Wireless sound is here to stay, plain and simple. Bluetooth devices are becoming more and more common on everyday devices allowing every consumer to enjoy the convenience and ingenuity of wireless sound.
From the Apple AirPods that sold out for months after its launch in 2016, to other big players in the wireless headphone game like Jaybird and Beats by Dre, there’s no denying that wireless sound is the way of the future. Every major audio company is making bluetooth, and these products are quickly becoming a huge part of their revenue.
Bluetooth beanies are the newest craze (as shown in Google Trends), combining the convenience of wireless sound with the warmth and protection that a beanie provides. It’s a simple concept but it makes perfect sense.
This is the ideal product if you like to pack light, combining two things you use all the time: your headphones and a warm and comfortable beanie.
Features included in all bluetooth beanies:
- Bluetooth sound built into the headset so when you pull on your beanie, your sound is placed right over your ears
- Rechargeable battery
- Hands free calling
- Includes a built-in microphone
- Washable material (simply take out the device from the beanie and you can wash it like any normal clothing)
- Allows up to 33 feet of wireless range
We reviewed 3 different bluetooth beanie brands. Here’s a quick comparison chart of the reviewed items.
We reviewed three bluetooth beanies with a specific criteria that focused on the following features from a score of 1 to 5:
- Sound Quality
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- Beanie Comfort
- Additional Features
Bluetooth Beanie Similarities
Some features that we found in every bluetooth beanie were the buttons on the side that toggle volume (up or down) and a play/pause button. Since these seemed to be the same on all beanies and they worked without issue, we decided to include that here so we can skip over this feature in the actual review.
Battery Life
After reviewing all the products, we’ve seen a relatively consistent performance across all brands when it comes to battery life, except the Amyker which had significantly longer battery life. Typically, we would get about 6-8 hours, while the Amyker has a battery life of around 8-10 hours (depending on how you use your beanie).
The volume at which you like to listen will play the biggest factor in how long your beanie’s battery life lasts.
Charging Time
Charging time for the bluetooth beanie was around 2 hours from completely depleted to a full charge.
Amyker
- ✔Bluetooth V5.0 Tech Gifts in a Premium Gift Box - ASIILOVI Bluetooth Beanie pair with any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or tablet devices quicker & easier. 45...
- ✔Fashion, Warm & Comfy - Our Wireless Beanie features Hand-stitched with double soft inner lining and great breathability. Fashionable style and unisex design...
- ✔Premium Audio Quality - ASIILOVI Bluetooth Beanie Hat Built with 12.5mm stereo speaker magnets and microphone that deliver clear and high quality digital...
- ✔Easy to Use and Wash - The simple panel display on the ear of the Bluetooth wireless knitted beanie has 3-prompt buttons and an LED indicator light. Go pass...
Manufacturer Description
Bluetooth Beanie, Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Knit Winter Hats Cap with Detachable Built-in Mic
Overall Review
Amyker is the clear winner when it comes to the overall package with bluetooth beanies. They have the best wireless sound, high-quality beanies, and the package presentation is also very nice.
Battery life on the Amyker is far superior to the other beanies we’ve tested, with up to 10 hours of play time. They also claim 100 hours of standby time which is far more than the competition.
Sound Quality 5/5
When we were reviewing the bluetooth beanies, we didn’t notice a big jump in sound quality between any of the beanies. That is, until we reviewed the Amyker model.
The sound quality is definitely superior in the Amyker. Somehow the sounds seem more clear and concise than any of the other beanies we tried out, and it definitely gets louder as well.
Phone calls also sounded very clear with this bluetooth beanie. When it comes to sound quality, the Amyker was the clear winner.
Bluetooth Connectivity 5/5
Amyker boasts a 5.0 bluetooth connection, meaning the connection is more reliable, produces higher quality sound, and provides more efficient battery usage. The Amyker beanie checked all these boxes and so they earned themselves a 5/5 in this category.
Beanie Comfort 5/5
These beanies come in a variety of styles that not only look great, but feel great. Super soft materials that are snug on your head provided for a cozy yet stylish beanie that we found ourselves wearing even without the music.
Amyker has a few different designs to choose from that can match a variety of people and their choice in style. The beanies are well made from what we can tell.
Additional Features
The microphone worked without any issue whatsoever, which is more than we could say for the other beanies we looked at. Not only did we never lose connectivity, but the other person on the call said we came through loud and clear.
SoundBot SB210
- SOFT, SENSIBLE, COMFORTABLE, & WARM - SoundBot Bluetooth Wireless Musical Knit Headphone Speaker Beanie Hat features premium double soft knit to provide the...
- LOUD & HD MUSIC EXPERIENCE - Enjoy enhanced music listening experience with advanced digital sound, balanced deep bass, dynamic mid-range, & crystal clear high...
- ONE SIZE FIT ALL & UNIVERSAL WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY - Stretchable high quality knit material to fit all head sizes and shapes. Universal Bluetooth v4.0 technology...
- HUMAN ENGINEERING DESIGN - Intuitive control buttons for quick access to play, pause, and skip music control, assistant support functions to answer calls & long...
Manufacturer Description
HD Stereo Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless Smart Beanie
Overall Review
The SoundBot SB210 is the most common bluetooth beanie, and their 4 stars on Amazon with over 1,000 reviews (and counting) make that immediately clear. You can charge this beanie with a micro USB charging port (included).
Sound Quality 5/5
Sound quality is very good in this SoundBot beanie. Are you going to get the same sound quality as a $500 headset? Absolutely not. However, you’ll get sound that is perfectly clear and loud enough that sound quality won’t be an issue.
So why did we rate the sound quality a 4 and not a perfect 5? Well, if you like to blast your music at volumes that are probably detrimental to your ear drums (and let’s face it, that’s a lot of us), the people around you WILL be able to hear it. At medium-high levels of volume you probably won’t be able to hear the beanie’s speakers sound leak out, but at the highest setting there will be some sound leakage.
Bluetooth Connectivity 4/5
Pairing the beanie to your phone is fast and easy and we didn’t experience any issues there. The connectivity is fairly good and we didn’t have any problems with the connection dropping off. Some high-end bluetooth headsets can stay connected up to 100 feet, but this is not that. However, if you have your phone on you while you’re listening to your beanie or keep it in the same room, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Beanie Comfort 3/5
We tried this beanie out for both a male and female, and it was definitely a bit more snug for the male (who had the bigger head). If you have a smaller-sized head and like your beanies to fit extremely snug, this may not be adequate. The beanie is pretty average in terms of snugness, but we did wear this for two entire days and didn’t feel like the material showed signs of becoming stretched or loosened.
The styles offered by SoundBot are fairly mundane without many colors to choose from. If you want a more stylish beanie, SoundBot may not be have the choices you’re looking for.
Additional Features
There is a microphone built into the beanie so you can take phone calls. We found the microphone worked extremely well at times, but sometimes it didn’t seem to connect. Taking important meeting calls with important clients? Maybe don’t rely on this beanie as your microphone.
The buttons on the side of the beanie work pretty well, though they are fairly basic, which include: volume up, volume down, and a play/pause button. Nothing special here but they work as intended.
Rotibox
- Style and Tech Combine: 100% Soft Acrylic,double knitted beanie,keep your head warm and allows you to listen to your music without having to wear additional...
- The Latest Blutooth V5.0 Technology: Easy and fast to pair with cell phones, tablets and other Bluetooth enabled music devices,wireless range up to 33 feet
- User-friendly Control Panel: The control panel built-in stereo speaker and microphone on the left earpiece allows you to skip back and forth through your...
- Long-lasting Enjoyment of Music: Built in rechargeable Li-Ion battery,about 8~10 hours talking/playing time, 1~2 hours charging time,60 hours standby, so you...
Manufacturer Description
Bluetooth Beanie Winter Outdoor Sport Knit Cap
Overall Review
The Rotibox bluetooth beanie has fairly good sound, good connectivity, and a passable built-in microphone for calling. Rotibox stands out in terms of the quality and style of the beanie itself, with MANY more designs to choose from when compared to other brands.
If the style of beanie is a priority, Rotibox will definitely have the right design to suit your taste.
Sound Quality 4/5
The sound quality is pretty good on the Rotibox bluetooth beanie, with clear and crisp sounds that can get fairly loud. Whether you’re listening to music, podcasts, or a phone call, you probably won’t have issues with the quality of sound.
Sound leak isn’t a huge issue with this beanie but at full blast, the people around you will be able to hear you. Between this model and the SoundBot, this model has slightly less sound leakage.
Bluetooth Connectivity 4/5
The Rotibox bluetooth beanie pairs immediately and we faced no issues whatsoever. Re-pairing the beanie to the phone was just as easy and we never lost connection in the advertised 33 feet range. Our phone was kept in a backpack, pocket, and even a suitcase and we didn’t notice a drop in connection.
Beanie Comfort 5/5
Out of all the bluetooth beanies we reviewed, this one is one of the most comfortable. Now that’s not saying much, as it is hard to come by a beanie that isn’t comfortable, however this one seemed to be a bit warmer and we thought they looked the most stylish as well.
Overall, the materials that are used to make this beanie are top notch.
Additional Features
The microphone in this beanie was definitely hit or miss. Most times the person on the other line could hear us perfectly while other times it would cut out every few seconds. It was hard to replicate what factors actually caused these dropouts, as we noticed the mic not picking up our sound in the same environment.
Updated: We retested the microphone with several phone calls and didn’t notice any dropouts in the last round of testing. Perhaps it was just a temporary issue but the microphone seemed fine the second time around.
Tenergy
- Built-in rechargeable li-ion battery provides up to 6 hours of playtime
- Wireless range up to 33'
- Built-in microphone allowing you to talk hands-free
- Easy-remove headphones allow for easy wash to keep your beanie
Manufacturer Description
Wireless Bluetooth Beanie Hat with Detachable Stereo Speakers & Microphone, Fleece-Lined Music Beanie
Overall Review
We decided to add in a review of the Tenergy beanies simply because we loved the style of the beanies. Keep in mind, these designs are primarily for women.
You’ll see that these bluetooth beanies have the braid-cable knit design that is very popular today. These beanies not only look great, but they also quite warm.
As far as the sound quality and bluetooth connectivity, we would say these scored fairly well and we would consider this the average when compared with the other beanies we tested. Sound was loud and clear and we had no issues with bluetooth connectivity.
If you’re looking for a bluetooth beanie but in this particular style, the Tenergy model will perform just fine. This checks all the boxes for sound quality while nestled in a stylish and cozy knit beanie.
Bluetooth Beanies Make the Perfect Gift
Think about all the times you wear a beanie. Now add wireless sound to that experience and you’ll see why a bluetooth beanie makes the perfect gift (or maybe a gift for yourself).
These are perfect for:
- Camping
- Hiking
- Getting some work done at a coffee shop
- Commuting to work or school
- Walking your dog
- Skiing and/or snowboarding
- Doing yard work in the fall or winter
- Cold mornings and evenings
So what are you waiting for? Give these a try and let us know what you think down below.