10 Best Stethoscopes 2025 in the United States

The 3M Littmann Classic III Monitoring Stethoscope is a solid choice for healthcare professionals working in clinics, general wards, or ambulatory care. Its acoustic performance stands out, being more than twice as loud as many comparable models. This helps users detect both normal and subtle abnormal heart and lung sounds reliably, especially low-frequency sounds like Korotkoff sounds, which are important for blood pressure measurement.

The 3M Littmann Cardiology IV is a top-tier stethoscope designed for healthcare professionals who need precise and reliable acoustic performance, especially in critical care settings like emergency rooms and ICUs. It stands out by being more than twice as loud as other leading models, which helps in detecting subtle heart sounds and low-frequency noises like Korotkoff sounds and certain heart murmurs that are crucial for diagnosis. The chestpiece is larger and deeper than previous Littmann models, enhancing its ability to pick up sounds clearly. It features a dual-sided stainless steel chestpiece with a tunable diaphragm and a non-chill bell sleeve, making it comfortable for patients during exams. The soft-sealing eartips ensure a good fit and block out external noise, improving sound clarity for the user.

The 3M Littmann CORE Digital Stethoscope is a high-tech tool designed for medical professionals who want to enhance their listening experience with digital amplification and noise cancellation. It offers up to 40 times sound amplification and active noise cancellation, which helps in hearing heart and lung sounds more clearly even in noisy environments. The stethoscope connects to a smart device using Eko software, allowing users to visualize, record, and share heart sound waveforms, though some features require a subscription and the smart device is not included.