The ultimate guide to picking a headset for your team’s WFH Kit in 2022

12 min readApr 20, 2022

If you are the decision-maker for your team, then the rewards for investing in a good headset supersede the cost. I personally believe there should be least possible compromise with the tools of our trade and it should be seen as an investment in productivity. These days good headsets are equipped with great microphones doing magical noise filtering, ergonomic fit, lightweight, clear & safe audio, helpful sensory feedback, and top-notch software support to work with popular meeting applications right out of the box.

Not only do good quality headsets sends a nice message that we care about our team, (as evident from many WFH-kit unboxing videos on YouTube & LinkedIn) but we also reap the rewards during regular team meetings when everyone’s audio is just perfect. Now, buying the best headset for work is not a straightforward task and I highly recommend not to delegate this to your team members by putting it in a WFH office setup fund or via reimbursements.

Why should you bear the responsibility of buying the Headset for your team?

Because finding a good office headset is difficult and normal consumers usually end up doing one of the below.

Buying a music headphone, thinking it'll also work for office use too.
Buying a gaming headphone, imagining it’ll work for office use.
Procrastinating the purchase and use of existing mobile-based earphones.
Thinking that budget-friendly headphones will not damage their ears.
Buying office headsets with un-productive configurations i.e over-ear, in-line mic, etc.

Side Note: I have used the terms “Headphone” and “Headset” often interchangeably but Headset usually refers to headphones with a built-in boom-stick microphone. The term headphone is more popular in the consumer market whereas headsets in the enterprise market.

What is the best configuration for a good office Headset?

Now, this is the fundamental question and the main reason for reading this article. So here goes the answer, fasten your seatbelts!!

We should be looking for light weight & wireless on-ear headsets with a boom-stick mic, background noise filtering, dual-ear configuration from Plantronics (now Poly). If budget allows, we should go for charging dock, Active noise cancellation and smart headset with sensors & feedbacks.
Best example: Plantronics Voyager UC 4200

That’s it! Go ahead and use this 👆 as the search keyword and filter on amazon.
If you trust my wisdom, then that’s all we need to know, and can stop reading. However, if not convinced yet, then let’s continue ahead.

Why only On-Ear and not In-Ear or Over-Ear?

It’s the most important aspect of selecting an office headset. Let’s understand and agree on the requirements first.

we are expecting at least 2+ hours of usage every day, 5 times a week. For people in sales, recruitment, training, or users consuming videos with headsets, the hours will be much longer.
Some sessions can be uninterrupted for more than an hour.
Conversations should be clear and we can expect mild background noises like TV, conversations, electronic appliances, etc.

Problems with long-term In-Ear usage: It’s good for light use with low volume but having the source of the sound in your ear canal can increase a sound’s volume by 6 to 9 decibels — enough to cause some serious problems. Here’s an exercise for long-term In-Ear headset users, ask your family members — “Do I talk loudly these days?”. If they say yes, then it’s worth consulting an ENT specialist to test for hearing loss.
For light conversations, I would recommend Jabra 75t Earbuds or Apple AirPods Pro.

Problems with long-term Over-Ear usage: There’s no denying that the best audio quality comes with big drivers in wired over-ear configurations but for conversations, it's completely fine to compromise. We don’t have to distinguish between musical instruments like a Music Producer.
The biggest problem with large over-ear configurations is their WEIGHT. No matter how soft the cushioning cup is, eventually our head will be clamped tight for that good noise-suppressing fit. The pain will be higher if wearing specs. There’s also this sweating problem involved inside the ear cups and when you take them out after an hour of usage, you realize how relaxing it is and how skull crushing it was.
I wouldn’t recommend any Over-Ear models for heavy use unless it's pretty loud out there like in construction, manufacturing, or for Helicopter and Jet pilots.

On-Ear configuration is just on an adequate level catering to multiple requirements. They are not too heavy, can sufficiently seal the ears, there’s not much sweating involved, and the audio source is not inside the ear canal where sudden audio spikes would do any harm.

Source: SpaceX's official Youtube Channel

This is the reason why professionals go with the On-Ear configuration as evident by the control room at SpaceX, where during missions they would sit for hours, sharing mission-critical information through their Headset.

Why Wireless?

Two reasons-

Fitness: It’s so much better to just stand and walk around during meetings. With wired headsets, we do get better audio but the psychology of staying wired-in doesn’t let us move a bit. It’s really damaging long-term and the freedom can only be experienced by going wireless.
Dual connectivity: In good wireless headsets we can stay connected with multiple devices. It’s a real pleasure to switch between a zoom call on a laptop and a phone call with just a click of a button on the Headset itself without even touching your phone.

Is Background Noise filtering necessary?

Before I say anything, please watch this 5 min video, showing the magic of noise filtering. This is the main reason, premium enterprise headsets are priced so high and the reason why I was willing to cross the $300 barrier. To me, it’s critical that my clients in USA are able to hear me clearly while I am presenting this newly developed feature to multiple stakeholders from India. There will be no fan noise, no electronic appliances noise, and no cacophony from neighbors. However, it will register discrete sound signatures like dog barks, car honks, etc.
Background noise filtering in cheaper models is just a gimmick and what we want is a digital noise filtering solution where the mic will record our voice, filter it in real-time, and send it across the channel. We still can get away with a cheaper alternative with a desktop software solution like Krisp.ai. It’s amazing and does the noise filtering magic for much less (or maybe more in the long run like every subscription plan).

What about Active Noise Cancellation?

Yeah, it’s ok but not that critical. I never use it that much. Sometimes, on the flight, it comes in handy while listening to podcasts. If we are sitting around a continuous source of noise, then ANC helps.

Why Boom-stick Mic?

It just works best with background noise filtering, being closer to our mouths.

Should I go with Single-Ear models?

Naah! they are meant for use-cases where we work around people and wish to keep the other ear free for the guys sitting next to us. Example- SpaceX or NASA control room, stock traders. For our Work from home scenario, the Dual-Ear configuration is what we want.

Do Bluetooth versions matter and what is this DECT?

Yeah, but not that much. It’s good to have support for the latest BlueTooth version which is around v5.1 these days.

DECT is a wireless standard like Bluetooth and works better in some specific use-cases. For our WFH scenario, BlueTooth is what we want.

What are smart Headsets?

In top-end headsets, we get an array of sensors providing smart features —

If I fold my mic-boom, it automatically goes on mute. On open, it unmutes me.
It automatically picks up the call or unmutes me when I put on the Headset. It drops the call, pauses the video, or goes on mute when headset removed.
While talking, it channels our filtered audio from mic to our ears too. So we hear our own sound but without any background noises. I guess it’s called an open-mic mode in most headsets. Gives a real sense to how our audio is going across.
They also come with technology to limit volume to safe levels, so that if someone blows a horn on another side of the call, our ears don't feel the pain. For long-term use this feature is critical. Premium headsets are rigorously tested on this and come with safety certifications.
LED indicators help people around me to know my status. For example, Blue — idle, purple — listening to audio, red — active call or meeting, so not to be disturbed.
They can connect with multiple devices at once and device switching is super convenient. For example, I am watching a video on my Laptop, and someone calls on the phone, then my Youtube video is paused and I hear the ringing tone. I lower my microphone and voila, the call is automatically received. I complete my call, press the button in the headset to disconnect my call and now I am back to the video on my Laptop. I never even touched the phone. This feature is also available on budget models but they are not reliable at all and poorly tested across different operating systems.
They come with software or app using which we can completely customize the behavior of the sensors, change the language, or do specific configurations for specific apps like Zoom.
They got great support for all communication apps like Team, Meet, Skype, or Zoom. So, it works like a charm the first time on these apps without any configuration.
Sometimes they got multiple levels of Noise filtering and ANC and it automatically figures out the best level based on noise.

What’s an Ideal battery backup and do charging docks help?

So in good wireless headsets, there is a fight between WEIGHT vs DRIVERS + BATTERIES. The goal is to optimize audio quality and battery backup without adding too much weight. This fight ends up in a win-win only in most on-ear configurations.

Having a charging dock, where you can put your headset after use is real convenient. You can’t live without it once you use it. With docks, we get a home for our headset and it’s not pushed around by other items during the fight for premium desktop real estate. This frequent charging means you don’t need bigger batteries too and 8–12 hrs is a great backup. I enjoy putting my headset on the charging dock after long exhausting calls and watch it getting charged, one less thing to worry about before the next call.

Not having a charging dock is not a deal-breaker but for professionals who do a lot of calls and meetings, charging dock is a great convenience. Without docks, it’s easy to forget charging and it'll be better to go with higher battery backups like 15–20 hours, but again this means an increase in weight or losing audio quality due to smaller drivers. Remember the fight?

Why Plantronics (rebranded to Poly)?

I just saw a lot of important people doing important stuff using Plantronics headsets. They are the leader in the enterprise headset market, a market where people need reliable tools to get the job done. They have been supplying headsets since 1961 and even Neil Armstrong used one of their headsets on the Moon.

It is a company cradled by 1960’s space-age aspirations, a company with R&D fuelled by practicality and not how to safely make Headsets garbage in a few months to provoke new purchases.

I have owned 2 Plantronics headsets. The first was wired and a bit heavy so had to give it away, the second one is still good as new after 4 years of heavy use. Always heard good stuff from software developers in my network about them. I don’t trust products built for gaming industry, as it’s a market to create hype and sell junk to kids but when hardcore gamers (24+ hrs sessions) complained about their headphones then Plantronics responded.

It’s the best in the industry in terms of safety. All models ship with Plantronics SoundGuard® Acoustic safety Technology that protects against sound levels over 118dBA, sudden loud sounds & long-term exposure.

Sadly, Plantronics might be losing its edge these years. It all started when they acquired Polycom in 2018, then they rebranded to Poly, then Burton left in 2020, and now HP is going to acquire them this year. I can’t say what happened but I really don’t want it to be acquired. They are the luminaries and stalwarts of the headset industry. Who knows, after they die down, we’ll experience something similar that happened to light bulbs. Hopefully, Jabra will take its place in the reliable headset space. Their current offerings are remarkable in performance but the material palette doesn’t instill that confidence for long-term use.

Which Headset are you using currently?

I am the proud owner of Plantronics Voyager UC for the last 4 years.

It’s the best of the best. Lightweight, superb fit, charging dock, noise filtering. This gentleman has nicely presented it in 4 mins.
It comes with a USB adapter which provides a great connection with Laptop and would work even when I am one floor below or in the bathroom.
Comfy fit and minor pain on ear lobes after uninterrupted 2 to 3 hours.
What a fine placement of control buttons. So easy to use! I love the huge volume knob and the springy effect of turning it.
It was pricey but a great investment. Still good as new and never gave me any problem. It was always charged when I picked it and on rare occasions during commute I would just use it in wired mode using USB.
There is a reason why CNBC chose to feature the same model when representing Plantronics.

Any other recommendations or sources to explore?

You wouldn’t go wrong with Plantronics and Jabra. Here are a few of my top recommendations.

Poly Voyager Focus 2 UC, It’s the next version of my current headset.
Poly Voyager 4320 UC, all cool stuff available but with half the price.
Plantronics Blackwire 3225 USB-A, it’s a wired, much affordable model and misses that magical noise filtering but what a beast. My team lead used it for 7 years straight across 3 companies.
Jabra evolve2 75 and 85 are making noise these days. Moving towards the bulkier over-ear territory. Top-of-the-line models but if you see their superpowers, My goodness! By the way please show some love to our Dude Danny Hayasaka from Call One Inc and always check their pricing as well.
You can also check out some of the newer models showcased at Enterprise Connect Expo 2022 (A great place for enterprise headset geeks to connect after the CES expo).

NOTE: The price for Plantronics headsets fluctuates like crazy on Amazon. It’s an enterprise product and is mainly sold in bulk by Channel partners. Contact their sales team for better prices and order trial pieces for yourself.

Good quality headsets are costly but they pay for themselves over the years. Not to mention the great audio quality and above all the safety. In this great resignation era, we need to stand out and show our care. Let’s pick the best tool for the trade.

Ending Notes

I build softwares to earn my living. Writing is my hobby and I write about the most important things in my life, things that I would share with my family & friends. I am not incentivized by any of the headset-related companies mentioned in this article but just sharing my experience working from home for many years. I have invested plentiful in exploring headsets and tried dozens and dozens of them.

Glad to see you make it till the end 🙏. Sharing a personal story with you folks that I haven’t shared with many.

The topic of headset is something very near & dear to me because it’s important for my job and I am constantly reminded by the high-pitched ringing in my ears that I should only use the safest Headset and responsibly. Back in 2017, I was diagnosed with tinnitus. It was because I would use cheap high bass earphones daily for 15+ hours while coding. After 7 to 8 months or so that dreadful day came when I removed the earphones and the ringing in my ears started. I thought there was a problem in my laptop’s speaker or something, banged my head a bit, tried cleaning my ears but that high-pitched ringing never went away even for a single day. It’s usually louder when I think about it, so its pretty loud while I am writing this paragraph.