Adding Bluetooth to a Windows 10 PC or laptop is easy to do with a small low-cost USB dongle.
If you have a built-in Bluetooth adapter that is no longer working one sure workaround is to buy a cheap USB Bluetooth dongle.
For example, a laptop that the internal Bluetooth has stopped working on, it can be easily be replaced with a Bluetooth USB dongle and have it back up and working quickly.
There are many units available with some of our favorite picks below.
As always be sure to read the reviews on Amazon, forums, or elsewhere to be sure a unit is a good fit for you.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Our Picks for Windows 10 Compatible Bluetooth adapters / dongles
- TP-Link USB Bluetooth Adapter
- Techkey
- Plugable USB Bluetooth 4.0
- SoundBot SB342
- Kinivo BTD-300
- Avantree USB Bluetooth 4.0
TP-Link USB Bluetooth Adapter for PC(UB400), 4.0 Bluetooth Dongle Receiver Support Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP for Desktop, Laptop, Mouse, Keyboard, Printers, Headsets, Speakers, PS4/ Xbox Controllers
TP-Link is a well-known company that makes many good wireless devices including this Bluetooth dongle.
It has wide compatibility including Windows 10 making it a good unit for a desktop or laptop that needs Bluetooth added.
The unit uses Bluetooth 4.0 which is backward compatible with older standards and able to communicate with almost any Bluetooth unit.
Bluetooth Adapter for PC，Techkey USB Mini Bluetooth 5.0 EDR Dongle for Computer Desktop Wireless Transfer for Laptop Bluetooth Headphones Headset Speakers Keyboard Mouse Printer Windows 10/8.1/8/7
This Bluetooth adapter from Techkey is Windows 10 compatible and also uses Bluetooth version 5.0.
Bluetooth version 5.0 is backward compatible with older versions and can transmits data faster.
Like most adapters, it is small and once plugged in barely noticeable.
Plugable USB Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy Micro Adapter (Compatible with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Raspberry Pi, Linux Compatible, Classic Bluetooth, and Stereo Headset Compatible)
This small USB Bluetooth 4.0 dongle from Plugable is a good adapter that works with almost any type of hardware.
The creators have good support and have the Drivers to work with all types of devices from a Raspberry Pi to Windows 10 machines.
It works well with headsets, gaming pads, or just about any Bluetooth device.
soundbot SB342-BLK Bluetooth 4.0 USB Adapter with 3Mbps High Data Transfer Rate & 33 Feet Wireless Range
The SoundBot SB342 has all the new features you would expect from a Bluetooth dongle.
It is a good Plug-and-Play Bluetooth 4.0 option for Windows 10.
Like most all dongles it is backward compatible with Bluetooth 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0.
Kinivo BTD-400 Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy USB Adapter – For Windows 10/8.1/8 / Windows 7 / Vista, Raspberry Pi, Linux
The Kinivo BTD-300 Bluetooth is a small low-cost Bluetooth solution.
This Bluetooth dongle has been available for awhile and has good support from Kinivo.
It only supports Bluetooth 3.0 and not the newer 4.0.
While not the fastest or latest Bluetooth dongle it is small cheap and will have your Windows 10 machine up and running.
[2 Year Warranty] Avantree USB Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter for PC, Wireless Dongle, for Stereo Music, VOIP, Keyboard, Mouse, Support All Windows 10 8.1 8 7 XP vista
Avantree makes this unit that comes with a two-year warranty.
It is a Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter that will work with most any version of Windows including Win 10.
It also has wide support for external devices such as headphones, keyboards, and mouses to link to.
Summary
Installing a Bluetooth dongle is a good option in many scenarios.
From a laptop with a broken internal Bluetooth card, to a desktop that has no Bluetooth adding an adapter is a quick and easy solution.
Once set up, external devices such as speakers, keyboards, headsets, and much more will be able to communicate wirelessly.
There is no doubt many benefits of adding Bluetooth to a PC and getting rid of wires.
The Drivers will also be needed for a Bluetooth adapter.
Since its release, Windows 10 has had problems supporting older devices such as Bluetooth adapters.
Window upgrades have always been a hit-or-miss when it comes to supporting older devices.
The same is true with Windows 10, if the drivers are compatible with an older device it will work, if not it won’t.
For the most part, Windows 8.1 drivers are compatible with Windows 10 although sometimes they don’t. I have found that Windows 7 X64 and Windows 8 drivers can also work sometimes.