Bluetooth headsets, they’re great, but I’m always conscious that I’m not quite hearing everything when I’m wearing one. So, I was delighted when Alex presented me with the Jabra Cruiser Speakerphone to trial. Would this little box be able to give me the hands free support I needed without the 'deaf in one ear' issue?

The device itself is shiny black, sleek & compact, very lightweight, and not much bigger than my palm (which just isn’t very big at all really!). It’s designed to clip onto your sun visor in the car, so that you just reach up briefly and tap the button on the front to answer an incoming call. The answer/end buttons are very sensitive, which meant it proved very quick & straightforward to use whilst on the move.
It will sync up to two devices at the same time, which we found really useful. People often won’t know which of us is driving, so being able to pick up both hands-free was great! Also, depending on your phone make/model, it can sync up with your phone book so incoming calls are announced by name rather than number. Very useful indeed, particularly if you don’t want to speak to the caller!

The sound quality of calls received through the device was excellent, and its microphone was sensitive enough to easily pick up voices from the back seat of the car, without the need to shout. It has noise cancelling technology, so there’s no background noise picked up from your car or the traffic around you.

It can also be used to play music stored on your phone, and has simple start/pause, forward & backward buttons just above the call answering buttons. Again these were incredibly easy to use whilst driving, and just on its own the playback was pretty good. However, for better sound, both in calls & music, the Cruiser comes equipped with an FM Transmitter! Press the button on the side, and it speaks the frequency to tune your car radio too, and after a bit of knob twiddling, there was the music from the phone blasting out through the speakers all round the car. Excellent! Answer a call, and presto, the music stops and your callers voice is now coming from your radio. Volume can be controlled from the radio itself, but it’s important to remember that the track controls have to be done on the Cruiser, otherwise you’ll find yourself retuning by mistake.

When we first tried the FM transmitter we did experience a touch of static, however this soon vanished as we moved out of London and away from the built up areas. It’s pretty hard to find an unused frequency in London at the best of times! So, if the first frequency doesn’t ever settle, the manual explains how to search for a different one.

Handily supplied is a USB cable, which comes with a detachable car charger rather than a fixed one, allowing easy use indoors and out. Plus a very simple quick start guide (all you need to be up and running in a few moments) - Jabra really are going all out on ease of use with this device.

I’d have to say this device has had more consistent use since it arrived, than any of the headsets we’ve ever had before. And with its music playing ability, and the dual device connection, this really is our device of the moment. I have no hesitation in giving this a full 10/10, and if I could I’d be awarding 11!

RRP: £69.99. Available at Play.com, and at the usual online and high street retailers.

More details can be found at www.jabra.co.uk