Best Trauma Shears

Trauma shears or tuff cuts are a kind of scissors used more by emergency medical staff and paramedical staff to cut the clothing of injured people. This tool consists of a plastic handle at one end with a metal blade, which is usually bent at a 150 degrees angle. This is not only aesthetically different from conventional scissors but also serves as a longer lever arm. The trauma shears are meant for external use, not for invasive or surgical procedures. Being robust in construction, they can cut through tough material such as leather, denim, car seat belts, and metal surfaces. Trauma shears can also be found in the foldable form. Hence, they are called folding trauma shears, and for the purpose of this review, we will be discussing this type of trauma shears.

How to Choose the Best Trauma Shears

These tools are simple in design, but the materials they are made of such as titanium or stainless steel offer varying strength and durability levels. When you buy a pair of trauma shears, it would help you a lot to bear the following few things in mind

Durability: Since trauma shears are used to save one’s life, they should be highly durable. In hospitals, trauma shears are used to remove an accident victim’s clothing. However, if you are a combat medic, you would need to have a very durable set as you’d be out in the field where you need to be well-equipped.

Materials Made of: Usually, trauma shears are made of surgical stainless steel, though some are made with fluoride coating blades. These are considered to be “non-stick shears”, and are best suited to cut through the tape for field use, the best ones have blades with a titanium coating that can cut through hard material and still remain intact.

Withstand High Temperatures: For trauma shears used in a hospital setting, it’s best to buy a pair that can endure the high temperatures of autoclave sterilization. Your pair of titanium shears would do well for re-sterilization, and once sterilized, can be used safely on several patients. 

Price: Prices of trauma shears can range dramatically from as low as below $10 to about $100 for a set of engraved Leatherman trauma shears. Of course, if you’re going to use them in the emergency room, you need to buy highly durable and inexpensive sets of shears.

Best Trauma Shears Reviews

1. LEATHERMAN – Raptor Emergency Response Shears:

Leatherman’s Raptor Emergency Response Shears are top of the line in quality. Made to be multi-utility shears, it consists of six different tools for various purposes, such as emergency response shears, cutting rings, scrap, carbide glass cracker, ruler, and wrench for oxygen tanks. Made of high-quality stainless steel and high carbon, it can withstand a lot of pressure. Its handles are made of glass filled with nylon that ensures that there’s no extra weight in the handle. By adding carbide to its manufacture, the Leatherman Raptor is easily the strongest and toughest of all scissors. Robust and durable, these trauma shears are ideal for doctors to carry around in emergencies. It is made with a folding feature so that it’s safe when being carried around. It is lightweight, its dimensions are 10 x 6.4x 4.5 inches and it is black in color, which makes it perfect as a medical accessory and for adventure sportspeople and campers. 

Pros:

• Designed to carry it around open or closed so that the user is always prepared.
• Available in belt-friendly style and MOLLE-compatible style.
• A pocket clip keeps it ready for use.
• Comes in an attractive plastic holster. 

Cons:

• Bulky in size; rusts soon after beginning use
• Unsuitable for cutting bandages and thin fabric

---

See Also: Foldable Trauma Shears

---

2. Leatherman RAPTOR Emergency Medical Tool:

These trauma shears are ideal for medical professionals to work quickly in emergency rooms. For a better grip and faster cut, these shears have serrated edges. These trauma shears can be detached when not in use or for cleaning. Along with the shears come a strap cutter and a lockable safety liner. When the shears are opened or closed, the cutter can be used with one hand. An oxygen tank wrench is built into the strap cutter for easy access in emergencies. The ring cutter works on all gold bands.

Pros:

• Made with strong fastenings using high-grade steel
• Robust construction
• A strong seat-belt cutter cuts through a car and through denim clothing and stays sharp.
• Durable and stylish plastic holster fits well over the shears, folded or unfolded 

Cons:

• The opening and closing joints rust very soon
• The mechanism is difficult to operate

3. Leatherman Raptor with Personalized Engraving:

This set of trauma shears is extremely useful for emergency use and for tactical purposes. This 420 HC stainless steel folding set of medical trauma shears comes with several tools such as a strap ruler, cutter, ring cutter, carbide glass breaker, and oxygen tank wrench. A lanyard hole allows users to carry these tools easily. These tools are barely five inches long when closed. It comes with free engraving for a maximum of 20 characters with spaces and allows only numbers and letters. Once engraved, the items are not returnable to the company. It comes with a holster.

Pros:

• The ring cutter can also cut through a platinum ring.
• The seatbelt cutter is very sharp and cuts through the seatbelt smoothly.
• When in use, the cutter is locked, so you don’t cut anything else.
• The scissors can easily cut thick leather, ballistic nylon, and thick cardboard, and soft metal.

Cons:

• Not standard medical kit scissors
• Lacks retention strap

4. Madison Supply, Premium Quality Fluoride Coated Medical Scissors:

This pair of EMT shears, 7.5” long with good-quality fluoride coating provides the user with a smooth cutting surface. These trauma shears are autoclavable and are designed to handle all difficult situations in medical emergencies well. They help cut clothing, bandages, tape, and other materials without sticking. When used in other scenarios too, they are robust and helpful. The plastic grips are robust enough to handle any rough treatment and high autoclave temperatures. Their serrated edges help cut tough material better. The Madison pair of shears come with a fluorine coating on the non-stick surface. It is durable and can take high impact.

Pros:

• It is strong enough to cut through various materials.
• It is made of good quality steel and has good handles and coatings.
• The product is well-finished.
• It is comfortable to use. 

Cons:

• The edges of the shears dull very soon and turn blunt.
• If you rub alcohol on the blades, the coating falls off in flakes.

5. Prestige Medical Prestige Medical Fluoride Scissor, Black, 7 1/2 Inch:

This pair of trauma shears are ideally suited for medical work. Not only is it slickly made, but it has a state-of-the-art body design that goes with the medical world. It has a unique fluoride coating and a non-stick surface that’s ideal for cutting tapes and bandages. It is 7 ½ ″ long, which length is perfect for a good grip while performing nursing requirements. It is made of good quality 420 stainless steel and it is robust in construction. It is autoclavable, making it extremely hygienic and sanitized, and reusable.

Pros:

• These scissors are large and give the user a good grip.
• They offer good leverage for difficult cuts.
• When just out of the box, they are extremely sharp.
• They work well on thick materials like jeans and fabric belts. 

Cons:

• These shears are not as good as advertised.
• The underside of shears is also sharp, thereby scratching the skin of patients.

6. EMT Trauma Shears with Carabiner:

The EMT trauma shears are endowed with several wonderful features that go to make it a rock star in its category. For one, this premium product cuts efficiently, quickly, and through all kinds of material. It can be clipped onto the waist. It’s safe with the user because of the inbuilt carabiner. This product is patented and made from robust Japanese Surgical Grade Stainless Steel. Each blade has precision milled serrated edges for fast and better cutting. The scissors are 7.5” in length—the standard size for hospitals. These shears have injection-molded handles that are large, comfortable, and ideal for the medical field. It is highly durable and is easily autoclavable for repeated use.

Pros:

• They are designed for the carabiner to fit on the uniform of combat soldiers.
• They cut through all kinds of thick material.
• It’s great value for money.
• It’s easy to hold.

Cons:

• It rusts after cleaning.
• It is not durable.

7. White Coat Titanium-Bonded EMT Trauma Shears:

Aptly named to suit the medical fraternity, the White Coat trauma shears are made of superior grade bonded titanium which is also environmentally-safe. Being a robust material, it cuts through almost all kinds of thick material with great ease and efficiency. Its bent tip cuts through bandages, tape, gauze, and other materials too. The tip is intentionally bent so that the patient isn’t unnecessarily cut. The shears are angled for use on surgical tables or elevated tables. This medical-level penlight has a pupil gauge with which the medical personnel can check the patient’s mouth, eyes, and throat. Titanium is durable, has surgical precision, and is a high-performer. Its grip is comfortable, easy to maneuver, and strong.

Pros:

• It cuts through leather and thick clothing.
• It works very well.
• It fits easily in one’s coat or trousers.
• It is reasonably priced.

Cons:

• These shears are stiff despite repeated use.
• The light from the pen comes on, but there’s no way to stop it.

Conclusion

This sampling of the best trauma shears in the market will give you a good idea of the kind of shears you should be buying for your specific needs. So, go ahead and choose the one you want.

---

You May Also Like:

• muscle stimulator reviews
• wearable pain relief
• red light therapy
• dermatoscope comparison
• best knee scooter for travel