The handsfree headsets are convenient when driving, walking, or doing things with your hands. It is better and safer than trying to hold the Cell phone on your shoulder while trying to do other tasks. They come in many sizes and shapes, we will show and explain some of the features here. The handsfree consists of several components: Plug to connect to cell phone The cord connection handsfree to the plug. Microphone to pick up your voice. Speaker that goes in or on your ear. Ear loop that goes over your ear. Plug: The plug on the end of the cord plugs into a jack on your cell phone. They must be of the same type/size so they will mate. The common has been the 2.5mm and is used by many handsfree headsets. The 2.5mm size will also work in many home cordless phones also. This will look similar to the headphone plug used for the portable MP3 players but is not the same size and they will NOT work. Some manufactures have special connectors that only their brand have. Be sure you have a handsfree that is for your make and model of cell phone. If you can not or do not have the correct type of connection then you may purchase a connector adaptor to adapt it to your Cell phone. Cord: The cord is a component that you may thing are all the same and that is close. They come in various lengths. Be sure you have a long enough cord as to not get wrapped up when driving and using the handsfree. A flexible cord will help keep it out of your way also. Handsfree Regular Handsfree Twin Buds Handsfree Twin Ear set Handsfree Over the Ear Microphone: The microphone is the part that picks up your voice when talking on the cell phone. It can also pick up car, traffic, and other noises around you. A noise canceling microphone will help reduce the background noises so the person your talking to can hear you better. The microphone may be on the cord a few inches from the speaker/ear piece (as on the Handsfree Regular pictured above) or it may be on a boom connected to the ear piece (as in the picture at the top of the page). We have found the boom normally works better and the longer the boom the closer to your mouth and the better you can be heard. Speaker: The speaker is located close to or in your ear. It reproduces the sound from the other end of the phone conversation. You may have a speaker located outside the ear like the over ear handsfree or it may be only an ear bud that goes in your ear. Most have a type of ear bud that goes just inside the outer ear and have the microphone connected to it. The quality of the speaker will determine the quality of the sound you receive. Many times a tighter fit in the ear will reduce noise around you in that ear making it easier to hear the cell phone. Handsfree Ear Hook Handsfree Ear Boom Handsfree Ear Bud Handsfree Ear Wrap Ear loop: The ear loop can be of many shapes as you can see from the pictures above. Some will be more secure and help keep the speaker in place better than others. The type of activities you will be doing and your comfort will help determine the best design for you. SAFETY: Many states are making it illegal to talk on a cell phone without a handsfree. The laws state something like "all state drivers will be required to use a hands free device while driving". If you are driving through the state you are required to follow their law. It is a safety measure to be better able to drive the vehicle and watch the road not holding a cell phone to your ear. Many accidents are caused by this each year. Be careful and do not get your hands and arm tangled in the cords of the hands free. This can become a safety issue and if you have these problems you might be wise to get a wireless handsfree like a Bluetooth. We have a report on the Bluetooth you can review. This will do away with the wires between the cell phone and your ear. Where to purchase You can purchase the handsfree headsets and other devices from you wireless carrier but most of them have high prices. With some shopping you can find discounted prices many up to 80% below the wireless carrier price. Check some of the stores in the box on right side of the page, and also in Shopping with Jo.