Why You Can Trust CNET Fellowes Earglove BlueVoice Bluetooth headset review: Fellowes Earglove BlueVoice Bluetooth headset
The Fellowes Earglove BlueVoice Bluetooth headset has a comfortable fit, but does its performance measure up as well? Read our review to find out.
The Fellowes Earglove BlueVoice Bluetooth headset is the result of a curious partnership between Fellowes and Body Glove (yes, the wetsuit company). But unlikely as the partnership may be, the result is an attractive headset that feels light and comfortable on the ear despite its bulky size. It's so user-friendly that even novice Bluetooth chatters will have little trouble managing calls and dialing numbers, thanks to the well-designed controls. At $80, the BlueVoice is reasonably priced compared with other Bluetooth headsets on the market.
This isn't the only cell phone headset that the two companies have conspired to produce. Previously, we looked at the Fellowes Earglove Pro wired headset, but this is the first Bluetooth model we've seen. The two-tone gray Fellowes Earglove BlueVoice looks like a garden-variety headset, complete with a curved, flexible earpiece; a boxy, rectangular midsection that holds the Answer/End button; an LED-equipped volume slider; and an extendable boom microphone. Measuring 3.8 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches and weighing 0.6 ounce, the BlueVoice is nearly twice as big and heavy as some of the smaller Bluetooth headsets we've tested, such as the Plantronics Explorer 640. That said, the BlueVoice fit easily in a jeans pocket, especially with the boom mic retracted, and it felt light yet comfortably snug on our ear. Slipping the headset on and off was easy, thanks to the flexible ear loop, as was adjusting the earpiece to fit either ear.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
We had little trouble with the Fellowes Earglove BlueVoice's controls. The large, notched Answer/End button and volume up/down slider just above it were easy to find with our fingers. Clicking the Answer/End button twice lets you redial the last number, put a caller on hold, or engage call waiting, depending on the situation, and the button makes a clear, satisfying click when pressed. We also liked the extendable boom mic, which boosts voice sensitivity the further you extend it.
We paired the Fellowes Earglove BlueVoice with a Nokia 6800; the pairing process ran smoothly, and we were up and chatting within a few minutes. We could hear our callers easily, with relatively clear sound and plenty of headroom with the volume control. Our callers told us we sounded loud and clear, if a bit on the tinny side. Fellowes promises 6 hours of calling time and 7.5 days of standby time from the BlueVoice's lithium-ion battery.