If you’re in the market for a new wireless headset for a desk phone, you do have a lot of choices, but it can be confusing where to begin and what to look for.
Most people keep a wireless office headset for four to five years. This suggests that the choice you make today can be important given how long you’ll have it. That said:
What things are most important to consider?
What things are least important?
What brands should you be looking at?
What wearing style is most comfortable?
The list goes on. But in the end, it will be up to you to establish your own personal list of those things that are most important to you when shopping for a wireless headset for phone.
A wireless headset can connect to a desk phone, computer or both. In this blog, we’re going to focus on a wireless headset for a desk phone, and in the process, give you some ideas on what things to consider in your quest for a great wireless headset for your office phone.
Lastly, we’ll offer a wireless headset recommendation we think is great for an office phone that you can consider when making your choice.
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Let’s get started
The things that make up the “best” wireless headset for one person, might differ from those things important to someone else.. Still, there are a few factors that many of our customers over the past twenty five years have told us are important to them in their search for an office wireless headset.
Here are those things that our customers have indicated as important:
Comfort
Everyone wants a headset that’s comfortable. You can get a great deal on a wireless headset, but if it’s not comfortable, then it really isn’t worth much. Headsets are a
personal item that’s up close and personal. An ill-fitting headset can cause you discomfort throughout the work day. It can also cause many to have headaches or experience ear discomfort. In other cases, you might find that the headset doesn’t fit correctly.
This can cause an on-ear wireless headset, for example, to not fit securely and risk falling off. This is particularly troublesome if this happens while on a live phone call.
You want a wireless headset that’s secure, but one that doesn’t have a death grip on you. You also don’t want it to fit too loosely because you run the risk of it falling off as mentioned earlier.
Request a demo
So how can you know if a wireless headset for phone will fit you properly or not? Our suggestion is to reach out to your wireless headset vendor and request a free, in-your-office demo of the headset model you’re interested in. There’s no better way to know if a headset is comfortable or not than trying it out in your office.
Reviews
If your wireless headset vendor doesn’t offer free demos, your next best option is to do some research by reading user reviews on sites like Amazon or Google.
If comfort is your focus, pay close attention to what others are saying about this. Reviews can be very powerful and allow you to have valuable insights that can help form the basis for a buy decision.
Comfort aside, what else is important in making a wireless headset for phone decision?
Sound Quality
Your headset can be comfortable and reasonably priced, but if it doesn’t sound good, its value is diminished. Having a great sounding wireless headset is a must.
Some people think that a wired headset has better sound quality over a wireless headset. With the technology used in office wireless headsets today, the sound is exceptional and every bit as good as its wired counterpart.
How can you know how good it sounds?
Check out the Headset Advisor Youtube channel for videos with headset microphone comparisons, and hear for yourself :)
As with comfort, simply request a demo from your office headset vendor. If that option isn’t available to you, then customer reviews would be the next best thing. The key is to gain information and knowledge on how the wireless office headset that’s on your radar sounds.
It’s better to know how a headset sounds up front rather than after you take delivery on it because you then open the door to returns and its simplicity or complications. Better to avoid all that by getting it right.
Warranty
When considering the best office phone headset, a longer warranty can add extra value. Most people would agree that a longer warranty is normally better. And, in most cases, that would be a true statement. However, like peeling back the layers on an onion, you have to see what’s inside.
Length of warranty is one part of the warranty picture. The other things you should be aware of are normally found in the fine print. For example, if you need a warranty exchange, who pays for the shipping? You? The vendor?
If your wireless office headset needs to be replaced, will a new one be shipped or will it be a refurbished headset?
Will a replacement be shipped out upon notifying the company, or do you need to wait until your defective unit has been received by the vendor? Getting a replacement in advance (advance replacement) can shave off valuable time as you wait to receive the exchange.
This means you will experience less time without a headset if the vendor offers advance replacements in their warranty.
Keep these things in mind as you consider warranty in your buying decision. Price
When searching for the best office phone headset at a reasonable price, it’s essential to find a balance between quality and affordability. No headset decision is complete until the matter of price is decided on. Like buying a new car, you can want a Ferrari, but you might not have that much available to spend.
So instead, you end up with a Toyota Corolla. Why? Because that’s what was in the budget.
When shopping for a wireless headset for phone, you should expect to pay anywhere from $200.00 to $300.00. The combination of features, brand, warranty and model will all contribute to the final selling price.
When it comes to price, there are a few ways to view this.
Best price vs. best value. Some will go towards the best and lowest price, while others will look at the entire picture.
Things that help to make up better value over price include things like the kind of warranty offered and its details. It might also include price oriented components that the vendor offers such as a headset trade-in program. It might also
include creative ways to acquire headsets in a non-traditional way like a headset rental plan for example. And, of equal importance, the level of service the vendor can offer as well as the vendor’s reputation.
Which Buyer are you? Best price Buyer or best value? Best price can work out. But, when you search for the best price only, you many times make sacrifices in the process.
You might have a shorter warranty. You might be responsible for paying the shipping costs for any returns or exchanges.
You might have a shorter product return period or in an extreme case, no returns allowed at all. Whatever it is, there’s normally something that must be given up in exchange for a better price.
Wearing style
When choosing the best office phone headset for your needs, you’ll want to consider the wearing style. As you make progress on your wireless office headset buying decision, you will need to decide on the wearing style of the headset. There are a few choices to select from.
Over the head, single ear. This is sometimes referred to as a “mono” or single ear headset. This is perhaps the most common wearing style of all. It’s popular because it covers one ear which leaves the other ear free to hear what’s going on in the background. It’s also lightweight with the weight being distributed across the head via the headband. So, most people like this wearing style
Over the head, double ear. This is commonly referred to as a “duo” headset as it covers both ears. Though it doesn’t allow you to hear what’s going on around you, it does allow you to block out unwanted background noise so you can better concentrate on your phone calls and work. Distractive background noise is known to have an adverse effect on worker productivity, so it makes sense to eliminate as much of this noise as possible.
There are those who cannot wear headbands because it causes headaches or even migraines. For those individuals, an over-the-ear wearing style would be a much better choice.
Over the ear. As the name suggests, this style of wireless office headset is worn over the ear. Some models may have a speaker that fits into the ear canal, while others will have a speaker that rests against the ear.
This is a good choice for those who have difficulty wearing an office headset that goes over the head. The challenge though is some people, in particular, those who have small ears, can have challenges with getting a secure on-ear fit. If not, they risk the chance of it falling off If you feel your ears are small, we would highly recommend that you try the office wireless headset before
making the decision to purchase. If you’re purchasing on-ear headsets for your team, then make sure you’re contracting with a reputable vendor who has a good return policy.
Convertible. A convertible office wireless headset allows you to “convert” from one wearing style to another. Specifically, you can change from an over-the-head wearing style to an over-the-ear. These headsets come with the necessary parts and pieces to change over from these two styles.
A convertible wireless headset is a good choice especially if you’re purchasing for a group. Some might prefer an over-the-head wearing style, while others might prefer an over-the-ear. And people do have preferences for sure. That makes for a strong argument for a convertible headset as it includes both wearing options.
For those who get headaches from headbands, they’d be a candidate for the over-the-ear option. For those with small ears, or, just prefer headbands, they’d wear the included over-the-head band.
It also allows you to change up the wearing style when you like. That can give your ear a rest while you switch over to the headband for example. It’s nice to have the options especially when the parts are all included.
Battery
If you're looking for the best office phone headset with long-lasting battery life, having sufficient battery life is essential. You want an office wireless headset that gives you all-day talk time.
Most offer an 8-hour battery, though some have 6 or even less. For those models that have a battery talk time less than you’d prefer, remember that the headset wearer can always place the headset into the charger when taking a break or lunch.
This helps to refresh the battery for continued use. By doing this, you can typically talk for a full 8-hour work shift.
But what do you do if you forgot to place your headset into the charger before leaving work at the end of the day?
In this case, you’d have to recharge your headset before you can use it. In the meantime, you’ll be reacquainting yourself with how to use the telephone handset receiver.
Not ideal, especially when you have to use your computer while on the phone. The good news is there is a good solution to this common problem which will be covered in our product recommendation.
Purchase options & tight budgets
When searching for the best office phone headset on a tight budget, you could benefit from exploring unique purchase options. Check with your vendor to see if they offer any ways to lower your costs, such as trade-in or rental programs.
Some vendors do offer programs that can help to lower your costs like a headset trade-in program. Others might make available a headset rental program. Whatever the case, it does make sense to ask your headset vendor if they offer any program like this that can help cut your costs.
Trade-in. Most organizations have an accumulation of office headsets that are old, unwanted and maybe even broken. Typically, these are stowed away in a storeroom or closet in most offices. The available options to dispose of them are to donate them, throw them into the garbage (don’t do this, recycle instead), or to recycle them. Though environmentally responsible, recycling office wireless headsets with a certified recycler will end up costing you money.
A headset trade-in program may offer you cash or credit for your old, unwanted headsets. This is a lot better than paying to have them recycled and it helps to lower your new wireless headset costs too.
Rental. Though uncommon, you might have some luck in finding an office wireless headset vendor that offers a headset rental program. Rather than paying the full price in advance, you can pay a low monthly rate. The advantages for a program like this include:
- A warranty that never expires because you’re renting the wireless headsets rather than buying them.
- Preservation of capital. You can avoid the upfront expense of the headsets by issuing a small percentage of the total cost monthly.
- Replacement accessories are all included in the monthly rental. This can save you money over an extended period of time.
- Complete freedom. You will have the ability to increase your rental headset population, or decrease it whenever you like. You will be able to make model changes as your needs change so you won’t be stuck with outdated headsets.
- No long term contract. The rental agreement would be month-to-month allowing you to cancel it at any time.
Summary
As you search for a wireless headset for phone, your research should include these things:
- Comfort
- Sound Quality
- Warranty
- Price
- Wearing style
- Battery life / wireless headset talk time
- Vendor reputation
- Vendor programs to help lower costs
Recommendation
As we review products that would best meet this criteria, one model surfaces as a solid consideration; The Discover D904. What makes this product the best wireless headset for an office phone? Here’s why:
Wearing styles. The Discover D904 comes with a headband so you can wear it over the head, but it also includes 3 sizes of ear loops for on-ear wearing. This gives you great flexibility to wear it either way.
2 Batteries. The D904 comes with two batteries and a spare charger that’s built in. So, if you forget to place your headset on the charger before leaving work for the day, you won’t arrive to work the next day with a dead battery. With other wireless office headsets, you will have a dead battery and have to wait until it recharges before you can resume using it. With the Discover D904, one battery is always in the built in charger. When the main battery no longer holds a charge, simply exchange the battery and you can continue talking. This feature allows you unlimited talk time.
Warranty. The Discover D904 comes with a full 3-year warranty with advance replacements as part of the warranty. Other wireless office headsets offer a 1-year warranty and no advance replacements. So as you can see, this is a better warranty.
Future proof. The Discover D904 office wireless headset connects to a desk phone, but it also comes with the ability to connect to a computer. This feature gives you protection from a sudden change away from a desk phone and to a computer. This is a trend that’s increasing in popularity. Other office wireless headsets might only connect to a desk phone, but the Discover D904 connects to both phone and computer that helps to give you peace of mind.
Trade-in. You can receive cash or credit for your old headsets. This can help to lower your new headset costs.
Rental. If you prefer to rent rather than buy, the Discover D904 is available to rent for under $20 per month. This can help save cash and gives you a flexible program that includes everything and allows you to make changes or cancel at any time.
Price. The Discover D904 price is fair and reasonable and represents the best value for a wireless headset for your office phone. You get a great headset with the best warranty,
Vendor. The Discover D904 is available from Headset Advisor, a company that’s specialized in office headsets for over 25 years. Headset Advisor is A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau and 5-star rated on the major on-line sites like Google and Amazon.
If you’re looking for the best wireless headset for office phone, look no further than the versatile, great sounding and comfortable office wireless headset from Headset Advisor, the Discover D904.
View the Discover D904 here to learn more << Click here
Otherwise, you can watch a Youtube video on the Discover D904 below