There are a number of criteria you should take into account when selecting an office headset.  Unlike the Bluetooth for you car, you will undoubtedly wear your office headset for many hours, and may in fact be on hours-long conference calls.  Be sure you select one that is comfortable, allows for good audio reception and transmission and will last all day for you.

Business Purpose:
This is probably the most import criteria.  If you are a call center worker taking or making call after call, you need to focus on the calls at hand and you need to keep your hands free to work on your company data base or CRM program on the computer.  This application typically uses a corded solution as wireless  batteries will let you down, particularly if you forget to recharge overnight.  If you are a call center worker in a quiet office you can use the monaural (single earpiece) version, but if you are in a noisy cubicle environment, I suggest the binaural (two earpiece) version with noise cancellation to keep you focused on the call.
 
If you are a caller that needs to walk away from you desk, yet still hates to miss any call because your calls are perishable, ie a Realtor, Lawyer,  Broker, etc.  a cordless works well as it gives you the freedom to not only access your computer, but to also roam (pace) while on a call.  I tend to walk when I’m on an important call so I use wireless.
 
Our newest headset the Savi Office from Plantronics lets you connect to your pc and office phone at the same time and actually lets you conference the two for doing webinars and other voice enabled computer applications. 

Bluetooth vs. DECT Wireless:
In the office environment Bluetooth is best used with a dual connection device so you can pair with your office telephone and your cell phone at the same time.  This lets you answer or make calls on either phone without having to change headsets.  The range is limited to within the confines of your personal office with this technology, but if you’re getting calls on both phones, this is a real efficiency  booster.
 
DECT wireless is used when you are frequently away from your desk and still want to answer calls.  DECT usually has the best sound quality of any wireless and DECT does not interfere with or disrupted by your WiFi signal.  Our DECT product boasts range of up to 300’, but don’t expect this kind of range in the typical office with lots of walls and steel structure.  Our tech support guys use and love DECT technology because they can leave the N.O.C and walk to the lab or to the warehouse and still talk or answer calls.  Remember this is only a headset, you can answer calls and hang up, but you can’t do anything that requires you to touch the phone like dial, transfer, etc.  If you want the remote answer and hang-up capability, be sure to order the optional remote headset lifter. 

Noise Cancellation vs. Standard:
The standard headsets microphone picks up your voice without having to speak directly into the microphone.    This is a problem in a noisy environment as the ambient or background noise is also transmitted.  You hear this background noise as side tone in the earpiece.  Side tone is historically transmitted so you can tell how loud to talk relative to the other party on the call.  In noisy environments, you have to talk over the background noise which tends to make you yell into the phone.  A Noise Cancelling headset uses a directional mic. to literally pick up only your voice.  Circuitry is added to eliminate more background noise.  The result is a quieter headset and less yelling.  Noise cancellation cuts out the majority of the ambient (background) noise which makes it much easier for you to hear the caller. 

Comfort:
Everyone has their own preferred wearing style.   I for instance, like an over the head style as I do not like something hanging from my ear.  Others in the office like the over the ear style, particularly the ladies who do not want a headband to mess their hair; I’m bald so doesn’t bother me a bit!  Some prefer the sound be closer to their eardrum so the ear bud style like the Plantronics Tristar style works best.
 
If you are unsure of the style, I suggest a convertible headset which features a headband and ear rings for both over the head and over the ear configurations, letting you pick which works best for you.  The ear bud takes a while to get used to and is not returnable because of the wearing style requires the headset to fit into the ear canal.  Ear wax, need I say more!

Headsets are great efficiency tools for all kinds of users who are frequently on calls, but chose one that will get the job done.  As always, give us a call to help select the proper headset 800-390-1200 or 631-964-5000