Do you want the best headset? 
The Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex may be one of the more interesting headsets in Jabra's new Evolve3 lineup because Jabra made a decision that changes the character of the headset: the microphone boom is gone. So it joins some of the other new Evolve3 models that have also gone boomless.
Instead of looking like a traditional business headset, the Evolve3 65 Flex now looks much more like a conventional pair of headphones (think Sony or Bose). But Jabra still intends it to deliver the communication features you'd expect from a professional business headset in spite of its relaxed, casual appearance.
That immediately raises an important question.
Can a boomless headset give you the microphone performance you need for business calls?
Prefer video? If you're someone who would rather watch than read, check out our Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex review below. Drew walks you through what's new, how the headset sounds, and how it compares to the previous Evolve2 65 Flex.
And if you already own the previous Evolve2 65 Flex, there's another question: are the changes significant enough to make upgrading worth considering?
We tested the microphone, compared it with the previous generation and looked at the other major changes to help you decide whether the Evolve3 65 Flex makes sense for the way you work.
The Evolve3 65 Flex Is Really About Working From Anywhere
The easiest way to understand the Evolve3 65 Flex is to think of it as Jabra's portable hybrid-work option.
It's an on-ear Bluetooth headset that weighs about 143 grams, or 5.04 ounces, folds into a compact carrying pouch and eliminates the traditional microphone boom.
That combination makes it easier to throw into a laptop bag and move between your office, home, hotel, airport or wherever else your workday or casual listening takes you.
The boomless design is also about appearance.
A microphone boom makes perfect sense when you're sitting at a desk taking calls. But if you're walking through an airport, listening to music at a coffee shop or using your headset outside work, you may not want a microphone sitting in front of your face. Some equate that look to one similar to the person taking orders at a fast food drive thru. Most would agree not a fashion statement.
The Evolve3 65 Flex gives you a much more conventional headphone appearance.
And that's an important distinction because I don't think Jabra is simply trying to build another office headset here.
They’re trying to build a business headset you won't mind wearing when you're not in the office.
Evolve3 65 Flex vs. Evolve2 65 Flex: What's Changed?
The most visible difference is obviously the missing microphone boom, and though this is notable, it’s far from the only change.
Jabra has also updated the microphone technology, ANC, connectivity and portability while adding replaceable components.
We'll get into those differences individually, but there's an important point to keep in mind throughout this comparison.
Newer doesn't automatically mean you should replace what you already have.
If your Evolve2 65 Flex is still working well and doing everything you need, there's no reason to replace it simply because Jabra introduced a newer model. That wouldn’t make sense, and would likely be a waste of money.
The better question is whether the improved features of the Evolve3 65 Flex improves something that's important to you.
Jabra Removed the Boom Microphone. So How Do You Sound?
This is probably the biggest question surrounding the Evolve3 65 Flex.
Traditional business headsets put a microphone close to your mouth for a reason. Generally speaking, a dedicated boom microphone has an advantage when your priority is capturing your voice clearly while rejecting the sounds around you.
Jabra had to compensate for removing it.
The Evolve3 65 Flex uses six digital microphones combined with Jabra ClearVoice deep-learning technology to isolate your voice from surrounding noise. The system also includes wind-noise reduction.
Jabra says ClearVoice was trained using 60 million sentences, with the goal of separating speech from background noise without needing a microphone arm.
That sounds impressive on a specification sheet, but microphone performance is something we'd rather hear than read about.
So, in our video, Drew tested it.
In the video above, you can hear the Evolve3 65 Flex and previous Evolve2 65 Flex using the same background sounds, including a quiet environment, crying babies and open-office noise.
I'd encourage you to put on headphones and listen to those tests yourself.
Pay attention to two things: how naturally Drew's voice comes through and how much of the background noise reaches the other end.
Ultimately, you're the one who needs to decide whether the boomless microphone performance is good enough for your work environment. What sounds acceptable, or even good to you, may sound unacceptable to someone else, or vice versa.
What if you like the boomless design but need more noise reduction?
There's another option worth mentioning.
If you like what the Evolve3 65 Flex offers but still need another layer of microphone noise cancellation, neep can add software-based noise cancellation to the audio device you're already using. And it removes noise on both ends of the call, which is something headsets aren’t designed to do.
neep is mentioned in the video as well.
I wouldn't consider software noise cancellation a substitute for choosing the right headset in the first place. But if the Flex checks your other boxes and microphone background noise is the one area where you want additional help, it's an option worth knowing about.
Adaptive ANC Works During Your Calls
Microphone noise cancellation and Active Noise Cancellation are often confused, but they solve two different problems.
Microphone noise cancellation helps reduce the noise that your caller hears. ANC helps reduce what you’re hearing in your background, so you can concentrate better.
The Evolve3 65 Flex uses a four-microphone adaptive ANC system that adjusts based on your surroundings and fit. It can also remain active while you're on calls.
That's particularly useful for hybrid work.
If you're taking a call in a coffee shop, airport or busy office, you don't only want the person on the other end protected from your background noise. You also want fewer distractions reaching your ears so you can concentrate on the conversation.
The Evolve3 65 Flex also gives you HearThrough when you want greater awareness of your surroundings, or have a conversation with a coworker (without having to remove the headset), plus sidetone so you can hear some of your own voice while speaking.
Sidetone can be especially useful when ANC is active. When surrounding sound is reduced, people sometimes begin speaking louder without realizing it. Hearing some of your own voice can help keep that tendency under control.
Portability May Be the Best Reason to Choose the Flex
For me, this is where the Evolve3 65 Flex separates itself from a lot of traditional business headsets.
It weighs about 143 grams (5.04 ounces), folds down and fits into a compact carrying pouch.
That's moderately useful if your headset spends its entire life on a desk.
It's much more useful if it doesn't.
If you're moving between home and office, traveling regularly or working from different locations, a headset that's easier to pack becomes a practical benefit rather than simply a design feature.
Foldability is the feature. Portability is the benefit.
And because the Evolve3 65 Flex doesn't have a microphone boom protruding from one side, it also looks more natural when you're wearing it away from work.
That's why I'd hesitate to judge this headset solely against traditional office headsets.
The Evolve3 65 Flex is trying to bridge two uses: professional communication while you're working and casual everyday headphone use when you're not.
Jabra describes the headset as slim, foldable and designed to fit into a laptop bag, which reinforces that portability is central to the product rather than an incidental feature.
Comfort Gets Jabra's AirComfort Treatment
Portability doesn't help much if you don't enjoy wearing the headset, so it has to be comfortable.
Jabra continued its focus on comfort with its AirComfort design, lightweight construction and angled oval ear cushions intended to provide a more natural fit.
At 5.04 ounces, the Evolve3 65 Flex is also relatively light for a stereo business headset. Jabra lists the official weight at 143 grams.
But there's something important to keep in mind.
This is still an on-ear headset.
The cushions rest against your ears rather than surrounding them. Some people like that because on-ear headsets tend to be less bulky. Others dislike having cushions pressing directly against their ears.
There's no specification that can tell you which is best, so the decision is yours and yours alone.
If you've never liked on-ear headsets, the Evolve3 65 Flex probably won't change that preference just because Jabra improved the cushioning, and made it lightweight.
If you already like on-ear designs, though, the combination of lower weight, AirComfort and the new cushion design could be meaningful during longer workdays.
For those who prefer an over-ear wearing design, the EPOS Impact 1000 with the optional over-ear cushions would be a logical choice.
Jabra Didn't Forget About Music
The Evolve3 65 Flex is first and foremost a business headset, but Jabra clearly expects you to use it for more than meetings. Aside from work calls, many, if not most of us spend a good amount of time each day online casually watching videos, listening to music or podcasts, or on social media. This dual use helps to make the Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex a worthwhile consideration.
The Evolve3 65 Flex improves the listening experience, with upgraded speakers and audio technology designed to make calls sound clearer while delivering better sound for music, videos and other everyday listening.
If you're wearing the same headset at your desk, on a flight, at a hotel and while listening to music between meetings, audio performance outside of calls becomes more important.
Still, I'd keep expectations in perspective.
I wouldn't buy the Evolve3 65 Flex specifically to compete with high-end consumer headphones built primarily around music. I'd look at it as a business workhorse that's considerably more versatile for personal listening than a traditional office headset.
Battery Life Tells You Something About How Jabra Expects You to Use It
Battery specifications are particularly interesting on this headset.
Jabra rates the Evolve3 65 Flex for up to 16.5 hours of talk time with ANC and the busy light off, or up to 14.5 hours with them on. Music playback can reach up to 80 hours with ANC off, dropping to up to 35 hours with ANC on.
That large music figure reinforces the hybrid nature of the headset.
Jabra isn't expecting you to take it off when your Teams or Zoom meeting ends.
Certain configurations also support wireless charging with Jabra's wireless charging pad, and you can charge through USB-C. A 10-minute fast charge can provide up to four hours of music playback.
Wireless charging is a nice addition for a portable headset because it gives you another way to keep it topped up without plugging in a cable every time you sit down.
Bluetooth 5.3, Dual Connectivity and the Link 390 Adapter
The Evolve3 65 Flex uses Bluetooth 5.3 and supports Bluetooth Low Energy Audio.
It can maintain two simultaneous Bluetooth connections and remember up to eight paired devices. All of which are pretty standard these days for business class Bluetooth headsets.
That means you can stay connected to your computer and mobile phone without repeatedly disconnecting and reconnecting as you move between them.
Jabra also includes its pre-paired Link 390 Bluetooth USB adapter, available in USB-A or USB-C depending on the configuration you select.
Even if your computer already has Bluetooth, we'd recommend using the Jabra adapter for business calls.
You're not simply adding Bluetooth to the computer. The adapter is designed to provide a more consistent experience between the Jabra headset, your computer and compatible business communication platforms rather than depending entirely on the Bluetooth built into your computer.
Jabra rates Bluetooth wireless range at up to approximately 100 feet, or 30 meters. As always, walls, interference and your particular work environment can reduce real-world range. This wireless range estimate is common for many Bluetooth headsets, so there’s no real gain in range with this new model.
The Evolve3 65 Flex also retains business-oriented features such as a 360-degree busy light, HearThrough, sidetone, UC platform support and Jabra's management software.
That's an important part of the story.
It may look more like consumer headphones, but Jabra hasn't simply turned the Evolve3 65 Flex into consumer headphones. It’s a headset that will go where you go, and perform for business, and stay with you after hours for more casual activities.
There Is One Feature You Lose With the Boom
Removing the microphone boom has an obvious benefit: you get a cleaner-looking, more portable headset.
But there's also a tradeoff.
You lose flip-to-mute.
On many traditional Jabra business headsets, you can raise the microphone boom to mute your call and lower it when you're ready to speak.
There's no boom to raise on the Evolve3 65 Flex.
Instead, you'll mute using the headset controls or your meeting/calling software.
If you're on a couple of calls a day, this will be insignificant.
If you're on calls continuously and muting and unmuting yourself dozens of times throughout the day, you may miss it more than you expect.
This is a good example of why choosing a headset based solely on a list of new features can be misleading.
Sometimes the feature that disappeared matters just as much as the ones that were added.
Replaceable Battery and Ear Cushions Could Help You Keep It Longer
Two of my favorite Evolve3 improvements aren't particularly glamorous.
The battery and ear cushions are replaceable.
Those are two of the components most likely to wear out during years of regular headset use.
Ear cushions eventually deteriorate. Rechargeable batteries gradually lose capacity.
Neither means your headset is worn out.
Being able to replace those parts gives you the possibility of keeping an otherwise perfectly functional headset in service longer instead of replacing the entire product, which can be the case with headsets that don’t have replaceable batteries.
Jabra also backs the Evolve3 65 Flex with a two-year warranty.
That can be valuable for businesses managing a larger headset deployment.
Headset Management Made Easy
If you're outfitting a team but don't want to make a large upfront equipment purchase, Headset Advisor's Managed Headset Program gives you another option. Instead of purchasing all of your headsets upfront, you pay one predictable affordable monthly rate that covers the equipment along with defined replacement services, including battery and wear coverage, turnover swaps, advance replacement for covered issues, set up assistance and more.
This program will help reduce the upfront cost of deploying headsets while also taking some of the day-to-day headset management off your IT team's plate, which can be highly valuable. This is a unique, highly affordable, streamlined headset management program.
Evolve3 65 Flex vs. Evolve3 65: Which One Makes More Sense?
These two headsets share a name, but I don't think you should choose between them by asking which one is "better."
They're designed around different priorities.
The regular Evolve3 65 makes more sense for someone who's heavily focused on calls and meetings. It retains a traditional microphone boom that places the microphone closer to your mouth, and you keep the convenience of flip-to-mute.
The Evolve3 65 Flex makes more sense if your work moves around with you.
It's foldable, easier to pack and has the cleaner boomless appearance you may prefer when you're wearing the headset in public or using it for music between calls.
So I'd simplify the decision this way:
Call-heavy and microphone-first: Evolve3 65.
Hybrid work, travel and portability-first: Evolve3 65 Flex.
There's obviously overlap between those two groups, but knowing which priority matters more to you can make the decision considerably easier.
Is the Evolve3 65 Flex Worth Upgrading To?
If you already own an Evolve2 65 Flex and it's working perfectly well, I wouldn't replace it simply because the Evolve3 65 Flex exists.
That’s the same conclusion we point out in the video. There's no reason to replace a headset that's still meeting your needs.
But the Evolve3 65 Flex does introduce meaningful changes.
The microphone boom is gone. ClearVoice technology and six digital microphones take over voice pickup. Adaptive ANC can work during calls. You get newer connectivity, improved portability, wireless charging on certain configurations and replaceable battery and ear cushions.
That's enough for me to call this a genuine generational change rather than a cosmetic refresh.
Whether it's worth upgrading depends on what you're trying to improve.
If your current Evolve2 65 Flex, or other headset, is still comfortable, sounds good, handles your calls well and travels easily enough for you, keep it.
If you want the boomless appearance, newer ANC, updated microphone technology, replaceable components or some of the other changes, the upgrade becomes easier to justify.
And when your current headset reaches its replacement time, the Evolve3 65 Flex is the logical newer-generation model worth considering.
If you're replacing multiple older headsets, our trade-in program may also give you an alternative to leaving the old equipment sitting unused in a drawer or storeroom. Why not turn old headsets into credit towards new?
The important thing is that neither a trade-in nor a new headset with the latest features should be the reason you upgrade.
Upgrade because the new headset offers you something that helps to solve something that matters to you.
Who Should Buy the Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex?
I'd put the Evolve3 65 Flex near the top of the list for someone who divides their workweek between different locations and wants one lightweight headset that can travel easily.
It becomes especially appealing if you want business features but don't necessarily want to look like you're wearing a traditional office headset every time you leave your desk. That's exactly the type of user that this headset was designed for.
If you're working at home one day, in the office the next, flying somewhere on Thursday and taking a Teams meeting from a hotel on Friday, the concept makes a lot of sense.
But if you're at your desk all day taking one call after another and your number-one concern is getting the strongest possible microphone performance, I'd lean toward a traditional boom-microphone business headset such as the regular Evolve3 65, Yealink HA64 pro, or EPOS Impact 1000.
Have Questions or Need Some Help?
Choosing a business headset can get confusing quickly, particularly when two models share similar names (Evolve3 65 and Evolve3 65 Flex), but are designed for different types of users.
Headset Advisor has been helping businesses with their communication needs for over 30 years. If you're trying to decide between the Evolve3 65 Flex, regular Evolve3 65, Evolve2 65 Flex or something else, one of our knowledgeable Advisors can learn about your equipment, your work environment and what's important to you, then help narrow down your choices that make the most sense. They can also help you to better understand our headset management program, and give you a quote on any headsets you have available to trade in.
Tell us what you're connecting to, where you work and what problem you're trying to solve, and we’ll take it from there.
The goal isn't to put you into the newest or most expensive headset. It's to help you find the right compatible solution for the way you work.
So contact us today to get connected with a knowledgeable Advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Jabra Evolve3 65 Flex have a microphone boom?
No. Jabra removed the traditional microphone boom and instead uses six digital microphones with ClearVoice deep-learning technology to isolate your voice from surrounding noise.
Is the Evolve3 65 Flex better than the Evolve2 65 Flex?
The Evolve3 65 Flex introduces meaningful changes, including its boomless microphone design, ClearVoice technology, adaptive ANC that works during calls, newer connectivity, improved portability and replaceable components. Whether those changes make it better for you depends on your work environment and priorities.
Should I upgrade from my Evolve2 65 Flex?
Not necessarily. If your Evolve2 65 Flex is working well and meeting your needs, there's no reason to replace it immediately. Upgrading makes more sense when one or more of the Evolve3 improvements addresses something you want to change about your current headset.
What's the difference between the Evolve3 65 and Evolve3 65 Flex?
The regular Evolve3 65 uses a dedicated boom microphone and is more focused on call-heavy users. The Evolve3 65 Flex eliminates the boom, folds into a compact form and places greater emphasis on hybrid work, portability and a headphone-like appearance.
Can I use ANC during calls with the Evolve3 65 Flex?
Yes. Its adaptive ANC can remain active during calls, helping reduce the surrounding noise you hear while you're talking.
Does the Evolve3 65 Flex support wireless charging?
Yes. The Evolve3 65 Flex supports wireless charging, although the wireless charging pad is configuration-dependent. It can also be charged through USB-C.
Can the battery and ear cushions be replaced?
Yes. Both the battery and ear cushions are replaceable, which may help extend the useful life of the headset as those components wear over time.
How much Bluetooth range does the Evolve3 65 Flex have?
Jabra rates the Bluetooth operating range at up to 100 feet, or 30 meters. Actual range can vary depending on walls, interference and your particular environment.
If you have a need for longer wireless range, maybe due to working in a large office, at home, or in a large warehouse, you may want to consider the Yealink HA64 Pro. It's rated at over 600 feet of wireless range which is significantly longer than any Bluetooth headset.
Is the Evolve3 65 Flex a good choice for someone who's on calls all day?
It can be, but if microphone performance is your highest priority and you spend most of the day on calls, we'd also seriously consider the regular Evolve3 65 or another business headset with a dedicated boom microphone.
