Bluetooth beanies have headphones built in, so there’s no need to scrabble around for your headphones or worry about your hat knocking them out of your ears. This all-in-one approach is practical in snowier areas because you can focus on your Bluetooth beanie during colder months rather than a bunch of accessories.
If you’re not interested in all the bells and whistles, our experts think you should buy the Rotibox Bluetooth Beanie Hat. It’s a comfortable beanie with plenty of color options and solid connectivity.
The Rotibox Bluetooth Beanie is a crash course on making a solid, Bluetooth beanie without trying too much. At its core, this is just an acrylic beanie with a soft knit texture that should fit most heads (based on user reviews, it runs a bit big, even). Inside the pouch is a pair of Bluetooth-connected speakers/headphones that press against your ears through the knit pouches—a design approach taken by moth Bluetooth beanies on the market. These speakers connect via Bluetooth 4.1, providing about 33 feet of range from the beanie to your source device. The internal battery provides about 6 hours of listening time on a single charge, which isn’t the most extended battery life but is in line with most of the rest of what’s out there.
Best Overall
Rotibox Bluetooth Beanie Hat
Tons of color options
Decent connectivity
Soft fit
Long charge time
Design could be more sleek
One minor downside is that the USB recharge takes about two and a half hours. We would have looked to see a little less because if you’re on your way out the door and notice that you aren’t fully charged up, it’s hard to get the beanie back into charged, working order with this unit. Rotibox says that the standby time on the battery is 60 hours, which is helpful if you keep the beanie in the off position as a backup to your regular headphones. With the subtle volume, play/pause controls, and dozens of colors and styles to choose from (from saggier cuts to pom-pom options), this is a great starting place in your Bluetooth beanie search.
The Blueear BWH10GR is a stylish-looking beanie, regardless of its Bluetooth functionality. With a cable-knit style texture and a heather tan color scheme on this version, you might be surprised at how much this looks like a trendy beanie rather than a music-enabled hat. Rounding out that design is the tan, leather-style patch that serves as the cover-point for the control remote—a point that is usually pretty ugly on Bluetooth beanies. But this particular model earns a spot on our list because of its battery life. In a world where true wireless earbuds sport 24 hours’ worth of playtime, it’s hard to find a Bluetooth beanie that will offer much more than about 5 hours.
Best Runner-Up, Best Battery
Blueear Bluetooth Beanie Hat
Solid battery life
Nice stylistic design
Reasonable price
Not too many color options
Long time to recharge
The BWH here will give you up to 10 hours of continuous playback and remain reliable for up to 130 hours of standby time on a full charge. Considering the flat profile of the Bluetooth equipment inside that beanie, those numbers are solid. Everything else here is pretty standard, with pause/play and volume controls on the outside panel, 33 feet of range courtesy of the Bluetooth 5 protocol, and the ability to wash the hat after removing the headphone drivers. And at only about $20–25, depending on the style you choose, it’s a pretty reasonable price for the feature set.
Many people prefer a more fitted style for their beanies, which is somewhat difficult to find in the Bluetooth beanie space because a Bluetooth beanie has to fit wires, headphones, and technology into the folds. Tenergy has managed to provide the complete technical setup into a slim profile that hugs the side of your head rather than forcing you to roll up the bottom of the hat. The thin profile of the headphones means that some corners had to be cut.
Best Fit
Tenergy Wireless Bluetooth Beanie
Thick and warm
Slim, fitted design
Bluetooth microphone included
Somewhat lacking in battery life
Bluetooth 4.2 is generally very stable, though the six hours of battery life is slightly lackluster. The look and quality of this beanie is a pretty standout, with a thick knit texture to provide plenty of warmth and enough style to be your daily beanie. It’s also lined with fleece to keep you cozy and warm on brisk days and sports a slick panel of easy-to-use controls for controlling playback and answering calls.
The ZecRek Bluetooth Beanie is an impressive entry into what can feel like an overly similar field of options. At the top of that list is the insane battery life this setup offers. Because ZecRek has a 230mAh battery, you can expect up to 20 hours of continuous play on a single charge. Another impressive feature is the louder headphone units loaded in, providing about 120 dB of pressure sensitivity, rather than the 80 or 90 of most brands. This can be important for thick beanies because the drivers have to push sound through thicker cotton layers for that sound to get to your ears.
Best Battery Life
ZecRek Bluetooth Beanie
Up to 20 hours of battery life
Plenty of volume
Interesting knit pattern
Neck wrap included
Only two color options
Dated Bluetooth protocol
The connectivity uses the Bluetooth 4.2 protocol, meaning you’ll get about 33 feet of range, but won’t get quite the stability and quickness of connectivity as you would with a Bluetooth 5.0 device. The beanie’s pattern features a plaid-style criss-cross stitch rather than a plain knit texture. There are only two colors to choose from (solid black and solid gray), so it isn’t the most customizable option. One bonus is that you get a neck covering included in the package (which goes for less than $20), which is great for added warmth in the window, and it’ll double as a face covering.
What to Look for in a Bluetooth Beanie
Look & style: The first consideration with a Bluetooth beanie is how it looks—after all, you likely won’t wear the hat if you don’t like its aesthetic. Many Bluetooth beanies will opt for higher-end tech features but skimp on the color options.
Bluetooth connectivity: Because Bluetooth beanies don’t tend to sport audiophile sound quality—because they use on-ear speaker drivers rather than in-ear, monitor-style drivers—the most basic tech spec for the sound side of the equation is the Bluetooth protocol. Many newer models feature the modern, super-stable Bluetooth 5.0 version, but you can save a few bucks if you dip back into the less reliable (but still usable) Bluetooth 4.1 or 4.2.
Battery life: Bluetooth beanies can have battery life from as little as 5 to about 12 hours (and even closer to 20 in standout models). Battery life is crucial because these devices don’t have a hard-wired option, so if the headphones are dead, you essentially have a regular beanie. Lower-priced models will skimp on battery life, so if you want to save cash, then be ready to recharge your hat regularly.
About our Expert
Jason Schneider has ten years of experience writing for tech websites and reviewing consumer audio products. With a degree in Music Technology from Northeastern University, Jason brings a nuanced, well-informed, and unbiased view to his Lifewire reviews.
- Won’t the headphones cut into my ears?
- Like any pair of headphones, this can depend a lot on the size and shape of your head. However, most Bluetooth beanies have tiny speakers that are seamlessly integrated with the hat and won’t cut into your head or ears.
- I already have an expensive pair of earbuds, why would I want a Bluetooth Beanie?
- If you’re a fan of hoodies and like to keep your hoodie up, large headphones can often get in the way, but a Bluetooth beanie won’t. Also, if you’ve ever fumbled with your earbuds while you have gloves on, you know how difficult it can be to ensure they end up in the right place. However, with a Bluetooth beanie, you can rest assured that your headphones will remain precisely where you want them.
- Are Bluetooth Beanies waterproof? Are they machine washable?
- The electronic components of these beanies are water-resistant but not waterproof. You can use them in the rain or snow without problems, but they won’t survive a trip in the washing machine. Thankfully, all of the models we’ve included on our list can have their electronic components easily removed. So if your hat is starting to smell a bit rank, slip out the headphones, wash your beanie in cold water and let it air dry before putting everything back together.
Like any pair of headphones, this can depend a lot on the size and shape of your head. However, most Bluetooth beanies have tiny speakers that are seamlessly integrated with the hat and won’t cut into your head or ears.
If you’re a fan of hoodies and like to keep your hoodie up, large headphones can often get in the way, but a Bluetooth beanie won’t. Also, if you’ve ever fumbled with your earbuds while you have gloves on, you know how difficult it can be to ensure they end up in the right place. However, with a Bluetooth beanie, you can rest assured that your headphones will remain precisely where you want them.
The electronic components of these beanies are water-resistant but not waterproof. You can use them in the rain or snow without problems, but they won’t survive a trip in the washing machine. Thankfully, all of the models we’ve included on our list can have their electronic components easily removed. So if your hat is starting to smell a bit rank, slip out the headphones, wash your beanie in cold water and let it air dry before putting everything back together.
