Desk phone headsets
Choosing a Desk Phone Headset
A desk phone headset connects one of two ways, and which one you need depends on the phone already sitting on your desk. Corded models plug into the headset port and draw power from the phone. Wireless models put a base station in that port and send audio to the earpiece over DECT, which frees you to answer from across the room once the phone can lift its own handset.
How a Desk Phone Headset Connects to Your Phone
Almost every office desk phone has an RJ9 port, the small socket the handset cord plugs into. That single port is what every desk phone headset is designed around, corded or wireless.
The gap people hit is answering a call. With a wireless base plugged in, the phone still thinks its handset is in the cradle, so the call rings and you cannot take it without walking back. An EHS cable or a mechanical handset lifter closes that loop.
| Setup | Connects via | Extra hardware | Answer away from desk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corded | RJ9 headset port | None | No |
| Wireless DECT | Base in the RJ9 port | EHS cable or handset lifter | Yes |
| Desk phone and computer | Base with phone and USB inputs | EHS cable for the phone | Yes |
Corded or Wireless
A wired headset for desk phone use is the right answer when you sit at the phone all day and never need to move. A wireless headset for desk phone use earns its cost the moment you take calls standing at a whiteboard or walking to a printer.
If your phone is a Polycom, the Polycom headsets page narrows this list to the models that fit those handsets. The lifters and EHS cables themselves sit under remote call control, and a desk phone headset adapter covers older phones whose port is not standard RJ9. For headsets that never touch the phone at all, see wireless headsets.
How do I know if my desk phone has a headset port?
A desk phone headset needs an RJ9 port, a small socket usually marked with a headset symbol on the back or underside of the phone. It sits separately from the socket the handset cord uses. If your phone has no headset socket, an adapter can run the headset through the handset port instead.
Can one headset work with a desk phone and a computer?
Yes. A desk phone headset with a dual base has an RJ9 input for the phone and a USB input for the computer, and you switch between them on the base. Softphone calls and desk phone calls come through the same earpiece.
Does a wireless desk phone headset answer calls on its own?
Only with an EHS cable or a handset lifter added. A wireless desk phone headset carries the audio once a call is connected, but lifting the handset is a physical action the phone still expects. The EHS cable does it electronically, the lifter does it mechanically.