Cordless phones

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Cordless phones

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What's behind our cordless phone Ratings?

Experts at our National Testing and Research Center tested 54 models in cordless phones to see which ones perform best.

We look for:

Overall score
This score is based primarily on voice quality, ease of use, talk time, and range. For phones with an answering machine, overall score also includes mainly the message voice quality, answerer ease of use, and recording time. The displayed score is out of a total of 100 points. Phones are listed in performance order, within categories. Due to test upgrades, results may vary from past Ratings.
Voice quality
Voice quality considers listening quality which reflects what you hear and talking, what's heard by other phones. Tests were conducted in a quiet environment.
Phone ease of use
This score mainly covers handset weight and comfort, talk time, ease of phone setup and use, readability of labels; accessibility, location, and size of controls and buttons; and other convenience factors, such as auto talk, any key answer, lighted keypad, one-touch dial, and others.
Range
This score reflects the tested distance a phone can maintain an intelligible conversation, make a call and receive a call. We report a score instead of a distance because range can differ greatly due to variables such as phone base location, home size, room configuration, construction materials, multiple stories, wiring and other electrical and physical interferences. A low scoring phone is more likely to have some connection problems at short distances such as between different floors in a house or when going outside the house while a high scoring phone is less likely to have connection problems and can typically keep a clean signal in all but the largest of homes or when you go outside your home.
Message quality
This score reflects the judgment of an expert jury listening to playback of a message recorded from a corded phone of high-quality voice recordings in a quiet, acoustic environment.
Answerer ease of use
This covers ease of setup and use; adequate labeling, size and location of buttons and controls; and other convenience factors, such as the ability to play new messages first, to not erase unplayed messages, and the presence of advanced playback features such as slow, fast, and rewind.
Recording time
Our measurements, to the nearest minute, of total recording time using continuous speech. Cordless phones of all types are available with a built-in answering machine that has digital message storage, typically 15 to 20 minutes. In many cases, recording time may include not only incoming messages, but greetings, memos, and saved messages, so the total may be misleading. Most answerers maximize capacity by detecting pauses in a message and not storing them in memory to increase recording time. Recording time with an asterisk (*) is manufacturer specification. "NS" indicates not stated.

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Recommended cordless phones

Recommended cordless phones are standout choices with high scores. They include CR Best Buys, which offer exceptional value. When narrowing your choices, weigh features, price, and attributes that matter to you.

Recommended cordless phones

Cordless phone buying guide

To find the cordless phone that is right for you, read our expert advice on which features to consider and how to find the best value.

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Although they are often overshadowed by their celebrity cousin, the cell phone, cordless phones are keeping pace in a market crowded with wireless and Internet-based devices. Some newer cordless phones can stand in for your cell phone while others let you switch between landline and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). If you're looking for information about cordless phones, Consumer Reports is your best resource. Consumer Reports’ cordless phone reviews will give you honest buying advice that you can trust. Use our cordless phone buying guide to discover which features are most important to consider. We also provide unbiased Ratings and cordless phone reviews to help you choose the best cordless phone for your needs.

Ratings & recommended cordless phones

Cordless phones (54)

Decide whether you want an answerer. Such phones often cost little more than comparable phone-only models and take up about the same space. Answerers usually have standard features and capabilities such as a selectable number of rings and a toll-saver, answerer on/off control, call screening, remote access, speaker-volume control, and a variety of ways to navigate through your messages. Most have one mailbox, a message day/time stamp, a message-counter display that indicates the number of messages received, and a visual indicator that lets you know when you have new messages. During a momentary power outage, most will retain messages and the greeting. Phones that let you record your greeting through the handset (using the remote handset access) usually sounded better. Some let you listen to your greeting through the handset, as opposed to listening through the base speaker; that gives you a better indication of how the greeting will sound to the calling party.

The Ratings list products strictly by performance, within categories (with and without answerer).

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(Tested)

A 1.9 GHz DECT 6.0 multiple-handset-capable cordless phone with a built-in answering machine.

Uniden D3588-2

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Cordless phone buying guide

When shopping for a phone, you'll need to decide whether you want one with an integrated answerer. Many people still do, despite the ubiquity of cell phones with voice-mail capability. Single- and multiple-handset phones come in versions with a built-in answerer. Such phones often cost little more than comparable phone-only models and take up about the same space.

Features such as a speaker phone for hands-free communication, a keypad for dialing from the base, and a large LCD screen can help you get the most from your phone.

Some cordless models can stand in for your cell phone. By placing your cell phone near the cordless phone's base, you can access your wireless service using Bluetooth technology and use your cordless handset to make or take cell calls. Besides the convenience of using a cordless handset for all your calls, you might get better cell-phone reception within your home. (For example, if you don't get cell service in your basement, you might be able to make or take calls from there using the cordless handset.) It also makes it easier to use whichever account offers unused talk time. But before you buy such a phone, make sure your cell phone is compatible by checking the vendor's Web site. If you're considering an answerer, you need to consider:

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