Sena vs Cardo - MCN's guide to choosing the best helmet intercom brand to keep you connected

If you’re trying to choose your first Bluetooth motorcycle intercom and you’ve done a little bit of research, you’ve probably noticed that two brands come up again and again: Sena and Cardo.

The two firms have oddly similar back stories – both started making non-motorcycle related products and were run by men who rode motorbikes who then saw an opportunity to adapt their tech for bikers.

Both make universal intercoms that can be fitted to almost any full face motorbike helmet (with adaptors that also work for flip-fronts) and both use Mesh Bluetooth technology in one form or another for their connectivity.

Jump to

• Are Sena and Cardo compatible with each other?
• What if I ride in earplugs?
• What’s the difference between Sena and Cardo?
• Do Sena or Cardo intercoms look better?
• Battery life of Sena and Cardo units
• Advanced features
• Should I pick Sena or Cardo?
• FAQ
• How MCN tests intercoms

If you’re looking at integrated helmet intercoms, the chances are you’ll end up with a Sena system. Even helmet firm’s own Bluetooth systems are often rebranded Sena units that use similar hardware and the same operating systems and software. A notable exception is the new Ruroc system that is built by Cardo.

Are Sena and Cardo compatible with each other?

One of the big considerations if you plan to use your intercom to talk with other riders or a pillion is compatibility. This has been an issue in the past and previous advice would be to buy the same brand your mates have already – but not any more.

As of 2023, connecting the across brands is now almost as simple as connecting like-for-like. I have personally connected my Cardo Packtalk Pro and Sena 50S units with no problems.

What if I ride in earplugs?

Both Cardo and Sena have premium versions of their speakers; JBL in the case of Cardo and Harman Kardon for Sena and they’re both loud enough to be heard through earplugs but neither is better than the other in my experience.

The earplugs and helmet you wear will make far more of a difference than the brand of intercom you choose so think about choosing these carefully. Sports-touring helmets or helmets designed for sporty riding tend to be more aerodynamic and therefore quieter.

If you want to use a peaked, adventure lid then consider a more road-biased model like an Arai Tour-X 5 rather than something like a Bell MX-9 ADV (an excellent but drafty helmet).

More basic earplugs (the foam ones you potentially pinch from work) do a great job of protecting your hearing, but there are re-useable options out there that just filter out the damaging frequencies while letting other sound through, which make it far easier to hear music or phone calls.

I’ve found that these Loop Experience 2 earplugs work better than others with an intercom:

What’s the difference between Sena and Cardo?

I’ve previously used both Sena and Cardo intercoms including integrated Sena systems and various Cardo universal options and there’s genuinely not much to choose between them.

Whatever boasts both firms make about sound quality, with 115dB of wind noise and earplugs between the speaker and your eardrum, you won’t be blown away by the bass or clarity. It’s more a battle of being heard at all and both brands do cut through – especially with the upgraded speakers on offer.

Both brands require that you learn what the buttons do by touch if you don’t want to use voice commands and I found the Cardo button lay out easier to fathom than the Sena. But without even leaving the office, I can find riders who feel the opposite so it’s very much just personal preference.

Both have voice command capability and are compatible with Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri but I find them both a little hit and miss which is both frustrating and distracting. I generally leave an infinite playlist going that I can pause and resume as I please depending on the riding I’m doing and how bored I am. Phone calls can be answered using the buttons.

I used Sena’s handlebar mounted remote control with a Sena 10U integrated unit I tested and found that having the control buttons both within easy reach and, more importantly, where I could see them if needed was a real improvement in the experience.

Do Sena or Cardo intercoms look better?

Glueing or clamping a lump of plastic onto the outside of your helmet will never look the best but for my money the Cardo units look less cumbersome and obvious than the enormous Sena ones.

I find this strange considering Sena have pretty much cornered the market for integrated units and so must be able to cram all they need into a smaller space.

It only gets worse when you pop the antenna to improve Bluetooth connectivity (I’m utterly astonished this is still a thing in 2024 but it’s still a feature of the new 60S, too) which makes it even more ungainly.

The Sena mounting bracket on my 50S is an enormous and heavy piece of metalwork that hangs far below the chin bar of your helmet. It’s never hit my shoulder or got caught in my clothing or anything but it’s definitely worth mentioning.

But the least impactful option visually is an integrated headset which will fit inside your helmet with little or no external giveaways. As I’ve mentioned a few times, these options will usually be powered by Sena tech and operating systems.

Battery life of Sena and Cardo units

The claimed battery life of Sena and Cardo units varies by use case and model and it becomes quite complicated to try to compare like-for-like on paper. But I’ve never run out of battery using either brand in normal riding conditions (when I’ve remembered to charge them).

If you use the Mesh function a lot as you ride and stay in the saddle for long stints, then you’ll need to recharge daily but that’s usually something that’s possible when you get to your next overnight stop.

Using either brand on my hour-long commute to listen to music requires far less frequent top-ups and the more advanced models with auto standby also mean you’ll have plenty of juice for the return leg even if you’ve forgotten to switch it off manually.

Advanced features

Right at the top end of each manufacturer’s range is where the differences really start to appear. Cardo’s Packtalk Pro was released in 2024 featuring automatic crash detection software.

Using a combination of internal sensors and the ones in your smartphone, the unit uses an algorithm to detect a crash and gives you a set amount of time to tell it you’re OK, otherwise it alerts a pre-determined contact.

It’s a nifty feature and I half expected Sena to follow suit with their next model but the 60S they unveiled later in the same year pushes tech in a different direction.

We’re yet to put it to the test at the time of writing (first impressions review coming soon) but Sena claim the unit has no range limit and can be connected to any number of users.

The boosted range is thanks to the unit switching seamlessly (Sena’s word) between Bluetooth Mesh and cellular network for connectivity. That means in theory that if a rider gets lost or pulls up with a problem then they will never drop out of range of the others in the group.

Presumably, the system won’t be compatible with Open Mesh, otherwise you’d be hearing every rider on the planet with that feature switched on…

Cardo have responded with what they are calling ‘Mesh Boost’ which is expected to arrive in early 2025 and expands the private group size to 31 riders along with other features including cellular connectivity.

Should I pick Sena or Cardo?

It sounds like a cop-out but it really does come down to personal preference. If you want to use an integrated system that fits more seamlessly into your helmet then you will most likely end up with a version of a Sena because that’s very much their market.

Conversely, if automatic crash detection sounds like something you would like to have then you’ll need to go for the Cardo Packtalk Pro because that’s the only intercom that currently has it.

You no longer need to be swayed by the brand your mates use, either, because the two systems now speak to each other no problem. Speaker volume isn’t an issue for either brand, and both offer speaker upgrades for their cheaper models anyway.

As I said above, I find the Cardo controls slightly easier to remember and the buttons are easier to locate and push with a gloved hand. And since I’m not desperate for crash detection, I’d buy a cheaper model from their range like the Freecom 4X (£174.99) and then upgrade the speakers to the 45mm JBL ones (currently £73.11). for an all-in price just under £250.

If you think Sena is the brand for you, though, you can currently get their 50S model which already has Harmon Kardon sound for £234.97 (Sportsbike Shop, correct at time of writing).

Intercom alternatives

Just to throw a slight curveball into the mix, I’ve recently started wearing Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds under my helmet instead of using an intercom at all. If you only use the intercom for listening then there’s no need to worry about the microphone or Mesh connectivity, the sound quality is infinitely better and you can use the noise cancelling tech to finetune how much of the world around you gets through for safety.

There are several earplug brands that offer Bluetooth or wired connectivity with their custom fit models, too, which is another option to consider. Or you can combine the advantages of both by plugging wired earphones into your intercom instead of using the speakers.

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FAQs

Are Sena and Cardo intercoms waterproof?

I’ve never had a problem with water ingress on an intercom of either brand even after long rides in torrential rain.

Is Sena or Cardo better?

It comes down to personal preference and the features that you consider important.

Can Sena talk to Cardo?

Yes, Sena and Cardo units can now speak to each other and are almost as simple to connect as like-for-like brands.

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How MCN tests intercoms

At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles in order to provide you with opinions and evaluations you can trust, alongside news of the most significant developments in motorcycling safety gear. We want you to stay safe, enjoy your riding and hopefully look great while doing so! 

We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions.

That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on. To make it onto this list, intercom systems must have been worn for thousands of miles by our team of experienced testers, show no major flaws, provide quality sound as well as offering decent value for money. 

Each of our expert reviewers tests their intercoms for a variety of things, both subjective and objective. Factors assessed include the sound quality, ease of use with gloves on while riding and ease of set up.

However, we also assess their perceived build quality, how well additional features like voice activation work and how simple connecting to others is.

We cover thousands of miles with these intercoms and regularly compare them with one another in the office, so collectively we’ve built the sort of knowledge base you can trust.

If you can’t see a review against an intercom on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These intercoms will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.

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What our star ratings mean

When we review a product, we award it a score out of five. In the ratings tab of a given product, you may also find more specific scores for the different aspects of a product’s performance to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to what each number score means:

• 1 star – Poor performance in this category or overall. A product with a single star rating has fallen below the expected standard and should be avoided.
• 2 stars – Basic performance in this area or overall. A product with a two-star rating has managed to perform to a barely acceptable level and there is room for improvement.
• 3 stars – An average performance in this area or overall. A product with a three-star rating has achieved a basic level of performance and is deemed adequate.
• 4 stars – A product has performed over and above the accepted averaged in this category or overall. A product with a four-star rating has surpassed expectation and delivered in a particularly impressive way.
• 5 stars – A product has performed at the highest possible level in a particular category or overall. A product with a five-star rating has delivered to the highest possible level, impressing the tester with its performance. We would happily spend our own money on it.

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