Here are our top 5 picks for the best bluetooth dongle for pc. A Bluetooth compatible device can effortlessly pair up with other Bluetooth enabled devices. Having Bluetooth connectivity on your PC computer will let you connect headsets, speakers, keyboards, mice etc to it without messy tangled cords. Laptops and desktops are built with Bluetooth support these days but the older systems may not have one. If your PC is not bluetooth ready then you can easily fix it with a bluetooth dongle.
What is a Bluetooth Dongle and How it Works?
Bluetooth Dongle is a tiny USB device that makes a PC or Laptop Bluetooth-ready when attached. It's easy to setup and plug-and-play in most cases. Once plugged in to the USB port it configures computer with Bluetooth and stay out of your way. Since they are so small you will barely notice at all.
The latest Bluetooth connectivity standard is 4.0 and the best thing is they are backward compatible with the earlier versions like 3.0, 2.1, 2.0, 1.2 & 1.0. So a 4.0 USB adapter/dongle will easily connects with older Bluetooth devices without issues. Not all dongles are compatible with every computer. So you must make sure the dongle and computer's operating system are compliant with each other.
Top 5 Best Bluetooth Dongles for PC/Laptops
1. Plugable Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy Micro Adapter (Windows 10/Linux)
Plugable Bluetooth 4.0 USB Adapter is the best bluetooth dongle for pc running on Windows 10, Linux and Raspberry PI. It is tiny and discreet so you can plug it and forget it. Moreover the device is plug-and-play so the setup is really a breeze. Within moments it transforms your computer/laptop into bluetooth compatible. Plugable is cross-platform compatible and works well with Windows 10/8/7, Linux and Raspberry PI. But please note that this DOES NOT support MAC. So if you look to upgrade Bluetooth on MAC machines then go for other recommended adapters in this list.
The dongle works on Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity but backward compatible with older Bluetooth versions like 3.0. So if you want to connect devices that run on older Bluetooth versions then you can do it without trouble.
BT 4.0 technology consumes less energy so using the dongle on Windows 10 or 8 PC is more advantageous. If you plan to use it on laptop then you don't have to worry about the adapter eating up battery power. You can simply plug-in and leave it on travel. Plus it has good coverage of 33 feet so gives you the freedom to move around with the headset on.
- Adds Bluetooth 4.0 support to Windows/Linux PC and Laptops.
- Plug and play setup in Windows 10 with default Bluetooth stack.
- Energy efficient and safe to leave it plugged-in on laptop during travel.
- Cross-platform compatible with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Linux OS, Raspbian & Ubuntu on Raspberry PI
- Connects Bluetooth headsets, speakers, keyboards, mice etc to PC without wires.
2. Avantree USB Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter for PC (Windows 10)
This ultra compact USB adapter from Avantree setup Bluetooth support to PC/Laptop and let you connect with Bluetooth-enabled devices like headphone, smartphone, speakers, keyboard, mouse and other peripherals wirelessly. The Bluetooth adapter is compatible with almost all Windows versions right from Windows 10 to XP. The setup is smooth and supports plug-and-play on Windows 7 and above machines.
It works on Bluetooth 4.0 but also backward compatible with older versions like Bluetooth v3.0/v2.1/v2.0/v1.1. It covers a good range of 10 meters and has data transfer speed up to 3 Mbps. The LED indicator is a nice addition to know status like ON, Connecting and Stand-by mode.
- Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter and backward compatible with V3.0/2.1/2.0/1.1
- Compatible with 32/64-bit Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista & XP Operating System.
- Connects Windows computer to bluetooth devices such as speakers, headsets, keyboards, mice, and cell phones.
- Wireless range up to 10 meters (33 feet)
- Supports Bluetooth Low Energy Protocol
- LED Status indicator
- 2 Years Warranty
3. Kinivo BTD-400 Bluetooth 4.0 Dongle (Windows 8 and Older)
If you want to upgrade Windows 8 or earlier systems to Bluetooth then Kinivo BTD-400 Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter is a very good choice. Being around for years in the market the dongle is extremely reliable for making Windows systems to communicate wirelessly.
It is complaint with the latest Bluetooth v4.0 with class 2 specifications and very energy efficient. Plus the dongle is backward compatible with earlier versions like v2.0, v3.0 etc so you can pair up with all types of Bluetooth devices like speakers, keyboards, headsets etc.
The USB adapter is very portable and comes with seamless installation process. If you use Windows 8 machine then simply plug-in the device and it will install automatically. As for older versions like Windows 7 you have to use the CD that comes along with the adapter. The entire setup is easy and straight forward.
- Supports Bluetooth v4.0 Class 2 with low energy technology
- Pair up PC/Laptop with Bluetooth-enabled Keyboards, Mice, Smartphones, Printers, Headsets and others.
- Compatible with 32/64 bit Windows 8.1/8/7, Vista & XP
- 10 Meters of Wireless coverage
- 2 Years Limited Lifetime Warranty
4. SoundBot SB340 Universal Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter (Windows/Mac)
Soundbot Plug and play Bluetooth USB adapter is the inexpensive solution for bluetooth connectivity. This is a versatile dongle that works on both Windows PC and Mac machines. It establishes wireless connection between PC and other Bluetooth devices like BT supported stereo headsets, mobiles, speakers, keyboards and mice.
It is a Bluetooth 4 Class 2 adapter and backward compatible with earlier bluetooth versions such as 3.0, 2.1, 2.0 & 1.0. It has a good 33 feet range and transfer data at 3 Mbps speed.
Also supports most of the Windows OS versions like 64/32 bit Windows 8/7, Vista, XP, 2003/2000, Me.
- Bluetooth V4.0 Class 2 Smart Ready Specification with Low Energy Consumption
- Backward Compatible with Bluetooth v3.0, v2.1, v2.0 and v1.0
- Compliant with 2 Mbps & 3 Mbps Modulation Mode with Gold Plated Connector
- Compliant with Windows 8, 7, XP, Vista, 2003, 2000, Me 64/32 bit and MAC OS
- Data transfer speed of up to 3 Mbps
- Coverage range 33 feet open space
5. IOGEAR Bluetooth 4.0 USB Micro Adapter (Mac/Windows)
IOGEAR USB Micro Adapter is compatible with both Mac and Windows 10 OS and easily set up bluetooth connectivity to PCs and Laptops. It converts non-bluetooth computers to bluetooth-enabled one and let it connect with headsets, phones, laptops, tablets, speakers and others wirelessly.
It's Bluetooth 4.0 Class 2 USB adapter and has bluetooth range of 33 feet. The dongle uses Bluetooth Low Energy protocol for minimal power consumption. So if you plan to use it on Notebooks or Laptops this is an excellent choice.
What we like most in IOGEAR is the support for multiple connections at once. Yes you can connect up to three wireless devices simultaneously and each one of them gets to communicate with the computer without issues. You can simply plug-in single IOGEAR Micro Adapter to PC and connect with wireless-keyboard, wireless-mouse and wireless-headphone at once.
- Wireless communication with Bluetooth-enabled speakers, keyboards, mice, printers, mobiles, tablets, headsets and more
- Setup any Windows Computer with Bluetooth via USB
- Ultra portable Bluetooth 4.0 + Bluetooth Low Energy consumption
- Wide-band audio + A2DP stereo audio wireless streaming
- Up to 3 Mbps of asynchronous transfer rate
- Up to 10 meters wireless range
Over to You:
If you have old computer without Bluetooth support you don't have to replace it just for connecting wireless devices to it. A good Bluetooth dongle/adapter will easily setup wireless connectivity to them. In most cases they are plug-and-play. So you don't even have to go through the process of installing it manually. Overall it's a cost-effective solution. Just make sure the adapter is compatible with your version of operating system before choosing it.
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