We all know someone that could get some use out of a Bluetooth car adapter. It could be a fanatic that has their car decked out in all sorts of tech and upgrades, or it could be the busybody that is always on the phone. It could even just be a music fan that needs an upgrade to their sound system.

Either way, a Bluetooth car adapter makes for a fantastic gift, for yourself or for someone else. It’s such a fantastic gift that we’ve decided to rank the top five of them on the market right now.

Contents

How Does a Bluetooth Car Adapter Work?

How your wireless Bluetooth adapter works depends on the type of adapter you choose:

  • FM Transmitter – uses radio FM frequencies
  • AUX-in – plugs directly into your 3.5mm AUX input
  • Visor Type – output through its own speakers

Bluetooth adaptors are designed for hands-free calling. Some adapters only allow phone calls while others incorporate streaming music, some are basic. Some have multi-function button pads. Some have LCD display screens with button pads. Many offer convenient voice-activated controls.

The best Bluetooth car adapter kit for hands-free calling has a high-quality, noise-canceling mic that reduces background road noise. If your vehicle doesn’t have AUX-in, an FM transmitter kit is necessary. However, if open FM frequencies are limited (around cities), there is little other option but to connect via an AUX input.

5. Nulaxy Bluetooth Car Transmitter

Bluetooth FM TransmitterThe Nulaxy Bluetooth Car Transmitter is a phenomenal piece of tech that comes in at a remarkably low price.

For around $15, you’re getting a great sound quality that has noise reduction features built in to maximize your safety while you’re driving.

It also has a 5V charging slot so that you can charge your phone while you drive, something which most of us can appreciate.

On the downside, though, it drains the battery pretty quickly if your car model doesn’t turn off the cigarette lighter when you shut it off.

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4. Mpow Bluetooth Transmitter and Receiver 

Bluetooth Transmitter/Receiver, 2-in-1Mpow and Nulaxy are the only brands that you’re going to see twice on this list, which speaks volumes about the quality of the products produced by the two.

This model has an eight-hour battery life and can connect to most Bluetooth-enabled devices. Considering how cheap this adapter is, these are pretty good stats.

On top of that, you can actually charge two devices at once with this adapter, which can come in handy for those of you out there that have kids always on their iPads.

You do have to manually turn it on, but that’s nothing more than a minor inconvenience given the pricing.

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3. Nulaxy Bluetooth Car Transmitter Wireless and Hands-Free Model

Bluetooth Car FM Transmitter Audio AdapterThe number three spot goes to this Nulaxy adapter. It’s another inexpensive model, which is impressive given that it’s hands-free.

It has a voltmeter and play mode features to maximize your safety while driving, and it connects to most of the major phone manufacturers in the market right now.

It’s an FM transmitter adapter, though, meaning you might struggle to get a radio signal if you’re driving around big cities.

That’s a tiny downside for all you’re getting with this Bluetooth car adapter, though.

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2. Tunai Firefly Bluetooth Car Adapter

World’s Smallest USB Wireless Audio Bluetooth 4.2 AdapterYou’re going to notice straight away that the Tunai Firefly is much smaller than all of the other adapters on this list. There are no buttons, no display; all you’re getting is a USB.

Don’t let that fool you, though. This compact little device is one of the best hands-free Bluetooth adapters out there.

It utilizes a patented sound technology to generate an immensely impressive music quality, and it can remember up to eight paired devices.

There’s obviously no charging port or anything like that on this adapter, but with a sound quality like that, you don’t really need one.

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1. Mpow MBR2

Bluetooth Car Kits, Bluetooth 4.1The MBR2 is leagues above every other Bluetooth car adapter right now. It’s a three in one Bluetooth device that operates as a Bluetooth adapter, a dual USB charger, and a ground loop noise isolator.

It uses a Bluetooth 4.0 system that lets you connect two devices to it at the same time, which is something that none of the others can do.

It’s also got a base that can stick to your dash naturally, which is a nice quality of life feature.

It’s got amazing sound quality to match this onslaught of features, which is why it’s our number one pick.

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Conclusion

In conclusion to our guide, the truth is that all of these best bluetooth adapters do the exact same thing. The differentiating factors are the overall sizes, looks, and accessories included. Some are really barebones when you get them, including only the product and a tiny aux cord at most.

While others (#1 we picked out), comes with a handful of things that really won’t require you to buy anything else to get it all setup. For 15-40 dollars, you can really turn your automobiles stereo into a more luxurious experience. No aux cord = thumbs up!