What Is a Walkie Talkie Headset?

The walkie talkie headset is a combination of old-school walkie talkie tech and modern wireless style. Traditional walkie talkies are handheld transceiver devices used by kids across short ranges on up to massive commercial and military-grade devices that can communicate across great distances.

The old battery-operated kid’s walkie talkie sets from my childhood are not really around anymore. These days, walkie talkie headsets use simple software to turn a mobile phone or other smartphone device into hand-held transceivers with headsets for ease of use. These types of walkie talkie headsets turn your cell phone into a walkie talkie, then use Bluetooth technology to operate via headset.

Benefits of Using Walkie Talkie Headsets

There’s lots of reasons why people may want to switch to a walkie talkie headset communication system.

Walkie talkie headsets using Bluetooth with their mobile phone take advantage of Bluetooth’s noise-cancellation features, making for easier and clearer communication.

This same Bluetooth technology can even link with other non-Bluetooth devices (like PCs or laptops) using Skype. This makes communication across platforms really easy.

When two Bluetooth-enable walkie talkie headsets are linked together, you get instant two-way communication inside a 250 thousand square foot zone. This is a huge range for walkie talkie headset communication, exponentially bigger than old-school walkie talkie tech.

As technology improves, companies are looking to expand the scope of this system so that up to five users can be in this walkie talkie zone at once, so instant communication between five users across a wide area is as easy as using your walkie talkie headset.

This setup is ideal for companies that have employees spread out across large areas who need to communicate instantly–school administrators, construction foremen, and military officers are just some of the people  using this type of Bluetooth walkie talkie headset tech to save time and money.

How Much do Walkie Talkie Headsets Cost?

The actual cost of your walkie talkie headset depends on the style, brand, and features you’re looking for. Here’s a good look at the range of prices for walkie talkie headsets.

At the low end of the scale are headsets designed for use with specific brands of walkie talkies. These cheaper headsets for walkie talkies aren’t usually Bluetooth capable and must be used with a specific walkie talkie line. Though they are inexpensive (Motorola has several models that retail for under $20) they have few features and aren’t Bluetooth capable.

You can spend as much money as you want on the higher end of Bluetooth-enabled walkie talkie headsets. Specific models designed for specific purposes (such as to fit inside motorcycle helmets) are the most expensive of all, and can run you several hundred dollars.

To determine how much money you’ll spend on your Bluetooth walkie talkie headset, figure out if you need it to be mounted in a specific way, such as in a vehicle or inside of safety equipment, determine how many headsets you need, and decide if you want any extra features such as noise-cancelling microphones or multiple-outlet charging stations. The more “extras” you’re after, the higher the price.

Walkie Talkie Headsets for Push to Talk

Since “push to talk” communication systems are growing in popularity, the use of walkie talkie headsets for these devices is also on the rise. You can find them produced by different manufacturers, though you’ll probably want to use a model that matches the walkie talkie or phone system you’re using.

These headsets are designed to be attached to any push to talk walkie-talkie unit. Simply connect the headset to the walkie talkie’s base unit and you’ll have hands-free access to the walkie-talkie. The microphone inside this unit lets you use your voice operated commands, so your use of your walkie talkie is completely hands free. Units like this are relatively inexpensive, so you won’t have to invest in a costly new headset to get your hands-free functionality.

It is common to see walkie talkies in use with headsets–people have seen them in action for a few years now, and they don’t think you’re talking to yourself anymore. Why are headsets more popular? The efficiency of the electronic guts of the devices has been increased, so the tech itself is actually smaller, cheaper to produce, and easier to use. As these headsets get smaller, cheaper, and easier to use, more and more people will be using walkie talkie headsets for their everyday communication.