Bluetooth Headset Buyers Guide

Bluetooth headsets range in price from $30 to over $300. With that price range, you might expect to find a large difference in quality between the low and the high end. But that's not necessarily the case. Reviews of headsets from both ends of the price spectrum and everywhere in between indicate that inexpensive headsets can sometimes be as effective as their expensive counterparts. And the expensive ones can sometimes be a chore, a burden, and (literally) a pain.

Ideally, you should arrange to try before you buy, but this isn't always possible. The next best thing is to talk to someone who owns a particular headset and see how it works for them. You can also go online to find out. Search for a particular model of Bluetooth headset and you'll likely find links to several different sites that review the set and others as well.

Whichever way you go about it, here are several criteria you can use to judge a particular headset and compare it to its competitors:

Cost

As mentioned, more expensive headsets are not always the better value. When comparing headsets with different prices, don't just assume you're getting more, though. Make sure you know exactly how the pricier headset differs from the less expensive one. Do you need those extra features or won't you use them? Might they even be a drawback?

Sound

Don't be fooled by bells and whistles. The first and most important thing about this headset is that you're going to be listening and talking through it. That means there are two sound qualities that you need to be concerned about-the sound you hear and the sound the person on the other end hears. Keep these questions and thoughts in mind:

* Is the maximum volume high enough or barely adequate?

* Does the voice in your ear sound natural or "hollow," "robotic," or echo-ey?

* Can the other person hear you well? How does your voice sound to them?

* Is there static on either end?

* How does the headset sound to both parties when it's windy out?

* How does it sound to both parties when there is background noise such as at an airport or near a road?

* Does the headset feature noise and/or echo cancellation technology? How well does it work?

Comfort

This is the other essential. The headset may sound great; but if it hurts to wear, you're not going to use it. Ideally, you want something that is so comfortable that you forget you're wearing it. Here are some questions and thoughts to keep in mind:

* Does the earpiece fit too snugly or too loosely? (Loose may seem better than tight, but worrying that your headset's about to fall off is its own kind of discomfort.)

* Does the headset feel heavy on the ear? (That will get old fast.)

* Is the headset adjustable and/or does it come with differently sized earpieces? (This one is especially important if you're not able to try it on. What fits your friend's ear might torture yours.)

* Can it be worn on either ear with minimal adjustment time? (Most can.)

* Can it be worn comfortably with a pair of glasses?

You've evaluated your potential Bluetooth headset purchase in terms of cost, sound, and comfort. Here are some more criteria to keep in mind:

Battery Life

Battery life can vary. In general, the heavier the battery, the longer the battery life. So there may be a tradeoff in terms of comfort. That's unfortunate since if you have a longer talk time, you'd like to be able to exploit that without ear fatigue. You may need to think about your own phoning habits to decide whether a heavier earpiece is worth a longer battery life.

Headsets get rated by their manufacturers for "talk time" and standby time. The talk time is how long you can talk on the earpiece before the battery needs recharging. Manufacturers are not always accurate, so check the reviews or talk to an owner for an honest assessment. Talk time can vary from under 4 hours to as much as 15.

Standby time can vary even more widely, from 4 days to virtually unlimited. Standby time doesn't depend so much on the size of the battery as on how efficiently that battery is used. The purpose of standby is to keep the headset mostly off, but on enough that you can use it to answer a call when the mobile phone rings. Some headsets are so efficient at establishing a connection that "standby" mode means simply turning the headset off. They can power up in the space of a single ring and you can answer the phone.

You may want to find a headset with a user replaceable battery. That way you can bring a spare along and keep talking without recharging. Check to see how long it takes to recharge the headset and how easy it is. Some can be charged via a USB cable, a car adapter, or even your mobile phone charger.

Range

All Bluetooth headsets are supposed to have a range of 10m (33 ft). The actuality can vary. If you're planning on storing your mobile phone in a backpack or the trunk of your car, make sure the headset really supports the full range.

Ease of Use

Ease of Use - A headset may have everything you want and yet be hard to use. Here are some things to think about.

* Is it easy to put on and take off again?

* Is it easy to reach the buttons and tell which button is which by feel alone?

* Can you adjust the volume level?

* How easy are the other commands to remember? (Some headsets require you to hold the button down a little longer for certain features or to double tap it. Will you be able to remember how to access those features if you need them?)

* Does it support voice commands? Really? (Check with another user. Some headsets claim to do so but the implementation is decidedly frustrating.)

* How quickly does it turn on and connect?

Features

Looking through the features of several headsets will give you an idea of what's out there. Decide whether you want features like last number redial, call transferring, muting, 3 way calling, linking to multiple phones, voice tags, etc.