★ iPhone watch
Apple Watch SE
~$249 · buzz on the wrist
Buy at Apple ↗Hardware guide
Gear that gets the call there.
Start with the watch and earbuds you already own. If you need to buy in, this is the short list we'd trust for a dependable DugoutSignal setup — with links to buy each one — plus what the rulebook allows.
Short on time?
Our three recommended buys
★ Android watch
Galaxy Watch FE
~$130–200 · Wear OS alerts
Buy at Samsung ↗★ Audio / catcher
Shokz + clip-on receiver
~$130 + ~$30 receiver
Buy at Shokz ↗A note on high school compliance
What matters before game use
Electronic communication rules still vary by state, league and level of play. Check with your state athletic association or governing body before relying on any game-day setup.
Electronic communication rules vary by league and level. Confirm what your governing body allows before game use.
Check your league or association rulebook for the current season before game use.
Watches
Smart watches we'd start with
The watch buzzes and shows the call mirrored from the paired phone. Any of these work; use what's already on the wrist first.
Apple Watch SE (2nd gen)
Wrist alertsVibrationiPhone
- Best for
- iPhone families who want the dependable pick without paying flagship prices.
- Works with
- iPhone 8 or newer + Apple Watch SE
- Why this pick
- Our recommended watch for iPhone teams. Strong haptics for the buzz-on-wrist alert, great battery, and far cheaper than the flagship models — everything DugoutSignal needs, nothing it doesn't.
- Typical price
- Around $249 new, less refurbished
Where to buy
Use only where permitted; confirm local rules.
Apple Watch (Series 8 or newer)
Wrist alertsAlways-on screeniPhone
- Best for
- iPhone users who want a bigger always-on screen to glance at calls.
- Works with
- iPhone + Apple Watch Series 8 or newer
- Why this pick
- Bigger display and always-on screen make the mirrored call easy to read between pitches. Buy Series 8 or 9 refurbished for the best value.
- Typical price
- From about $200 refurbished
Where to buy
Use only where permitted; confirm local rules.
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
Wrist alertsVibrationAndroidBudget
- Best for
- Android users who want a proven Wear OS option at the lowest cost.
- Works with
- Android phone + Galaxy Watch FE (or Galaxy Watch 4+)
- Why this pick
- Our recommended watch for Android teams. Mirrors the call notification from the paired phone and buzzes immediately, at roughly half the price of the flagship Galaxy Watch.
- Typical price
- Around $130–200
Where to buy
Use only where permitted; confirm local rules.
Google Pixel Watch
Wrist alertsAndroid
- Best for
- Pixel phone users who want the smoothest pairing.
- Works with
- Android phone + Pixel Watch (any generation)
- Why this pick
- Same Wear OS behavior as Galaxy — good haptics, easy notification mirroring, and the cleanest setup if the phone is already a Pixel.
- Typical price
- Around $180–350
Where to buy
Setup steps live in the field guide.
Earbuds & headsets
Audio gear that makes sense on the field
Spoken calls play through the phone's media channel, so anything the phone treats as media audio will carry them.
Earbuds you already own
Free to trySingle ear
- Best for
- Testing before you spend a dollar.
- Works with
- Any Bluetooth earbud paired to the receiving phone
- Why this pick
- Ordinary AirPods or Bluetooth buds play spoken calls fine. Wear a single bud so the player keeps field awareness.
- Typical price
- Free — you already own them
Shokz OpenRun (bone conduction)
Player pickOpen earSweat resistant
- Best for
- All-around player use — our recommended audio pick.
- Works with
- Player phone / lightweight / sweat resistant
- Why this pick
- Leaves the ear canal open so the player still hears the ball and the bench, stays put under a hat or helmet flap, and shrugs off sweat. The best all-day option we know of.
- Typical price
- Around $130
Where to buy
Shokz OpenComm2 (boom mic)
Coach pickOpen earBoom mic
- Best for
- The coach side, where you want a dedicated comms feel.
- Works with
- Coach phone / open-ear / field friendly
- Why this pick
- Open-ear fit keeps the dugout audible, and the boom mic keeps your voice clear when you use tap-to-speak calls in DugoutSignal.
- Typical price
- Around $160
Budget wired earbuds (3.5mm or USB-C)
BackupNo battery
- Best for
- Spares for the equipment bag.
- Works with
- Any phone with a headphone jack or USB-C port
- Why this pick
- No pairing, no battery, no dropout. Keep two in the bag as the zero-fuss backup when Bluetooth acts up.
- Typical price
- Under $20
Catcher setup
A catcher-specific receiving path
For a catcher, think less about consumer earbuds and more about a Bluetooth receiver plus a receive-only wired earpiece under the mask.
Clip-on Bluetooth receiver with 3.5mm output
Catcher rig3.5mm
- Best for
- Building a receive-only path for a catcher — our recommended catcher pick.
- Works with
- Receiving phone → Bluetooth receiver → wired earpiece
- Why this pick
- Clips to the chest protector strap and feeds a wired earpiece, so nothing loose sits in the mask. The phone stays in the dugout bag or behind the plate area; the receiver does the listening.
- Typical price
- Around $25–40
Build it receive-only; confirm local rules.
Single-ear receive-only 3.5mm earpiece
No microphoneSingle ear
- Best for
- The earpiece itself under the mask.
- Works with
- Plugs into the Bluetooth receiver — no microphone
- Why this pick
- No mic means nothing to argue about with an umpire, and the tube style tucks under a mask comfortably.
- Typical price
- Around $15–30
Receiving only; confirm local rules.
Armband or wrist phone holder
MountHands-free
- Best for
- Players who want the phone on their body instead of a bag.
- Works with
- Receiving phone strapped under the jersey
- Why this pick
- Keeps the receiving phone close enough for a solid Bluetooth link while staying completely hands-free.
- Typical price
- Around $10–20
The signal path
Coach phone → DugoutSignal → catcher phone → Bluetooth receiver → wired earpiece. No reply microphone anywhere in the chain.
Game day
Pre-game checklist
- ✓Both phones charged above 50% and on the same team's live game.
- ✓Receiving device paired in the phone's Bluetooth settings with Media audio enabled.
- ✓Media volume up, silent mode and Do Not Disturb off.
- ✓Play a test call in the game screen and confirm you heard it.
- ✓Spare wired earpiece and a battery pack in the bag.
- ✓Game administrator told you're using a one-way receiving setup.
Keep it practical
Hardware changes fast and prices move around — if a link shows a newer model, the newer one works too. The goal stays the same: gear that's dependable, comfortable and won't break the bank. Pairing steps and the first-call walkthrough live in the field guide, and support can help you pick a setup.