On a call, the microphone is what other people experience of you. A great pair of headphones with a bad mic makes you the person everyone asks to repeat themselves. So this list is ranked by microphone quality first, comfort second, and sound quality third. Music headphones with a mic tacked on did not make it.
What matters for calls
- Boom mic beats built-in mic. A microphone on an arm near your mouth picks up you and not the room. Every headset here except one has a boom.
- Noise-cancelling microphone, not just noise-cancelling earcups. The mic needs to reject a keyboard, a fan or a café.
- Comfort over hours. Clamping force and earcup material matter more than any spec after the third hour.
- Wireless with a USB dongle. Bluetooth alone is inconsistent on Windows for calls. A dedicated dongle gives a stable connection and better mic quality.
- Certification for Teams or Zoom means the buttons and mute indicator actually work with those apps.
The picks
Jabra Evolve2 65
The Evolve2 65 is the headset we hear most clearly from on calls. The boom mic isolates your voice from keyboard clatter and background chatter better than anything else on this list, and raising the boom mutes you, which is a habit you will love. The busy light sounds silly until a family member stops walking into your call. Battery life means you charge it once a week.
- Three-mic boom with excellent noise rejection
- Long battery life
- A red busy light on the earcup tells the room you are on a call
- Comfortable on-ear pads for long sessions
- Foldable boom mutes when raised
- On-ear design lets in more noise than over-ear
- Music sound is fine, not great
- Pricey
Logitech Zone Vibe 100
The Zone Vibe is what a lot of people should actually buy: a light, comfortable headset that sounds good on calls and does not cost much. The boom mic is clearly better than any earbuds. If you use a Windows PC for calls, spend a little more on the Zone Vibe 125 version with the USB dongle for a more reliable connection.
- Very light, comfortable memory foam
- Clear boom mic for the price
- Looks like normal headphones, not a call centre
- Flip the boom up to mute
- Bluetooth only on the 100; get the 125 for a dongle
- No active noise cancelling
- Passive isolation is modest
Poly Voyager Focus 2
If you take calls in a genuinely loud place, an open-plan office or a house with children, the Voyager Focus 2 is the one. Poly’s Acoustic Fence makes the mic ignore voices even a metre away, and the ANC keeps the noise out of your ears. It does not quite match the Jabra for battery or comfort, but nothing rejects background noise as well.
- Acoustic Fence creates a bubble around your mouth and cuts everything outside it
- Active noise cancelling for the wearer
- Boom rotates for either ear
- Stand charger included with some bundles
- Battery life is shorter than the Jabra
- Sound for music is average
- Software is dated
EPOS ADAPT 260
EPOS is the enterprise arm that spun out of Sennheiser, and it shows in the audio: the ADAPT 260 sounds noticeably better for music and video than the Jabra or Poly. The mic is very good, the battery is long, and it folds for a bag. It is the pick for someone who wants one headset for calls and for listening.
- Sennheiser-heritage audio, best music sound on this list
- Clear boom mic
- Folds flat for travel
- Dongle plus Bluetooth for two devices
- Fewer features than the Jabra (no busy light)
- On-ear pads get warm
Sony WH-1000XM5
Some people will not wear a boom mic, and for them the XM5 is the least-bad option. Sony’s mic array is the best of the consumer headphones and works fine in a quiet room. In a noisy one it struggles like every built-in mic. What you get in return is superb noise cancelling and the best sound on this list. If calls are 20% of your day and music is the rest, this is a defensible choice.
- Best noise cancelling and sound of any headphone here
- Beamforming mics are the best of the no-boom options
- Comfortable over-ear for hours
- Multipoint pairs with laptop and phone at once
- Mic is still clearly worse than any boom headset, especially in wind or noise
- No USB dongle, Bluetooth only
- Expensive
Comparison at a glance
| Product | Mic | Connection | ANC | Battery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jabra Evolve2 65 | Boom | BT + dongle | Passive | 37 h | See price ↗ |
| Logitech Zone Vibe 100 | Boom | BT (125: dongle) | None | 20 h | See price ↗ |
| Poly Voyager Focus 2 | Boom + Acoustic Fence | BT + dongle | Active | 19 h | See price ↗ |
| EPOS ADAPT 260 | Boom | BT + dongle | Passive | 25 h | See price ↗ |
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | Built-in array | BT only | Active, best | 30 h | See price ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
Are AirPods or earbuds good enough for work calls?
In a quiet room, yes. In any noise, no. Earbud mics sit far from your mouth and pick up the room. If you take more than a couple of calls a day, a boom mic is a clear upgrade for everyone listening to you.
Bluetooth or USB dongle?
Use the dongle on a computer. It gives a more stable connection, better microphone bandwidth, and working mute buttons. Use Bluetooth for your phone.
On-ear or over-ear?
On-ear headsets are lighter and cooler, which is why most call-focused headsets are on-ear. Over-ear isolates more noise and is more comfortable for some people. Try both if you can.
Do I need Teams or Zoom certification?
It guarantees the buttons, mute light and call controls work with that app. If your company lives in Teams, it is worth having. Otherwise any headset works as a normal audio device.
The bottom line
Most people on calls all day should buy the Jabra Evolve2 65. In a loud environment, the Poly Voyager Focus 2. On a budget, the Logitech Zone Vibe. If you will not wear a boom, the Sony XM5 is the compromise.
See the Jabra Evolve2 65 on Amazon ↗