Buying a Cordless Phone

When choosing your cordless phone it is important to 1st decide which special features are important to you. The number and type of these functions will be a major determining factor in both your satisfaction in the phone’s performance and the price that is paid for it. Consider the following factors before purchasing your cordless phone.

Analog vs. Digital: Analog is cheaper but interference from other phones on the same frequency is possible; Digital has less interference and roam further.
Range: The distance from the base unit the handset can travel and still receive; obstacles cause interference, so indoor range usually shorter (100m on average).

Caller ID: Displays the name and telephone # of incoming callers, sometimes with an extra fee from the phone company.
Telephone Directory: The 3 of stored names and #’s a phone can hold varies from model to model.
Cordless Phones with Answering Machines: Answering Machines are usually digital even on analog units.
Expandable: Expandable cordless phones have multi handset capacity and allow more units to be added.
Battery Life: The stand-by (length of time without making or receiving calls) and/or talking-time (while in use) of fully charged cordless phone batteries.
Miscellaneous: Other features like base to handset paging, “walkie-talkie” mode, and baby monitor functions are fairly common bells and whistles.

Most cordless phones range from around $30 to $100 U.S., depending on their make and functions. Reliable and popular models include Uniden cordless phones, Motorolla cordless phones, Sony cordless phones and Panasonic cordless phones.