to other Littman models but delivers excellent acoustic response so you can discern different lung and heart sounds easily. And, the noise attenuation is right on the money so you can be sure that you will hear only what you want to hear.
Littman Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200
Last but not the least is the fancy and shiny Electronic Stethoscope Model 3200. It is believed to be the first stethoscope (electronic) equipped with distinctive Bluetooth technology which allows clinicians to transmit heart, lung and other sounds wirelessly from the chest piece to the computer (thanks to the StethAssist software) for further analysis. This is a great advantage considering the fact that you can do enough analysis to differentiate between those sounds that should be referred for an ECG test and those that should not. Saves time and money for the patient. Of course, all this technology makes it an expensive option but it’s yet another Littmann stethoscope that is unique and delivers great value for money. What I like most about the last Littmann stethoscope is the manner in which it has changed the way nursing practitioners listen to and interpret the sounds thus drastically improving the diagnostic capabilities.
There you have it- the best Littman stethoscopes in the market. As a nurse, you are the first line of defense and you don’t want to be uncertain. Therefore it is important that you have the right tool for great reliability and precise acoustics. Pick a Littmann and you will be happy you did.
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Kevin Pan says
Thanks – it’s funny that you posted this at the right time. I found your blog because of the NCLEX-related material you have here, but the chemical dependency unit that I manage just happened to upgrade our stethescopes.
I was so glad my boss OK’d us to order two Littmann’s and I had to figure out which ones to get.
It’s going to be great not having to take manual BP’s with those plasticky throwaway stethescopes they stock on the unit (we’re in psych, so it’s not standard for nurses to bring their own stethescopes to work).
Thanks for the good timing on the post!
Kevin
The Nerdy Nurse Team says
I am so glad you found this post just when you needed it. I’m sure you are going to love the Littmann. A big step up over the ones you were using.
Loren says
Uhm, you appear to have a picture of the Littman Cardiology III under the heading of Master Classic III. Also, that I know of, there is no “Master Classic III”, only a “Master Classic II” (There IS a “Classic III”, just not a “Master Classic III”). This is according to Littman’s own website(as of 9-2-16). Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED my Cardiology III (until it grew legs and walked off), but either the title, or the picture, or both are incorrect. If you meant the Cardiology III, there is not a “Master Cardiology III” . If you meant the Classic, there is only a “Master Classic II”. In any case the pic is def the Cardiology III.
I used a Classic II in school and my first year of work, then bought a Cardiology III and used it for a total of nine years, in home health and ICU, before it “left” me. The Cardio III was superb, a noticeable step up from the Classic and it has the tunable diaphragm, with, to my ears anyway, better exclusion of ambient sound. The only complaint I ever had was its price and its tendency to stick to other people’s hands or necks as they were leaving the unit(!!). I “rescued” it several times before it finally ran away for good (lol). I used other nurses’ Master Cardiology a number of times, but honestly could not hear enough difference to justify the step up in price. At the time, now more than twelve years ago, it seemed to me, that physicians were buying it mostly to distinguish themselves from nurses, as, at that time in my area, nurses seldom used the one sided chest-piece type of stethoscopes. That may have changed in the last decade, but I don’t know. (I’m now retired.) I’ve always felt that the best” stethoscope is the one which any given individual finds best helps them hear important sounds during auscultation. For me, that was always a Littman of some sort.
Thanks for posting this, and have a fun and safe Labor Day weekend!
The Nerdy Nurse Team says
I’m so sorry for the confusion. It was the Littmann Cardiology III Stethoscope and I have updated both the text and the photo. Thank you for pointing it out!