Budget

Before anything else, you want to know how much you want to spend on a new wireless headset. The quality of value-priced headsets continues to improve, so you can find great affordable headsets and headphones for under $100. Premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost $200 or more, and sometimes more.

Boom microphone or not?

If a headphone has a boom microphone, that’s when it technically becomes what we describe as a “headset.” Many consumer headphones are great for calling, having a high-end microphone near your mouth can improve how well your voice picks up, so it’s clearer. When retracted, some boom microphones mute the headset so people can’t hear you. Some boom mics now have mute buttons on them. This is an important feature for video calls where you want to easily mute and unmute yourself. The downside of having a boom microphone is that it makes you look like you’re wearing a headset instead of headphones. That’s a minor factor if you plan to wear anything you buy outside of your home or office.

Fit aka comfort

It is important that the headset or headphones you buy fit your head. They should provide a comfortable fit that is snug but not too tight. Ideally, you want a headset of headphones that you can wear for a day with little rest.

Strength

You want a headset that will hold up well over time, so look for models we’ve noted have solid build quality.

Return policy

It’s important to buy your headphones from a retailer with a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse. Some people who have trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them for a few days, and then return one.