Best Bluetooth adapters For Windows, Mac & Linux: Although many of the latest motherboards for PC are coming with a built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth receiver, like the Killer AX1650 Alienware, there are a lot of motherboards that don’t have one.
And for PC, where devices are replaceable. things go obsolete and they have to be replaced for the better ones. Like Bluetooth 3 are being replaced with 4.
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And what if you are building your own gaming PC?
Keynote:
Do not use Bluetooth Dongle if your system already has one integrated in it, I am talking about Windows OS here because they will only support a single radio host.
So we want to have Bluetooth adapters with a great design, high range, no compatibility issues, and the ones which are using the latest technology right now. (Bluetooth 4.0)
When we talk about design, it’s mostly about color and material’s quality
You also have to make sure it doesn’t look odd with your PC in terms of color (Color matter), and it should be durable.
Also, you have to make sure, it’s completely compatible with your PC operating system.
And then comes the support…
Which operating system are you using? Make sure the Bluetooth adapter you pick is compatible with your OS.
And last but not least technology, make sure you get the ones which are using Bluetooth 4.0 which offers a better range.
So based on all these factors we picked the best ones for you below:
Table of Content
Plugable USB adapter – Best for Linux and Window Users
First things first, it is compatible with Windows and Linux operating systems. (Windows 10, 8, and 7, Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, you name it)
It’s tiny, how tiny? Well, the design measures 0.75 x 0.25 x 0.5 inches and weighs only 0.1 ounces, that’s how tiny. But who cares right. It looks great. It has Bluetooth 4.0 latest technology.
It’s easy to install, just plug and play and it is very plugable as they call it. You will not have to face any issues installing it to your Windows OS PC or Linux.
It’s simply the best you get at this price range.
I mean you can connect up to 7 different devices at the same time with this tiny little thing.
So if you are looking for the best for Windows and Linux this is the best you get.
But what about MAC users, well, this brings us to our next best pick.
Hideez Key Dongle – Best for MAC Users
If you are skeptical about it being plug and play for Mac, then there is nothing to worry about. It simply plugs and play for these OS.
It uses the latest technology, 4.0 Bluetooth. Which means a great range (65ft. / 20m).
It has a gold plated connector which doesn’t really affect connectivity and because of it, it lasts longer than the copper ones.
All other features are common with the our first pick, except for it’s best when you want to connect to MAC.
So why we picked it, we’ll because of its compatibility, design, and value for the money.
TP-link USB Bluetooth adapter – Best for Windows
TP-link has been known as a very viable and reliable manufacturer of wireless products. The AC1300 is a big package in a small box as it offers high connection speeds and is very small.
The dongle allows amazingly fast connection speed up as it uses the latest Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) low energy technology, like all in our list do.
It has a very smart design that makes it fit easily into any USB port without having to make extra space or re-arrange your wire management.
You do not have to struggle to install drivers to use this device because it can be used by just plugging in for Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 10.
This device works on Windows 7 as well, although the plug and play feature is not available for this operating system. You will have to download the drivers manually from the TP-link website.
It has a transmission range of up to 10 meters. You no longer have to be in close range of your computer and fear disconnectivity when you move away.
Although this product works flawlessly over long distances, sometimes a disruption in signals may be experienced if an object obstructs the signal path between your device and the Bluetooth dongle.
This dongle works fine when used for a wireless keyboard or mouse but is not recommended for headsets as signal disruption may deteriorate the sound quality.
This device also does not work well with Xbox and PlayStation controllers and loses signal.
The Plug and Play feature for Windows 10 sometimes recognizes this device as a Bluetooth headset, which would require you to change the settings in the Device Manager and change it to a Generic Bluetooth Device.
ASUS USB Bluetooth adapter – For Windows only
Asus is also well known for making great computer and gaming products. The ASUS BT400 offers a flawless Bluetooth connection with any of your Bluetooth devices.
This product also features Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology which reduces power consumption.
This product is also backward compatible, which means you can use it even on old operating systems easily.
It is also just as small as the TP-link UB-400 so offers high portability (Just mentioning, it doesn’t really matter too much though)
It offers a data rate of up to 3Mbps. And has a good range.
It remained connected to my Bluetooth device for a distance of up to 10 meters.
This product is compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10. and even older versions.
If you have an old computer on which you cannot install a recent operating system, this product even works with Windows XP.
This product has a very effective working range of 5-8 feet. And after about 8 feet, the device starts to lose its signal efficiency.
Although I should mention that installation on older operating systems is possible…and the Plug and Play feature works effortlessly for Windows 10.
The driver’s installation CD that comes for Windows 7 includes a lot of bloatware and unnecessary apps that will take up extra space on your computer.
Another bad thing about it is about the Audio devices.
They may sometimes get hard to pair and use with them. It tends to sometimes recognize Bluetooth speakers and Bluetooth headsets. And sometimes the audio device may also automatically disconnect and you might face a Bluetooth driver error after reconnecting a few times, but that’s just with the older versions of the operating systems.
D-link DBT – Compatible with MAC/Windows
The DBT-120 is a very versatile bluetooth adapter as it is compatible with both a PC and a Mac, and works on old operating systems
This product is very lightweight and plugs into any USB port. It works with USB 1.1 ports as well.
The DBT-120 offers wireless speed of up to 723Kbps
It also works very efficiently and offers the same speed at up to 10 meters distance.
As data security is an emerging issue, this product takes care of this problem very easily. It encrypts the data using the enhanced 128bit data encryption and provides the security you need while data transfers are in process.
This device is not only compatible with a PC but a Mac as well.
It even allows bluetooth connection to more than one bluetooth device simultaneously.
This product works with Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 XP, and Vista,.
Installing the drivers of this product out of the CD that comes along with it may seem to be a hassle sometimes with Windows Vista. You may need to uninstall the programs that come in the CD and let Windows install the drivers for you from the internet. It may not also work with Windows XP Service Pack 2.
This device works fine with keyboards and mice but may struggle to pair with a cellphone.
The customer support from D-link is unsatisfactory.
The 723Kbps data transfer speed is very slow in comparison to the recent bluetooth adapters that offer data transfer up to 2.3Mbps.
This device does not support Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) audio streaming and may not work well with headsets as the sound quality may sound very thin.
Sometimes when your Mac is in sleep mode, this device may fail to wake it up with your bluetooth connected mouse as you normally would with your mouse plugged directly in your Mac.
IOGEAR GBU321- Compatible with MAC
Another device that is compatible with MAC users, the IOGEAR bluetooth adapter features an Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) technology that allows for a high-speed connection and data transfer while being power efficient.
It is bluetooth 2.0 and 1.1 compliant which reduces interference with Wi-Fi devices and makes sure it works with any type of USB port
Talking about speed, it allows data transfer rates of up to 2.1Mbps,
Amazingly this device has a very good range. the long connectivity range of up 100 meters means you never have to worry about a bluetooth disconnection issue or low transfer rate with your device. (One of the main reasons why it’s in our list)
It is also again small and very portable just like other USB dongles, and the material feels good in hands, doesn’t look cheap.
It also comes with built-in security measures that allow for secure pairing, encryption, and authentication.
And besides MAC, it will also work on windows operating systems like Windows Vista and XP and 10 (that’s what they say, haven’t tried it myself yet)
For older systems, they provide you with this mini-CD that comes with the product for the installation of drivers that may be difficult to work with because all of them are.
Overall, if you are a Window user, don’t buy this product.
And yes one more thing when it comes to drivers. IOGEAR drivers also conflict with any built-in bluetooth adapters you might have on your computer. Make sure to use this device with a computer that does not have a built-in bluetooth adapter.
EDUP 600Mbps USB Bluetooth Wi-Fi Adapter
Well we liked all things about it, everything seems great but the size man.
I mean this size of this Bluetooth Wi-Fi adapter is enough to cover two USB ports. When plugged into a laptop, you risk bumping it into things and maybe even breaking it.
But we had to put it on our list because it has a 2 in 1 function. It works as a Dual Band USB Wi-Fi adapter as well as Bluetooth 4.2 USB dongle. It is a perfect choice for all of your devices that you need bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity with like a computer, TV, or TV set box.
The host interface on this device is USB 2.0 and has dual frequency support as it supports 2.4Ghz and 5.8Ghz which allows for good speed data transmission on all of your devices.
It comes with a 2DBI detachable high-gain antenna which makes sure you transfer your data at full speed without any dead angles or low signal coverage in any part of your home.
Wi-Fi speed reaches up to 433.3Mbps while that of Bluetooth reaches up to 2.3Mbps.
Talking about compatibility, besides it being plug and play with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10. It is also compatible with Mac OS.
The 5ghz channel does not perform as fast as advertised and delivers slightly better performance when compared to the 2Ghz channel. And it may also drop frequently and may not reconnect until you switch to the 2Ghz channel and back.
So yea to sum up…
Just buy this device, is you want a combo of WiFi and Bluetooth Dongle.
Frequently Asked Questions…
Can you use bluetooth speakers with a non-bluetooth TV?
It is very easy to turn your non-Bluetooth TV into a Bluetooth TV. It can be done with the help of a single device which is called a “Bluetooth transmitter”. It plugs into the TV’s 3.5mm audio jack and makes it send the audio signals to your Bluetooth speakers. These devices are very easily available as well.
Can I connect my smartphone to more than one Bluetooth device?
Yes. Android O allows users to connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. Additionally, Android P, which is the latest version of the Android OS, allows users to connect to up to 5 devices. You can turn on this function by navigating to the “Developers options” section in the settings and locate the option to change the allowed number of connected Bluetooth audio devices.
Can I stream audio on two Bluetooth devices at the same time?
Yes. Bluetooth 5.0 comes with a cool feature that enables you to stream audio on two Bluetooth audio devices at the same time. Simply put, you can have you and your buddy listen to the same song with two different pairs of Bluetooth headsets connected to your device. It also lets you stream two different audio sources to two different devices, which means you and your buddy can even listen to two different songs being streamed from the same phone on your respective headsets.
Conclusion
Bluetooth devices are being widely used as they remove the hassle of having to deal with wires and offer a lot of free space and tidiness.
Bluetooth adapters allow your device (which does not have a built-in bluetooth adapter) to connect with other bluetooth compatible devices, and are very useful and cost effective.
Some bluetooth adapters also come with a Wi-Fi adapter and function as a 2 in 1 machine.
We hope this elaborate guide has helped you. We would love to hear your feedback.
