Table of Content
Our cordless phone testing team of Austin Palmer and David Wise have tested hundreds of tech products and over a dozen different cordless phones. They have used their extensive background in reviewing consumer tech products to formulate a testing plan and process that truly highlights the differences in these products. A separate panel of judges was also convened to compare and rate the audio recordings created with each phone.
The find-a-phone feature makes it easy to locate a lost handset and the menu layout is very intuitive for things like saving a phone number or calling back a missed call. The VTech VS112-2 offers decent sound quality, though it was among the models that produced a noticeable amount of distortion. Though its mediocre battery life and somewhat limited feature set were unimpressive, these drawbacks only had a minor impact on this product's overall performance. This is a great pick if you are shopping on a budget and don't want to make too many concessions when it comes to performance. The best cordless phone plans are different depending on the user's need. If you want to save as much money as possible, you should choose a simple phone plan that offers unlimited calls and texts at affordable prices.
How Do I Choose a Cordless Phone?
I’m going to cover these as one because they’re basically exactly the same (except for a few little bits that I’ll go over at the end of this review) and are both really good phones. I've spent more man hours than I care to recall trialling, testing and reviewing the different options from the major manufacturers, to find which ones are worth picking up and which should be left off the hook.
These are all pretty standard but powerful features that add to the ease of use of the phone. With this phone, you can have a conference call with an outside line, up to 50 phonebook entries, and a fairly good battery life of 7 hours talk time and 120 hours standby time. On the other hand, this telephone doesn’t have an Eco mode feature, which may be a negative if you are environmentally conscious. BT’s Everyday Cordless is priced like a basic home phone but manages to pack in some extra features. It’s easy to use, with good-sized buttons and simple menus, including a multi-function rocker that scrolls through lists and options and controls the volume.
Number of handsets
EXTENDED RANGE and CONNECT TO CELL Experience the extended long range coverage and clarity, provided by a unique antenna design and advances in noise-filtering technology. Make and receive calls from your cellular plan while enjoying the comforts of a home phone. Pair up to 2 cell phones and connect 2 cell phones or one cell phone and one BLUETOOTH headset for use with landline calls. SMART CALL BLOCKER AND CALLER ID ANNOUNCE - This system lets you block nuisance callers on the spot with one touch. What more, it can filter robocalls and unwanted call while allowing welcome calls to get through. There’s a second box alongside the phone itself which is designed to boost the range of the signal, which is handy.
We also liked that you could expand the system with additional handsets, which have both headphone jacks and belt clips. It has a phonebook with a capacity of 100 entries but can't be linked to a smartphone. To test each model's sound quality, we set up the base of each phone and moved the handset a consistent distance away. We then left a voicemail on Google Voice with each model and read a passage from a book (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne). Next, our panel of listeners rated each message's quality and characteristics without knowing the handset's make or model.
BT 4600 Big Button Landline Phone
This home phone has a similar set of features to the other models on this list, but it also has a few aces up its sleeve that make it worth considering over some other units. First of all, you get a built-in answering machine that can record 18 minutes worth of messages, along with easy controls on the base that let you fast forward, rewind, skip, or delete saved messages. You also get a built-in phonebook that can store up to 50 names and numbers, giving you the ability to find someone's number and call them in an easy manner. In addition to that, the unit features caller ID and can store the last 10 numbers that you received calls from, letting you dial someone back instantly without having to manually dial the number.
Comparing the quality of these cordless phones with my desk phone which has a cord, I didn’t notice any real difference. The standby time is how long the charge should last when the phone is stood in the base station – this can last for hundreds of hours. Alternatively, the talk time is usually the charge time when you are using the phone handheld, and not in its charging station.
Premium-Level Cordless Phones
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Also, the instruction manual may not be that clear and you may just have to play with the phone to see how it works. The large colour display is also great and allows you to easily see the caller ID as well as your contacts. Ensure the phone is loud and suitable for use with hearing aids – those with hearing issues may struggle to use a phone without adjustable volume. The ones listed above are hearing aid compatible, so it won’t cause any interference. Landline phones also don’t need credit to work, if a mobile has no credit then it can’t make any phone calls . As I wrote when choosing a microwave for my elderly father, he’s pretty independent but says he is too old for the learning curve of a mobile phone, so I had to find another solution.
The AT&T TL96273 performed remarkably well in our testing process, narrowly missing out on the top spot overall. Although this phone didn't claim the top prize, it distinguished itself by being the best at connecting to a mobile device. This feature allows you to leave your phone charging by the base, with any incoming calls passed to all of the handsets of the TL96273. This feature is particularly handy if you don't like carrying your cell phone with you or if you only get good cell service in a certain area of your home.
The base unit includes a built-in answering machine that can record up to 60 minutes of messages, and there is even a built-in directory that lets you store up to 200 contacts for easy dialling. All told, this cordless phone system provides you with a highly capable home communications system that leaves virtually nothing out from its set of features. There is also an answering machine that can record up to 60 minutes of messages. We also like the big buttons and the simple but effective handset design. The screen is easy to read, and the main charging station also has a set of buttons for controlling the phone and messages. Well-made and simple to use, the BT premium has a large colour display and the keypad is usefully backlit.
If you are searching for the absolute best when it comes to cordless phones, we highly recommend the Panasonic KX-TGM420W + KX-TGMA44W. This phone is one of the easiest-to-use models, pairing that user-friendliness with exceptionally crystal-clear sound quality and impressively long range. This versatile phone offers plenty of features, like an integrated answering machine and the ability to expand the system with additional handsets. It also has a very long battery life, lasting for more than 14 hours in our talk time test. With Eco mode, you can reduce power consumption with just one touch by reducing the output power by 90%, which drastically cuts down on the amount of power required to operate the entire system.
This phone has a talk time of 10 hours and that talk time extends when it is in standby mode. We also like that you can quickly re-dial any of the previous 20 numbers you have called. This BT big button phone is a great choice but it may have some small issues. For example, you could find that depending on your location, the sound quality could vary.
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