Cobra Electronics, a company known for automotive security systems and radar detectors, has been making and marketing mobile accessories for years. Their products include in-vehicle mobile phone chargers, carrying cases and in-car navigation systems. In January of 2009, Cobra announced two Bluetooth headsets made by its licensee Aries Manufacturing: the Cobra Premium Bluetooth headset and the Cobra Deluxe Bluetooth with T5 Sonance Noise Cancellation Technology. The Cobra Premium Bluetooth headset is the smaller of the two headsets, and has very good voice quality, a strong DSP that works well with most phones, and the headset is comfortable to wear. The Cobra headset has Bluetooth v2.0 and supports headset and hands-free Bluetooth profiles.

The Cobra Premium Bluetooth headset has a clean but functional design. The headset is about the same size as the Jawbone II and the Plantronics Voyager 835, and it weighs 0.33 ounces. The headset has a shiny black plastic cover on the front that houses the call/multi-function button and small LED light. The back of the headset has a raised ear tip with rubber cover and an ear hook that fits either ear. The raised ear tip doesn’t extend deeply into the ear canal but the headset feels secure nonetheless with the help of the ear hook. The volume buttons are on the left side and the mic lives on the bottom of the headset. The tiny USB port for charging the headset lives on the right side of the headset. The Cobra Premium Bluetooth headset feels light even after wearing it throughout a day.

The Cobra Premium Bluetooth headset didn’t exactly come out of the left field but did surprise us with good voice quality and a strong DSP. The headset worked well with most phones in our tests and range was good compared to many Bluetooth headsets on the market. The headset has a clean design and is comfortable to wear. The single color LED can be confusing at times, but once you’ve read the manual and practiced a bit it’s not that hard to remember. The price is good for the voice quality and battery life you get from this headset.

Estimate $59.95