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Top 5 Rode Lavaliers – Discover the Best Rode Lavalier for your Project

This post was most recently updated on March 24th, 2024

Quick-Access To The Top Five Rode Lavalier Microphones👇

Editor’s Pick Brand
Top Pick 🏆 Rode Lavalier Go
Best Budget 🥇 Rode smartLav+
Most Compact 🥈 Rode RODELink LAV
Best Wireless System Rode RODELink FM Digital Wireless Filmmaker System
Best Budget Wireless Rode Wireless Go

No matter if you’re a gamer, streamer, podcaster, YouTuber, or musician — adding a Rode lavalier to your kit will absolutely make your life easier — not to mention what it will do for your audio.

Today, we’re talking about the lavs available from Rode and how they can help you level up.

If you’re trying to make your way into the world of online content, you already know that the competition is fierce. The good news is that one of the best ways to make your stuff stand out from that very large crowd is to make sure your audio is on point.

A lot of people automatically think of brands like Sony when they think of lav mics. But with the addition of a discreet lapel microphone from Rode, you are going to be able to seriously level-up your audio and get competitive.

You see, with a lavalier mic, you can capture clean audio with a tiny mic, and they are mostly hands-free. A microphone lavalier is so small, you can keep it right beside your subject’s mouth and still keep it mostly out of the frame.

In other words, with the best lavalier, you can unlock a ton of new flexibility in your audio recording or video projects.

Keep reading to find out how one of these top lavaliers from Rode can help you change the game.

Did You Know That Rode Got Their Start Back In 1967?

Starting back in 1967, Swedish developers Henry and Astrid Freedman immigrated to Australia and started a company, known then as Freedman Electronics.

Now known as Rode, the company’s top-of-the-line audio equipment put it on the map… and it didn’t take long before it was a household name around the globe.

Rode Lavalier GO Professional-Grade Wearable Microphone, Black
This top selection sports a price point that won put a huge dent in your wallet, but features that will make you feel like you spent a lot more.
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The Top Five Rode Lavalier Microphones

Rode has a wide range of lavaliers on the market. Today, we’re going to take an in-depth look at what’s available so you can decide which one will work best for you.

Top Pick: Rode Lavalier Go

Rode Lavalier GO Professional-Grade Wearable Microphone, Black

The Rode Lavalier GO sports a price point that won't put a huge dent in your wallet, but features that will make you feel like you spent a lot more.

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If you’re looking for a professional-grade mic for less than $100, the Rode Lavalier Go could be the lapel microphone you’re looking for.

Designed to work across a wide range of applications, this mic will function perfectly with most recording devices… provided they have a 3.5mm TRS mic input.

The Rode Lavalier Go is a discreet 4.5mm mic with an omnidirectional polar pattern. That recording pattern means your options for mic placement are nearly endless, as it will pick up sound from any direction.

So, if you often film in fast-paced environments, and you need to get set up and started quickly, the Røde Lavalier Go is a great option for you. There are even reports that this mic works really well in high wind situations.

This selection comes with a foam pop filter, perfect for keeping out the wind as well as putting a stop to “plosives” — which are sounds you hear when someone uses the letters “B,” “T,” or, “P.”

You also get a Kevlar reinforced cable and a durable mounting clip, which includes a built-in cable management system to keep things organized. The Røde Lavalier Go pairs perfectly with the Rode Wireless Go.

Rode Lavalier Go Key Features:

  • Sensitivity: -35dB
  • Maximum SPL: 110dB
  • Kevlar reinforced cable
  • Equivalent noise: 27dB
  • Electret condenser microphone
  • Frequency range: 20Hz to 20kHz
  • Power requirements: plug-in TRS socket
  • High-quality omnidirectional condenser capsule
  • Includes: pop shield, mounting clip, and carrying case

Best Budget: Rode smartLav+

Rode smartLav+

The Rode smartLav+ is ideal for anyone on a tight budget who still wants a lapel microphone with broadcast-quality sound.

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If your budget isn’t as large as you would like, this next selection is super affordable, and has been designed for use in a vast range of projects.

If you’re broadcasting (streaming), making films, or recording music videos, the Rode smartLav+ could be the lavalier microphone you’re looking for.

The smartLav+ is a professional quality omnidirectional microphone. This means it’s ideal for use in many different scenarios and locations, as it will pick up sound from every direction at once.

And the smartLav comes with a foam pop shield, kevlar-reinforced cables, and a carrying case. The foam pop shield will protect your recording from picking up everything from background noise to those plosives when your talent uses the letter “P.”

The smartLav+ will work with any audio application that accepts input from the headset connection.

However, Rode designed this one to pair perfectly with its Rec app for Apple’s iOS devices. Using that app, you can turn any iOS device into a full-featured field recorder.

So, the smartLav+ is great for all of you creatives out there, but it’s perfect for those of you using an Apple. And the Rec app, alongside the lavalier, will help you level up your audio for less than $80.

Rode smartLav+ Key Features:

  • Max SPL: 110dB
  • Sensitivity: -35dB
  • Output impedance: 3k
  • Kevlar-reinforced cables
  • Omnidirectional polar pattern
  • Frequency range: 20Hz to 20kHz
  • Discreet 4.5mm microphone lapel
  • Powered by: iPhone TRRS socket
  • 1/8″/3.5mm TRRS output connector
  • Permanently polarized condenser microphone

Most Compact: RODELink LAV

If you’re looking for a lavalier, but you need one that’s even more compact than the traditional types, Rode has you covered with the RODELink LAV miniature lavalier.

Rode designed this mic so you can use it in a vast range of applications.

This lavalier mic sports a locking TRS connector, which makes it perfect to pair with RODELink’s range of wireless microphones and recorders — as long as they have a locking 3.5mm microphone input.

And that locking input, along with this mic’s super discreet 4.5mm omnidirectional capsule, both ensure that this mic is very forgiving when it comes time to clip it in place.

You see, it picks up sound from all directions at once, so your options for where you place it on your talent are nearly endless.

And when it comes time for you to make sure everything is secure, this selection will make that really simple.

The Kevlar-reinforced cable, along with the durable mounting clip (including a cable management system), will keep everything safely right where you put it.

And like the other products on this list today, the RODELink Lav comes with a foam pop shield. That little miracle will cut down on wind noise and plosives, and ensure a crystal clear audio track.

RODELink lav Key Features:

  • Sensitivity: -33.5dB
  • Maximum SPL: 110dB
  • Kevlar-reinforced cable
  • 3.5mm TRS locking connector
  • Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
  • High quality 4.5mm omnidirectional microphone
  • Includes: carry pouch, pop shield, and mounting clip

Best Wireless System: Rode RODELink FM Digital Wireless Filmmaker System

If you’re looking for a wireless lavalier that includes everything you’re going to need to use to get started right away, the RODELink FM system is the one for you. Granted, the price point is up there, but this kit comes with everything you need.

Whereas the other selections on this list will work with many recording devices, the RODELink FM is a fully functioning wireless system. So, this kit comes with a receiver and transmitter, as well as the microphone, pop shield, and carrying case.

And the wireless functionality on this device is amazing. It uses a Series II 2.4GHz digital transmitter. That means you can get up to 100 meters away, and this mic’s receiver will still pick up the strongest possible signal.

The receiver that comes with this kit will clip right to your belt. It contains an OLED display so you can easily check on your channel selection and battery status, as well as reach your mute button.

You can mount this unit’s receiver on a standard camera 3/8″ shoe mount or belt-clip depending on your setup — there are even two positions for added versatility. And the transmitter is super lightweight and clips easily to a belt or clothing.

RODELink FM Key Features:

  • Max SPL: 110dB
  • Sensitivity -33.5dB
  • Micon connector system
  • Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
  • Frequency response (receiver): 35Hz to 22kHz
  • Permanently polarized omnidirectional condenser microphone
  • Includes: receiver, transmitter, pop filter, lavalier, and carrying case
  • Receiver and transmitter use 2 AA batteries or Micro USB for power
  • 2.4GHz digital transmitter ensures a clear signal up to 100 meters away

Best Budget Wireless: Rode Wireless Go

Rode Wireless Go

The Rode Wireless Go is ideal for anyone who wants to use a fully functional wireless system, but doesn't quite have the budget for the RODELink FM model.

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If you’re in the market for a wireless lavalier system, and you can’t afford the RODELink FM, the Rode Wireless Go is the system you’re looking for.

For a price that even up-and-coming videographers can afford, you can have one of the most popular lavaliers on the market.

Like the RODELink FM model, the Wireless Go uses a Series II 2.4GHz digital transmitter. However, unlike the FM model, the Go is optimized for shorter ranges– so up to about 70 meters. But what you lose in distance, you make up for in functionality.

Rode designed the Wireless Go to perform flawlessly in busy locations. This means that even if there are a lot of other RF signals and WiFi going on during your shoot, your connection is still going to be a good one.

This setup comes with both a transmitter and a receiver… and both of them are super-light and compact. The receiver comes with a clip that is perfect for clothing or use on a camera strap.

And check this out — the transmitter will work by itself as a mic, or you can use it with the included lavalier. This feature makes the Wireless Go system a no-brainer for run-and-gun journalists and vloggers in the field.

Rode Wireless Go Key Features:

  • Max SPL: 100dB
  • 3.5mm TRS input
  • Pairs in three seconds
  • Range of up to 70 meters
  • Omnidirectional pickup pattern
  • Series II digital 2.4GHz transmitter
  • Frequency response: 50Hz to 20kHz
  • Super lightweight transmitter and receiver
  • The transmitter works as both the world’s smallest beltpack as well as a mic
  • Included: receiver, transmitter, pouch, foam pop filter, and 2 USB A to USB C cables

Now It’s Time To Make Your Mark

And there you have it, folks, the lineup of our favorite lavaliers from Rode.

As you can see, no matter what the size of your budget might be, or what type of work you’re doing, if you need a lavalier microphone, it’s a really good idea to start with Rode.