What Is The Best Bluetooth Headset For Truckers? A Gearhead's Review
- David McGillivray
- 7 days ago
- 9 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
As a truck driver, I rely on my headset to make phone calls, receive route updates, and transmit messages. Here's my personal ranking.
Note: Prices were correct at the time of writing.
1. BlueParrott - Upgraded Design for Improved Comfort
HIGHLIGHT:
Extra comfort, plus it blocks out almost a hundred percent of the background noise.
PERSONAL BACKSTORY:
I’m a truck driver and needed a new pair of noise canceling headsets after my last set of headphones stopped working–the pairing essentially broke. I’m on a budget and didn't really want to spend a ton of money, so I tried out a few different earbuds and found that most of them didn't work near what I was hoping for. After doing a bunch of research and devouring all the positive reviews I could, I settled on these, but I honestly can’t even call them settling, because wow, these are just the best.
NOISE CANCELATION:
Wow on the sound on these! I’m not even kidding. You can be standing right beside a compactor truck doing its thing, and a person across the driveway can still hear your voice. I’ve actually tried it. Not kidding. I even tried them out when I was outside next to my buzzing air conditioning unit, and my mom couldn’t even hear it. She said that my voice was completely clear. Naturally, the same was the case when I was driving my truck - she could hear me with no interference.
PRODUCT COMPARISON:
I've also tried nine of the most popular headsets on the market, and while I liked some of them for their weight and lightness, only BlueParrott absorbed practically all of the background noise, and that's even more the case if you’re someone who wears hearing aids. But honestly with these things, you seriously hear absolutely no background noise, it’s just amazing!
BATTERY:
The battery is freaking awesome. I love how the headset came with a full battery, and after almost twenty four hours of using it in two days, it only lost 30 percent battery. It only died on me once because I didn’t charge it for over a week haha. The only thing that would be cool is if it showed the battery life on my phone, but other than a little small thing, I just love it so much and I know other people will too!
PROS:
Sound is loud enough to hear in a noisy car
Awesome battery life
Controls have a learning curve but are pretty good to use once you figure it out
Love the voice feature
Noise canceling mic blocks out external noise
Ear piece has great sound quality
CONS:
Ear cushion has a rectangle shape and can be a little uncomfortable because it doesn’t go over the year
Head band is on the tight side and yet somehow still manages to slide off when I look down
AIRPORT USE:
Last month, in between traveling, I was in security, waiting for my flight, and talked to my mom for over fifteen minutes without ever having to hit mute. My mom said she heard zero background noise - no airport announcements, no conversations from the crowd around–nothing. People around me were loud too (the plane was late and the line long, so you know how it goes). And yet I was happy because I didn’t have to listen to any of them complain haha. Love this thing.
FINAL TAKEAWAY:
I freaking love these things. I use them while driving, and also at my home office. They’re just amazing - I meant it! I know it sounds silly to be so excited about a gadget, but unless you use headsets on a daily basis you wouldn't understand how comforting it is to find something that actually works for you. And this headset does.
Get it from Amazon now: $209.99 & FREE Returns
2. Plantronics Voyager 5200 UC - 2-Year Warranty
HIGHLIGHT:
Amazing for Zoom calls and lets you roam to almost a hundred feet.
DEVICE SWITCHING:
After using air pods for a while, I finally decided to switch it up and go with something new. And yeah, the noise canceling isn't the greatest for calls when I’m driving my truck, but it worked. When I'm working from my home office, I switch between my phone and my computer which it’s kind of a pain, and I was worried about the battery dying. The Voyager has seriously fixed all of these issues. It has such a long battery life and I had zero issue switching between different devices.
SOUND:
It’s not actually design for music listening, and the speaker is better for voices, but it works both ways. I have zero issue hearing people on phone calls. You can also browse the web with it without issue, and that’s great.
MICROPHONE:
The mic is seriously great. Love the noise canceling and how well it works. It filters out all background noise, so no one can hear your surroundings, so that’s nice. I use it on Zoom calls all the time and it’s awesome, and I definitely have the best mic of anyone in my company.
UC VERSION:
Out of all the different types, I recommend the UC version. Essentially it comes with a USB transmitter that you can plug into your computer. It’s worth the extra cost if you ask me. Definitely awesome. You get better reception and range and it lets you use the app, plus it comes with a charging case which is awesome.
CONNECTIVITY:
I keep mine connected to my Mac computer, and I love how easy it connects with Bluetooth. It just works great, zero complaints.
BATTERY LIFE:
After four to five hours of non stop video calls, the battery finally gets low, but it charades so fast, you barely ever notice it.
CHARGING CASE:
Game changer right here. Love the charging case. I can just pop it in for a quick recharge. You can fold the head set into the case or you can attach it to the outside. It’s another reason I recommend the “UC” option because charging goes faster. The case is like the airpods, and has a battery inside so that’s pretty cool. My only issue is that it takes a few attempts to get the head set to click where its charging. The blue charging lights are convenient though!
CONTROL LAYOUT:
I love how the buttons are in the best spots and I have no issue finding them. I can adjust the volume and answer or end calls with it, which is so easy to use. Oh, and the mute button is freaking awesome. Makes it easy to quiet my mic when I’m on a conference call.
APP FEATURES:
If you got the “UC” option, then definitely download the Plantronics Hub application. With it, you can see the battery status of the headset and play around with sound quality, ringtone, and battery life. The app also lets you sync the mute button to your computer which is awesome.
FIT & FEEL:
Keep in mind, this is gonna be subjective! I like over the ear type headsets, especially when I’m wearing them all day. It’s light enough that it doesn’t make my ears hurt which is awesome. They’re so much more comfy than my air pods, I just love them so much.
FINAL TAKEAWAY:
Yeah, definitely the best you can get if you ask me. Def the best pair for conference calls, and I tell all my coworkers about them.
Get it from Amazon now: $89.95 & FREE Returns
3. Jabra Evolve 65 - All-Day Battery
HIGHLIGHT:
With an impressive battery, you can get up to fourteen hours of talk time!
PERSONAL BACKSTORY:
Yeah, I got these for my Birthday, but let’s be real, this more felt like an X-mas gift straight from Mister Claus himself! They’re on the pricey side, yeah they’re expensive, but you’re getting what you pay for. The quality is worth it. I really like ear pads that are dual over single style, and I love how light the headset is, although I’ve seen lighter ones, but not the kind meant for this. I don’t use these at the gym, but they’re great at work.
DEVICE PAIRING:
They connect to my phones and computers which is just awesome. At first, I couldn’t figure out how to switch between all of them, but the customer service was awesome and they taught me how to install the new software and that worked great.
BATTERY:
The battery life is freaking amazing. I still don’t understand how even after a full twenty four hours, it still said the battery was full. It would be nice if you could see the percentage of the battery from the software, but it is what it is.
WEARABILITY:
The head set is comfortable to wear for a longer time, but my ears do get a little sweaty if I wear them for a little bit.
MIC FUNCTION:
I love how the mic is clear, and noise in the background is barely noticeable. The boom mic swivels and has a magnet to clamp to the headset when not in use. The mute button works during calls, but not otherwise.
USB USE:
I love how long the USB cable is and works really great with my computer, but it’s not the best if you wanna walk around with it.
VALUE:
It’s definitely on the pricier side, but it’s super high quality, so I think it’s worth it. I mean, there's value is in how solid the quality of sound is, and how easily you can connect to it and still have good conversations.
FINAL TAKEAWAY:
I think I’m gonna give this four stars, mainly because the battery status was a little on the misleading side. When it said the battery was full, it dropped down to five percent by the next day. Yet, it’s still pretty solid, and a great product and I love it.
Get it from Amazon now: $292.00 & FREE Returns
4. Garmin 100 - Upgraded Ear Pads
HIGHLIGHT:
Warranty lasts five years and love that it’s wireless.
PERSONAL BACKSTORY:
I started working remotely and I knew I needed a good headset, because my dogs can get rowdy. I really like wireless, single ear gadgets that connect to my computer, but I decided to go with these specifically because there’s a five year warranty just in case anything happens.
VALUE:
I have to say that, with this headset, the value for money is seriously up there. The outbound audio quality is so amazing, and I love how the range lets me wander to the kitchen and bathroom while still staying connected. Yes, I spend just under a hundred percent of my days on my phone and computer. At least I’m being honest. Anyway, for these reasons, this headset is worth the money.
SET UP:
Setup was soooo easy. You can even contact tech support for help with any issue but there’s also a bunch of YouTube videos out there that are helpful.
IN USE:
I love how lightweight this headset is. The range of this thing is seriously unbelievable. I even walked through my whole home and in the front and back yard and still didn’t lose connectivity.
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
My main issue was with the manual. Not a lot of instructions. So I ended calling tech support several times. It helped, but I don’t think I should have necessarily had to do that to figure it out. Either way, customer service was seriously the best. The tech support even called me to make sure I’d figured it out, which was just a nice touch.
FINAL TAKEAWAY:
Twelve out of 10, not even joking. Would have been a 15, if I had gotten the model that connects to my cell, but I plan to get that next time! I typically get new ones every two years or so. So after four years, I can officially say the battery life is still just as amazing. The sound quality is better than the handset or speaker, and it’s just so comfy, even to wear all day long. By the way, when I broke the ear pads, customer support quickly shipped replacements. Can’t recommend enough. Just such a great head set.
Get it from Amazon now: $189.95 & FREE Returns
5. EKSA H1 - AI-Powered ENC Headphones
HIGHLIGHT:
AI powered and can be paired with two devices at the same time.
PERSONAL BACKSTORY:
I'm not usually one to write reviews, but these are so worth it. For years I struggled with ear pain. After using headsets for a couple of hours, my ears would start hurting. I had seriously been looking for a pair of comfortable, noise canceling headsets that don’t cost a fortune. As a truck driver, I needed them. I’ve tried all the headsets out there, at least that’s how it feels, and this pair is by far one of the best I’ve ever tried. It’s super affordable and works so great.
NOISE CANCELATION:
I tested it in my semi with the window down while on the phone with my wife and she couldn't hear the wind or the truck engine which was shocking. I'm able to stay connected without any background noise, and my conversations are so smooth now that I don't have to keep repeating myself. Not only can I answer a call super fast, but the noise in my truck doesn't affect the call quality at all. Everyone I’ve talked to reports seriously crystal clear sound, almost like I'm alone in a quiet room.
BATTERY LIFE:
The battery life is one of the best I’ve seen, and I’ve owned a lot of head sets. I’ve used this for over a week straight and still didn't have to charge it. It lasts about fifteen freaking hours, with like five hours of talk time. When they finally show low battery, they only needed a quick five minute charge and then they kept them going.
FINAL TAKEAWAY:
I love this headset so freaking much. I mean for the price, it's unbeatable. You get comfort, great sound quality, and amazing battery life. What else can you ask for from a cheap headset?
Get it from Amazon now: $69.99 & FREE Returns
