Best Lapel Microphones for Video and Presentations in the UK (2025)

Lapel microphones (also called lavaliers or lav mics) are clip-on microphones that attach to clothing near the speaker's mouth. They're used extensively in broadcast television, corporate video, conference presentations and online content creation because they allow freedom of movement - the speaker can gesture, move around and look at the audience rather than being anchored to a fixed microphone.

The quality range is enormous: from £5 smartphone clip-on mics to professional wireless systems used in broadcast television. This guide covers the most practical options for UK buyers across different use cases and budgets.

What to look for in a lapel mic

The key specifications that determine quality:

• Self-noise - How quiet the mic is with no sound source. Lower is better; professional lav mics are typically below 20dB-A.
• Frequency response - How accurately the mic represents different frequencies. Voice-optimised mics often have a gentle mid-range boost for intelligibility and a roll-off in the low frequencies to reduce handling and clothing noise.
• Directionality - Omnidirectional lavaliers pick up sound from all directions (more forgiving of mic placement, picks up more room noise). Cardioid lavaliers reject sound from behind (better isolation from room noise, more sensitive to exact placement).
• Wireless vs wired - Wireless systems are more convenient but add complexity (battery management, frequency coordination) and cost. Wired is simpler and often higher quality for the money.

Professional: Sennheiser MKE 2 (Black EW)

The Sennheiser MKE 2 is a professional omni-directional lavalier microphone designed for use with Sennheiser's Evolution Wireless (EW) wireless transmitter systems. It's the microphone you see on professional broadcast sets and documentary productions - a very small capsule with excellent intelligibility, low self-noise, and robust build quality designed for repetitive professional use.

The "Black EW" designation refers to the connector format (for Evolution Wireless systems) and the colour. At £191, this is a professional tool priced accordingly. It makes no sense without a compatible Sennheiser wireless transmitter system.

Professional headset: Sennheiser ME3

For presenters who want the stability of a headset-mounted microphone rather than a lapel clip, the Sennheiser ME3 is one of the most commonly used headset mics in corporate presentations and live theatre. It sits over the ear with a thin boom arm that positions the capsule near the corner of the mouth.

The advantage over a lapel is consistency - the distance from mouth to capsule doesn't change as the presenter moves their head, so the volume stays constant regardless of head position. A lapel mic can be partially obstructed by a jacket lapel or produce varying levels as the speaker moves their head. The ME3 eliminates these problems.

Affordable wired options

For on-camera video work where you're recording directly to a camera or using a smartphone, a wired omnidirectional lavalier is often perfectly adequate. The Rode smartLav+ (around £55) is the most commonly recommended option for content creators - it plugs directly into a smartphone's headphone jack (with an adapter for USB-C devices) and produces noticeably better audio than any built-in phone or camera microphone.

Wireless systems: understanding the options

Wireless systems consist of a transmitter (worn by the speaker, connected to the lavalier) and a receiver (connected to the camera or recording device). The key considerations:

• Frequency band - UK regulations restrict which radio frequencies can be used for wireless microphone transmission. Always confirm that a wireless system is approved for use in the UK before purchase. Sennheiser and Rode both offer UK-specific variants of their consumer wireless systems.
• Range - For most presentation and video applications, 50-100m is adequate. Professional broadcast systems offer more range and better frequency management but at significantly higher cost.
• Battery life - Budget for batteries (or rechargeable alternatives) as part of your running costs. Professional systems use standard AA batteries; some consumer systems use built-in rechargeables.

Clothing and placement tips

Where you clip a lapel mic makes a significant difference to the sound quality:

• Position - Ideally 15-20cm below the chin, in the middle of the chest. Too close to the chin increases plosives; too low on the body reduces the signal.
• Clothing noise - Loose-weave fabrics (linen, cotton) produce more rustling noise than tight-knit materials. Use a clip that keeps the mic away from fabric that will move, or use a small piece of gaffer tape to secure fabric above the mic.
• Cable routing - Route the cable under the clothing where possible. A visible cable looks unprofessional on camera and can catch on furniture or other people.
• Windshield - Outdoors, always use a foam windshield over the capsule. Even light breezes create significant noise on an unshielded lapel mic.