Sunday group ride used to break down about the third turn. The riders began to drop back, pass each other, and guess the next turn since no one was able to hear the route ahead. Having 10 of us on comms for the entire day changed everything. The SolaMr X10 has mesh group chat for up to 10 riders at a price point that normally would only get you a basic Bluetooth pair.
Specs and Build Quality
Mesh 4.0 is the key item to note here. This is the same technology class as the high-end touring systems, and this is what allows 10 riders to communicate in one group. In addition to mesh networking, Bluetooth 5.1 takes care of communication with your phone, nav, and music above the mesh network. Two separate radios, doing two separate things.
Charging via magnetic mounting is another nice option. The charger attaches to the top of the unit and snaps onto the charging dock. No fiddling with pins to line up. Simply place the unit in the cradle and it connects. There's nothing worse than trying to connect your charger while taking off your gloves at a gas station in the rain.
Units come in several colors, which gives the user some additional personality compared to most intercoms. Black is available for those looking to keep a low profile. Brighter colors are available for those wanting to stand out on their helmet. Build quality feels good for the money spent. Buttons are positioned exactly where your gloved fingers would expect them to be.
Weight is reasonable for all-day wearing. After a couple of hundred miles of riding an intercom attached to the side of your lid becomes apparent, and the X10 doesn't weigh you down. Installation utilizes a standard clamp and adhesive pad kit. Installation didn't take much time at all to mount the unit to a full-face helmet.
On build quality, one thing worth mentioning. The controls are glove-friendly. Thick winter gloves render tiny buttons useless, but the X10 switch has enough travel and a positive click action allowing you to locate the button(s) without having to lift your visor. That is a small advantage that saves a great deal of fumbling on a cold morning ride. See the full spec sheet on Amazon.
Audio and Microphone Performance
Noise cancellation is what makes the mic so effective against wind noise at highway speeds. Every comms system has problems with wind noise at highway speeds, and the X10 removes nearly all of it before your voice reaches the others in your group.
Voice control is integrated. You simply say the wake word (Google Assistant or Siri), and you can initiate a call, start playing music, or access your phone assistant without removing your gloves from the handlebars. Keeping your gloves on the bars is a safety feature, not a novelty.
Forty-millimeter speakers are standard size for this type of product. Music plays loud enough to enjoy at speed, and communications from fellow riders are clearly audible. No member of our group needed to ask anyone to repeat themselves during a full tank of riding.
Music sharing works as well. You and a passenger or a nearby rider can share tracks. This helps maintain two-up riding as a shared experience instead of two individuals listening to their own world.
There is even an FM radio included. Useful if you're in an area without cellular service and still want to listen to some music without draining your phone's battery. It is a secondary benefit, but it won't hurt to have it.
Mesh Communication and Range
Stated mesh range is 1500m open and 800m obstructed. In reality, you'll likely see reduced performance in both cases, however the X10 will hold up in most group-riding situations, where riders remain roughly in-line-of-sight of each other on mountainous and canyon roads.
Mesh wins out over Bluetooth in this regard. A Bluetooth-based system is a daisy-chain. If the first person loses connection, the chain breaks. Mesh creates a web. Each individual unit communicates directly with the entire group, so losing connectivity due to dropping back behind others in the group will not kill the rest of the network.
Reconnection time is listed at 5 milliseconds. Essentially instantaneous. When someone drops behind a hill and returns to range, they instantly reconnect and resume their position in the conversation without needing to manually press a button or wait for them to try reconnect again.
Group sizes of ten riders are large enough that big groups can become chatty and may become unorganized. But this is a problem of group dynamics versus hardware capability. The X10 supports all ten riders without choking on bandwidth.
Setup happens through the EJEAS app. The app manages devices and firmware, providing users with a tried-and-tested platform vs something new that will eventually be abandoned. You can read more about the app over on ejeas.com.
Who Is This Intercom For?
This intercom is for riders that actually ride in groups. If you are a solo commuter that just needs turn-by-turn directions in one ear, there are better, less expensive Bluetooth-only units available. However, if your weekends consist of anywhere from six-to-ten bikes leaving together, then mesh comms is what you want and need, and this is one of the cheapest ways into it.
Tourers will get the most mileage out of it. With long days and varied terrain and members of your group splitting up and rejoining throughout the day, the longer distance capabilities and instant reconnection make it ideal for tourers.
Weekend and sport riders that ride with the same group every weekend will also find it useful. Once a group learns how to utilize full mesh comms, returning to using hand signals will seem archaic.
It is not for everyone. If you never ride more than two-up with a single passenger or partner, you'll pay for mesh capacity that you'll rarely if ever utilize. Additionally, if everyone else in your riding group currently runs different brands, they will need to purchase identical units in order for the full 10-rider mesh group capability to function properly. Mesh works best when all members of your riding group are running matching gear.
Value-wise, as a hybrid unit that combines mesh and bluetooth in one package, it is difficult to dispute the value proposition presented by this unit. Per-rider pricing makes this solution affordable (especially considering full mesh systems from higher end manufacturers cost multiples times more), and you don't lose out on any of the essential features offered by these systems either. Check it out on Amazon. If you are still comparing options, our intercom roundup and blog cover the rest of the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many riders can join the mesh group?
Up to ten riders can join one mesh group. Most group rides and larger ones will fit within this limit easily. Larger groups would have to split into multiple groups.
What is the actual range?
Expected real-world range is less than stated range, but based upon numerous tests conducted on canyon and mountain roads where riders remained generally in line-of-sight of each other, the X10 performed admirably maintaining connectivity among riders as expected.
Can I use it with other intercom brands?
You can use Bluetooth pairing with other intercom brands for simple rider-to-rider communication. Only full mesh connectivity (i.e., ten riders) functions when all riders have units from SolaMr.
Does it work with my phone and navigation?
Yes. Bluetooth 5.1 connects with your phone for music playback, music streaming, calling, and nav prompts. Voice control enables you to operate all of these functions hands-free.
How do I recharge it?
The unit charges magnetically. The puck fits onto the top of the unit and clicks securely into the charging dock without needing to align any pins. Once placed in the cradle, it simply connects. Nothing is worse than trying to attach a cable while taking off your gloves at a gas station in the rain.
What is the warranty?
SolaMr provides standard consumer support along with a warranty term that addresses typical defects. Please check the current posting for details regarding warranty terms.