If you’re not interested in specs and just want something that works, our experts think you shouldjust buy the Rotibox Bluetooth Beanie Hat. It’s a comfortable beanie with plenty of color options and solid connectivity. All in all, finding the best Bluetooth beanie comes down to your priorities, so read on below to see a few of our favorites. One minor downside is that the USB recharge takes about two and a half hours. We would have looked to see a little less, because if you’re on your way out the door and notice that you aren’t fully charged up, it’s hard to get the beanie back into charged, working order with this unit. Rotibox does say that the standby time on the battery is 60 hours, which is helpful if you plan to keep the beanie in the off position as a backup to your normal headphones. With the subtle volume and play/pause controls, and dozens of colors and styles to choose from (from saggier cuts to pom-pom options) this is a great starting place in your Bluetooth beanie search. The BWH here will give you up to 10 hours of continuous playback and will remain reliable for up to 130 hours of standby time on a full charge. Considering the flat profile of the Bluetooth equipment inside that beanie, those numbers are really solid. Everything else here is pretty standard, with pause/play and volume controls on the outside panel, 33 feet of range courtesy of the Bluetooth 5 protocol, and the ability to wash the hat after removing the headphone drivers. And at only about $20–25 depending on the style you choose, it’s actually a pretty reasonable price for the feature set. The knit quality seems a little thin compared to some of the higher-end options out there, and though the unit will work for about 6 hours of continuous playback, the marketing materials put it at only about 60 hours of standby time (roughly half of what other options offer). These are corners you might be willing to cut if you want to save the money though. One interesting consideration here is the look of the beanie. Pococina has opted for a “lazier” fit on the beanie, rather than the tightly rolled look of other winter hats. They even offer a bright, sparkly gold pom-pom option. These quirky designs actually make this an interesting option for those who want a more off-the-wall aesthetic. But the name of the game here really is the price. There’s Bluetooth 4.2 here, which is generally very stable, though the six hours of battery life is slightly lackluster. The look and quality of this beanie is a pretty standout, with a thick knit texture to provide plenty of warmth and enough style to be your daily beanie. It’s also lined with fleece to keep you cozy and warm on brisk days, and sports a slick panel of easy to use controls for controlling playback and answering calls. The connectivity uses the Bluetooth 4.2 protocol, meaning you’ll get about 33 feet of range, but won’t get quite the stability and quickness of connectivity as you would with a Bluetooth 5.0 device. The knit pattern is interesting on this beanie, too, giving you a plaid-style criss-cross stitch rather than a plain knit texture. There are only two colors to choose from (solid black and solid gray), so it isn’t the most customizable option out there. One added bonus is that you get a neck covering included in the package (which goes for less than $20), which is great for added warmth in the window, and it’ll also double as a face covering.
What to Look for in a Bluetooth Beanie
Look & style: The obvious first consideration with a Bluetooth beanie is how it looks—after all, you likely won’t wear the hat if you don’t like its aesthetic. Many Bluetooth beanies will opt for higher-end tech features but will skimp on the color options. So keep an eye out for the listings with a visual variety if this is a top consideration for you. Bluetooth connectivity: Because Bluetooth beanies don’t tend to sport audiophile sound quality—due to the fact that they use on-ear speaker drivers rather than in-ear, monitor-style drivers—the most important tech spec for the sound side of the equation is the Bluetooth protocol. Many newer models feature the modern, super-stable Bluetooth 5.0 version, but you can save a few bucks if you dip back into the less reliable (but totally still usable) Bluetooth 4.1 or 4.2. Battery life: Battery life for Bluetooth beanies can range from as little as 5 hours to about 12 hours (and even closer to 20 in really standout models). Battery life is such a key consideration because these devices don’t have a hard-wired option, so if the headphones are dead you essentially just have a regular beanie. Lower-priced models will skimp on battery life, so if you want to save some cash, then be ready to recharge your hat regularly.
