6 Best Handheld Wireless Microphones for Churches in 2023

When I am running a church service, there are so many things that I have to think about. Pre-service, the message, and worship are constantly on my mind, so the last thing I want to think about is, “Are my handheld mics going to work today?” 

There have been a few times in my history as a service leader where the microphone died in the middle of the message or gave me distracting feedback that took the congregation out of the message. These moments are truly frustrating as a service leader, so I went on the search for the best wireless mic for churches. 

We’ve all experienced some sort of microphone mishap at one time or another, and it is genuinely frustrating. Microphones can be frustrating to manage if a microphone dies in the middle of the message or can’t stop feeding back. We put so much work into preparing a message or having worship rehearsals and sometimes our mics just fall short. Although you can’t always control if a microphone is going to perform the way it’s supposed to, you can do your best to choose a microphone that is proven to be reliable. 

Choosing a reliable microphone can be stressful though. There are so many options to choose from and so many fancy terms that can easily be confusing. That is why in this article I have done some research to show you the best possible microphones. I have found some microphones that are proven to be sustainable, offer high-quality sound, and are reliable so that your microphone will be the last thing on your mind in the midst of your services.

Overview

Methodology

Before we jump into the list, we’ll cover the methodology for how we choose the best microphones. There are many important factors when it comes to making the right decision on a microphone system. Whether you are running a digital system or an analog system, things like battery life, frequency range, wireless range, price, and customer reviews all need to be taken into consideration when selecting the best option for you and your church.

When it comes to choosing a microphone system for the church, you have to recognize that the wireless system is king. It is a great choice for live performances because the cordless microphone offers similar quality to wired microphones and eliminates any stage clutter that can be distracting to the congregation. Most wired microphones use a distracting XLR connector that can take your congregation out of focused worship moments. 

Battery Life 

One major factor when it comes to choosing a wireless microphone is battery life. Almost all wireless microphones use AA batteries, which output the same amount of power, but each microphone uses a different amount of battery. The amount of time you will be able to use a microphone before it dies is variable on the amount of power that the microphone is using. 

Because the battery life is dependent on the energy required by each microphone, we like to base our metrics on how long a battery will last on a single charge. Of course, when you are looking for a microphone, you want one that will give you hours of continual use, because Sunday morning services can be long and will require use for long periods of time. 

As a side note, we do recommend investing in rechargeable batteries. Batteries can be expensive, so we encourage church leaders to purchase some rechargeable batteries. That way you don’t have to worry about running out of batteries or making a trip to the store once a week. It truly saves time and money, in the long run, to buy some rechargeable batteries for your wireless microphones. 

Ranges

Another important consideration is the range of the microphones. There are a couple of different ranges to look out for when making a purchasing decision on wireless microphones. Frequency range and wireless range are both factors that should play a role in your choice of microphone. 

Frequency Range 

The frequency range is the minimum to the maximum frequency that a microphone is able to pick up. A high frequency response range that is good for vocal microphones is anything over 80 Hz to 15 kHz. This operating range is essential to providing high quality sound and gives the sound engineer a dynamic range that is large enough to work with. The operational range is truly essential to making a microphone worth purchasing. 

Although all of the microphones on this list will be able to hit the 80 HZ to 15 kHZ mark, anything over that is fantastic. Having microphones that can exceed those ranges is more versatile if you ever needed to mic something other than a vocalist. 

Wireless Range 

The other range to take into account is signal range, which is the distance for which your microphone can carry to a receiver. Remember, this is not about how far the soundboard is, it’s about how far the wireless receiver is, so you can always put the wireless receiver behind the stage and have the receiver run to the soundboard.

Having a good ft range is important to make sure that your microphones are reliable. You don’t want to stretch the range too much, but having a longer distance range is better than a short distance range. We recommend that wireless microphones have a range of at least 200 ft because that is usually enough distance to reach a receiver that can then run to the soundboard. Any microphone with a range shorter than 200 ft might not be long enough to reach a receiver, but those microphones still might be good for churches that meet in a small auditorium. 

Overall, frequency and wireless range are both important factors when it comes to making a good choice in wireless microphones. There are many factors to consider when choosing a microphone for your church, but with those out of the way, here are some of the best wireless microphones for churches in 2023.

The Best Handheld Wireless Microphones

OUR PICK: The Shure BLX

Our #1 pick for a church wireless microphone with all features considered is the Shure BLX wireless microphone system. When you buy the Shure BLX, you are ensuring that your services have professional audio quality with great battery life. Shure is known for their great history of high-quality sound equipment and the Shure BLX is not an outlier. It has incredible reviews and will offer great performance when it comes to audio. 

This model comes with the largest operating frequency of any of the others in Shure’s handheld catalog, which makes it a versatile piece of equipment that can suit any singer or speaker. 

The one drawback to this model is that there are no advanced features. Although it doesn’t have any fancy features, it does provide a simple setup and use. This is a microphone that we certainly recommend for anyone who wants a great microphone at a decent price. 

Pros:

• 300 ft range 
• 14-Hour Battery Life
• Shure Quality Sound 

Cons:

• Lack of Extended Features 

LUXURY PICK: The Sennheiser EW

An even high-level microphone the Sennheiser EW is a strong contender for the best wireless microphone for churches. It comes with a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter and offers incredible battery life. Sennheisers are known to be durable, high-quality machines that produce great audio quality for any church. 

Although it has a shorter battery life, at 8-12 hours of operation, the Sennheiser EW uses that power to provide great audio. This is true for professionals, so we recommend it for larger churches that might have a bit more to spend on a wireless microphone system.

This model is our pick for large churches that desire professional-level audio quality. Sennheiser has a huge line-up of great gear, and the Sennheiser EW is no exception to that. It stands above all the others on this list with the only drawback being the premium price. 

Pros:

• Elite Audio Quality 
• Great Battery Life
• Tons of Options

Cons:

• Can be Pricey

BUDGET PICK: The Tonor Wireless Microphone

The Tonor wireless microphone system is great for smaller churches because it is not as expensive as the previous options. It does not have the frequency range or reliability to match with the Shure or the Sennheiser, but you get what you pay for, a passable microphone with a decent range that can perform decently well. 

With a range of 200 ft, this microphone should be perfect for churches with smaller auditoriums, but we recommend not stretching that range when it comes to this model. Preferably this model would be used for short-range use only, as to preserve the audio quality that the Tonor does get. 

If we had to pick one piece of equipment on this list as a budget pick, this is it. It is simple, but it provides passable audio quality at a good price. 

Pros:

• Great Price
• Is a Microphone

Cons:

• Heavy
• Not made for larger settings 
• Limited Ranges

Shure GLXD

The Shure GLXD is another Shure product, but this one is more of a budget option when it comes to Shure’s line of products. Shure is known for great audio quality, and they even offer that quality at a lower price. Although this model is not focused specifically on churches, the Shure GLXD is a good choice for small churches as well. They have rechargeable batteries in side, and a potential for 16 hours of battery life. 

The drawbacks to this model however are the omnidirectional polar pattern that only picks up sound that is directly in front of it, and the lack of a long range. The range is only up to 250 ft whenever it is a straight shot to the receiver, but Shure recommends that you keep it within 100 ft regardless. 

Pros:

• Shure support and Quality
• Price
• Rechargeable batteries feature

Cons:

• Short Distance Range
• Lower Operating Frequency
• Omnidirectional polar pattern

Shure PGXD

Shure’s middle-of-the-road wireless microphone, PGXD is another great option when it comes to wireless microphone. Although it does not have the operation range of the BLX, it outperforms the GLXD significantly. It has a rather secure connection and offers a larger range than the GLXD. 

One significant drawback to this model is the battery life. Coming in at 10 hours of max operational battery, the PGXD is stretching it for long Sunday morning rehearsals that last through all church services of the day. This might not be a problem for churches that only host two services per Sunday, but if you have 3 or more services, the battery length might become an issue. 

Pros:

• Decent Operational Frequency
• Good Distance Range
• Easy Setup

Cons:

• Battery Life

Phenyx Pro Wireless Microphone System

The Phenyx Pro wireless microphone system is another great choice for people who want a good system. The one main draw of the Phenyx Pro is that it has an insane distance range for the price. Advertising a range of 328 ft with no cut is crazy compared to the other models on this list. For most of the models on this list, the 300ft mark is the absolute top end. If you’re in a huge auditorium or your receivers are far away from your singers this is a great option to take a look at. There might be some minor differences when it comes to audio quality compared to Shure and Sennheiser, but the Phenyx seems to be a great off-brand choice. 

Pros:

• Crazy Distance Range
• Multi-channel options
• Appealing Price

Cons: 

• Lesser known Brand

Conclusion

The right handheld wireless microphone can change the game for your church. Without having the stress of your microphone giving out, you can focus more on the things that are truly important to your ministry, like meeting people and delivering the best possible messages.

Choosing a microphone should not be stressful, but it is important, and that’s why we have made this list. Microphones are simply tools that we can use to help us do the work the Lord has given to us, so don’t overstress this choice. We always recommend choosing something that is within your budget. No matter how much a professional microphone seems nice, it is not worth spending all of your budgets on. 

The Amazon links on this page are affiliate links, but feel free to do more individual research on each of these models to find the best price for you and your congregation. 

If you are also in the market for a church choir microphone check out this article, where we discuss the different choir microphones that are great for churches.