Some features you’ll want to look for in a Bluetooth headset include comfort, noise cancellation, and battery life. After all, if your headset doesn’t last all day, either because it’s not comfortable or because the battery doesn’t last, it’s not doing its job. Certainly, the ability to answer and dismiss calls easily has to be a consideration as well. Making and receiving calls hands-free is the goal, and our experts have looked at many headsets in the space. Read on for our picks. The headset uses 32mm drivers that have a good frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz meaning the headset is good for listening to music as well as taking calls. You can use this as a Bluetooth headset and connect to it wirelessly or wire it using the USB cable if you prefer. The latter reduces latency a bit which can be important if you’re using the headset to watch videos. The headset also comes with built-in Alexa, which is great for hearing the news of playing music between calls. The Voyager 4200 falls on the more expensive side of the spectrum, but considering the great sound quality and comfort, it’s worth it for those who spend a lot of time on the phone. Type: On Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth/Wired | Battery Life/Talk Time: 13 hours The earpads are a little on the stiff side, so they can get uncomfortable over long gaming sessions. But they are customizable using the G Hub software. According to Erika, “you can set equalizer settings, adjust the surround sound, adjust the microphone, and more. You can make these adjustments on a per-game basis or change them for the headset overall.” Type: Over-Ear | Connection Type: USB wireless transmitter | Battery Life/Talk Time: 15 hours While testing, Rebecca noticed a significant difference between calls (including zoom calls) and music or podcasts. Rebecca writes, “If I wanted to talk on the phone, for example, the battery life remained fairly consistent. Flipping to Spotify and Google Music, however, destroyed battery life.” The Jabra Talk 45 went from hours of battery life on calls down to less than 40 minutes of life for a podcast. Basically, as long as you’re planning on using this earpiece for calls, and not for music or podcasts, you’ll be fine. This is a mono earpiece anyway, so music definitely would not sound good on it, to begin with. This earpiece is perfect for people who are on the phone all day and not listening to music in between. Type: In Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | Battery Life/Talk Time: 6 hours In terms of using the earpiece, there is a bit of a learning curve here. Once you figure out how to use the earpiece, it’s comfortable and intuitive, and includes support for your phone’s voice assistant; it just takes a while to get there. The Presence is also expensive, but reviewers find it worth it because of the all-day comfort and battery life. If you spend most of your day on the phone, the Presence absolutely deserves consideration. Type: In-Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | Battery Life/Talk Time: 10 hours Because this is a single earpiece, the headset is already not great for music, but our reviewer noted that the narrow range of frequencies, which is ideal for the human voice, is definitely not suited for the full range of frequencies you’d want for music. Of course, if your tastes are geared more toward podcasts, this headset is even better. For under $50 it’s a great pickup, especially if you’re on the road for long hauls and want someone to keep you company along the way. Type: On-Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | Battery Life/Talk Time: 17 hours Speaking of the controls, the ear hook includes a power/Bluetooth pairing switch and a volume rocker. But when it comes to call quality, Jason writes, “There’s a three-mic array that aims to pick up sound and cancel noise from a variety of angles. There’s an internal DSP that suppresses noise coming through the mic to ensure a good level of crispness when you’re speaking, and paired with a 20-band equalizer that adapts to the environment, the voice quality is impressive.” Overall, if you can get past the ear hook design, this is a solid buy with exceptional call quality, but it comes with a very large caveat. Type: In-Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | Battery Life/Talk Time: 7 hours Still, despite the fit issues, you’ll get 8 hours of talk time from the battery, which is boosted by the “power nap” feature which shuts down the headset after a certain amount of time to prolong the battery. More headsets should have that. As for sound quality, Rebecca writes, “Sound quality was solid, lacking any serious instances of garbling or distortion. People on the receiving end of my phone calls could hear my voice in natural tones, without any background noise. With the manual volume adjustment buttons located on the top of the device, the audio can be altered to suit your needs.” Type: In-Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | Battery Life/Talk Time: 8 hours Listening to music on this headset is not the greatest. It’s mono, but besides that, this headset really focuses its sound on the midrange where the human voice lives. You just won’t get the range of frequencies of sound you’ll want for music. You can definitely get away with podcasts on this headset though. But overall, this is a headset designed for voice calls and really great battery life. If that’s what you’re looking for you can go wrong here. Type: In Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | Battery Life/Talk Time: 24 hours You get 24 hours of battery life, which is way above average. The headset comes with a hefty price tag though. It also comes with a build that isn’t going to be stylish anywhere outside of an office environment. In short, it looks like it belongs in a call center. But if you’re in an environment that is noisy, this will prevent your caller from being distracted by your surroundings. Type: Over Ear | Connection Type: Bluetooth | Battery Life/Talk Time: 24 hours Jason Schneider is the resident audiophile for Lifewire, offering his audio expertise on everything from Bluetooth headsets to speaker systems. He has been writing for tech and media companies for almost a decade. Rebecca Isaacs has been writing for Lifewire since 2019. She’s covered a variety of products including Bluetooth headsets, e-readers, accessories, and mobile devices. Andy Zahn has been writing for Lifewire since 2019. He specializes in consumer technology and gadgets, including Bluetooth headsets. Adam Doud has been writing in the technology space for almost a decade. When he’s not hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast, he’s playing with the latest phones, tablets, and laptops. When not working, he’s a cyclist, geocacher, and spends as much time outside as he can.
What to Look For in a Bluetooth Headset
If you’re driving, shopping, exercising, working, or even just hanging out around the house, a Bluetooth headset allows you to answer the phone and control some of your phone’s features and functions without having to constantly have it in hand. A Bluetooth headset also helps those working at a desk, as you don’t have to be tethered to your laptop by that dreadful cord when you’re sitting in a meeting. When picking out a Bluetooth headset, there are several factors to consider. In addition to choosing a headset that looks and feels good while you’re wearing it, you also want to make sure it fits your needs. Factors like battery life, compatibility, pairing, sound quality, noise cancellation, water resistance, and cost all come into play. We put together an in-depth guide, including just about everything you need to know to choose the right Bluetooth headset for you.
Bluetooth Headphones Vs. Bluetooth Headsets
If you’re primarily interested in music playback, you’ll want to look for the best wireless headphones. Headphones don’t necessarily provide a microphone for speech, while a headset always has a microphone. Headphones are optimized for sound quality, so you can get the best possible listening experience. A headset is optimized for conversation, so you can talk on your phone (or another Bluetooth device) hands-free. Headsets often have other controls, like a button to answer calls, so you can use your phone’s voice assistant. Features like noise cancellation help promote the best environment for conversing back and forth, and a headset’s engineering focuses on the listener and the speaker.
Styles: Headband, Neckband, Or Earpiece
Headband style headsets are often larger and heavier than the other Bluetooth headset styles. They’ll typically have an ear cuff that goes on the ear with a speaker for listening, and a microphone that protrudes out for speaking. The headband portion goes around the top of the head and then rests against the opposite side. The headband style is often the preferred style for business professionals who work at a desk. If a headband style isn’t comfortable for you, but still you want the stability of a band, you may want to go with a neckband style, which wraps around the back of the neck. Some neckbands have short wires that connect to earbuds that go into the ears, and other neckbands are foldable for easier storage. Many runners and gym-goers prefer the neckband style. If you want a smaller, less noticeable Bluetooth headset, go with an earpiece or in-ear style headset. These types of headsets are very small—often around two to three inches in size—and they may wrap around one ear. Instead of having an ear cuff that rests on the outside of the ear, they usually have an ear cushion you gently place in your ear canal. This type of headset is more versatile, and the style is ideal for gym-goers, business professionals, and regular day-to-day users.
Battery Life
Battery life is perhaps the most important factor to consider when choosing a Bluetooth headset, especially when you’re using your headset on-the-go. There are four main battery life numbers you need to pay attention to: mAH (which stands for milliampere hours), charge time, talk time, and standby time. When you look at mAh for a battery, it’s basically just a formula that calculates battery storage capacity. It’s the product of the time a battery lasts times the discharge current. So, a 1,000mAh battery in a headset that draws 50 milliamps of power would last for 20 hours (1,000 divided by 50 milliamps equals 20 hours). Charge time represents how long the headset takes to reach a full charge. Most Bluetooth headsets should take between one and five hours to reach a full charge. Talk time represents how long you can use the Bluetooth headset in calls and meetings before a single battery charge runs out, and standby time represents how long the headset can sit off of the charger without being used and still maintain a single battery charge. Sometimes, you’ll also see a metric for music time, which represents how long you can listen to music on a single charge. Talk time and standby time will vary widely by the manufacturer, the type and style of headset, and the features it offers. The price of the unit doesn’t necessarily have an impact on its battery life. For instance, the New Bee earpiece Bluetooth headset sells for less than $20, but it provides 24 hours of talk time and about 60 days of standby time. However, the Jabra Steel retails for around $100, but it has six hours of talk time and around 10 days of standby time.
Charging Stands, Charging Cases, And Backup Batteries
Some headsets offer charging accessories that can help manage battery life. If you’re worried about running out of battery, you may want to look at a headset that comes with a charging stand, a charging case, or a backup battery. Some headband style headsets may include a charging station or stand where you can rest your headset when it’s not in use. You may also be able to purchase a compatible charging stand after the fact. For instance, Plantronics offers its Plantronics Spare charging stand, which is compatible with its Voyager Focus UC headset. If you’re using your headset primarily at a desk, charging stands can be particularly helpful because they allow you to keep the device charging when you get off of a call. You may also see charging cases. The case can extend the battery life by adding additional on-the-go charges. You may get ten hours of talk time on a single charge, but the charging case lets you charge the device three more times without having to connect to an electrical outlet. While not as common, a handful of headsets (like the Aminy UFO) come with two batteries. This allows you to charge one battery while you use the other.
Compatibility And Connectivity
Before choosing a Bluetooth headset, you’ll want to make sure it’ll connect seamlessly to all of the devices you need it to. Take note of the Bluetooth version. Most headsets will be either Bluetooth version 4.1, 4,2, or 5.0. In the product’s description, it’ll also sometimes indicate which devices it works with. However, most headsets will work with most modern phones and Bluetooth compatible laptops/PCs, as modern Bluetooth versions are backwards compatible. If you plan on using your headset on multiple devices, you’ll want to make sure the headset can connect to more than one device. The product should indicate that it connects to more than one device, or it may say it has a multi-pairing feature that allows you to use it with more than one device at a time. For instance, the Jabra Steel can connect to up to eight devices, and it can connect to two devices simultaneously with its multi-use feature.
Wireless Range
How far is the wireless range? This number indicates how far you can travel away from the device to which the headset is connected, and still experience clear audio. If the range is up to 10 meters, this means you can go up to 10 meters away from your phone or laptop before you start to experience connection issues. Keep in mind this is an “up to” number, and obstructions like walls, floors, and appliances may impact the range. If you’re planning on traveling to a different room than your device when you’re using your headset, look for a headset with a longer range.
Sound Quality
With headphones, you’ll often see metrics that measure sound quality like sensitivity (which measures sound efficiency), frequency response (which measures the speaker’s ability to produce low and high tones), and impedance (which measures resistance). You’re less likely to see these metrics with headsets because the focus is less on music playback and more on battery life, call quality, features, and overall performance.
Noise-Canceling
There are two main types of noise-canceling in the context of Bluetooth headsets: Noise-cancelling in the headphone (speaker) and noise-canceling in the microphone. The first type of noise-canceling—in the speaker—helps block out background noise in the vicinity of the person wearing the headset, so they can better hear music or speech without disturbances from background noise. The second type—noise-cancelling in the microphone—blocks out noise for the person on the other end of the call, so they can hear your speech over background sounds like planes flying by, people talking in the background, or a television. Most Bluetooth headsets, even budget headsets, will have some type of noise-canceling technology in the microphone. This is an important feature for those who are using a headset for business, or for those who are using a headset out in public areas.
Active Vs. Passive Noise-Canceling
If a headset has active noise cancellation, this means the headset uses sound waves to help counteract, or cancel out, background noises. Passive noise cancellation means the headset uses hardware (extra padding, tighter seals, etc.) to reduce background noises. If noise cancellation is an important feature for you, and you need your conversations to be as clear and noise-free as possible, look carefully at the product’s noise-canceling technology. Look at how it cancels out noise, and not just whether or not it has noise-canceling.
Water Resistance
Water resistance is less common on headband style headsets, as the headband style is more often used indoors by a business professional at a desk. However, for neckband and earpiece style Bluetooth headsets, water resistance is becoming more of a common feature. If the product is water resistant, this means it can usually tolerate rain, sweat, spills, and splashes. The product will indicate water resistance in the description of if it has this feature. It should also indicate a water resistance rating (something like IPX5 or IPX8). This indicates the degree of water resistance a device features—an IPX5 rated headset can withstand water jets from any direction, for instance, while one with an IPX8 rating is protected from being immersed in water of more than three meters in depth. Some devices will be rated with a pair of numbers, in which case the first number indicates particle protection, shielding it from dust and dirt, and the second indicating water resistance. In both cases, IP stands for Ingress Protection. Some headsets may also be shockproof, which means the headset won’t easily break if you drop the device. If you’re planning on using your headset outdoors or during periods of heavy activity, this may be important for you.
Brands And Manufacturers
With some devices, like phones and laptops, the brand is significant. Going with a trusted brand typically leads to a better experience. With Bluetooth headsets, this isn’t necessarily the case, and you can find quality headsets from big-name brands like Jabra, Plantronics, and Sennheiser, as well as from brands you’ve never heard of. We’ve tested a number of headsets here at Lifewire, and we’ve included information on a few brands below.
Jabra
Jabra is known for making headsets for workers across every type of profession, as well as headsets for the everyday user. Products like the Jabra Steel headset are durable and designed for an outdoorsy professional, while headsets like the Jabra Evolve 65 UC are meant for the professional who primarily sits at a desk. Jabra also makes units like the Jabra Style, which are ideal for the everyday user or worker on the go. Most Jabra headsets are high quality, but the battery lives on Jabra sets often aren’t as good as you’d see in other headsets, even those that cost less.
Poly
Plantronics, a subbrand of Poly is a leader in business headsets, and the brand creates a lot of headband-style units. Plantronics units are pricey but you can usually expect high quality. Most modern Plantronics headsets also offer excellent noise cancellation and more advanced features. The Voyager 5200, for instance, has Alexa built-in, it has four-microphone noise cancellation, and it has technology that detects wind direction so your voice comes through clearly outdoors.
New Bee
A lesser-known brand, New Bee, has a highly rated headset that costs less than the price of two large pizzas, yet it has 60 days of standby battery and comes with all the accessories you could ever want. A budget headset like this won’t offer the same performance and features as a flagship headset from a brand like Plantronics, but it will serve its purpose well for those who don’t want to spend a ton of cash.
Accessories
Headband-style headsets may not come with too many accessories outside of a charging cable, but in-ear style headsets often come with a variety of accessories like extra ear cushions, ear hooks, charging cables, and carrying cases. Neckband style headsets also typically come with accessories like a charging cable, carrying case, and extra ear gels. Look for accessories that promote comfort and flexibility. Different sizes of ear cushions can be important because there’s nothing worse than having a headset that doesn’t fit properly. If your headset is too big for your ear, it won’t feel comfortable, and it may even fall out while you’re running errands or working out. An ear hook can provide additional support, and help the headset stay in place. It helps to have both a left and right ear hook, so you can choose which side feels better for you.
Conclusion
When you’re shopping for a Bluetooth headset, you’ll find hundreds of different types and styles from a number of different brands. It can be tough to sort through all the fluff and find a quality product that fits your needs, but if you choose a headset with a long battery life, good noise cancellation, water resistance, and the right features and accessories, you should find a headset that’s right for you. If the headset is for working at a home at a desk, you’ll probably be happy with a comfortable headband unit with a reliable connection, good noise cancellation, and a long enough range to travel into the kitchen for a snack. If you’re looking for a headset you can use at the gym, focus more on factors like stability and making sure the headset will comfortably remain in place during heavy activity. Gym enthusiasts may want a headset with some range, so they can leave their phone in a locker or bag. For outdoor users, durability and battery life may be important factors—water resistance ratings, shock proofing, and battery life. Finding the right Bluetooth headset is less about cost and brand and more about features and reputation. We have some great options listed above.
