Desktop app
Headset options
What to look for in a headset for Cradle, what to avoid, and where to buy.
A good headset makes more difference to call quality than almost any other setting. If you spend most of your day on Cradle, the headset is the first thing worth getting right.
What to look for
A few features cover most use cases:
- A wired connection, a manufacturer USB dongle, or a DECT headset. All three give a dedicated link to your computer that isn't shared with anything else. We don't recommend pairing a Bluetooth headset directly to your laptop's built-in Bluetooth, and we can't support audio issues that come from doing so. See Bluetooth headsets for the full reasoning.
- A boom microphone close to your mouth. Anything that picks up sound from a few centimetres away is dramatically better at filtering out background noise than a microphone built into the earpiece.
- A mute button on the headset itself. Easier than reaching for the in-call mute button in Cradle, especially if you wear the headset all day.
- A ringer or a way to use your laptop speakers for ringing. If the headset doesn't ring on its own, your laptop needs to have speakers; otherwise you won't hear an incoming call when the headset is off your head.
Headsets we test against
Cradle integrates with Jabra headsets that connect through a Jabra Link USB dongle (for example, the Link 380 and Link 370). When you use one of these, Cradle can answer, end, and mute calls from the buttons on the headset itself.
Three broad categories we know work well:
- Wired USB headsets. Plug in, choose them in Audio Settings, done. The most reliable option for offices that don't move around.
- USB-dongle Bluetooth headsets. Wireless freedom on a dedicated radio that doesn't share with anything else on the laptop.
- DECT headsets. Dedicated voice radio designed for office calling, with their own base station. Longer range than Bluetooth and not subject to the same interference.
We don't certify against specific models or maintain a current "approved list", because headset ranges change too fast. If you're buying a new headset for Cradle, pick a current Jabra business model with a Link dongle (or a Jabra DECT) and you'll be on safe ground.
What to avoid
- Consumer earbuds designed for music. AirPods and similar earbuds sound great for listening to music but use very small microphones that pick up a lot of ambient noise. The caller hears it as muffled, scratchy, or echoey audio. Use them for music; use a proper headset for calls.
- Built-in PC Bluetooth. Don't pair a Bluetooth headset to your laptop's built-in Bluetooth. It shares airtime with your mouse, keyboard, and every other Bluetooth device near you, which produces robotic audio, dropouts, and silent calls. We don't support audio issues that come from this. The fix is always to switch to a manufacturer dongle, a cable, or a DECT headset. See Bluetooth headsets.
- Generic gaming headsets. Often loud and bass-heavy, with microphones tuned for voice chat rather than telephone-quality speech. They work, but a business headset will sound better to the person you're calling.
Where to buy
You can buy Jabra headsets from any business-IT supplier in NZ, AU, or the UK. If you'd prefer to source through Cradle for an existing-customer discount, email help@cradle.io and we'll point you at the right reseller.
If you already have a wired headset, or a Bluetooth headset with a manufacturer dongle, or a DECT headset, you don't have to replace it. Cradle works with any of those. The only thing you lose with a non-Jabra headset is the on-headset answer/end/mute buttons; you'll use Cradle's in-call screen instead. If you're currently using a Bluetooth headset on your laptop's built-in Bluetooth, you'll get a better experience on a dongle, cable, or DECT.