Five of the best... rider to pillion intercoms

At 12mm thick the Interphone U-com 16 is a good option for riders who don’t want a chunky control module stuck to their lid. The control unit attaches to the side of the helmet and the battery clips into a bracket stuck to the back of the lid. Owners praise the unit’s ease of use and most are happy with the reliability of the Mesh connection, which will communicate with all Interphone and Sena comms units. It also runs Bluetooth if required. Downsides are the need to charge the U-com 16’s battery while it’s attached to the helmet, which can be awkward, and that battery life is not the best. This last part can be alleviated by buying a second battery, but you’ll need to start the riding day with both batteries charged to get full benefit of that.

Sena’s 20S Evo is a step up in the range from the 10S, and achieved an average of 4.89 stars from the first 18 customer reviews. Owners say pairing them to a phone is quick and easy, but that getting your head around all the functions is initially quite tricky. Reviewers praise the great battery life (Sena claim 13 hours of talk time) and owners also find the hands-free voice commands particularly useful for operating the units while riding.

Cardo’s range-topping mesh-equipped Packtalk Edge is arguably the most advanced intercom on the market. The control module secures into its mounting cradle with a slick magnetic attachment, the battery can be charged as you ride and there’s a three-year warranty. Audio quality when connected to another Packtalk Edge is class-leading and an average rating of 4.80 from the first 125 reviews illustrates its popularity. Owners are full of praise for the battery life, the voice command function and the way it can connect to other brands of intercom if you switch from mesh to Bluetooth mode. 

Cardo’s Packtalk Neo runs essentially the same engine as the range-topping Packtalk Edge, but with some luxury features removed. The mount is a traditional click-in-place type, the unit can only be charged when it’s switched off and there’s a two-year warranty rather than the Packtalk Edge’s three-year version. The losses are compensated by a saving of around £35. Owners are generally fulsome in their praise, saying the clarity and ease of use are good, and the voice command feature is particularly helpful. Of the first 13 customers to leave a review, 11 gave a perfect five-star rating.

Sound quality is the most appreciated feature on the 30K intercom, which has mesh and Bluetooth capability to help connect to a wide range of other intercoms. Owners find the 30K easy to operate (though some are unconvinced by Sena’s phone app that tweaks the settings) and the HD speakers pick up compliments for their unobtrusive comfort and clarity of sound. The ease and speed of charging pick up positive comments, though the auto-volume control gets mixed reviews for its ability to make intercom conversations audible at higher speeds.