Bluetooth earpieces are great for those who make and take a lot of calls on a daily basis. They allow for hands-free phone calls, allowing your hands to work on something else. They are more portable than traditional over-ear/on-ear headsets and don’t come with annoying wires. They work well for both home and business use, although most products are marketed toward professionals.
Shopping for the best Bluetooth earpieces can be really challenging, though, especially if it’s your first time shopping for one. There are dozens of options on the market – but not all of them are even worth a second look.
We’re here to make things easier for you. On this list, you’ll find the top 10 Bluetooth earpieces currently out on the market, including budget options under $20. More specifically, this list is about one-ear or single-ear units with no headband by default. The products are listed according to price, in ascending order.
Jabra Talk 2
Compatible with both Apple and Android devices, the Talk 2 comes with a convenient on/off slide control and easily connects with compatible devices within range. You can connect up to two devices at the same time, which is great. When the battery is in critical status, a voice notification will alert you, with a dedicated LED lighting up as a visual cue.
The Talk 2’s mic is a mixed bag. On one hand, it easily picks up your voice. On the other hand, it’s too sensitive, registering even light sounds in the background, such as keyboard clicks. There’s no noise cancellation, and the noise isolation is also pretty much non-existent. In other words, the Talk 2 is best used in a quiet setting, so forget about using it while commuting.
Toorun M26
Selling for less than $20, the M26 is a good Bluetooth earpiece for usage in a quiet setting. It’s great for taking calls as well as listening to audiobooks, featuring a decent audio quality and a mic that easily picks up your voice. It has a volume control on the side, with a larger button with multiple functions out front. Its build quality is good for the price, though some find the ear hook too stiff for extended use.
Like the Jabra Talk 2, the M26 is not good when it comes to noise handling, which means it’s not a good earpiece for noisy environments. On the upside, it has a decent battery, with an advertised battery life of 5-7 hours. It’s compatible with different devices, including laptops, and can connect with up to two devices at the same time.
Samsung HM1350
Compared to the Toorun M26, this Samsung earpiece has a slightly better battery, capable of up to 8 hours of talk time on a single charge. It’s comfortable enough to wear for an extended period and will easily fit in most ears. Sound quality is good for the price, with enough volume to satisfy most people – except those who work in a very noisy environment. There’s no noise cancellation on this mono headset, and the noise isolation is poor.
The HM1350 is best used in a quiet setting because its mic is very sensitive, easily picking up background noise. It’s good for use at home and in a quiet office, but for truckers and those who work in construction, it’s not a suitable earpiece.
Plantronics Marque 2 M165
Capable of connecting with up to two devices at the same time, the Marque 2 M165 has a simple design, though some might find the control scheme too basic. It has a decent build quality and is comfortable to wear. Compared to the previous three products on this list, it’s much better at blocking out background noise, featuring a dual mic system for noise reduction.
Many bluetooth mono headset earpieces still require you to press buttons when answering or ignoring incoming calls. That’s not the case with the Marque 2 M165. When there’s an incoming call, you can simply say “Answer” or “Ignore,” with the call heading straight to voicemail when you choose to ignore it. However, as some users have pointed out, the voice recognition tech has trouble recognizing input consistently and often requires you to raise your voice.
With the Marque 2 M165, you’ll never have to worry about locating it when you misplace it. Using its app, you can make it produce a tone that will help you find it if you misplace it around the house or in your office cubicle. It’s a nice feature will prove to be valuable for those who are not good at keeping track of small electronics.
Motorola Boom 2+ Mono Headset
The Boom 2+ has an interesting design, featuring a flippable mic. If you want to answer an incoming call, just flip the mic open. If you want to end a call, just flip it close, and the call will automatically hang up. The mic itself is good and easily picks up your voice, featuring a noise reduction system that minimizes the background noise that gets picked up on your end. Overall audio quality is good, too, though some might find the max volume disappointing.
The best thing about this Motorola earpiece is that it has excellent battery life. It can run up to 9 hours on a single charge, which is great for those who make and take lots of calls every day. In addition, it’s easy to pair with compatible devices and can connect with up to devices at the same time, with easy switching between the connected devices.
Plantronics Voyager Legend
Like the Marque 2 M165, the Voyager Legend allows for hands-free call management. When you receive a call, you can simply say “Answer” or “Ignore,” with no need to press any button, assuming you’re already wearing it. In case you’re not wearing it, putting it in your ear will automatically answer the call, thanks to its smart sensor. On the other hand, setting it down while the call is still active will automatically transfer the audio to your smartphone.
Well-built and comfortable to wear, the Voyager Legend has a special coating that gives it water resistance. It has a good battery life, offering about 6-7 hours of talk time, and is pretty good at blocking out background noise. Its max volume is underwhelming, though. If you’re willing to spend around $50 for the best Bluetooth earpieces, this Plantronics product is one of the best options out on the market.
Jabra Steel
The Steel is easy to set up and can connect with up to two devices at the same time. It has good range and good audio quality on both ends. It’s great for calls and listening to audiobooks, offering decent background noise reduction. While not on the same level as the Motorola Boom 2+ regarding battery life, it’s still good, with the battery capping at around 5-6 hours on a single charge.
This Jabra earpiece is far from perfect, though. Compared to the two Plantronics earpieces above, it has unreliable voice control, especially when you’re in a noisy environment. It has a below-average max volume as well, not to mention there’s no dedicated volume control, which might disappoint some of you.
Plantronics Voyager 5200
A durable earpiece with an IPX4 rating, the Voyager 5200 has a good battery life, with the capability to run up to 7 hours straight on a single charge, with a 9-day standby mode. It has voice control for call management and a smart sensor that redirects the audio to your smartphone if you remove it from your ear in the middle of a call.
In terms of comfort level, the Voyager 5200, unfortunately, is not as good as the Voyager Legend, with some customers reporting feeling discomfort after a few hours of continuous use. In addition, its noise isolation is not good, which means clear audio is only one way in a noisy environment; the person on the other end will hear you clearly, thanks to the noise-canceling mic, but you’ll have trouble hearing him or her on your end.
Sennheiser Presence Business
One of three packages under the Presence lineup, the Presence Business is a lightweight and durable earpiece with excellent sound quality on both ends. It’s got a retractable mic that works well for on-the-go use; just pull the mic out to answer a call, and then push it back in to end the call. It easily connects with compatible devices and can pair with up to two mobile phones at the same time.
With the Presence Business, you get to roll with a more personalized earpiece. Sennheiser offers an ear hook, four different ear sleeves, and a headband; go with whatever setup feels the most comfortable for you. The unit also boasts a good battery life, which is important for busy professionals who make and take calls most of the day.
Concerning noise reduction, this Sennheiser earpiece is great. It’s got an effective noise reduction feature, allowing the person on the other end to hear you clearly, whether you’re stuck in traffic with horns blowing every second or sitting in a noisy office. The earpiece also protects you from sudden sound bursts, thanks to its ActiveGard Technology.
Jabra Wave
The Wave is a well-designed mono headset with well-placed controls on the frame, including a dedicated on/off switch and volume control. It’s easy to set up out of the box and can pair with up to eight devices, though only two devices can be active at the same time. It has a decent battery life, with Jabra advertising a 6-hour talk time per charge.
Comfortable to wear for long stretches, the Wave boasts excellent sound quality on both ends, with an effective noise reduction. It has voice notifications, with alerts for the connection status and the battery status. On the downside, the connection range is limited.