Speakerphones for Office and Work from Home

Start with the room: your desk, a small team or a conference room

The first question is how many people will sit around the speakerphone. Personal speakerphones are made for one person at a desk. Portable models handle a few coworkers around one laptop. Conference room models add microphones and speaker power so the whole table can hear and be heard.

A personal desk or home office

If you take calls alone at a computer, a wired USB speakerphone is the simplest choice: plug it in and there is no battery to charge. The Jabra Speak2 40 and the Poly Sync 10 both work this way. In our Poly Sync 10 review we describe it as a personal speakerphone "designed to be used with a computer as it's wired". If you also take calls on your mobile, choose a model with Bluetooth, such as the Jabra Speak2 55 or the Yealink SP92.

A small team at a desk or in a huddle space

Portable speakerphones also work when a few coworkers join one call. Our Yealink SP92 review says it "can serve as the audio hub for group collaboration" when you collaborate with a few coworkers, and suggests a larger or expandable model for groups above four. The Poly Sync 40 is rated for rooms up to about 16 by 16 feet, and in our Poly Sync 40 review it worked well with up to about 5 people.

A conference room

For a meeting room, look for more microphones, a longer pickup range and the option to add a second unit. The Poly Sync 60 has six microphones and a rated pickup range of 10 feet, and it is made for rooms up to 20 by 20 feet. You can link a second Sync 60 for a bigger table; our guide to syncing two Sync 60s shows how. The EPOS Expand 80T is another conference room model, and the EXPAND 80 expansion microphone is listed as an accessory for the series. If the room also needs a camera, browse our video conferencing gear.

How it connects: USB cable, USB dongle or Bluetooth

Every speakerphone in our compare table connects to a computer by USB, and most also pair with a mobile phone by Bluetooth. The real difference is how each one reaches the computer when you don't want a cable.

• USB cable only: the Jabra Speak2 40 and the Poly Sync 10 plug into the computer and don't pair with a phone.
• USB cable plus Bluetooth: the Jabra Speak2 55 uses its cable for the computer and Bluetooth for your mobile. As our review puts it, "There's no USB Adapter available for the Speak2 55".
• USB dongle included: the Yealink SP92 comes with a USB dongle that is pre-paired, so it can reach the computer without a cable.

Why a dongle matters: in our Jabra Speak2 review we list a more stable wireless connection, better sound, longer range and call control from the device in apps such as Teams as the benefits of the USB adapter. "Actions like these aren't available to you if you're connecting via Bluetooth." Range ratings come from open field tests, so our rule of thumb from the Jabra Speak 750 review is to plan on about half of the stated range in a real office.

Teams and Zoom: certified, Teams version or UC version

Certified vs compatible

Our reviews and listings say the speakerphones we picked work with Teams, Zoom and other UC apps. Certification is a step further. As our guide to Zoom compatible vs Zoom certified devices explains, certified devices "have been specifically tested and certified by Zoom to work optimally with the platform." Microsoft certifies devices for Teams too. Here is what our listings say:

• Jabra Speak2 55: certified for Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Zoom, and sold in a Teams version and a UC version.
• Poly Sync 40: Zoom certified.
• EPOS Expand 80T: the Microsoft Teams certified version of the Expand 80.
• Yealink SP92, Poly Sync 10 and Poly Sync 60: described as working with Teams, Zoom and other UC apps, with no certification claim.

Teams version or UC version?

Jabra sells the Speak2 in a Microsoft Teams version and a UC version. The advice in our Speak2 review: if Teams is your main platform, choose the Teams version; if you also use RingCentral, Dialpad, Zoom or other apps, choose UC. The UC version still works in Teams, but "you won't have the device controls for use within MS Teams". Our article on Microsoft Teams vs UC versions explains the same choice for headsets. Buying for the person rather than the room? See our Microsoft Teams headsets and Zoom headsets.

Background noise: what our tests found

A speakerphone listens to the whole room, so a quiet room suits it. We test speakerphones against barking dogs and crying babies, and here is what we heard:

• In our Yealink SP92 vs Poly Sync 20 vs Jabra Speak2 55 test, the Sync 20 and the Speak2 55 "didn't remove the background noise." The SP92 removed it once the talker stopped, but noise could still be heard while someone was speaking.
• In our Speak2 review, the noise "could be easily heard" on the Speak2 40, 55 and 75. Our verdict: "But if you work in a private office, or in a reasonably quiet environment, any of the Speak2 models should work fine for you."
• On the Poly Sync 10, background noise "could be heard pretty clearly", so we see it as a fit for rooms without a lot of noise.

If your space is noisy, or you are the only person on the call, a headset with a noise cancelling mic is the better tool. Our article on headset vs speakerphone vs microphone explains why: devices like these are "not optimized to isolate your voice, and remove background noise." Compare our noise cancelling headsets for work and our work from home headsets.

Sound features worth checking

• Full duplex: both sides can talk at the same time, so nobody gets cut off mid-sentence. Every model we picked has it.
• Mic pickup range: the rated distance a speakerphone hears you from. Poly Sync 10, 5 feet; Jabra Speak2 40 and 55, 7.5 feet; Poly Sync 40, 8 feet; Poly Sync 60, 10 feet.
• Voice level normalization: on the Speak2, it adjusts the mic gain so a soft spoken person and a louder one are both heard at a normal level.

Laptop speakers and mics are the thing you are replacing. In our Speak2 review we point out that most laptops give you no noise reduction, no echo cancellation, no full duplex audio and very limited microphone range.

Battery or plug-in power

For a speakerphone you carry between rooms or between home and the office, battery life matters. The Yealink SP92 gives up to 20 hours of talk time, the Jabra Speak2 55 up to 12 hours and the Poly Sync 40 up to 30 hours. The Sync 40 also has a built-in power bank that can recharge your phone. The Poly Sync 60 runs on AC power and has two USB ports for charging phones. The Jabra Speak2 40 and the Poly Sync 10 run from their USB cable, with no battery at all. For more on the Poly range, see our Poly Sync 20, Sync 40 and Sync 60 comparison.

Buying for a team or several rooms

Outfitting several meeting rooms or a whole team? Get a team quote for a volume price. We take purchase orders, tax-exempt orders and payment terms for enterprise, government, education and healthcare teams. If your people also need headsets, the Managed Headset Program covers teams of 10 or more, with headsets from $4 to $20 per user per month.

Still not sure?

Tell us the room size, how many people join and which apps you use, and we will point you to a model. Talk to an Advisor: you will reach a real headset advisor, not a phone tree. For more models side by side, read our guide to conference phones for working at home.