The Best Headphones for Conference Calls

Headphones are not only used for conference calls, but also for talking with family and friends, remote learning, and much more.

There is a vast amount of options to choose from, and a lot of them have great sound quality, fit you properly, and will last for a long time.

However, not all of them are equally good. In order to identify the best headphones for conference calls, you must know what to look for and what to focus on.

If you’re getting your first pair of headphones for conference calls, remote learning, or having chats with family and friends, this buying guide is for you.

Our top picks

We took a deep look into the market, picked the best headphones and reviewed them during conference calls ourselves.

One of the best options that we found was the Logitech H390 headset. The model comes in a stylish black color and is designed to look professional even when you are in the comfort of your home. It is the perfect set of business headphones for those attending to conferences, webinars, voice calls, and even online games.

Aside from the polished looks, they’re also made with a padded headband and lightweight ear pads that would allow them to sit comfortably on your head and ear. This is especially helpful for those long hours of meetings and conferences. Plus, the pads are made of leatherette that is easy to clean.

They also have a simple in-line control that lets you adjust the volume or mute calls. This feature allows you to adjust the settings completely without accidentally disrupting the ongoing call.

The feature that we found the most helpful in this model is the noise-canceling microphone. It doesn’t totally cancel out all noises but it can reduce and take enough unwanted background noise to make your conversations clearer. Through this, you can easily convey what you want to say without having to be blocked off by other sounds from the environment, especially in a busy workplace.

It’s a great headset to start with in terms of comfort, its noise-canceling feature, and the audio quality. One remark about these headphones, is that some buyers think the cord tangles easily, and that is our experience too. However, for regular home use, this would probably not become an issue anyway.

Specifications:

• Color: Black, Silver
• Connectivity: Wired/ USB-A
• Cable Length: 7.6”
• Controls: In-Line Controls

Another great option for you is the Jabra Evolve 65 UC Wireless Headset. This model is on the pricier side, but if you are having conference calls or online meetings quite often, I’d say that this headset is a good investment that you might want to look into.

The headset is designed to look professional, and it would work and appear well in business settings. It also has integrated a busy light that would light up when in use. This can also act as a do-not-disturb sign for your colleagues in the office or your family when you work remotely, helping to focus on your work. With the light on, your surroundings will always know whether you’re on a call or not.

It also comes with a specially designed ear cushion that lets you filter out the high-frequency noises to help you hear clearly. The cushion has a leather-feel and is lightweight, which makes it comfortable on your ears even when you work on it for long hours.

What makes this headset stand out from the rest is that you can opt to connect it to your device in two ways. You can opt to connect it via Bluetooth or through a USB connection. It is also universal, meaning it is compatible with most, if not all, device. For phone compatibility, it is best to check if it would work on your phone model.

The Bluetooth connection allows you to work away from your desk while still be able to maintain the connection to the call and sound quality for up to 30 meters or 100 feet. With just around two hours of charging time, you are able to use the headset for up to 14 hours.

Forgot to charge your headset the night before? There’s no need to worry. You’ll still be able to use the headset by connecting it through a USB cable connected to your PC. This way you can charge it while still in use.

On top of that, it has a passive noise-canceling microphone that eliminates high-frequency noise, such as human voice chatting in the background. This way, you won’t be distracting other people in the call with unwanted background noise.

Specifications:

• Connectivity: Dual
• Connectivity Battery Life: 14 Hours
• Charging Time: 2 Hours

If you are looking for more wireless headset options, then we suggest that you look into the Plantronics Voyager Focus. It connects via Bluetooth, making it a great choice for anything from computers to mobile phones and everything in between.

It has a sleek professional design, with nice black color and gray accent, that makes it look high-end. It is great to use in the office or even at home for those remote online meetings. The unit comes with a carry case, a USB adapter, and a charging cable upon purchase.

Work anywhere you want, and move as much as you want with its wireless connection. You can roam freely up to 98 feet away from the device and still be connecting to the call. This way you can freely fetch a drink or a snack while you’re on call. Just make sure that you have charged the headset for at least 50 minutes and you can use it all day long.

The brand itself is known to have several of the best noise-canceling options in the market. The headset has an active noise cancellation switch in the ear cups that removes low-frequency background noises such as the noises you get in an airplane or a train. It also has an option to HD Voice option that lets you deliver a better voice quality than in the standard mode.

If you want more details of this product, you can check out the review by Sascha Segan on PCMag. But for sure, this unit should definitely one of the many that you should consider.

Specifications:

• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• Battery Life: 14 Hours
• Charging time: ~50 Min
• Controls: In-Unit Controls

If headsets with ear cups are out of the question for you or you’d like to consider using an in-ear type of headphone for your conference calls, then the Apple AirPods Pro is definitely an item to consider. It can be used all-around, whether it is for leisure or work.

Its compact size makes it easy and convenient to carry around, and use it anytime you need it. It makes it perfect for emergency online meetings if you happen to be outside the office or your home, or practically anywhere you can imagine.

Despite its size, it can work just as well as over-ear headphones that you typically use for work. It has an active noise cancellation wherein the microphones are able to detect the noise from both outside and inside the ear. The AirPods Pro is then able to counter it with an anti-noise before you can pick up the noise. This way you’ll be able to hear the call even in a busy environment.

In addition to that active noise cancellation also has a transparency mode that lets the outside sound in so you can still interact with the world around you if you wish. This is especially helpful if you are on the road, or during the times you need to keep alert on your surroundings.

In terms of comfort, it is great to use for long hours of use as the earbuds come in three sizes that you could choose from. It is also made with silicone for a comfortable fit. The vents at the tips also keep the pressure equal on both sides for maximum comfort.

If compatibility is a concern for you, you don’t have to worry too much. As long as your device has Bluetooth connectivity, it should work just fine.

Specifications:

• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• Battery Life: 4 Hours (+24 hours in the charging case)

How to find the best headphones for conference calls?

The products mentioned above are just a few of the many options that you’ll find on the market, both offline and online. Although there are already some of the best products mentioned here, there might be things that you are looking for or considering that you just didn’t find in those items.

If that’s the case then looking for more options is definitely the way to go. However, there are a few important features that you might want to consider when you are searching for the perfect headphones for you.

Audio quality

Headphones with good audio quality hold the number one feature that you should consider when you are looking for a good headphone for conference calls or work purposes. The quality should be good enough that you are able to pick up the voices from the call clearly, not with broken muffled sounds.

If you are visiting a physical store, trying it out is the way to ensure that what you’ll be getting is the exact quality that you want.

Noise-cancelling features

To help you focus more on the conversation and less on what is happening in the world; a noise-canceling feature would be the way to go. This cancels out the low-pitch noise from your surroundings and lessens the higher-pitched ones drawing your focus on the task at hand.

But, a conversation goes both ways. Not only should you be able to block out the noises that you hear, but also the headphones should also lessen the noise that it can pick up. This way, others will be able to hear you clearly without getting distracted with the background noise. It is especially helpful if you work from home and you have pets or kids around.

Headphone type

Two different headphone types are the most commonly used in conference calls. These are the in-ear type and the on-ear type. The in-ear type is most commonly known as earbuds that while the on-ear ones are those that sit on your ears.

Both have their own sets of pros and cons, and choosing which type you should buy would greatly depend on your preference.

On-ears are usually comfortable to use especially with the added padding on the cups. However, some people may have sensitive ears that on-ear types may lead to soreness due to constant contact. If that’s the case, an in-ear may be the best option for you.

Corded vs. cordless

Choosing whether to get a wired or a cordless headphone would also depend on what you prefer and how much is on your budget.

Cordless headphones are great for when you prefer to have more mobility. This allows you to keep yourself connected in the call even when you have to move away from your device. If you have a bigger budget for headphones or you’re willing to invest more, a cordless type is definitely something you should consider.

For wired headsets, on the other hand, you’ll get less mobility but you don’t have to worry about charging it beforehand. What’s also great about wired headsets is that they are relatively cheaper than the wireless ones.

Weight

Being in a conference call and online meeting is already stressful as it is. We don’t need any added discomfort during that time. One way to avoid it is to make sure that the headphones you are wearing aren’t heavy on your head or adds to much pressure.

This is why another type of headphones called over-ear headphones is often not used since they are the heavier type. It is better to opt for in-ear or on-ear headphones. They are lighter in weight and better for long conference meetings.

Our research

These articles have been analyzed as part of our research:

• 5 Best Headsets for Conference Calls by Sara Moseley of Highfive
• Can Noise-Cancelling Headphones Block Out Voices from Audio Mav
• In-Ear vs. On-Ear vs. Over-Ear Headphones from Audio Advice