Bluetooth headsets are not exactly “cool” tech, but they are sometimes needed. Especially if you live someplace with “hands free” laws for drivers (and don’t have BT in your car). Personally, I have found them handy when in “writer mode” – I can just keep it in my ear and have use of two hands if anyone calls. Still, I’d rather update to Bluetooth headphones for that one day.
With that in mind, when VXi offered me their BlueParrott Point to try, I was ambivalent. I’d done a few headset reviews and non of them lived up to the hype. Then they hooked me with “we are the favorite Bluetooth headset of truckers”. Okay, that’s cool. Sadly, it turned out to be an anecdotal claim that could not be backed up.
Much of the Point is typical for any BT headset. You get multiple earbuds, there are volume buttons, a pickup button, and a power slider. The pickup/end also can call up Siri or Google Now (maybe Cortana too, but I did not test that). It felt fine in my ear. I was very aware it was there, but that’s okay. Atypically, you can also pair over NFC if you have an NFC phone/tablet. I was unable to test this feature.
Where the Point got me was very strong battery live and impressive noise canceling. At one point, I was at a press event with live music and my ex-wife called. She was absolutely unable to hear any of the crowd and thought she could maybe hear music in the distance. More recently, crowded New York streets have been almost inaudible on calls.
Sadly, while others can hear me I cannot always hear them. The same noises that get canceled for them tend to overwhelm me, and the Point distorts caller voices at louder volumes.
At $80, I’m not sure I can recommend the Point for someone who has to deal with high levels of background noise. However, if you need a comfortable Bluetooth headset with impressive battery life and are in an environment with a level amount of background noise (say, the cab of a truck?), and especially if you have a device with NFC, the Point may be a good buy.
