As more and more of our teenage drivers is driving with texting/SMS capable phones we see an increasing number of fatal accidents caused by distracted teenage drivers.
We felt that before we continue with our reviews we owed our readers an ability to select a potentially life saving Bluetooth speakerphone.
We complied a short list of texting capable Bluetooth hands free speakerphones regardless of their bestselling status. You can view and buy them
here.
For more info regarding safety statistics you can navigate to the official FCC site:
The Dangers of Texting While Driving.
How we chose our top 10 Bluetooth Speakerphone finalists
When we look for our Amazon bestsellers we often try to look for product
categories that are not only popular among consumers and become best sellers
but also can bring value and enrich lives of our readers. In our opinion Amazon
bestselling Bluetooth handsfree kits are fully qualified by those criteria.
While almost all of drivers on the road today have a smartphone and they expect
to be "reachable" at all times, driving and using your phone, especially
texting, is not only very unsafe but also very illegal in most places today.
Hands free Bluetooth headsets or in-car Bluetooth speakerphones (aka Bluetooth
car kits) are a great solution that can enable us to communicate while driving
and make us all safer at the same time. They provide an excellent way to carry
our phone conversations in a safe manner while driving but also can be used in
all other situations that our hands are otherwise occupied. Distracted drivers
are dangerous not only to themselves but also to other people on a road and
before we become the "Distracted Driver" we should armed ourselves
with a Bluetooth handsfree assistant
that will help us stay focused and keep everybody safe. Bluetooth
technology is now better than ever with improved performance, battery life and
ergonomics. In just a few years our Bluetooth little helpers matured and now
they perform their main functions with ease and predictability that was not
possible even a few years back. The units that we tested for our Bluetooth
handsfree speakerphone review also featured some impressive features as far as
noise and echo reduction that bring the conversation quality to a whole new
level. We hope that our review will help you to find a hands free Bluetooth
device that at least meets your expectations and requirements. We also hope that
our comprehensive feature and option list will help you to better understand
the importance of various aspects of the Bluetooth technology used by your next
handsfree Bluetooth car kit and make a better buying decision since in most
cases you can't really take the unit for a "test drive". Before we continue with our Top 10 Bluetooth
Handsfree Speakerphone review we would like to mention that because of our
testing process we decided to modify our review format and instead listing
devices with a specific feature we reverted to individual review for each
tested Bluetooth Device.
What To Look For When Buying A Bluetooth In-Car Hands Free Speakerphone
When you are looking to buy a Bluetooth handsfree speakerphone for your car
you should consider some of the aspects of your intended use. The most important part of a Bluetooth speakerphone that you plan to purchase is the compatibility with your phone so before you buy, Always check the compatibility of the chosen handsfree speakerphone and devices that you are planning to connect with it. Among other things to consider are: The target user - Is the selected speakerphone intended for
a driver only, for both front seat occupants or maybe for any passenger in the
car. Are you going to use the hands free speakerphone in only one car or take it with
you to other cars that you drive? Are you
going to use is as a “stand alone” or integrate it with car’s existing audio
equipment? What connectivity to the existing car's audio equipment is optimal
in your situation? You also might consider using your speakerphone in other
places than your car. For example a bike or a motorcycle. All those
considerations and how well each candidate will meet your expectations will
affect your final choice and your satisfaction level. In our Top 10 Amazon
Bestseller list review we tried to evaluate each unit and consider all options that they
provide. We create a list of features that are important in evaluating a hands free speakerpone
and as we review each speakerphone unit we will try to keep the review in the same order as the list below.
Speaker/Microphone Performance
Noise And Echo Cancelation
Multipoint Feature
Ease Of Installation
Battery Life
Texting Support
Auxilary Audio Port
FM Transmitter
Media/Music Playback Support
Jabra DRIVE, Bluetooth In-Car Hands Free Speakerphone
This an entry level hands free Bluetooth in-car speakerphone from Jabra, a company specializing in Blootooth and audio products.
Jabra is a manufacturer of an array of speaker, speakerphone and headset products for mobile and stationary communication needs.
Jabra DRIVE, Bluetooth In-Car Hands Free Speakerphone
Jabra DRIVE designed as an entry level speakerphone for people that are more concerened with an ease of use than
with a plethora of features. A very simple yet competent unit that in most cases can be setup and used without even unpacking the manual.
It produces a good quality sound with its single 2W speaker that is suficient for most passenger car cabin noise levels. Its omnidirectional microphone
with noise filtering delivers good qulity audio. To complement the speakerphone performance unit is equiped in DSP with echo cancelation. Jabra DRIVE's Blutooth
v 3.0 suports multi-point connectivity alowing for two devices connecting to the speakerphone at the same time. As we already mentioned befor it is one of the easiest
hands free kits to install, just clip it on your visor and you are ready. Li-Polimer (no "memory effect") 700 mAh battery provides around 20h of talk time and 30 days of
standby time. Other features include support for music, podcast and GPS audio playback, a "Mute" feature and limited Voice Guidance functions.
Compared to other hands free speakerphones it does not include: Voice Control, Auto Turn ON (engien start sensor), Spoken caller-ID, FM Transimitter or Auxilary audio output.
For more info please watch the videos below
Jabra TOUR, Bluetooth In-Car Hands Free Speakerphone
Our second entry is another hands free Bluetooth speakerphone from Jabra. It is a mid range
TOUR model with just enough features to keep it easy to use, user friendly and yet capable of delivering a very solid
performance.
Jabra TOUR, Bluetooth In-Car Hands Free Speakerphone
Jabra TOUR had been designe with a very simple yet modern and elegant look and feel to make it appealing and
unobtrusive once it is cliped on your visor. In our tests it produced a good quality sound with a single 3W speaker. The soud
quality and volume made it possible to use it even with our windows down at lower speeds. Its HD (High Definition) omnidirectional microphone
with noise filtering delivers excelent qulity audio. To complement the speakerphone performance, unit is equiped in DSP (digital audio signal processing)
with echo cancelation and noise reduction. Jabra TOUR's Blutooth v 3.0 suports multi-point connectivity alowing for two devices connecting to the speakerphone
at the same time. Visor clip design makes it easy to place your speakerphone at the optimal spot favorited by users and manufacturers alike. Li-Polimer (no "memory effect")
950 mAh battery provides about 20h of talk time and 60 days of standby time. Other features include support for music, podcast and GPS audio playback,
as well as "Mute", Spoken Caller-ID, Voice Guidance and Voice Control. It also features Engine Turn ON sensor that turns your speakerphone on as soon as you
start your car's engien. It does not include: FM Transimitter or Auxilary audio output.
To see a complete manufacturer's techincal specifications please follow this link to a PDF document.
For connection instructions and tutorial, please watch the video below
Jabra's FREEWAY, Bluetooth Hands Free Speakerphone
The top model from Jabra, FREEWAY is loaded with every feature that one would expect in a top of the line hands free speakerphone,
including hands free texting capability.
Jabra FREEWAY, Bluetooth In-Car Hands Free Speakerphone
The best bluetooth hands free speakerphone among Jabra's offerings has most features that one could expect in state of the art hands free speakerphone.
Jabra FREEWAY's three speakers produce 7W of an amaziong Virtual Surround sound that works even in the noisiests car cabins that we could find. While the speakers
make FREEWAY one of the bulkiest speakerphones on the market, they also produce one of the best sounds that we have heard, in fact good enough to
listen to podcasts and streaming music. The two HD omni-directional microphones in concert with DSP handle noise reduction and echo cancelation with great precision
and as a result your listners hear your voice clearly without much of an ambient noise. As all of the speakerphones included in our review it supports mult-point
connectivity with two devices being connected at the same time. Despite its bulkines Jabra FEEWAY still fits on your car's sun visor very will thanks to its shaped design
and places your speakerphone at the optimal operating position. Li-Polimer (no "memory effect") battery provides about 14h of talk time and 40 days of standby time.
Jabra FREEWAY features also support for hands free texting with an optional Voice Assist service (free for the first year, $59 a year thereafter). Other features include support for music,
podcast and GPS audio playback, as well "Mute", Spoken Caller-ID, Voice Guidance and Voice Control. It also features Engine Turn ON sensor that turns your speakerphone on as soon as you
start your car's engien, with Jabra FREEWAY you also get: FM Transimitter and Auxilary audio output to connect to your car's audio system..
To see a complete manufacturer's techincal specifications please follow this link to a PDF document.
For manufacturer's FREEWAY review please watch the video below
SuperTooth Buddy, Bluetooth Hands Free Speakerphone
Compact Bluetooth speakerphone from SuperTooth, Buddy is a very nicely packed, compact yet versatile unit. Measuring only about 5 inch by 0.5 inch
fits very nicely on your car's sun visor.
SuperTooth Buddy, Bluetooth Hands Free Speakerphone, Visor Car-Kit
Buddy's 2W speaker delivers clear audio that we didn't have problems hearing in a normal driving conditions. This bluetooth speakerphone features a microphone
equipped with noise reduction, echocancelation and DSP technology that when we placed calls deliverd a clear sound on both ends. SuperTooth Buddy's Blutooth v 2.1 suports multi-point connectivity
alowing for two devices connecting to the speakerphone at the same time. Car's sun visor clip features a unique two part design with a coin magnet that connects the unit to the visor's spring clip.
Lithium-Ion (no "memory effect") recharchable battery provides about 20h of talk time and 1000h of standby time. Voice recognition functions can be accessed if the connected device supports those functions.
Unfortunately this model does not include FM Transimitter or Auxilary audio output features.
Ireneusz Janek is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
