6 best stethoscopes

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

At the reception of patients, therapists and pediatricians must use such a diagnostic method as auscultation – listening to the airways and lungs to determine wheezing and their nature, auditory determination of the work of the heart and other organs. For these purposes, a medical device is used a stethoscope; its more perfect form is a phonendoscope.

How to choose the 'right' device

Stethoscopes are distinguished by the purity of the conducted sound, its volume, design and principle of operation. When choosing, you need to pay attention to several parameters:

1. The material for the head and rigid tubes is aluminum, steel or plastic. Polymer products are the cheapest, but they have the lowest conductivity, wheezing in such a stethoscope is difficult to hear. More practical are aluminum models, the most accurate, but also expensive – steel.
2. The membrane of the head of the device must be flexible, the degree of adherence to the body and audibility depend on this, respectively. Its size is also important: the larger the diameter, the wider the range of sounds in the body can be heard.
3. The sound-conducting tube must be thick so that the waves do not scatter on their way to the ear. The larger its inner diameter, the better. The minimum required length is 30 cm, but it is more convenient to use 50-55 cm.
4. Ear tips (tips) made of plastic do not change their shape, adhere worse to the auricle, respectively, audibility suffers, in contrast to the use of a stethoscope with soft tips.
5. The type of sound transmission of the device is mechanical, based on the transmission of noise according to the laws of physics, or electronic, which has a sound amplifier and speakers for the ears.

Stethoscopes are divided into 3 types depending on the specific application. They differ in the degree of sound conductivity and its accuracy.

1. Pediatric (therapeutic) for listening to heart rhythms and airway health. The membrane and its rim do not cause a feeling of cold when touched for the comfort of patients of different ages.
2. Cardiac transmit sounds of different frequencies for a more accurate auditory determination of the heart.
3. Obstetric to listen to the fetal heartbeat in the womb.

Many doctors, especially in private clinics, prefer universal devices suitable for diagnosing all the described problems – phonendoscopes.

So what is the difference between a stethoscope and a phonendoscope?

Distinctive feature	Stethoscope	Phonendoscope
Diagnostics	Depending on the species: wheezing in the trachea and lungs, heart murmurs, palpitations of children in the womb	More accurate diagnostics of the respiratory system: pneumonia, pleurisy, gastrointestinal problems, heart problems, intrauterine listening.
Influence of the sound background in the room on the diagnostic accuracy	Silence in the room, body listening without clothes needed	No effect, sound amplification is significant.
Membrane	Low-frequency membrane	High-frequency diaphragm, low-frequency tube, more versatile solution

Outwardly, it is difficult to distinguish a stethoscope and a phonendoscope – they have a similar design, both can be mechanical or equipped with an amplifier. Thus, it is impossible to identify the best device, it is necessary to take into account its purpose and technical features.

The experts of the portal have identified the 6 best mechanical and electronic stethoscopes that doctors trust, we can confidently recommend them for purchase for home use.

Rating of the best stethoscopes

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Best mechanical stethoscopes	1	KAWE Planet Cardiology (43920)	RUB 16,000
	2	ADC ADSCOPE 602	RUB 6,000
	3	Riester Cardiophon 2.0	RUB 6,500
	4	AMRUS 04-AM507	RUB 400
Best Electronic Stethoscopes	1	LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27	34 320 RUB
	2	Switel BH170	RUB 3,890

Best mechanical stethoscopes

The simplest devices are mechanical stethoscopes, they are also the most reliable, but not always perfectly transmit sounds. As we said, it is important to find the 'right' model.

KAWE Planet Cardiology (43920)

Rating: 4.9

The leader of the rating is the KAWE Planet Cardiology stethoscope (43920) with an adjustable bow and a 42 mm floating membrane. The original production tool can be identified by the serial number printed on the gold-colored metal door head, which, incidentally, can be switched from low to high frequencies to diagnose problems in various organs.

The total length from the massive head to the adjustable ear-tip is 75 cm; it is convenient to carry out diagnostics while maintaining a comfortable distance between the patient and the doctor. At the same time, the sound quality is outstanding, the noise from the fingers is leveled, as well as other sound background from the outside. Good audibility is also facilitated by a movable membrane that adapts to the relief of the body as accurately as possible, it is capable of transmitting noise under the skin up to 120 mm. Double-tube stethoscope system for better sound conductivity and improved diagnostic accuracy.

The KAWE Planet Cardiology stethoscope (43920) is widely used by doctors of various specializations and receives only positive reviews, so it will not be superfluous in the home first-aid kit, with skillful handling it will help diagnose various diseases in the early stages. The price of the device is about 14,000 rubles.

Advantages

• Two-pipe sound conduction system;
• Excellent sound quality up to 120mm depth.
• Swivel head mechanism and adjustable temples;
• Gold plated head with 'warm' bezel;
• Adjustable massive head with frequency switching;
• Lightweight 147 grams;

disadvantages

• High price.

ADC ADSCOPE 602

Rating: 4.8

The second place in the rating is the cardiological stethoscope ADC ADSCOPE 602 made in the USA. The stylish black instrument from the bow to the head with a length of 71 cm is convenient to use for diagnosing low and high frequency noises with the appropriate switching of the head, from the touch of the rim of which there is no feeling of cold.

A feature of the device is a technological AFD diaphragm with an adjustable frequency of high sensitivity. It transmits the slightest noise, which the stainless steel olives help the ear to pick up – they don't lose sound thanks to the Adsoft ™ PVC ear tips. Cardiac headband with 150-degree binaural arms for a comfortable fit in the doctor's ears and better hearing.

The tube is double, it is made of flexible PVC, which retains mobility and elasticity throughout the life of the stethoscope. The total weight of the medical device is 215 grams (bell for adult diagnosis) and 243 grams with pediatric diaphragm. The set includes a bell, ear tips, identification plate.

The average price of ADC ADSCOPE 602 is 10 300 rubles.

Advantages

• Frequency switching;
• The rim of the head does not cool;
• Anatomically located arches;
• Sealed Adsoft ™ liners;
• Twin conductive tube;

disadvantages

• High price.

Riester Cardiophon 2.0

Rating: 4.7

In third place is the simpler model of the Riester Cardiophon 2.0 stethoscope with an updated head design with improved noise conductivity in the body up to 3 times in a wide range of 10 … 100 Hz. The device has soft adjustable olives that fit tightly to the auricle, sound insulation is also improved in the conductive tube – they are made of elastic material. The rings of the double diaphragm head are not cooled and do not cause discomfort.

The stethoscope is equipped with two membranes 44 and 32 mm in diameter with the perception of low and high frequencies, respectively. A Y-shaped tube, separated by acoustic valves for each doctor's ear, will help you hear all the slightest noises.

The Riester Cardiophon 2.0 package includes a storage box for the device, 2 replaceable membranes and a badge. The total weight of the stethoscope is 204 grams, and the average price is 6,500 rubles.

Advantages

• Improved sound sensitivity;
• Optimal price;
• The head rings are not cooled;
• Sound valves in the tube for each ear;
• Elastic olives;
• Membranes for listening to low and high frequencies;

disadvantages

• The minimum equipment, no replaceable olive.

AMRUS 04-AM507

Rating: 4.6

The AMRUS 04-AM507 closes the rating in the category of mechanical stethoscopes, ideal for pediatric diagnostics due to the bright colors of the tubes – they can be green (aqua), pink or red. The rotating double-sided head is designed to work with children: it is reduced, equipped with an elastic membrane, the bezel does not cool when listening. A conductive tube 55 cm long with thick walls does not extinguish noise, conical vinyl olives help to preserve them in the auricle, but the fit of chrome-plated tubes is too strong – the spring is elastic, but presses too hard on the ears, this is noted by all ordinary people and doctors who use the AMRUS stethoscope 04-AM507. The device has one membrane, its diameter 35 mm contributes to the susceptibility to a narrow spectrum of sounds.

The average price of 400 rubles is the lowest in our rating.

Advantages

• The lowest price;
• Does not cool the skin;
• Comfortable olives;
• Choice of tube colors;

disadvantages

• Narrow sound conductivity spectrum;
• A tight spring on the temples presses on the ears.

Best Electronic Stethoscopes

Electronic stethoscopes are the most modern devices for listening to body and organ noise. They are equipped with a sound amplifier, so diagnostics can be carried out even in a noisy room. Stethoscopes are mostly universal, suitable for use in all areas of medicine.

LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27

Rating: 4.9

The recognized leader among electronic stethoscopes LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27, equipped with a sound amplifier up to 24 times! Electronics also dampens up to 85% of extraneous noise, leaving the doctor no chance to doubt. Oliva is versatile, it fits snugly to the ear shell, does not lose waves and is a two-channel conductive tube. The stethoscope head operates in two modes: listening to low and high frequencies, switching is carried out by pressing one button.

The LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes device is equipped with a backlit liquid crystal display that displays the charge of the AA battery, the mode of operation of the device (type of frequencies), heart rate, volume level, the stethoscope is convenient to use even in a darkened room. The signal processor facilitates the auscultation process. The device is turned on and controlled by a 5-button pad, power off can be manual or automatic after a user-set time.

Electronic stethoscope LITTMANN Electronic Sthetoscopes 3100BK27 is used in neonatology, cardiology, pulmonology and other areas of medicine, where accurate diagnosis of examination and the deepest possible sound transmission is required.

The average price of the device is 35,000 rubles.

Advantages

• 24x sound amplification;
• Wear-resistant materials of manufacture and reliable working mechanism;
• Sound notification;
• Push-button switching of auscultation modes;
• Informative backlit LCD display;
• Suppression of extraneous noise from the outside;

disadvantages

• High price.

Switel BH170

Rating: 4.5

In second place is the budget model of the Switel BH170 electronic stethoscope, which can be bought for about 3,800 rubles. The purpose of the device is to listen to the heartbeat of a child in the womb at a gestational age of 5 months. At the same time, there is the possibility of feedback – doctors recommend that the future baby turn on music, read poetry, just talk through a microphone. By the way, the sounds made by the child can be recorded in the device's memory, and for convenient listening, headphones are attached to the kit.

The stethoscope is powered by 3 AA batteries.

Advantages

• Listening to the fetal heartbeat from 5 months of pregnancy;
• No wire, battery powered;
• Ability to record fetal sounds;
• Microphone for communication with a child;
• Convenient listening to sounds through headphones;

disadvantages

• Not suitable for the diagnosis of pathologies.

---

Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.