Working from home has never been more popular or relevant. However, finding a decent pair of headphones for conferencing with your co-workers, boss, or employees can be daunting. If you make the wrong decision, you might have to buy another pair, which can be costly.
Not to mention the fact that you might come across as being unprofessional. And nobody wants that!
That’s why we have searched high and low to bring you our reviews of the best Bluetooth headphones for conference calls, so let’s go through them and find the perfect one for you…
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Top 5 Best Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls Reviews
1 Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3 – Best Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls
If you are looking to block out office noise and chatter or run your online business out of busy coffee shops, these headphones are your best option by a country mile.
Sony’s WH-1000XM3 offer the best active noise cancelling on any pair of headphones you can currently buy.
Comfortable and stable…
The sleek black or grey options don’t just sound great, but look and feel great too. The touch controls are easy to use and work well. The leatherette wrapping on the earpads does get a little warm when worn for long periods of time, but once you’re used to it, you won’t even notice it. And the head pressure is just right, and the headphones are firm enough to offer great stability.
Plus, the included hard case makes transporting these super easy and safe.
Excellent microphone quality…
The microphone is just as great as the sound on offer. These headphones do well to isolate your voice from all the different noises in the environment. Your voice is also clearly represented with minimal distortion or any other issues like de-emphasis.
There is also a superb ambient noise function – if you cup the right ear, ambient noise will activate, and you can talk to someone next to you without having to take off the headphones.
Quality comes at a cost…
The biggest drawback here is the price. They are quite expensive, but if your profession depends on them, it would be better to invest in the long term than buying a cheap pair of headphones that will come off as unprofessional.
Battery life is also excellent. You can expect up to 30 hours of ‘on time’ before you’d need to recharge them. Charging is done using USB-C, which also means you can quickly charge them, with only ten minutes of charging providing five hours of playback.
If you want excellent noise canceling, great sound, and exceptional comfort, the WH-1000XM3 are the best headphones for conference calls. To find out more, check out our comprehensive Sony WH 1000XM3 review.
(4.6 / 5)Pros
- Great microphone quality.
- Hard carrying case.
- Excellent active noise cancellation.
- Comfortable fit.
- Battery life.
Cons
- Price.
2 Bose Soundlink On-Ear – Most Comfortable Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls
Bose is very well known for delivering excellent quality products for general consumers. However, within the audiophile community, some might frown upon Bose for their sound profile, which tends to skew towards a less neutral sound.
And the Soundlink on-ear headphones are really no different when it comes to the sound or design.
Incredibly comfortable…
These headphones are 100% plastic and oddly egg-shaped. They retain the standard Bose aesthetics for the most part, and the headphones don’t feel cheap despite the plastic construction.
They are extremely comfortable to wear. The plastic design is lightweight, and the frame doesn’t put too much pressure on your head. The soft velvet feeling padding feels great to wear. However, if you’re not used to on-ear headphones, it might take some time to get used to. On-ear headphones place the drivers very close to your ear, instead of going over your ears like a cup.
Love that top end…
The headphones have the signature Bose sound, which is pretty much love it or hate it. They put a lot of emphasis on the higher range frequencies than the low end. This does provide some great vocal and instrumental clarity to most music. If you are a bass junkie, these won’t impress you.
A surprise we did find was the sound staging here. On-ear headphones have a notoriously flat sound stage, but these headphones curb the stereotype by providing excellent reproduction of the mix. All the instruments and vocals are clear and distinct with their own space to breath.
Natural sounding microphone…
The dual microphones sound terrific. They do a great job blocking out most ambient noise and amplifying the speaker’s voice. Vocal reproduction is great too. Your voice sounds natural and almost unaltered.
The biggest drawback here is the battery life. At 15 hours, it’s not bad, but so many other headphones have much longer battery lives. Also, charging is done with micro-USB, which means it also takes much longer to charge fully, unlike USB-C devices.
What to know even more? No problem at all, check out our Bose Soundlink On Ear Wireless review and our Bose Soundlink Around Ear 2 review.
(4.5 / 5)Pros
- Great microphone.
- Extremely comfortable, even with glasses.
- Great vocal clarity.
Cons
- Battery life.
- Micro-USB charging.
3 Shure AONIC 50 – Best Premium Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls
The Sure AONIC 50 headphones are the most expensive Best Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls in our review. At well over $100 more than Sony’s WH-1000XM3, are they actually worth it?
Quality all the way…
Everything about these headphones oozes quality and luxury. They are lightweight with a mostly plastic design, and the stitched leather headband and earpads look luxurious and feel even better.
The earpads are detachable, which makes them easy to clean or replace when needed.
Not the best for traveling…
These do lose some points, mainly due to portability. The earpads swivel, but the headband does not fold at all, which means these can be clunky to store because the carry case is quite large.
Unlike its direct competitor, Sony’s Wh-1000XM3, Shure skips on the gesture controls and opts for physical buttons. These are easy to use, and the raised voice assistant button made it super easy to quickly prompt any voice command.
Head to head with the kings of ANC…
Shure does just as well and, in some parts, better than Sony with its active noise cancelling. These headphones block out almost all low-frequencies, like the humming of a plane engine. Sony does have the upper hand when it comes to blocking out higher frequencies like music and vocals, but Shure comes very close to beating them.
The headphones sound great, with a very neutral sound profile. There are some higher low-range frequencies that are slightly boosted and a small dip around the 4kHz, which is standard for most high-quality headphones, as it helps with resonance in your ear canal.
Professional sounding…
The microphone on here is very good too. There is a large de-emphasis on the lower range, but it still doesn’t sound hollow, unlike a lot of the competition. Therefore, these headphones can easily be used for any professional conference call without hesitation.
The headset has a 20-hour battery life, which is good enough for most long haul flights. The headset charges using USB-C, which means you can quickly charge these up if you are in a pinch. Also, they support all the different hi-res Bluetooth codecs, which is great for audiophiles in general.
Even more information can be found in our extensive Shure Aonic 50 review.
(4.1 / 5)Pros
- Great sound.
- Excellent active noise cancelling.
- Comfortable.
- Excellent microphone.
Cons
- Price.
- Portability.
4 Plantronics Voyager Focus UC – Best Specialized Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls
The Plantronics Voyager Focus UC is definitely geared more towards people looking for a conference headset first, media-consuming headphones second. The headset looks great and comes off as being professional from first glance. With the red accents contrast nicely with the black design.
The headset is extremely comfy. The metal headband is spring-like and clamps down enough to fit securely, but never feels too tight or uncomfortable no matter how long you wear them.
Boom away…
Something that included, that aren’t on the other headphones in our review is a boom microphone. It can swivel up and down, so when it’s not in use, it can safely be tucked away. It can swivel both ways, which means it can be used by those that prefer the microphone on a specific side.
Also, the earpads can swivel, but not fold. So, you are stuck with the large form factor, no matter what. There is an included carrying pouch, but a hard case would protect it better.
Still better than most…
Sound quality is average, but that’s still better than most headsets that aren’t made for media consumption. The headphone has a fairly neutral sound with some emphasis on the vocals, as you’d expect because of its intended purpose.
The active noise cancelling is decent, although nowhere near any of the premium ANC headphones we’ve reviewed. It removes office noise like the air conditioner really well, whilst keeping your voice loud enough that you won’t be shouting into the microphone.
Clear and intelligible…
Calling and using the microphone is where the headset really shines. It is able to block most surrounding noise and keep your voice clear and intelligible. Incoming calls sound great as well.
Battery life is a little below expectations but should be able to carry you through a workday. The headset has 14 hours of playback without ANC on.
Numerous charging options, but they are not quick…
The headset charges using a proprietary cradle, but can also be charged with micro-USB, but note that it will take longer to charge fully.
(4.3 / 5)Pros
- Comfortable.
- Great microphone quality.
- Ease of use.
Cons
- No 3.5mm jack support.
- Audio quality for media consumption.
5 Jabra Elite 85h – Most Portable Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls
Jabra’s Elite 85h takes a swing at true ANC headphones and comes out with a decent attempt. The headphones are very comfy, with large, soft ear pads that leave enough room for even the biggest ears. The headband and earpads are wrapped in a leatherette, which feels nice and looks premium.
They are easy to pack and travel with because they can be easily folded up. The included carry case keeps them safe no matter the bag they are thrown in.
Automatic ear detection…
There are some great and not so great features baked into the headphones. The automatic ear detection is excellent, and we’d like to see more of this feature on large over-ear headphones.
The controls, however, don’t sit well with us. The buttons are almost non-existent on the right earpad. They are covered with a water-resistant coating, as is much of the headphone. It’s great to have some sort of water protection, but the undetectable buttons made it hard skipping songs or changing the volume.
Clear and crisp…
The headphones sound great, with a very balanced sound. The bass is ever so slightly lower in volume than the rest of the mix, but it helps keep everything sounding clear and crisp.
The ANC is very good as well, although not at the level of the WH-1000XM3. It filters out most noises in our office without any problems, for the most part. But some chatter and thumps did sneak through every now and then.
Not for Leonard Cohen…
The microphones perform well but struggle with very low vocals. There is some de-emphasis on the low-frequencies, which means if you have a low voice, you’d need to speak much louder than other people.
Battery life is excellent here with just under 35 hours of playback. That is a great result, and the included USB-C charging means fast charging is an option.
(4.2 / 5)Pros
- Water-resistant coating.
- Quick charge.
- Comfortable.
- Auto ear detection.
Cons
- ANC not as strong as the competitors.
- Controls aren’t user friendly.
Looking for more superb headphone options for specific tasks?
If so, check out our reviews of the Best Headphones for Commuting, the Best Podcast Headphones, the Best Lightning Headphones for iPhone iPad, and Best Headphones Under 200 dollars, the Best aptX Bluetooth Headphones, the Best Bluetooth Headphones Under 200 dollars, the Best Lightweight Headphones, and the Best Headphones with Google Assistant Integration.
What are the Best Bluetooth Headphones for Conference Calls?
If you are keen on a headset that will primarily be used for conferencing, then the
…has the best sounding microphone as are very comfortable to wear.
If you’re willing to spend the money, then the…
…has the best sound and a decent microphone, perfect for those who want to use only one pair of headphones for all their daily needs.
And if you want something a little cheaper, then Sony is still the ANC king with their excellent…
Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3
At almost half the price of Shure’s AONIC at the moment, investing in the WH-1000XM3 would be the better option for all your daily needs.
Happy listening.
