Jabra BT350 Bluetooth Headset
- Compatibility: Mobile / Cellular
- Design: Over the Ear
- Usage: Consumer
- Connectivity: Wireless
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Decent low-end Bluetooth headset if you find it for the right price
Pros
Lightweight, long battery, one-touch voice activation, cheap
Cons
Cheap feel, loose fit, crackly sound, functional design flaws
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you need a good Bluetooth headset, look for a higher end model. If you want a Bluetooth headset to play with, and see a great deal, snap this up.
I wasn't in the market for a Bluetooth headset for my cell phone, because it seemed like an unnecessary expense. I have a corded hands-free headset/mic from Jabra that I have been using for a few years, and which just recently had its first of three included over-the-ear support pieces snap in half. However, the audio quality was good, and so when I saw an offer in a major reseller's store for the Jabra BT350 Bluetooth headset for FREE after mail-in rebate, I jumped at the chance to test it out.
I'd say, in all, that this product is pretty good for what I paid (probably about $3 in tax). I used my brother's Motorola headset that he purchased through Verizon, and it sounded clearer and fit the ear significantly better, but again, this item was free to me. So let's break it down by pros and cons:
Pros
The headset has a long battery life. It's quoted at 200 hours of standby time, and 7 hours of talk time. And I can verify from a few cycles that the lithium battery in this little device really can handle right around 7 hours of talk time on a single charge, including standby for around a week! This, to me, is pretty impressive, but I think they're all like this, so don't be swayed too much. Plus, keeping your phone closed and using the speaker in the headset instead of the phone's saves on phone battery life, too!
The headset is light. It's quoted as 0.63 ounces, but suffice it to say that it certainly doesn't feel heavy on your head, especially given the extremely long battery life.
Features - there is a vibration feature, which can be disabled if you don't care for it, as well as a (potentially dangerous) one-touch voice activation/call answer/end feature which is nice if you work it correctly. I say dangerous because sometimes it seems that pushing the 'call' button will auto redial the last number, which you DEFINITELY don't want to have happen if you keep this thing in your pocket or purse. So be careful with that feature.
Decent volume level. You can certainly crank this device up loud if you need it to be, or turn it down very low if you have sensitive hearing.
Spiffy blue blinking LED! That's right, you get a single LED that tells you everything you could possibly learn from this device! Blinking occasionally means it's idle, solid light = Bluetooth link search mode, and when it turns red, it's going to die soon.
The ear support piece can be reversed to fit either ear, and can be bent slightly to fit your head. But not much.
Cons
Spiffy blue blinking LED! Again, you have one light to tell you everything you're trying to figure out about this thing. No voice instructions, and if you lose the paperwork, you'll have to go to the website. The device has only three buttons - 'call', 'volume up', and 'volume down'. In order to engage certain features, or figure out such complex procedures as turning it on and off, you'll have to read the instructions carefully. Tap the 'call' button, and it redials. Hold the button for one second, and it listens for your voice command on what to do. Hold it for 5, and it turns off. Hold it for 10, and it goes to seek mode! How can you remember this? You can't! Oh, and vibration toggle is hold the button and press 'volume up'. Very intuitive.
Loose fit in the ear/uncomfortable/bad ergonomics. The previous Jabra corded headset I had came with a somewhat flexible over-ear support piece, that you could flex to fit your body. This one is more rigid, and seems to be a little loose on me. Combine that with tilting your head, and you've got quite a floppy little headset dangling off your ear. If you're concerned, look for a Bluetooth headset that has a piece that actually fits IN your ear, which some newer models possess.
Sound quality. It's not the best. I'll definitely have a clear call that becomes static-y when I go send it to the Bluetooth. The microphone isn't the best quality, and it doesn't extend down - it's just a hole at the bottom of the device, by your jaw hinge. This works, of course, but some people like to have a real mic in their face. I don't, so I don't care, but the sound could definitely benefit from both a better microphone and more filtering, or whatever causes the signal to degrade between your phone and the headset. The range is quoted at 30-35 feet from phone to headset, but you really need to keep them no more than a few feet apart with direct line-of-sight in order to get decent call quality.
Dangerous features. I would have liked to have seen the call button be recessed into the device a bit more, because I have called people by accident with this device more than once. And unless you are a minister, you're going to get yourself in trouble that way eventually. I have stories, believe me. Also, the vibration feature is so strong that it has vibrated its way right off the table an onto the floor - a solid 6 inch trek along the table surface before the fall! It still works, but that could be just lucky.
Bad connection port for charging. I always feel like I'm going to break this thing when I charge it. It's hard to tell which way to plug in the cable, and it's so lightweight relative to the force you have to apply to get the cable in, I can't imagine it will last that long before critical failure.
What's included
In the package, you'll get 4 things:
BT350 headset
AC charge adapter with a few feet of cord
USB charge adapter with 3" of cord (nice to carry)
Instruction manual (vital to read through)
Overall
In total, I'd say that this headset is a great initial foray into the world of Bluetooth headsets. I wouldn't have bought one if it weren't for the low price of this model, and it offers decent sound quality and features for the price (regardless of if you get it for free). I don't use it too often, but when I do, I'm usually pleased, although often frustrated by how much it flaps around on my head. I'm expecting one of three things to break - the ear support, which I've seen break on previous Jabra products, the power plug, or the frame itself just sitting in my bag. But until then, it's a fun little product for someone who really doesn't need the headset at all. If you really need one, look for a better model.
I'd say, in all, that this product is pretty good for what I paid (probably about $3 in tax). I used my brother's Motorola headset that he purchased through Verizon, and it sounded clearer and fit the ear significantly better, but again, this item was free to me. So let's break it down by pros and cons:
Pros
The headset has a long battery life. It's quoted at 200 hours of standby time, and 7 hours of talk time. And I can verify from a few cycles that the lithium battery in this little device really can handle right around 7 hours of talk time on a single charge, including standby for around a week! This, to me, is pretty impressive, but I think they're all like this, so don't be swayed too much. Plus, keeping your phone closed and using the speaker in the headset instead of the phone's saves on phone battery life, too!
The headset is light. It's quoted as 0.63 ounces, but suffice it to say that it certainly doesn't feel heavy on your head, especially given the extremely long battery life.
Features - there is a vibration feature, which can be disabled if you don't care for it, as well as a (potentially dangerous) one-touch voice activation/call answer/end feature which is nice if you work it correctly. I say dangerous because sometimes it seems that pushing the 'call' button will auto redial the last number, which you DEFINITELY don't want to have happen if you keep this thing in your pocket or purse. So be careful with that feature.
Decent volume level. You can certainly crank this device up loud if you need it to be, or turn it down very low if you have sensitive hearing.
Spiffy blue blinking LED! That's right, you get a single LED that tells you everything you could possibly learn from this device! Blinking occasionally means it's idle, solid light = Bluetooth link search mode, and when it turns red, it's going to die soon.
The ear support piece can be reversed to fit either ear, and can be bent slightly to fit your head. But not much.
Cons
Spiffy blue blinking LED! Again, you have one light to tell you everything you're trying to figure out about this thing. No voice instructions, and if you lose the paperwork, you'll have to go to the website. The device has only three buttons - 'call', 'volume up', and 'volume down'. In order to engage certain features, or figure out such complex procedures as turning it on and off, you'll have to read the instructions carefully. Tap the 'call' button, and it redials. Hold the button for one second, and it listens for your voice command on what to do. Hold it for 5, and it turns off. Hold it for 10, and it goes to seek mode! How can you remember this? You can't! Oh, and vibration toggle is hold the button and press 'volume up'. Very intuitive.
Loose fit in the ear/uncomfortable/bad ergonomics. The previous Jabra corded headset I had came with a somewhat flexible over-ear support piece, that you could flex to fit your body. This one is more rigid, and seems to be a little loose on me. Combine that with tilting your head, and you've got quite a floppy little headset dangling off your ear. If you're concerned, look for a Bluetooth headset that has a piece that actually fits IN your ear, which some newer models possess.
Sound quality. It's not the best. I'll definitely have a clear call that becomes static-y when I go send it to the Bluetooth. The microphone isn't the best quality, and it doesn't extend down - it's just a hole at the bottom of the device, by your jaw hinge. This works, of course, but some people like to have a real mic in their face. I don't, so I don't care, but the sound could definitely benefit from both a better microphone and more filtering, or whatever causes the signal to degrade between your phone and the headset. The range is quoted at 30-35 feet from phone to headset, but you really need to keep them no more than a few feet apart with direct line-of-sight in order to get decent call quality.
Dangerous features. I would have liked to have seen the call button be recessed into the device a bit more, because I have called people by accident with this device more than once. And unless you are a minister, you're going to get yourself in trouble that way eventually. I have stories, believe me. Also, the vibration feature is so strong that it has vibrated its way right off the table an onto the floor - a solid 6 inch trek along the table surface before the fall! It still works, but that could be just lucky.
Bad connection port for charging. I always feel like I'm going to break this thing when I charge it. It's hard to tell which way to plug in the cable, and it's so lightweight relative to the force you have to apply to get the cable in, I can't imagine it will last that long before critical failure.
What's included
In the package, you'll get 4 things:
BT350 headset
AC charge adapter with a few feet of cord
USB charge adapter with 3" of cord (nice to carry)
Instruction manual (vital to read through)
Overall
In total, I'd say that this headset is a great initial foray into the world of Bluetooth headsets. I wouldn't have bought one if it weren't for the low price of this model, and it offers decent sound quality and features for the price (regardless of if you get it for free). I don't use it too often, but when I do, I'm usually pleased, although often frustrated by how much it flaps around on my head. I'm expecting one of three things to break - the ear support, which I've seen break on previous Jabra products, the power plug, or the frame itself just sitting in my bag. But until then, it's a fun little product for someone who really doesn't need the headset at all. If you really need one, look for a better model.
