Today I keep my promise. For several months now I’ve had multiple requests to showcase a selection of recommended hands-free devices and with a fourth province in Canada implementing a ban on cellphone use while driving, the timing couldn’t be better. Here are three different examples of leading headsets and for those who aren’t comfortable with sticking a gadget in your ear, two speakerphone boxes that slide easily into your visor or onto your dashboard.

Trying Out The Hands-Free Experience For Free

Wired Hands-Free

If you’re new to the idea of answering calls and talking through a headset, check the box your cell phone came in. Most cell phones are packaged with a basic, cabled hands-free set that looks like a pair of earbuds, but have an additional module with a hidden microphone and remote control. Simple, yes, cheap, yes, but they do work and are a fine solution if you find yourself in a pinch.

Speakerphone

Most smartphones and fashion/multimedia phones include the ability to operate as a speakerphone. With this mode engaged, your calls are routed to play through a large speaker on the back of your phone rather than through the earpiece. This allows you to lay your phone down on a table, car seat, or dashboard and continue your conversation without having to hold the handset next to your ear. Ideal for having someone talk you through a complex procedure where you need your hands like repairing a car, performing rudimentary surgery, or defusing a bomb (happens to me all the time).

Voice Control/Dialing

Another hands-free feature built into many cellphones is voice control, a mode that allows you to speak commands to your cellphone in place of pressing the physical keys. It takes awhile to train the feature to recognize your voice, but once complete you can quickly place calls by simply saying the name of someone from your personal phone book or using simple command words. It can differ from brand to brand and is worth taking a moment to explore. This is also a feature that you can use in combination with a headset, allowing you to perform more actions without having to reach for your phone.

Bluetooth Headsets

A Bluetooth headset is a complicated piece of technology in that it’s a wireless device that users have to wear, in public, operate blindly with one hand, often in very noisy environments, and usually while performing other tasks. Most consumers tend to go through multiple headsets before they find one they are comfortable with, often starting out with a cheaper, budget model before frustration moves them to invest more in a higher priced set. For this reason I recommend you skip the bargain bin and set your budget for at least $60, the starting range for headsets with noise cancellation technology to prevent those you call from hearing all the chatter around you.

Motorola H780

Futureshop

$80 - $100

Here we have an excellent example of a headset that meets all the basic needs. It's small, lightweight, comfortable, and has a long battery life (7 hours talk time). Whereas many headsets try to use one button to control all of the features, which can be confusing for those who are new to hands-free, the H780 is more traditional, offering separate buttons for each feature (volume, talk, etc. ). It even has a mechanical on/off switch. It also has the ability to connect to two cellphones at the same time, answering whichever rings first while putting the other on hold.

Although it includes both noise reduction and echo cancellation, the sound quality is just fair and not quite the bargain for the price as the rest of the features.

Nokia BH-804

$130

Futureshop

If you're worried as to how you'll look wearing one of these, Nokia's new BH-804, the smallest on the market, really is the way to go. It's very elegant and unassuming, extremely comfortable to wear, and with an aluminum casing, resistant to abuse. The sound quality is quite good. Although its battery life is average (4 hours talk time) it's very fast to charge and it comes with its own charge dock, adaptors, and a necklace/lanyard to wear it when not in use. With the focus on esthetics, I expected it to be weak in performance, but was very surprised at its sound quality.

Aliph Jawbone

$150

Futureshop

Hands-down the best on the market in terms of sound quality and performance. Uses a feature called "Noise Assassin" to deliver clarity that is similar to using a phone at home. Not only does it cancel sound, but it picks out your speech and separates it from your environment. It offers a very elegant design with hidden buttons (you can't see them, but they're there when you press the surface) and includes multiple earloops and headphone covers for wide range of ear types. It’s quite stylish in design and is available in Gold, Black, and Silver.

In terms of its weaknesses, the Jawbone tries to hard to map all of its features to just two buttons, and it can be a bit much to remember how many clicks of the Noise Assassin button will change the volume, activate redial, allow the use of voice command, or turn on or off the Noise Assassin feature.

Bluetooth Speakerboxes

For those looking to avoid having to stick an earbud into their ear canal, there's the speakerphone experience for your car. These wireless boxes are designed to sit on your dash and pick up your voice, allowing you to speak to your caller as if they were sitting next to you in the passenger seat.These are available everywhere cellphones are sold.

Motorola MOTOROKR

$134

With a rechargeable battery offering 18 hours of talk time, this portable box just clips onto your visor and uses noise cancellation for a clear calling experience. It uses a computerized voice to announce the phone numbers of incoming calls and can connect to your in-car radio (auto detecting the best FM frequency) to play your calls through your car speakers.

In addition to handling phone calls, it can also stream music from either your cellphone or any Bluetooth enabled device (such as an MP3 player with adapter). It’s a very easy-to-use device that delivers pleasant results.

BlueAnt SuperTooth 3

$150

No looking back, the best speakerbox on the market. The Supertooth 3 is a box that slips onto your sun visor and connects wirelessly to your cellphone. Any phone equipped with Bluetooth will work. When a call comes in, a computer voice announces the name or number of the incoming call. You can then say "accept call" or "okay" to pick up the call and start talking.

Noise cancellation and echo cancellation technology assure audio clarity even in heavy traffic and text-to-speech technology allows it to speak any of the names on your contact list. If your phone supports voice dialing, you can use the Supertooth 3 to place calls using your voice by saying the name of the person. If the situation you're in gets too noisy, you can also use three simple buttons on the box to accept, reject, or mute the connection. Thanks to a rechargeable battery, you can take the SuperTooth 3 with you when you leave the car and use it in your office if you like.