Best Landline Phones
Caller ID/call waiting 50 name and number caller ID history Handset displays the name, number, time and date of incoming calls. Features Quiet mode DECT 6.0 digital technology 50 name and number phonebook directory 9 number speed dial Voicemail waiting indicator2 Quick access key for voicemail box Last 10 number redial English/Spanish/French setup menu Wall-mount bracket included Mute Any key answer. Increase participation by allowing both ends to speak—and be heard—at the same time for conversations that are more true to life. By allowing you to add up to 5 handsets using just one jack, the EL51203 is ideal for your busy home or small office (model EL50003 accessory handsets sold separately).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In my tests, I found that neither model's battery life was as good as my Panasonic cordless phone, especially if the base unit lacks power or is unplugged. If the base unit doesn't have power you cannot make calls even if your phone line is working. You cannot get a battery backup for the base unit. If you need to be able to listen to your messages in a noisy room, model EL52100 would be a better choice because the base unit has more power."
"I entered the names and numbers of our family/friends into one of the hand sets, and lo and behold, without any further effort on my part, all the other handsets were identically programmed."
"I recently ordered these phones for my elderly Mom as her hearing and sight are not what it used to be."
"The phone uses a battery pack made from 2 NiMH AAA cells rated at 400mAh. But, it may not be for you if you tend to have long phone conversations, unless you replace the battery pack with a higher capacity one. There are higher capacity battery packs available for this phone, just search the model number and add the word battery. EDIT: I did make my own battery pack using two 1000mAh AAA NiMH batteries and the connector from the stock battery. I recently did a 2-hour phone training session using the phone and the battery wasn't even half drained."
"These phones are well made, the sound quality is good, and many nice features."
Style: KX-TG7875S. Sync your smartphone to your home phone with Link2Cell technology;WxDXH (Base) 7x4.6x4(inches); WxDXH (Handset) 1.9x1.3x6.7(inches).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And while this phone system does have a large number of features the paper manual has a well laid out matrix for locating the features you need to set up or access. And the most important feature in a world of unwanted, unsolicited and mostly unstoppable robo calls is the BLOCK CALLS feature of this phone system. Luckily this phone system allows you to block up to 250 different phone numbers."
"This was a powerhouse of a cordless phone system complete with a nice color screen and flashing antenna when calls and voicemail arrived. Thirdly, reading the Amazon reviews from actual owners, I got the idea that this would be sort of a downgrade to all the "bells and whistles" that Panasonic had put into their older phones. I am so happy that I took a leap of faith and ordered the KX-TG7875S. Been using it for a week now, and I must say, I love it more than my previous phone system. That being said, I was a bit fearful of all the menu codes mentioned in the manual that gave a person quick access to primary functions. Play around with it a little, and you'll find that you can easily access any function of the phone within seconds from the navigation screen. The base unit has a built-in answering machine, but I turned it off since I subscribe to voice mail service. The base station is located on a top floor, at the opposite end of a large home. Even caller ID from the cell phone is forwarded to the Panasonic display screen. Call quality is very good, but of course, dependent upon how strong your cell phone signal is. I have dead spots in my home so the quality of the calls from my cell phone vary. What I really love is when someone sends a text message to my iPhone and I get a notification on my Panasonic phone. It's really cool to hear the Panasonic phone ring and a voice say "Text Message." So, essentially, the Panasonic TG7875S allows you leave your cell phone in its charger and completely forget about it when you are home."
"I read where someone had this phone's "CALL BLOCKING" feature but said that it first had to ring to block a call. I found after reading the instructions, that you could program the phone to not sound on the first ring, therefore any callers that are blocked will not go through. You can program the blocked callers or after you get an annoying call, you just set it up to block in the future."
The VTech CS6719-2 Cordless Phone with Caller ID features an expandable system in which you can add up to five additional handsets (uses CS6709). DECT 6.0 digital technology, Voicemail waiting indicator, Conference between an outside line and up to 2 cordless handsets, Mute, 50 name and number phonebook directory, Any key answer, Volume control, Intercom between handsets, Trilingual prompts-choose between English, Spanish and French, Wall-mount bracket included, Last 10 number redial.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Takes no time at all to set up and charge, and the instruction pamphlet about all the features is every easy to understand..The buttons are large, and they light up when the receiver is picked up."
"I like the actual phone features... phone font way too small, nothing in the manual to let you change font size, emailed vtech to get assistance on wether or not this could be changed."
"Set up was easily done."
"use it everyday for the last 6 months."
"I used this phone with an OBi200 1-Port VoIP Phone Adapter for my grandmother and it has worked great."
"This VTech phone is everything as described."
"a good system for multiple rooms."
"Great, works exactly as it should."
Best Corded Telephones
Enter your model number to make sure this fits. Simple, Corded Operation . Caller ID / Call Waiting . 50 Name and Number Caller ID History. Big button Display;Message guardR memory for power failure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"UPDATE October 2014: After two years of trouble-free service a couple vertical lines on the LCD display stopped working -- each vertical line is only about 1/4 of a text letter wide so the affected text characters are still easily legible. Volume available through both handset and speaker is individually adjustable and can be made very loud on the highest settings. 60 minutes is still the target amount for manufacturers in my opinion -- the problem is that like most answering machines, this one will stop taking messages once the memory is full -- and a busy business day or some political robocalls can fill things up pretty fast and shut the system down. Good human interface -- big buttons, readable and backlit display, clealy labled control buttons -- you do still need to look at the manual just a bit to see how the menu and control system is set up but it's about as simple as it can be made, IMO. Overall I give this phone high marks for design, execution, and value, with durability being the unknown factor."
"My main complaint is the detachable plastic piece that is supposed to elevate the phone in the back so it is angled forward for easier reading."
"I love it."
"Great phone for a fraction of the price of other phones."
"It stuck out so far that you could see the whole back of the phone."
"Most everything else about the phone is typical, but it does add further functions to help those of us who are growing older: * A large keypad for easy dialing. * A four-setting equalizer function to tweak sound. * "Audio Assist" to temporarily boost receiver volume. * Relatively intuitive functions that can be set up easily. That said, one of the failings of this phone is that--for all its audio-altering capabilities--it does not have a rich sound compared to a cheaper AT&T phone I used to own. This seems odd given this phone's equalizer and Audio Assist functions, but the duller sound quality is obvious in comparison."
Best Corded-Cordless Combination Telephones
Whether you're using the corded or cordless handset, this phone will give you everything you need in a home phone system. Block up to 250 numbers with one-touch Call Block on base unit and handsets.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Complete phone book integration between the corded base and the cordless handsets is great, plus if you need it, each cordless handset can have their own separate speed dials for different members of the family. As always, there will be issues that reviewers mention and I thought it was odd that Panasonic provided the rechargeable batteries for the cordless handsets but did not provide the same rechargeable batteries for the power outage backup system on the corded phone. Nonetheless, that being a minor inconvenience to have to provide for yourself, this is a great phone system and I highly recommend it to you."
"Excellent - no problems."
"The phone rang and I immediately began to dry my hands to work my way to the phone, when it announced the number and I knew it was a crap call, went back to work."
"She was having problems answering the phones she had, because she never could figure out which button to push. If mom is in a room away from the corded phone and our call goes to the answering machine, our voices come over ALL handsets and we can "remind" her to go to the corded phone or direct her to the correct button to push on the cordless phones."
"I bought this phone 3 months ago and the handset developed some corrosion from the battery."
"Needed the extra handset in another room so in all this was a very good buy."
"I also needed the feature that lets me put "greeting only" on the answering machine when we are out of town and no messages are recorded."
"One of the chargers does not work, I have contacted Panasonic five (5) time and have two (2) case contact number messages from them that they will get back to me as soon as someone checks out my claim I sent them copies of my payment to amazon after sending them a copy of my order which they asked for first."
Best Cordless Telephones
Style: KX-TG7875S. Sync your smartphone to your home phone with Link2Cell technology;WxDXH (Base) 7x4.6x4(inches); WxDXH (Handset) 1.9x1.3x6.7(inches).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And while this phone system does have a large number of features the paper manual has a well laid out matrix for locating the features you need to set up or access. And the most important feature in a world of unwanted, unsolicited and mostly unstoppable robo calls is the BLOCK CALLS feature of this phone system. Luckily this phone system allows you to block up to 250 different phone numbers."
"This was a powerhouse of a cordless phone system complete with a nice color screen and flashing antenna when calls and voicemail arrived. Thirdly, reading the Amazon reviews from actual owners, I got the idea that this would be sort of a downgrade to all the "bells and whistles" that Panasonic had put into their older phones. I am so happy that I took a leap of faith and ordered the KX-TG7875S. Been using it for a week now, and I must say, I love it more than my previous phone system. That being said, I was a bit fearful of all the menu codes mentioned in the manual that gave a person quick access to primary functions. Play around with it a little, and you'll find that you can easily access any function of the phone within seconds from the navigation screen. The base unit has a built-in answering machine, but I turned it off since I subscribe to voice mail service. The base station is located on a top floor, at the opposite end of a large home. Even caller ID from the cell phone is forwarded to the Panasonic display screen. Call quality is very good, but of course, dependent upon how strong your cell phone signal is. I have dead spots in my home so the quality of the calls from my cell phone vary. What I really love is when someone sends a text message to my iPhone and I get a notification on my Panasonic phone. It's really cool to hear the Panasonic phone ring and a voice say "Text Message." So, essentially, the Panasonic TG7875S allows you leave your cell phone in its charger and completely forget about it when you are home."
"I read where someone had this phone's "CALL BLOCKING" feature but said that it first had to ring to block a call. I found after reading the instructions, that you could program the phone to not sound on the first ring, therefore any callers that are blocked will not go through. You can program the blocked callers or after you get an annoying call, you just set it up to block in the future."
Best PBX Phones & Systems
Avaya 18D Digital Phone. Provides feature buttons for 16 outside line, or programmable features such as Do Not Disturb and Auto Dial numbers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"had one of these for 15 years."
"Great telephone that works with our phone system."
"Great phones."
"Was for a customer, just what they wanted."
"Unfortunately in our business, these phones are treated harshly, for what they cost, the value they is very good."
"Will probably buy some more at later date."
"Received 4 Partner 18D sets that work fine, an 1 Partner Endeavor set that does not work at all- no lights, display nor dial tone."
Best VoIP Telephone Products
Connect Ooma Telo to your high-speed Internet and regular home phone and get crystal-clear nationwide calling for free. Includes nationwide calling, voicemail, caller-ID, call - waiting, 911 calling and text alerts. Keep your current number for a one-time fee or choose a new number in any available area code for free.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I switched to Comcast for $33 a month for VOIP service through their HFC network as part of a Triple Play. Since this was no longer a must have, I looked for something that was low cost but would still provide traditional land line service for the FAX, business calls, etc. Vonage was pushing a lot of ads at the time, but to me the cost was still too high at $13 a month. I found that the service offering compared well to Comcast, and when the unit went on sale, I decided to give it a try. Although Ooma considers this the optimal configuration, I did not like the set-up and used the sub-optimal set -up of connecting it to my routers Ethernet port as a stand-alone device. Since cost was my driver, I decided to remain on the normal service with a number I chose from a short list of options. Start-up: This was a little frustrating and the unit took some time to link with the service and download the updated firmware. My children play online games and we stream a lot of movies from various services. In two years, we have never seen a loss in quality of the call and the sound and reception is as good as Verizon or Comcast, maybe even better. In fact, I am on a conference call on the Ooma for work as I am writing this on the web and my teenager is playing an online game on the PS4. 911: Ooma provides for 911 service to your local police, fire, and medical based on the address you say the box is at. Two Year Experience: As of April 2014, the box has performed well and I have had no quality issues or failures. I will update the post if it fails in the future, but my expectation is that I will get several more years of service from the Teleo. Four Year Experience: As of April 2016, we continue to use the Ooma box with no quality issues or failures. Many are worried about the VOIP, but once I explain to them it is the same they are getting from the Cable Companies or Verizon Fios, some of the concern drops away."
"Here's why: 1. Came in secure packaging with easy to follow instructions. The lighted design on the top lets you know at a glance if your service is connected by shining an electric blue color. I've tried several other VoIP's including Vonage (which is good, but costs $10-$25/month while Ooma is ONLY $3/month), and a few other apps on my iPad mini that let me make/receive calls in my iPad when I'm connected to the Internet (Talkatone, Google Voice, Voxofon, and WeTalk)."
"I am opting for basic ooma service, so I had to pay $40 to port my landline number from Comcast, but it was worth it to me versus keeping the free number I selected through the ooma website. Some considerations: -If you want transfer your phone number, don't disconnect your phone service with the current provider until after the transfer occurs. Cost comparison: +$10.00 for cell phone upgrade to security system. +$ 3.85 for monthly ooma taxes and fees. -$ 7.00, no more monthly comcast modem rental charges. -$ 32.00, no more Comcast phone service. Net savings is about $25 per month; I spent $160 on the ooma and $150 on Netgear modem plus $40 on the port ($350), so I will break even in about 14 months. Update- as soon as the phone number ported to Ooma, Comcast automatically raised my monthly subscription rate to internet and cable to $200, so I had to call them and go through the process of getting the monthly rate down. BTW, it took me 6 months to get the $90 Comcast owed me back from them- after three calls and hours on the phone, plus a FAX to their "Consumer Service VP" or whatever their title is, I finally got the check."
Best Pagers
The TL-5102TP Two Pendant Paging System comes with two nurse Call Buttons and one Caregiver Pager. The TL-5102TP Two Pendant Paging System comes with two nurse Call Buttons and one Caregiver Pager. Allows both caregiver and resident freedom while still calling for help at the touch of a button.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We stuck one of the buttons to the back of the bed control. There are two sound settings - a "ding dong," like a door bell, and an "alarm," which sounds like a siren. It was nice to have the second button to replace it until we found it."
"She has one of those life line buttons but this was an additional level of security for her."
"After doing some tests I found that if I had the receiver on my belt but IT was not facing the house, it would not always pick up the signal. The bell on the receiver is quite loud, so instead I would place it in a good clear location and I could hear it in a wide ranging area."
"Got this for mom when she needs a little extra help."
"This was purchased to help provide assistance to a family member when needed."
"He will say he has called for my mother 8-9 times and she is sitting around the corner from him and says he never called her name so I ordered this and placed one around his neck and gave her the pager for her pocket and it has been a life saver."
"The wireless sound is loud and clear as I have the wireless alarm setup near a monitoring camera that captures sound."
"One suggestion to help the blind: make the green spot button feel distinctly different from the back side of the button."
Best Telephone Answering Devices
Manage desk phone calls up to 350 feet Wideband audio and noise-canceling microphone provide clearer conversations Three different wearing styles: over the ear, over the head, or behind the head One-touch call answer/end, mute, and volume adjust for simple call management Up to seven hours of battery life on one charge; adaptive power system helps conserve battery life. Charging Base with Adaptive Power System A sleek magnetic charging base is included with the CS540. An adaptive power system optimizes for range and talk time by automatically downshifting to low power when the headset is close to the base to save battery life. What's in the Box Headset, over-the-head headband, charging base, base power supply, fit kit instruction card with extra ear loops and ear tips, telephone interface cable, HL10 handset lifter, and quick start guide. LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN: Sleek design for the most comfortable and lightest DECT headset on the market and includes one touch controls to answer or end calls.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The device is a bit on the high end price wise compared to some of the other companies' products I saw on Amazon but I've used Plantronics with good results for many, many years so decided to give this a try."
"We get very little incoming calls, but I need to be able to answer the phone away from my desk. The headset does not notify me when there is an incoming call until the second ring. I always like to answer on the first ring. A few other phones in the office ring when there is an incoming call, so I can usually still answer on the first ring. The dock then relays to the headset and the headset beeps to let you know the phone is ringing. I still put the headset on the dock while I'm at lunch and over night to make sure it is charged."
"I work in an underground warehouse environment and I was wanting a headset that would allow me to leave my desk, free up both of my hands and have the signal strength to reach long distances. PROS: I'm able to traverse the entire dock area outside of the office; the signal strength even allows me be outside to a certain degree. Until then, I was afraid the headset may fall off, but once I found the proper adjustment, I've never been worried again. I work 8-9 hr days and I've never had a problem with the headset losing charge."
"I use it with a Panasonic phone (Panasonic KX-TGF383M DECT 3-Handset Landline Telephone)."
"It was purchased for my boss."
"I was skeptic of the price of this one, yet the quality of sound is so good for being a wireless device, the range is retardedly good--and it's just so convenient for a fast paced work environment."
"I guess people have gotten use to using lousy products and thinking they are good, as evidenced by the high reviews that are so easily given."
Best Telephone Audio Conferencing Products
Full duplex for natural simultaneous 2-way conversationRemarkable voice quality and clarity from up to 10' away Noise reduction technology provides maximum microphone sensitivity while reducing distracting room and background noise360-degree microphone coverage with intelligent mixing- so only the microphone closest to the speaker is on for crystal clear conferencingFamiliar and easy to use with redial mute transfer and hold functionsPhone Lines: 1 x Analog Phone Features: Conference call Caller ID Speed Dial - Up to 25 entries Phone Book - Up to 25 entriesLarge backlit display Password protected configuration settings for administratorsInterfaces/Ports: 2-pin RJ-11Buttons & Keys: 12 x Alphanumeric - Telephone Keypad Volume Control - Up/Down Mute Button On/Off Programmable Button Redial Hold Button 1-year warrantyColor: black12 1/4" W x 2 1/2" H x 14 1/2" D consoleIncludes 21' cord to console and 7' telco cable to RJ-11 telephone jack. Delivering remarkable voice quality equal to the SoundStation Premier and a 50% increase in microphone sensitivity over the award-winning SoundStation, users can speak in a normal voice and be heard clearly up to ten feet away -- making every call a more productive call. More productive calls Ð Polycom's patented Acoustic Clarity Technology allows simultaneous, natural, free-flowing conversation Hear and be heard clearly Ð Twice the loudness and microphone sensitivity of the original SoundStation -- eliminates ear strain and repetition Backlit display provides important information Ð Displays console phone number, number called, duration/progress of call and supports worldwide Caller ID Ability to increase coverage Ð Optional extension microphones expand coverage for larger conference rooms Easy to use and install Ð Connects into any analog phone jack and can be connected to a PBX with an analog extension. Polycom acoustic clarity full duplex 3 cardiod microphones 10 foot microphone pickup range Intelligent microphone mixing Dynamic Noise Reduction Volume (adjustable up to 94 dBA at 0.5 meters) User selectable ring tones 12-key telephone keypad Mute, volume up/down keys Mute, conference keys Graphical backlit LCD Configurable conference speed dial key 3 context sensitive soft-keys Multi-lingual user interface Caller ID 25 entry phone book RCA auxiliary audio jack Applications port EX microphone jacks. Caller ID, graphical backlit LCD, user selectable ring tones.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is the expandable model which means you can plug in two extra microphone pucks for reall long conference room tables."
"We use this product for business calls with 3 - 5 people on our side."
"They are expensive because they are good products."
"However, when using the product during a conference call meeting there were complaints of audio difficulties."
"Clear crisp sound, we love it!"
"We returned the first one which did not power up and now the replacement has died a few months later and was hardly used."