Best Wireless Headsets For Home Office 2020

Many of us are now working from home, and spending a lot more time on conference calls, Zoom gatherings and Skype chats. You’ll need a quality headset for clear audio and comfort. So if you’re asking yourself “What’s the best wireless headset for working from home?”, here’s a review of the top 5 wireless headsets that you can use with your computer.

Your first decision is for a “mono” or “stereo” headset. The mono has a single ear cup while the stereo has cups over both ears. As you might guess, the mono is lighter on your hear and lets you hear what is going on around you. We prefer these for all-day type use.

The stereo (also called “binaural”) headsets also feature noise cancellation. These are great if you are in a shared work space or want to block out the sounds around you to have your own quiet space.

Mono – Single Ear Cup – Wireless Headsets

Top Pick – Jabra Engage 75 Mono Headset System

We like the Jabra Engage 75 (about $295) for the comfort, excellent audio quality and features. It has one of the longest ranges so you are free to walk around your home or office while still maintaining a great connection.

Since you’ll be wearing this a lot, you’ll appreciate the large ear cup with soft cushioning. It’s covered in a breathable leather-ette.Even if you wear glasses, this is still comfortable.

The metal head-band is adjustable, as is the piece opposite the ear cup. The boom microphone rotates 270-degrees so the Jabra can be used for either ear.

One feature we really appreciate is the “PeakStop” automated volume control for hearing protection. We’ve all been on conference calls where one party is much louder than the other participants either due to their speaking style or the equipment they are using.

PeakStop eliminates potentially harmful sudden sound spikes while IntelliTone 2.0 maintains average sound levels below predefined thresholds throughout the day.

The touch screen on the base is easy to use with large icons, numbers and display. The digital clock is a nice feature as well. Built into the base is the Bluetooth connectivity. All you need is to plug the base into your power (wall outlet or we recommend a surge protected power strip to protect this pricey device) – no other wires needed.

The Engage 75 allows for connecting up to 5 devices at once, including your smart phones (Apple, Android and Windows), laptop, tablets and Bluetooth capable desk phones. With DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) technology, you’ve got almost 500 feet of roaming around between you and the base. You can get that cup of coffee, or just stretch your legs, and not worry about missing or dropping a call.

It’s certified to meet Skype for Business and Open Office requirements. It also works with all the usual conference apps like Google, Zoom, Facetime, etc.

Expect to get about 13 hours of talk time before needing to recharge. If you’re like most people, you’ll hang the headset on the charging stand when you’re not using it, so you’ll never worry about running it down. But in case you do, the Engage 75 has fast charging built-in to take the headset from 0% to 40% in 30 minutes, and reaching 100% in about 90 minutes.

You can order the Jabra Engage 75 for under $300 through Amazon (BTW – it’s got an “Amazon’s Choice” badge if that helps your decision).

Lower Cost Alternative – Jabra Engage 65 Mono Headset System

You can save about $40 and still get an top-grade headset. The less expensive version of the Jabra Engage series  is the Jabra Engage 65 .

With similar feel and features, the main differences between the Engage 75 and Engage 65 are:

• Price: $297 vs. $260
• Certified Skype For Business Open Office: Yes vs. No
• Controls in Charging Base: Touch-Screen vs. Physical Buttons
• Bluetooth: Yes, in base vs. No
• Number of Devices Connected: 5 vs. 2

We feel you can go all day, all week with either the 65 or the 75. It’s nice to have the option to choose either of these to meet your requirements and budget.

Lowest Price – Yamay / Wilful

If you don’t need all the features, and are looking for a basic hands-free headset to pair with your computer and smartphone, this under $50 device is worth a look. This low-price leader is manufactured by a couple of companies. You can get it on Amazon from Yamay or an alternative is Wilful .

The ear-piece is comfortable and the head-band adjusts well enough to fit without being tight or binding.

These can pair 2 devices, which is convenient for your phone and laptop. There is a toggle button on the ear cup to select between the paired devices.

Audio quality is good, and the noise cancellation microphone provides a good pickup.

Charging is via the base-station, similar to the others we’ve reviewed. All of the controls (mute, volume, pick-up / cancel call) are on the headset, but the buttons are easy to use.

Overall, it’s a solid device at at a really great price.

Stereo – Noise Cancellation – Wireless Headset

Top Pick – Jabra Engage 75 Wireless Headset

The Jabra Engage 75 (about $329) in Stereo is nearly identical to the Mono version described earlier.

Some people find it more comfortable to have two earcups, and that it’s a more natural sound with stereo. We find this configuration best when in a shared or noisy environment. Even when not on a call, just wearing this headset can mute the sounds around you so you can be more productive.

Of course, it’s also great for listening to music while working!

Another feature we like is the blinking busy light on the headset. It’s like closing a virtual door so that your family or colleagues know you are engaged on the headset and not to disturb you.

The base station is the same for both the stereo and mono versions – it has the touch screen controls and charging port.

Lower Cost Alternative – Jabra Engage 65

As was the case with the mono, there is a less expensive version with similar feel and features for the stereo: The Jabra Engage 65 . The main differences between the Engage 75 and Engage 65 are:

• Price: $329 vs. $281
• Certified Skype For Business Open Office: Yes vs. No
• Controls in Charging Base: Touch-screen vs. physical buttons
• Bluetooth: Yes, in base vs. No
• Number of Devices Connected: 5 vs. 2

The Engage 65 base-station is the same for both the mono and stereo; Again, the main drawback for the Engage 65 is that you have to run the USB cord from the headset base station to your laptop. And you have to either have an open USB port, or like us, had to use a USB hub / splitter (about $10)  to add ports.

More Info / Ordering

Here are the Amazon links again to get more information or order:

Jabra Engage 75 (Mono) – about $300

Jabra Engage 65 (Mono) – about $260

Yamay / Wilful (Mono) – about $50

Jabra Engage 75 (Stereo) – about $329

Jabra Engage 65 (Stereo) – about $281