Customer Reviews

Plantronics UP370SL Bluetooth Headset

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is my third Bluetooth headset. I guess I'm a bit hard on equipment, and my expectations for Bluetooth headsets were/are too high, but this unit has been satisfying for a month and a half (that's more than I can say for my Motorola 750 and Aliph Jawbone).

I wear the headset while kayaking, driving, bicycling, and working (often in noisy environments). I always use the lanyard, which isn't as comfortable as it could be, but is comfortable enough that I forget I'm wearing it. (Oddly enough, it has fallen off only once with the lanyard, and never without it.)

The earpiece sound is clear and natural, and the volume is more than adequate. I can easily turn the volume up in noisy situations and still hear the other person well. (the Motorola 750 was so full of static and scratchiness as to be nearly unusable all of the time. The Aliph Jawbone had great noise cancelling on the mike, no scratchiness/static, and no one ever complained about hearing me, but I often couldn't turn the volume up to a level loud enough to hear them well.)

I carry the headset in my jeans/shorts pocket while not in use, an environment that is apparently hostile. (The Motorola was badly scratched and unsightly in a month, and died in less than a year, the Jawbone ear clip broke in less than ten days).

There are only two minor drawbacks that keep me from rating the "Ruggedized" Plantronics a 5 star rating:
1. The unit must be turned on by pressing and holding the main control button. That's slightly less convenient than simply opening the boom as on the Motorola. (Very minor drawback)
2. The charging port is covered by a rubber flap that must be opened before inserting the charging cord (that's necessary for a water-resistant earpiece). When I go to unplug the charging cord I sometimes grab the rubber port cover and pull on it along with the wire. Although it hasn't broken yet, I fear for it's longevity.

All-in-all, I'm quite pleased.

Hope this helps,
Dave

I have been using one of these for over a year. It is comfortable and fits very well. (much better than my other Jabra JX-10 unit) The shape of the ear insert helps the unit stay put when I am active. The small sponge over the mic blocks the wind and people can hear me very clearly on windy days. It works great in the rain with my phone safely tucked away. The ear loop quickly flips over and the unit can be used in the other ear. The included neck strap is convenient and I use it for my work ID as well. The size information in the product description on Amazon is incorrect. It actually weighs 0.7 ounces (about 20 grams) and is approximately 2.3 inches long. (almost 60mm)

The Explorer 370 wireless Bluetooth headset by Plantronics is awesome. The unit fits well over the ear, yet is light enough to be comfortable. It has a simple design, three control buttons that are easy to reach. The overall construction of this headset is its best part. It sports a military grade "form, fit, function" design. It works in the rain, blowing dust/sand, I even dropped it in my coffee cup and it still works! In high wind areas it dampens the wind noise. I've gone through many high price headsets, this one by far is number one. The only way you could "kill it" is if you lost it. For the price it's AWESOME!

I've purchased two of these, one to replace my jawbone and one for my network technician. I have not soaked it in beer, buried it in sand, nor gone swimming with it.

Sound quality is OK- ambient noise will overwhelm it. Wind noise makes it cut out in 1-2 second instances making it unusable outside when there is a breeze.

Fit is a compromise between durability and comfort. It works, the neck strap is very handy. It appears durable enough to stuff in my pocket when not in use and the ear clip is free swiveling so I'm not worried about breaking it and having a stash of spares.

Update- I dropped it in the parking lot, someone ran over it. Apparently military durability does not include the ability to withstand crushing forces.

I'm not sure I'll buy another. The device had decent sound quailty except when a slight breeze would cause it to cut out. Other headsets transmit a static sound, this model just cuts off when the wind sound occurs. I'm back to searching for a decent noise canceling headset again.

Things I don't like about the headset are:
1. its too big and bulky! i expected a smaller unit. (to each his own)
2. drives me NUTS to put it on, if I didn't do it properly its going to be too loose.
3. you have to raise your voice a little bit so you can be heard.
4. you can hear static several times when your connected phone is in your pocket. (IDK, maybe its just my iPhone?)
5. the non-removable rubber tip earpiece INSIDE is a certified dirt magnet. (I have NO idea how to clean the inside) especially if its stays in your pocket.

Things I do like about it:
1. good price then, even lower now.
2. the color and texture
3. battery life (somewhat..)



ADDITIONAL REVIEW: after a few more weeks with the unit, it seems better now in terms of voice clarity and earpiece volume there is still the static sound but not too often. accidentally dropped it HARD a couple of times but is working fine, i guess its living up to its claim to be shockproof.

Did not work with my HTC Eris Droid to well. It would get staticy at times and I could not hear people too well when driving semi truck. Battery life was very good.

A bit on the large side, but it's as tough as they come. Voice and call quality is excellent, range is good, and I tried throwing it on the floor to test it - it still works fine. Haven't been brave enough to dip it in water, but it claims to be waterproof. Best bluetooth I've ever had.

works good droppped a few times and gets dirty every day (at work) great product

These are nice units.

The rubber "ruggedizing" has protected this unit in many, many falls (bought it partly because I knew it would take a beating around my 4-year-old.)

Range is about the BlueTooth spec of ~30ft. Will go about 10 feet through one plaster wall. I haven't actually done a benchmark on the charge-time, but it seems good -- I can talk a lot for two days, and it holds up.

It is heavier than some newer models -- that is OK with me -- it is worth the durability. The ear-hook feels a little bulky and hard to put on, sometimes.

Pairing has been easy and reliable.

I drilled a hole in the ear-hook, so that I could tie it to a string to keep from losing it and so I could use it while bicycling -- works fine.

It is a basic model -- can only pair with one device at a time. If it could handle two or three devices at a time it would be perfect for me.

First one that arrived did not work. Store sent an advance exchange, which was nice, but never sent the return label, so I still have the non-functioning unit and am not sure if I've been charged for that.

The initial headset we purchased had a glitch-it would go back into pairing mode once it was shut off and then turned back on. We even tried installing it on a different phone and had the same result. After consulting the manufacturer it was determined to be defective and it was returned for a replacement to the seller. The second one arrived and it has a different set of glitches, but it is workable. This one must be turned on and off at the menu within the phone as apposed to the headset which is inconvenient. My husband also complains that this headset is not as loud and clear as the first one. As a whole it does what he needs it to do-he is a diesel mechanic and needs it to be rugged, water resistent (he sweats outside in the Southwest GA heat) and it cancels some of the wind noise he has around him. But the quality is inconsistent and it was frustrating to have to return the initial headset because of this quality issue.