Essentially you have two choices, corded and cordless. The benefits of a cordless phone over a corded phone is the easy of use and mobility without the constraints of the cord.
With a cordless telephone you have a base unit that connects directly to the power source. A plus point is that you could have numerous handsets but only one phone line. This can be extremely useful, for example having a phone set upstairs in the bedroom as well as one in the living room and kitchen.
This cordless telephone has many benefits and features of a mobile phone
Features I look for in a cordless phone include ease of set up and use, having a clear caller display panel, can it be used with caller ID and the number of handsets you can get. Other features that are useful are the handsfree function, the use of an in-built answer machine, and a quick charging time. I also look at the design as it is important to me for it to be aesthetically pleasing.
Features
Ease Of Set Up And Use
With the many features some cordless phones have, I feel it is important that the instructions are clear and written in plain English. The ease of set up and use is an important consideration. If you are a technophobe you may want a simple phone without an array of state of the art features, if you love technology you may go for the most advanced phone you can afford to buy.
Caller Display Panel
Is the display panel large enough to see who is calling? Can it by used with Nuisance Call Block and Caller ID to prevent unwanted and nuisance phone calls. * requires subscription service. Does the background contrast so that the numbers are displayed clearly?
Handsfree Use
Does it have an in-built speaker system so it can it be used handsfree? This can be extremely important for those who have difficulty using their hands or a disability like arthritis.
Answer Machine
A cordless phone with an answer machine is considered almost essential today
If you do not have an answer machine already, an in-built answer machine can be incredibly useful. How does the answer machine alert the user that a message has been left?
Charging
How long does the phone take to charge and how long does the charge last? This is particularly important if you are a heavy phone user.
Number Of Handsets
This phone is packed full of useful features, with a number of handsets and a slimline design
If you have a big family or big house, more than one handset can be particularly useful. Can you buy additional handsets at a later date if you want to?
Design
Something that is often overlooked is the design. Does it look pleasing to the eye and fit in with your sense of style? Do you prefer a solid well built look or a more streamline design.
Other Features
There are many other features that can be useful to the consumer. Some phones have a setting that completely eliminates radiation when the phone is on stand by mode. Other phones have an 'eco mode' that can let you lower the power consumption whilst on stand by, or a night time mode that flashes when a call is incoming. Some cordless phones have many features of a mobile phone, such as being able to surf the net or read your emails. This can be useful if you do not want to tie yourself into a mobile contract or buy another phone, however you would need wi-fi to use the features.
As you can see there are many points to consider when buying a home cordless phone. Which features do you consider useful or essential?
* a collaborative post in conjunction with Panasonic, all words and opinions are my own
Our last cordless phones were panasonic and they lasted about 7 years
ReplyDeleteWe've been cordless for as long as I can remember, I can't imagine being tied to a particular spot while on the phone and must say I didn't realise you could even still buy ones with cords.
ReplyDeleteYes you still can buy corded phones. I guess the more retro phones are corded.
DeleteI don't think I could manage with a corded phone now! xxx
ReplyDeleteI don't think we have ever had a corded phone since moving into our own home - cordless is definitely top of my priorities!
ReplyDeleteWe have a cordless landline, but Baby steals it, so it is never charged. x
ReplyDeleteHandsfree use and number of handsets definitely for me...However we do have cordless yet they're never charged up lol
ReplyDeleteHandsfree is so useful isn't it. You can be making dinner for example and still hold a telephone call.
DeleteI like to have a cordless phone. We've had our BT one for years. I remember the days of having a corded phone and I don't think I'd ever want to go back to that to be honest.
ReplyDeleteWe have a cordless phone which I love as it means I can wander about and keep pottering around as I natter! I love the idea of having more than one handset though.
ReplyDeleteI think it is extremely useful to have more than one handset.
Deletethat looks so posh!
ReplyDeleteWe have been searching for a decent replacement to our current home phone (which we both hate! ) and this looks like a great option :)
ReplyDeleteThis was very useful as I need new home homes.
ReplyDeleteI also need ones you can locate again once the kids have hidden them.
My essential is the ability to bleep it from the base unit - I can never find mine!
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point Sonya, a very useful feature I would think!
DeleteCordless every single time! I've really needed the flexibility while breastfeeding the baby
ReplyDeleteThis is one thing I need and just never get around to sorting out x
ReplyDeleteFor me battery life is a top feature. Sometimes I talk for hours at the time so my phone must be able to handle it.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point Agata.
DeleteI've stopped using a home phone now - mobiles do so much!
ReplyDeleteWe really need a new one as one of the kids helpfully posted ours in the loo and now it doesn't work
ReplyDeleteI do so love my cordless landlines. My current ones are Panasonic funny enough. I have nice shiny black ones now that replaced white ones that had discoloured (yuk). It is amazing how little landlines do, but I'd never expect them to do more when we all rely on our mobiles so much.
ReplyDeleteLiska xx
Nice to see you are already a fan. The one Panasonic phone pictures above does almost as much as a mobile.
DeleteWe have panasonic phones and they work really well. these sound like agood buy.
ReplyDeleteYes I think they are.
DeleteWe haven't even got a landline at the moment. We just need to buy the handset so having a multiple cordless system would be great. X
ReplyDeleteThe multiple handsets are very useful Lori.
Deletewe haven't had a landline for a while but I'd defo look into this if we were going to x
ReplyDelete