Sena 5S

www.sena.com/product/5s

$159.00

It’s extremely rare these days that we aren’t able to connect with each other: whether calling, messaging or even plain old talking, we’re almost always able to communicate. One time we can’t is on our bikes – or, that is, without a device like the Sena 5S.

Calling over your shoulder to your passenger isn’t the easiest on a motorbike, and calling to your buddy’s bike is even harder. From suggesting a services stop to sharing music, the Sena 5S can make a world of difference to your journey.

I love taking the bike out, and over lockdown especially, hitting the road has given me a much-needed sense of freedom. As you can imagine, the chance to ride and chat with a mate is extra-appealing right now! The 5S’s two-way intercom lets you chat freely with your companion, comes with an inbuilt FM Radio (that you assign set a pre-set station either via the device or the accompanying app), can connect to your phone to receive calls, music, Siri/Google Assistant and GPS alerts, and the audio quality of it all is fantastic. The microphones themselves are also pleasantly straight-forward to attach to your helmet. This built-in feel is far more comfortable than an earpiece, and improves your ability to safely hear the traffic around you (whilst keeping the tunes you’re blasting sounding awesome). I was particularly impressed by how well Google Assistant worked via this device – products in this price range often encounter issues on this front, but the connection worked perfectly.

The intercom’s range is 700 m (0.4 miles), though hills or buildings could affect that, and a talk-time of 7 hours. Note that only two people can connect to each other with this particular make – if you want to link up to a group, there are other Sena products that offer this as well.

However, the device is easy to use. Between the app, voice commands and an LCD screen, you can pick however it’s easiest for you to control it. There’s even a glove-friendly dial that lets you change volume etc on the go. Sena have made sure they’ve covered every way you could want to control the 5S, so you can focus on having a safe ride: this is a company that clearly knows what you need and has put thought into delivering it.

Pros

Clear sound quality
Two-way intercom
Reliable Bluetooth connection
Voice commands, app, jog dial and LCD screen
Built-in radio
Connects to your music, phone and GPS
 

4.5/5