Bluetooth Headsets: To Hook or Not to Hook?

Bluetooth technology has been around since the late 1990’s, first being introduced as a wireless network designed primarily to replace cables for communication between personal computing and communications devices.

The story goes the technology was named after King Harald “Bluetooth” Blaatand, a famous Danish King who unified Denmark and Norway. Developers saw that “Bluetooth” was fitting because the technology was aimed at unifying telecom and computing industries.

It didn’t take long for the development of Bluetooth headset with the first hitting consumer markets about eight years ago. Since the first Bluetooth Headset hit the store shelves, more and more cell phone users are walking around with blinking headset protruding from their ears. Lt. Uhura would be proud that so many are following in her footsteps.

Bluetooth headsets have evolved with the technology having stronger reception, clearer signals, multiple pairings, more functionality as well as seeing dramatic design changes. Along the journey, two prominent designs have emerged; those that fit in your ear and those that use a hook around your ear.

So which is better? Or is this simply an “apples to oranges” comparison? Does the hook add to the comfort or does the in the ear feel better?

Truth be told, I’ve never been one to wear my Bluetooth headset throughout the day and the “in the ear” design is more appealing. Typically my headset pops into my ear while I’m driving and the rest of the time it sits in my pocket. The hooked style seems to be harder to put on while I’m on the move. I also wear eye glasses and more times than not, I get the darn hook wrapped up in my glasses.

I do see the hook offering more security in fit. Most of the “in the ear” headsets aren’t well suited to be worn while jogging or playing a game of basketball. There are hybrids, those headsets that can be worn either way that may offer the best of both worlds.

BlueAnt may offer the ultimate headset with their V12. It has the ability to fit directly in your ear or fit over the ear with a hook. It even comes with a lanyard so you can wear your headset when not in use.

While the obvious difference between these two designs is fit, are there any performance differences? Is reception and call quality better with one or the other? Or is performance more an issue of construction than design?

While engineering has a large role in performance, design seems to have influence as well. I’ve found that “in the ear” headsets form a better seal in the ear with the gel earpieces. This eliminates a lot of the background noises that may be distracting. Granted if the fit is too tight, your hearing in that ear will be significantly muted. Hooked earpieces that rest on the ear seem to allow for more background noises to sneak into the conversation. Even those hooked headsets with earpieces that protrude into the ear don’t seem to match the seal of the non-hooked headsets.

Larger headset that use the ear hook, typically have larger batteries resulting in longer talk and stand-by times. There simply isn’t enough space to pack the same amount of power in the smaller, “in your ear” headsets.

The smaller, in your ear type headsets, tend to have equally tiny controls. Some may find the full-sized headsets easier to navigate. Larger headsets have more ‘real estate” to allow for larger buttons and more spacing between them. I seem to be all thumbs with the smaller headsets such as Jabra’s BT8040.

So, what do you prefer? Headsets that fit directly in the ear such as the Samsung WEP410 or those that fit over the ear with a hook such as the Motorola H300. Regardless of your preference, these headsets offer a level of convenience and safety when using your cell phone.