Do you want the best headset? 
When it comes to finding a comfortable office headset, it’s not as simple as it might seem. What’s comfortable to one person, might be very uncomfortable to someone else.
There are variables and because there are many styles to choose from, it takes time to determine which is best for you. In this article, I’m going to outline some of the things you might consider when searching for the best office headset.
After all, you’ll likely wear a headset throughout the day, and you want your office phone headset to be comfortable. Consider the points below as a general guideline when shopping for your next office phone headset.
1. Are you okay with wearing a headband?
Some people prefer to wear a headset that’s worn over-the-head. On the other hand, some can’t wear anything over their head. With these people, headbands can create discomfort and in extreme cases, cause migraine headaches. While others may be more concerned about their perfectly styled hair getting messed up. If this sounds like you, you’ll want to scratch off the over-the-head style headsets from your list of considerations.
2. Do you prefer wearing a headset over your ear?
If so, there are two broad categories within this wearing style. The first is an on-ear headset that has a speaker that rests against the ear. In other words, nothing in the ear just against it. This headset wearing style satisfies those who can’t, or don’t want to wear headbands by providing an on-ear solution. The other on-ear wearing option is one that’s not only worn over the ear, but has a speaker that’s inserted directly into the ear.
This is very helpful for those who work in a noisy office environment and prefer an on-ear wearing experience. Typically we find that when the earpiece has a gel that rests in the ear (like how apple iPods work) you typically get better sound and more comfort. However, some people don't like anything going in the ear-canal and prefer the first option outlined above.
3. Ear cushions
Many headsets have ear cushions in order to make the wearing experience comfortable. An office phone headset can come with cushions that are made of foam or perhaps leatherette. In some cases, people have allergies to foam and wouldn’t be able to tolerate a headset with this type of ear cushion. As an option, leatherette ear cushions are readily available on most makes and models. Some headsets come with foam cushions while others come with leatherette. For those with foam ear cushions, you should check with your supplier as to the availability of leatherette cushions if you have an intolerance to foam materials.
4. Dealing with loud environments
Today, with the expansion of open seating areas, noise in the office is at an all-time high. Distracting noise is a regular event and more and more people are experiencing a loss of productivity as a result. Whether it’s chatter from your co-workers or noise from office machines, noise is a problem and it needs to be taken seriously if worker productivity is to be maximized.
As this issue relates to headsets, what can you do to minimize the distracting sound in an office? Older, or traditional styled headsets aren’t made to deal with this issue. The good news is things are changing. More recently, headset manufacturers are starting to see office noise as an issue that’s at the forefront of the minds of those who buy and use them.
To help combat noise in the office, the best office headset might contain features such as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). ANC electronically filters out noise before it's allowed to enter your speaker. This feature is activated or deactivated by pressing a button on the headset top if the headset is so equipped. Within ANC featured headsets, some do work better than others, so the best way to know if one is right for you is to request a free demo so you can test it out in your exact working environment. The other way distracting office noise is addressed is through having oversized ear cushions.
The most efficient ones are those that fully cover the entire ear which helps to prevent outside sound from entering the ear area. The better ones, such as the Discover D722 does a great job of reducing distracting office noise and is a good office phone headset for this purpose. The size of the ear cushions found on a typical office phone headset is simply too small to adequately help with this problem.
5. Corded vs Cordless
The best office headset today could be one that contains a wire for connection, or, it might be a wireless model. Purely from the standpoint of comfort, it’s relevant to consider a headset with or without a cord as being part of the comfort equation when evaluating headsets.
For example, if your work has you getting up and down a lot throughout the day and moving around your office, it’s pretty uncomfortable to keep taking your headset off and putting it on. To help with this, getting a wireless office phone headset eliminates all this activity. Simply get up and move around your office freely without the need to keep taking your headset off due to the headset having a cord.
Comfort comes in many forms and this is without question one of the things to consider. On the other hand, if you’re looking for the best office headset and you don’t mind that it has a cord, look for one that has a quick disconnect as pictured below.
Having a Quick Disconnect allows you to unplug your headset from your phone so you can get up and step away from your desk. This eliminates the need to take your headset off when you want to move around your office.
6. Cord Length
If you’re considering, or using an office phone headset that has a wire, you might find the length of the cord to be too short. In other words, you’re experiencing situations where you reach the end of your cord preventing you from moving as freely as you’d like.
You might even find that the headset is pulled off your head by the abruptness when you reach the end of the cord. This can not only be uncomfortable, but frustrating. The good news is there’s a solution. Assuming you’re using a Quick Disconnect headset as mentioned in number 5 above, you can get an extension cable that connects in-line. This provides you with an additional 10-feet of cable length. Something to consider if you’re looking for the best office headset.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is when deciding what comfortable work headsets comfort is an individual thing. What’s comfortable to one person might be uncomfortable to another. Still, if you understand what you like and what you don’t like in a headset, you can fine tune it with accessories to help make your overall wearing experience better than it otherwise might be.
Also, knowing the nature of the office environment helps too because it can point you towards certain headsets that are more appropriate for loud environments for example. If you need to move around your office throughout your work day, considering a wireless headset makes a lot of sense. It keeps you connected with your co-workers and customers and helps to avoid missing calls, listening to voice messages and in the end, allows you to deliver a higher degree of service that would otherwise not be available.
Comfort is personal. Comfort is subjective, but for sure, comfort is important, especially when considering that the next headset you purchase is one that will be worn all day, week after week, month after month and year after year.
