Best Overall
Jabra Speak 510
Key details
- Weight
- 6.08 oz
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth and USB
- Speaker Output
- 10 W
- Battery Capacity
- 1,000 mAh
The Speak 510 is the one that left the desk. It is a palm-sized puck with a cable that winds into the base and a soft case in the box, so it goes into a laptop bag without a second thought and comes out ready to work. We moved it between rooms and to a client's office more than once, and it never needed a driver, a dongle or a second attempt at pairing.
Bluetooth and USB in the same unit is what makes it our default. Pair it with a phone for a call that isn't on the laptop, then plug in when you want a cable's reliability; both paths are in the box and neither asks you to install anything. Of everything here, it also has the steadiest record on the things a speakerphone is for, namely call quality, home-office use and portability, and that is why it sits at the top of this list rather than a newer, more feature-heavy design.
Two limits are worth knowing. Its listed Bluetooth range is 10 meters where several units here claim 20 to 30, so don't plan on leaving the laptop in another room. And the 1,000 mAh battery is the smallest capacity in this set, so a charger belongs in the travel kit even though the speaker itself barely takes up space. Neither changes the recommendation for a home office; both matter if the unit is going to live in a backpack.
Pros
- Bluetooth and USB in one unit
- Carry case with integrated cable management
- Steadiest call record in this set
- Small and light enough to move rooms
Cons
- Listed Bluetooth range only 10 m
- Smallest battery capacity here
We tell most people to buy this one: a single cased unit that handles a laptop call and a phone call, and travels without drama.