This is a stylish, affordable, and functional headset that will compliment most bluetooth-enabled cellular phones. Be forewarned though this is a very in-depth, long review, please read my conclusion before proceeding. I've owned my (second) HS810 for over a year and still use it .

Nice Design

Physically, I find the Motorola HS810 to be very attractive. It has a plastic silver and gray body and a gray earloop made of rubber and plastic. The headset itself is very small and light. It can easily be pocketed or worn on your belt. A foldable boom is the mic for the unit and also its power switch. There are three buttons on the headset. A button on the top and bottom, near the back (if you were wearing the headset). These control the volume of the headset. The other button has a phone imprinted in it and is the main button for the headset. It is located on the outside encircled by a blue LED which is very cool, but can be annoying.

LED Functionality

On the outside of the headset is a blue LED around the main button. When you plug the headset in it lights up, and stays on until it's finished charging. The light is very easy to see and so is very useful for this. On the other hand when the headset is "active" (being used or within 15 minutes of being used) the LED flashes every 2-3 seconds or so. Normally this isn't a problem, but if it's dark it looks kinda weird, especially in the car because you can see it in the mirror (depending which ear it's on) and other drivers won't know what it is. Not a big deal, but something that I find a little annoying and unnecessary.

Ease of Use

Although this headset is over a year old it is still quite functional and very easy to use bluetooth headsets. All you need to do to pair the HS810 with another device is press and hold the main button until the blue LED comes on. Open the boom, and if the light stays on you have entered discoverable mode in which other devices can pair with the headset. This only needs to be performed once for each device you wish to pair it with. Afterward all you have to do is open the boom and (as long as your phone, pda, laptop, etc. has bluetooth turned on) the HS810 will instantly pair with your device. This button can also be used to initiate voice dialing (phone must support this function) if the headset is already on/open.

The foldable mic on the HS810 is awesome. I LOVE this feature. While the boom is closed the headset is turned off, so you save power, but when you open it it's automatically turned on. This makes it very difficult to forget to turn off. It can also be very useful because you don't have to wear it all the time to use it. If your phone rings just whip it out, flip it open, put it on, and you're on the phone. Sometimes phones will need specific bluetooth settings modified in order to use this option (not difficult, consult your manual or the internet if you have trouble). I use this function most in the car or in my basement. My last phone only got reception in one spot in the basement, so I'd turn on bluetooth and leave it in that spot, but use my headset to answer and make calls. Ending a call is as simple as pressing the main button, or closing the boom.

Battery

Motorola claims the headset will last for a talk time of up to six hours. That sounds about right. With daily use I could usually go about four days before it got low though this is a rough estimate because I usually charged it nightly. When the battery gets low while you're using it you will hear a quick succession of beeps every couple seconds. When this happens you don't have a lot of time, so you'll need to switch to your handset or end the call. Be aware that you only have a short time before it dies when you hear those beeps. One thing that's really nice is if you happen to own a Motorola phone then the chargers are the same. So, if you have a car charger for your phone you could just charge it on the road.

Compatibility

I've used this headset with a couple phones and it worked fine with each of them. The phones I've used it with are the Sony Ericsson T610 and Z600, Motorola V710, and Nokia 6230. Any bluetooth headseat should work with any bluetooth phone, but this isn't always true. Always check to make sure your devices will be compatible. My SE Z600 did a few funky things with the HS810, but still worked well. The best way to do this is to search on the internet for experiences with the two products, or go into a store (a lot of US carriers have this headset now) and try it for yourself. The latter is probably better because then you can see if it fits alright and looks good in person. Don't be pressured into buying it there though! In my experience brick and mortar stores and cellular companies in particular will usually charge way more than what you will pay online, even with shipping.

Accessories

I'm not trying to cramp anyone's style or anything, but I think cellphones and other electronics on your belt is kinda dorky, functional but dorky. If that's your thing though, then that's cool because my HS810 came with a little pouch that can clip onto your belt, or there's a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck to show it off and make it even more accessible. However, if that's not your thing you can stick the pouch on your visor in the car so you always know where it's at while you're driving (this worked well for me). Another convenient place for the pouch would be on the inside pocket of a large purse or bag. The headset can still be charged with the included charger while it's in the pouch. You should receive a manual for it as well.

Audio Quality

The first thing I did when I got this headset was call somebody to see if they could tell I was using it. They had no idea. Most people don't. It's audio quality is generally very good. There were a few complaints (from one person at different times) about somebody being able to hear themself while we were talking, but after turning the volume down it wasn't a problem. I believe the problem lies in the fact that the speaker and mic are so close together, and that this person talks too loudly at times. This isn't typically a problem, but it happened occasionally with that one person. Another audio problem I had (very rarely) was static. I don't know if it was due to interference or if it was even the headset, but it happened to me two or three times while using the headset. Volume is sufficient for all but the loudest situations. Driving down the road at 80 MPH with windows open while using this headset is possible. The wind might blow it around a little though...

Fit

Due to the way the headset is designed it's very comfortable and a little flimsy at the same time. The easiest way I found to put the headset on is to press it against the side of your in front of your ear with the boom pointing behind you and twist it. Thus sliding the hook around and on your ear. It sounds a little complicated, but play with it for a minute and you'll know what I mean. After a week or two it'll only take a second to put on. Something that's really cool about it is that you can wear it on either ear. You can detach the earloop from the main body and flip it around. I found it comfortable on both ears, and I've worn it for hours without problem. My mom and a friend of mine have also used it for extended periods of time and it fit them well too. You should try it for yourself though. Unfortunately while the design makes getting it on simple, it comes off just as easily when doing certain things. The headset just hangs from the loop around ear. There is nothing inside your ear at all it rests on the outside. You cannot run while wearing this headset, it will fall off. If you lay down while wearing it it will fall back away from your ear though not necessarily off. I hadn't considered that until I tried lying down on my bed while on the phone. It just doesn't work well with this headset. That being said it did fit well the rest of the time.

Conclusion

This is still a very nice headset. It's size is excellent. Any smaller and you'd look like you were talking to yourself (this may still happen). The boom mic implementation is excellent, and calls sound good. I like it for every reason I listed in the Pros section and then some. That is why despite being so critical I still gave it a high rating. I really like it, but I can't recommend it unless the HS850 isn't an option for you. It is the same exact headset only better, newer, and darker. While writing this review I looked on Motorola's website for info on the HS810 and I couldn't find any. Even after ten minutes of searching. That is surprising considering that this headset is not that old. They don't even list it any more. According to Epinions pricing engine the HS850 is the same price right now, so it doesn't make sense to buy this unless you hate the colors on the other one or you can find the HS810 for considerably cheaper. For information on the differences between the HS810 and the HS850 check out my HS850 review.

Recommended:
Yes