SPECv3 Fiber Optic LED Ear Otoscope - Physician MD Ear Care Professional & Home Diagnostic Set with 20 Reusable Specula

As a retired ER and Family Practice doc with 35+ years experience, I find this otoscope more than adequate for routine use. I put this in my Emergency Responder bag. It was interesting to me that I immediately noted the lack of a dimmer function on the Off-on switch! I didn’t realize how much I use it...until it wasn’t there. Also the “color” of this light is quite white/blue, maybe 5000K? Again, I was surprised, that the LED wasn’t the “warm” Illumination of my Welch Allen (Office) NiCad, rechargeable, halogen light. But, for 1/4 of the cost and 1/4 of the weight, this otoscope does 90+% of the job. Unlike halogen, the LED bulb won’t burn out for years and it it works with alkaline and rechargeable (!) batteries. This otoscope seems adequately well-made and sturdy enough.

The function of this otoscope is decent. I can see the eardrum ok. The light has a slightly blue tint but that is ok since I do like LED and the advantage it has over an incandescent bulb like halogen when it comes to bulb life and power consumption. The biggest two problems I can see with my purchase are the fact that it doesn't allow for the use of standard disposable specula. What good is an otoscope to anyone if you do not have the ability to throw away the specula after examining a potentially infected ear. I guess you might be able to use this at home on your family but it would be malpractice in this day and age to try and clean a specula and re-use it on a patient. Even at home why risk keeping a specula around that could have a fungus or bacteria from a swimmers ear infection that wasn't disinfected properly. Some fungi can lay dormant for years on inanimate objects. The problem with fungi if they infect an ear canal is that they can be very difficult to eradicate. There are people who have fungal ear infections their entire life and they never can completely eradicate them once they get started. Just google on fungal otitis externa if you want to understand what a nightmare these infections can become in some people. Disposable specula are only pennies to purchase and well worth the safety they provide.The second issue I have with this otoscope is the $49 I paid for the otoscope. The seems a little excessive to me for a model that doesn't even allow for use in clinical practice. There seem to be many excellent models for home use priced in the $15-$25 range that will do everything this model will do plus allow you to use throw away specula. Bottom line is that the otoscope is ok for home use if you clean and sterilize the specula well to make sure even fungi are killed but it is over priced at the $49 price I paid.I see they now have it priced at $79 which is really excessive in my honest opinion for what you are getting. Sorry this is just my honest opinion.

Received this instrument in pristine condition, was packaged well enough that wasn't damaged. However,I somewhat was expecting a little more of a box to keep it in. The product itself appears to be made of qualitymaterials. It does provide enough light and magnification to examine an ear for infection fairly well.It does the performance needed for what it is designed to do. I have a one star difference of being totallyexcited about this Otoscope. In someway I have reservations with the price matching up with the product. Assome reviewers have stated, is seems the price is a little high. You can buy these from 15 to 25 dollars thatwill do the same thing as this one does. My personal OPINION I just feel the product is overpriced for whatyou get. For this price, it should be medical office quality...

I'm a retired physician who didn't want to spend a lot of money for an otoscope that I would only occasionally use, but the "home" ones were not adequate, at least for me. This seems to be extremely well made, and sturdy. I am delighted with the number and variety of sizes of the ear tips, so I can check my granddaughter the next time she complains of an ear ache when visiting.The fiberoptic seems to be high quality. I have not yet acquired the heavy duty alkaline batteries so I am using just regular batteries. This may account for why the light is not quite as bright as the Welch-Allyns I had in my office. (Most heavy duty disposable batteries seem to be carbon zinc. I asked aboout this on the Amazon site, and the seller got back to me in less than 24 hours to say it was designed to work best with alkaline batteries,)I will only be using it a couple of times a month, for family members, etc., not in a clinical setting, and it fits my needs really well. Since it is so lightweight, I think it would also be good for house calls.

I take medical equipment seriously. I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but I am a mom, and I'm not about to drop $20-$100 on a tool that isn't worth the money. My kids suffer from some of the worse ear infections our doctor has ever seen, and I need to know when to take them to the doc and when not to.After reading over reviews for different otoscopes, I landed on SPECv3. The stellar reviews were stellar, but the bad reviews are atrocious. I chalked the bad reviews up to defects and just law of averages. I was wrong.Pros:The otoscope did workI like the LEDCons:It's a toy. A cheap piece of aluminum. I paid $60 for what can't be worth more than $20. Somehow this item receives five ambiguously glowing reviews on a given day (hmmm). Those positive reviews must have never seen a real otoscope at the doctors office before. SPECv3 is not a high quality instrument, it's cheap.Specula money pit!!! Where in Heavens to Betsy do you get specula? Do I have to clean each and every specula each and every time I use it? They could have set it up to use the big brand specula that you can find here on Amazon. Instead it's a money pit.One of the specula had a defect that made it look almost sharp. I'm sure it would have been fine to use, but even the tiniest piece of plastic sticking up from one of those things can be a red alarm. And yes, I know you don't insert the specula into the ear. Still.....Anyway, that's my synopsis. I'm giving it 2 stars. It works but the pros end there. Cheers!