I try to use my mobile phone as little as possible when behind the wheel as I find protracted conversations can become distracting and I firmly believe that safe driving demands one’s full attention. Nonetheless, the value of being accessible when on the move, both from a business and a social perspective, cannot be underestimated, and since it is illegal to use a hand-held mobile when in control of a vehicle, some form of hands-free device is now an essential piece of kit.

This week, I’ve been trying out a new lightweight Bluetooth headset from Jabra. The BT2010 weighs only 11 grams, yet still allows up to 7 hours of talk time.

As I unpacked the unit from its box, I was dismayed to find the user manual supplied on a mini cd-rom which is completely useless on my MacBook Pro slot-loading drive. Undeterred, I went for the quick start manual and was able to ‘pair’ the unit with my naff Sony Ericsson K800i (Apple/Santa, if you’re reading, I’d like an iPhone) in a matter of seconds.

The unit is so light that the earhook supplied is described as optional. I can well see why, but I preferred to leave it in place as it made the headset feel more secure. On the go, I found I was able to quickly forget that I was wearing it at all.

I found the sound quality to be excellent and had no complaints from my callers. The design of the unit is very neat and compact and it’s therefore fairly discreet.

Best thing of all though, is probably the price. It’s a penny under twenty quid and that for me makes it an absolute bargain.