Jabra BT2080 Bluetooth Headset review: Jabra BT2080 Bluetooth Headset

Jabra released a couple of innovative headsets last year, namely the Jabra Halo stereo headphones and the Jabra Stone headset that comes housed in its own portable charger. Some time between those two announcements, Jabra also announced a simpler budget headset, dubbed the Jabra BT2080. Though it doesn't have the high-end technology in Jabra's more advanced headsets, the Jabra BT2080 is decent for a starter model. It's easy to use and easy to wear, and best of all, it's really affordable. It initially retailed for $39, but you can get a new model now for only $19.

Measuring 2.08 inches long by 0.63 inch wide by 0.35 inch thick, the Jabra BT2080 is long and slender and, unlike the Stone, looks unmistakably like a typical Bluetooth headset. It comes in standard black, with a skinny chrome piece in the middle. The top part of that piece acts as the multifunction talk button. On the left is a raised volume rocker. The charger jack is on top. We found both the talk button and the volume rocker to be rather thin, but they are sufficiently raised above the surface so that they are easy to find by feel.

Flip the headset over and you'll find a tiny little power switch right above the ear piece. It's so small we didn't even know it was a button at first. Still, we do like that the BT2080 comes with a dedicated power switch so it's easier to turn the headset on and off, thus conserving battery life when it's not in use.

The earpiece itself is clad in a silicone ear gel. Though it fits in our ear comfortably, we did wish it came with a few other ear gel size options for a more customized fit. The BT2080 also has a flexible ear hook that you can rotate to fit either ear. We strongly recommend using the ear hook, as it doesn't feel very secure without it. However, we did wish the ear hook was a bit sturdier; it feels a little too flimsy for our tastes. Underneath the earpiece are LED indicators for the battery status and the Bluetooth connection status.

Features on the Jabra BT2080 are fairly basic. They include the capability to answer, reject, and make calls, call waiting support, last-number redial, and voice-dialing support if your phone has that feature. You can also easily transfer calls back and forth to your phone.

We paired the Jabra BT2080 with the Apple iPhone 3G. Call quality was decent, though it doesn't have very good noise-canceling properties. We heard our callers loud and clear for the most part. On their end, when we were in a quiet environment, they could hear us just fine. They did detect quite a bit of static and there were occasional drops in volume, but we could still carry on a conversation. When we were in a noisier environment, however, like outside in the pouring rain, callers could definitely detect background noise. Sometimes it was so bad they said they couldn't hear what we were saying. When we were in a moving vehicle, they could even hear the engine roar at times. On the whole, the call quality is good enough for occasional use, but not the best choice if you plan on using it in noise-heavy situations.

The Jabra BT2080 has a rated battery life of 6 hours talk time and 8 days standby time.