The dirty little secret to buying the perfect Bluetooth headset is that there is no "perfect" headset. Like most electronics, it's a case of different strokes for different folks, but the salesperson probably won't tell you that.

The trick to picking up the right Bluetooth headset (or Bluetooth speaker) for your needs is to first understand your needs (perhaps your phone's headphone jack has broken!) It's more difficult than it sounds because your first reaction is probably, "I'm an average user with average needs." A simple spreadsheet is actually all you need to figure this out. Before you buy the Bluetooth headset, analyze your daily phone call pattern for a week.

At the end of every day, go through your call log and write down when you took or placed the calls, the amount of time you spent talking on your phone, where you were, and what you were doing. By the end of the week, you will see a pattern emerge, such as finding out that you spend most of your time talking on the phone at your desk in the office or pacing around.

It should end up looking something like this:

How-To-Buy-Bluetooth-Headphones-Activity-Chart

With this data in hand, ask yourself these four simple questions to find out the right Bluetooth headset you should purchase.

Where Will I Be Using It?

In your chart, the "Place" column lets you figure out the environment you are most likely to use your headset. Given the routine of our lives, chances are, you're in a few places more often than others. So examine that column to see where your calls take place most often. Then, add up the total amount of time spent talking in your top three places.

If most of your conversational time is spent outdoors (commute, jogging, etc.), then you need a Bluetooth headset with active noise cancellation. Noise-canceling headsets use two or more microphones. One mic picks up your voice and another eliminates background noise.

How-To-Buy-Bluetooth-Headphones-Ear-Hook

You can also look at headsets with bone conduction technology. Bone conduction technology claims to eliminate background noise by eliminating microphones altogether. Instead, they pick up your voice from the vibrations in your skull as you talk.

What Will I Usually Do With It?

Bluetooth headsets come in all shapes and sizes. The "Activity" column indicates what you are most likely doing when talking on the phone. And that can help you figure out which the right fit for you.

If you are often moving around, then look for an in-ear headset with an ear hook or something with silicone rubber tips. These manage to stay on your ear more securely than others. In fact, you can even wear some of them while jogging.

If you are mostly immobile while talking, then you can afford to look at models with just an ear hook or those that place a premium on style alone.

If you usually aren't wearing it and need to quickly slip it on and off, then a simple pop-in in-ear headset will probably work best.

How Long Will I Talk On It?

How-To-Buy-Bluetooth-Headphones-Battery-Life

As a general rule, battery life and size are directly proportional in Bluetooth headsets: the bigger the device, the longer it lasts. Of course, the bulkier models don't look as good. However, people often overestimate how much they actually talk on the phone in a day and buy larger headsets than they need.

This is where the "Duration" column of your chart comes into play. For each day, just add up the amount of time you talk. Once you have that figure, buying a Bluetooth headset is a whole lot easier.

Will I Listen To Music?

Most Bluetooth headsets are worn on one ear. But if you care about listening to music with it, you need a headset that fits over both ears and has "A2DP" (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) to transmit audio in stereo sound. Also, make sure your phone supports this too -- most modern smartphones do.

Associating this with the earlier rules holds true. The bigger and heavier the device, the longer its battery life. And in-ear, hook-style stereo headsets will stay on firmer than a headband or behind-the-neck headsets with a supra-aural or circumaural design.

Also, make sure your headset has music playback keys.

How-To-Buy-Bluetooth-Headphones-Stereo-Music

Four Things To Keep In Mind

  1. Most Bluetooth headsets have approximately the same range, so make that the last factor in your decision.
  2. If possible, look for a headset with a standard micro USB port. This will allow you to use your phone or tablet's charger for the headset so you won't have to carry an extra cable around with you. Even if your phone doesn't use a micro USB cable (like the iPhone), chances are that you will easily find one around.
  3. Figure out whether the Bluetooth headset will need to connect with one or multiple devices. If it's the latter, then choose a headset with multipoint connectivity to hook up the headphones to two devices simultaneously.
  4. Some Bluetooth headsets offer voice control, letting you place calls or answer them by issuing a voice command. It's a nice gimmick to have and gives you a truly hands-free experience. If you are someone whose hands are always busy or messy, such as a chef or an artist, then these can make a lot of sense.

Models To Consider

Most Sensible Purchase: Plantronics Voyager Legend

  • Supports voice commands
  • Noise-cancelling microphone
  • Water resistant
  • 8 hours of battery life

Who Is It For: People who need to talk for several hours with clear audio two ways, but don't want to spend a crazy sum.

What Makes It Special: The Plantronics Voyager Legend has a sensible price, offers most of the features that more expensive headsets have, and does the job without any fuss.

It's quite old now, but don't let that put you off. It has fantastic audio quality and the noise-canceling boom microphone is among the best in the business. In fact, only the company's own Voyager 5200 stands up to it.

Because it has been around for so long, it's easy to find Voyager Legend fans. I personally know fanatical headset users who ended up buying the Legend again when their first one finally died.

What's Wrong With It: The only complaint I have with the Legend is that it's Bluetooth 3.0, which is a little more battery hogging than the new Bluetooth 4.0 (with the Low Energy extension). Try it out for a while, and if you find that you like it, consider investing in the Voyager Legend travel case to add more battery life.

Best Modern Headset: Plantronics Voyager Edge

  • Supports voice commands
  • Noise-cancelling microphone
  • 6 hours of battery life

Who Is It For: People who don't want the old Voyager Legend, and want a charging case too.

What Makes It Special: The Plantronics Voyager Edge is the modern version of the Voyager Legend, with Bluetooth 4.0 and all the bells and whistles. Naturally, it excels at its main job of taking phone calls.

My favorite feature of the Voyager Edge is the "Find My Headset" feature, where you use the Plantronics app on your phone to make the Edge beep. You'll never wonder where your headset is again. Better than a Bluetooth Tile tracker...

What's Wrong With It: That case becomes really important with the Voyager Edge as it barely lasts the claimed six hours of continuous calls. And that's a big deal if you typically have than six hours of calls in a day, which you must have calculated with the chart mentioned at the top of this article.

The Best (But Expensive): Sennheiser Presence UC / Basic

  • Supports voice commands
  • Noise-cancelling microphone
  • Water-resistant
  • 11 hours of battery life

Who Is It For: If you want the absolute best headset on the market today, get the Sennheiser Presence.

What Makes It Special: The question should be what doesn't make the Sennheiser Presence special. It has the best audio quality, the best microphone, an incredible fit and a range of fit options, and the longest battery life. It's simply outstanding.

The Presence also comes with a USB connector to attach to your computer, so you can also take Skype and other VOIP phone calls. It switches seamlessly and smartly between Bluetooth and computer, so you'll have a great experience.

What's Wrong With It: The only real problem with the Sennheiser Presence is its price tag, especially when you consider the alternatives. In other words, it's not twice as good as the Voyager Legend, even though it costs twice as much.

Cheapest That's Good Enough: Plantronics Explorer 50

  • Does not support voice commands
  • No noise-cancelling microphone
  • 11 hours of battery life

Who Is It For: For first-time headset buyers or anyone who needs the cheapest one that gets the job done.

What Makes It Special: Getting a big brand like Plantronics for a cheap price is a good deal in itself. But getting the Explorer 50, the successor to the mega-popular M50, is extraordinary.

The Plantronics M50 was the Nokia 3310 of headsets. It took anything you threw at it, it always worked perfectly, and everyone loved it. The Explorer 50 is like the Nokia 3315: a successor that is almost as good.

You won't get any extra features like connecting to two devices simultaneously, noise cancellation, water resistance, or whatever. The M50 answers calls well, and it's comfortable to wear for hours on end. What more do you want for such a low price?

What's Wrong With It: For a basic headset with a low price tag, it feels unfair to criticize this gadget. But it too has Bluetooth 3.0 and not Bluetooth 4.0, so it'll drain more battery from your phone than more modern headsets.

Rugged, Outdoors, and Sports: Jabra Steel

  • Support voice commands and Google Now / Siri
  • Noise-cancelling microphone
  • Water resistance, dust resistance, drop resistance
  • 6 hours of battery life

Who Is It For: Those who work at construction sites and other such rough environments, or those who are into outdoor activity or sports.

What Makes It Special: The Jabra Steel is a headset to handle extreme conditions that normal office workers won't face. If you need to talk on the phone where there's wind, dust, rain, and other environmental factors, the Steel was made for you.

The rubber-coated gizmo is tested to military specifications for drops, as well as dust and water resistance. Jabra Steel features extra-large buttons so you can use it with your gloves on.

What's Wrong With It: In making it rugged, Jabra forgot some of the basics. The battery life leaves you wanting for more, and once it drops, so does the volume with it. Make sure you charge it fully before you head out on the job.

Smallest and Stylish: Moto Hint+

  • Support voice commands and Google Now / Siri
  • Noise-cancelling microphone
  • Water resistance, dust resistance, drop resistance
  • 4 hours of battery life (additional 8 hours with case)

Who Is It For: Those who want the Apple AirPods equivalent of single-ear Bluetooth headsets.

What Makes It Special: The stylish Apple AirPods have made everyone crave discreet earphones. But did you know Motorola already had something like that for a Bluetooth headset? Meet the Moto Hint+.

The tiny earbud sits in your canal snugly. As soon as you put it in, it switches on. And it will automatically switch off when you take it out. It's remarkable how perfectly this works.

The Hint+ has no physical buttons and works entirely through voice commands. It's all about looking good and being compact, and it does those two parts perfectly. But there are some trade-offs in the process.

What's Wrong With It: While it looks great, the Moto Hint+ fails to provide good audio quality. It also doesn't have great battery life, so you'll often need to pop it back into the provided charging case. It's not what an on-the-go professional is looking for, but could be all right for a desk worker.

For Bluetooth and Gaming Headphones...

If you're looking for Bluetooth headphones or earphones, check out our guide on the best affordable AirPods alternatives. We've also looked at the best wireless gaming headsets.