X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth Headset review: Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth Headset

Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth Headset

Nicole Lee Former Editor
Nicole Lee is a senior associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets.
Nicole Lee
2 min read

Plantronics is a popular brand among Bluetooth headset aficionados because of quality headsets like the Plantronics Discovery 975 and the Plantronics Voyager Pro. However, the company also makes entry-level headsets for those who don't have as much cash to spare. The Plantronics Explorer 395 is an example of just that. It doesn't have quite the performance of its higher-end brethren, but it still offers decent audio quality and ease of use. The Plantronics Explorer 395 is $49.95 retail.

7.0

Plantronics Explorer 395 Bluetooth Headset

The Good

The Plantronics Explorer 395 is a comfortable and easy-to-use Bluetooth headset with a dedicated power switch and an affordable price.

The Bad

We wish the Plantronics Explorer 395 came with extra earbud sizes. It doesn't have very good noise-canceling features.

The Bottom Line

The Plantronics Explorer 395 is a great entry-level Bluetooth headset, as long as you stick to quieter environments.

The Plantronics Explorer 395 has a simple blocky design that is typical of most Bluetooth headsets. It measures 2 inches long by 0.7 inch wide by 0.4 inch thick; it's rectangular for the most part, save for the slightly narrow area near the microphone. The Explorer 395's front surface is glossy black, and there are chrome accents along the border and down the middle of the multifunction button, which is also coated in chrome. The button is quite large and has a raised surface so it's easy to find by feel. Right underneath the button is an LED indicator.

Along the left side of the headset is the power slider switch. We like this dedicated power toggle, which makes it easier to turn the headset on/off to conserve battery life. On the right is the volume rocker, which we found a little too flat for our tastes. The charger jack is on the top.

On the back of the headset is the earpiece, which is a silicon ear gel that has a tapered tip to fit inside the ear. Plantronics claims this to be an ergonomic and comfortable fit, and we have to agree. It hardly takes a second to put into place, and it feels very secure, especially thanks to the plastic ear loop. The ear loop doesn't feel too sturdy, though, so we would advise not bending it too much. We would also have liked to get optional earbuds for a more customized fit.

Features of the headset are fairly basic. You get the typical answering, ending, and rejecting calls, last number redial, call waiting support, battery indicator, and the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and vice versa.

We paired the Plantronics Explorer 395 with the Apple iPhone 3G. Thanks to Plantronics' QuickPair technology, we managed to pair the two without having to enter a PIN. Call quality was good on our end; we could hear callers clearly with plenty of volume, and their voices sounded natural as well.

On their end, however, callers reported quite a bit of background noise. Even in a quiet office, they could hear keys clacking in the background and a low hum. They could still our voices just fine, but only if we were in a relatively quiet environment like the office or the car. We wouldn't recommend this for extended outdoor use.

The Plantronics Explorer 395 has a rated battery life of 5 hours talk time and 7 days standby time.