Group rides are not fun when you can’t communicate with your buddies while cruising on the highway.
You don’t want to be left behind when you took a break to take a sip of water. Also, you can’t ride in formations if you can’t communicate.
Luckily, Bluetooth intercoms are there to save the day
There are quite a few options available in the market, like Sena and Cardo. They come with lots of features and long communication range to make sure that you stay connected with your friends and can take calls without having to stop or pull your phone out of your pocket.
Read our Cardo vs Sena comparison here.
But, these options can be a little expensive for riders who are new to Intercoms and want to try them for the very first time.
Fortunately, there are a few good, cheap intercoms in the market that provide excellent value and are absolute bang for the buck. But, before we move on to the list of these affordable Bluetooth intercoms, lets understand, what are the things that you need to consider before getting and intercom.
If you are in hurry, here are our top picks.
Buying Guide
There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you buy an intercom. Do you take lot of calls while you ride?
How many riders do you ride with? Do you go for long rides?
Communication Technology
Most new bluetooth intercoms come with Bluetooth(can connect to upto 8 riders) + Mesh (allows large number of riders to connect to each other). You may need to go with the mesh system if you ride in large groups.
Range
Usually intercoms can stay connected within the range of 0.4-1.0 miles. This range can extend in some cases when you use the mesh system.
Sound Quality
Sound quality can be a very important factor when making your choice. Sound quality may reduce when you are connected with more riders. In some cases the speaker quality may be poor. But, this can be improved by getting third-party speakers for your helmet. Most intercoms have universal speaker port.
Battery Life
If you go on long rides, you must get an intercom that has a great battery backup. While the standby time for Intercoms is between 300-400 hours. The battery backup can vary while you ride, depending on your usage.
5 Best Budget Bluetooth Intercoms Available In The Market
1. LEXIN B4FM
Pros
- Voice commands
- Noise Cancellation
- Long battery life
- Waterproof
Cons
- Music stops when someone calls
Features
- Hands-free Speaker
- Hi-Fi Stereo Sound Quality
- Voice Commands
- 4-Way Intercom with range up to 1 mile
- Noise Cancellation
- Long battery life, 15 hrs Music, 8 hrs Talk time
- Waterproof Design
Lexin is a known brand, famous for Bluetooth intercoms that provide high-end features at low prices, Lexin B4FM is no exception. It comes with High-quality stereo sound, voice commands, noise cancellation, great battery backup, and is waterproof. It has a range of 1600 meters and supports universal pairing. It also has a great battery backup, which allows you to go on long rides without any hassle of charging.
2. Fodsports M1-S Pro
Pros
- 2 Km range
- 8-way intercom
- Clear- clear sound
- Two-options for mic
- Waterproof
- Noise reduction
Cons
- Some customers complained about plastic quality
Features
- 8-Way Intercom
- 2000 Meters maximum range
- High-quality sound
- Hands-free controls
- Noise reduction
- Long battery backup, 20 hrs usage
- Waterproof
Fodsports M1-S is one of the best selling Bluetooth intercoms in the budget segment. It comes with an 8-way intercom, the range is 500 meters for 2 riders. But, it can extend up to 2000 meters if you are riding in a group of more than 2. It provides high-quality sound, hands-free controls, noise reduction when riding on fast speeds. The intercom has 20 hrs long usage time and is waterproof. Fodsport M1-S comes with 2 types of mics. You can get the hard one if you want to use it with a half-face helmet and soft mic for a full-face helmet.
3. Yideng BT-S2
Pros
- 1 Km range
- Hands-Free controls
- 1 year warranty
- Waterproof
Cons
- Only 2 riders can talk at a time
- Can’t connect with other company products
Features
- 1000 meter range
- Echo cancellation
- Connects up to 4 riders
- Waterproof
- Easy handsfree controls
Yideng BT-S2 is the cheapest option on the list. But, still is one of the highest-selling intercoms in its segment. It comes with a range of 1000 meters, echo cancellation, HD audio, Hands-Free control. It provides you the option to connect with 4 riders. But, only 2 can talk at the same time. Well, that’s one of the compromises you need to make for this price. This device comes with a warranty of 1 year. Another problem is that it can’t connect with other devices like Sena.
4. Vnetphone V4
Pros
- 1.5 Km range is great
- Noise Cancellation
- 12 hrs long battery backup
- Waterproof
Cons
- Only 2 riders can talk at a time
Features
- 1.5 Km range
- Noise cancellation
- Waterproof
- Connects with up to 4 riders
- Handsfree controls
- 12 hrs battery backup
Vnetphone V4 intercom can connect with up to 4 riders and has a nice range of 1.5 Km. All 4 riders can talk at the same time for upto 12 hrs. It has handsfree controls, which will automatically answer the calls after 5 seconds. The device is also waterproof so you don’t have to worry about rainy weather.
5. FreedConn TCOM-SC
Pros
- LCD display
- Stereo Sound
- Hands-free controls
Cons
- Connects only 3 riders
Features
- 800 Meters range
- Hands-free controls
- Connect up to 3 riders
- LCD screen
- Stereo sound
- Long battery life, 8 hrs
Freedconn Bluetooth intercom comes with Bluetooth 3.0, connects with up to 3 riders. But, only 2 can talk at a time. This intercom has a high-quality audio output and comes with a hard mic. Also, an extra addition from other intercoms is an LCD display. The device has a range of 800 meters with a battery backup of 8 hrs.
Conclusion
If you are just starting out with the Bluetooth intercoms, it would be better to try something cheap and see what are your requirements before finally spending on an expensive one.
We have selected the best Bluetooth intercoms available in the budget segment. You can go through the article and choose the best one that suits your needs.
In our opinion, Lexin B4FM is a worthy alternative to sena bluetooth, if you want something reliable and cheap.
Ride On!
