Review: Jabra Clipper

I hate wires. Yet, wireless isn’t ready for prime time yet. I listen to podcasts and music when travelling. On top of that I make a fair amount of phone calls on the road. Naturally, I have been seeking a stereo bluetooth headset that works well. The problem with blue tooth headsets is firstly there are no real good stereo ones available for an affordable price. There are basically 2 kinds. One that looks like a pair of headphones and one that clips on your shirt and has very shortened earphones running from your neck to your ears. The first type generally always have a problem with the microphone.  A directional mic no matter how powerful is too far to capture acceptable voice quality. The second type has the mic problem resolved but you still deal with a minor amount of wires and they are generally cheaper. I went for the later due to the mic and also because I don’t carry a bag with me all the time and may not have a place to keep the former which is more bulky due to it being a set of headphones.

Overview

The Jabra Clipper is a straight forward device. It clips onto your shirt and you run the earphones behind your neck. It looks neat overall. The clipper is slightly heavy but looks classy enough to be clipped on throughout the day even when you have your earphones out. The earphones are replaceable which is good for people like me who have a knack of killing their earphones every 6 months.

The Jabra Clipper
The Jabra Clipper

 

The Good

  • Battery life. I only have to charge every 2 days and I use the hell out of it.
  • Pairing. It pairs quickly and without a hitch. Some bluetooth headsets are a pain to pair but this fella does it well
  • Microphone. Some noise but very audible. Better than most competitors in this category.
  • Range. The caveat is that there must be no obstructions.
  • Accessories. They package a set of stereo earphones and also a mono earphone.

The Bad

  • A2DP. Connection can drop quite a bit under heavy interference. Basically, phone in pocket is fine. Any more obstructions between that will cause drop outs.
  • Clip is too tight. Be ready to struggle with it for a bit till you find out the best way to put it on.
  • Included stereo earphones are sub par. You pay for what you get. Good news is you can easily swap to another pair while using the Clipper.

Conclusion

It’s good enough for my everyday use. I’m pretty glad to have this at a low price. Definitely a value product and not a premium one.