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Cheap Cordless Phones, Best Cordless Telephone Reviews

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Best Cheap Cordless Phone Good Cheap Cordless Phones Panasonic KX TG1031S starting at $32 AT&T EL51209 starting at $37 VTech CS6219 starting at $20 Uniden dect1560 starting at $20 Don't Bother Cheap Cordless Phones  »

Cheap Cordless Phones Buying Guide

Cell phones may be displacing landlines as the primary phone for many people, but they haven't totally whipped the competition just yet. Cordless phones for landlines are hardly obsolete, and the recent introduction of a dedicated frequency for cordless models has sparked a proliferation of new products with more functionality.

Although prices for cordless phones can reach well beyond $1,000 (with several handsets usually thrown in for good measure, as well as fancy features like multiline/multihandset capability and extra-long range), frugal consumers can find plenty of high-quality options even if their budgets top out at $55. The main players at the cheap cordless phone market include AT&T, Panasonic, Uniden, RadioShack, and Vtech, which sells under its own name and also owns the AT&T brand. Expert and user cordless phone reviews are scarce for the latest crop of cheap cordless models, but we did find enough useful comments to help inform your buying decision. We limited our research to low-cost cordless phones featuring the new DECT 6.0 protocol, which operates on a 1.9 GHz frequency (more on this below).

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What to Look for: Cheap Cordless Phones Features

Regardless of price, brand, or underlying technology, most cordless phones these days have a number of standard features, including a call-waiting button, redial function, speaker phone, pager to locate the handset, LCD display, ringer volume control, and caller ID and call-waiting capability (you need to buy these two services from your service provider). But there are some important differences among budget cordless phones, so read on.

Cheap Cordless Phones Technology.

Cordless phones have been around for about 20 years but earlier generations relied on analog (radio wave) technology and frequency bands that had some decided drawbacks; e.g., a short range that kept you relatively close to the phone's home base, calls that could be intercepted, and interference from other nearby wireless equipment.

The introduction of digital technology a few years ago changed all that. Most new cordless phones incorporate DECT (a buzz-acronym for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) 6.0, which operates on a 1.9 GHz frequency that the Federal Communications Commission has assigned exclusively to cordless phones. The digital technology underlying DECT 6.0 has definite advantages over its analog cousin, one critical benefit being privacy (no one can eavesdrop). Moreover, with a 1.9 GHz frequency, you can range farther with the phone before losing the signal; it is unlikely to interfere with other wireless networks (like a baby monitor, microwave, or Wi-Fi); and the handset's battery life is about 30% longer, so you get more talk time before needing to recharge. The Panasonic KX- TG1031S Cordless Phone (starting at $32, Amazon), AT&T EL51209 (starting at $37, Amazon), VTech CS6219 Cordless Phone (starting at $20, Amazon), and Uniden dect1560 (starting at $20, Amazon) all feature DECT 6.0. Indeed, there's no reason to buy any phone - budget or otherwise - without DECT 6.0.

Budget Cordless Phones Handsets.

Searching the bargain bin for cordless phones will likely net you a handful of handsets. Although some cheap cordless phones, like the Panasonic KX-TG1031S, include only one handset, many current models feature at least two. The VTech CS6219, for example, comes with two handsets but can handle up to 12 and the VTech CS6229-4 (starting at $70, Amazon) comes with four handsets (as well as rechargeable batteries) and can also accommodate 12, each of which can be used as an intercom. (Accessory handsets compatible with the VTech CS6219 and CS6229 cost $19.95 each). All you need in order to scatter handsets around the house is one phone jack for the primary unit (base with one handset) and a bunch of electrical outlets. The virtue of this arrangement? When the phone rings or you need to make a call, you don't have to hunt down the one lonely handset or fight with your teenage daughter over it, as did a consumer who wrote a cheap cordless phone review on Buzzillions, and said that she solved the problem by purchasing the AT&T EL51209, which comes with two handsets (but can't take on any extras).

Before getting carried away by the number of handsets you can collect, check out the button size and the LCD display. Some cordless phone reviews, like one posted on Amazon.com, like the bigger buttons found on the Panasonic KX-TG1031S because you're less likely to hit the wrong number while dialing. This feature appeals to consumers who might otherwise struggle with tiny numbers and letters; one user comments in her cordless phone review on Buzzillions.com that she bought the Panasonic KX-TG1031S for her mom partly because of the large buttons. A clear visual display on the screen also appeals to consumers. A cordless phones review on Staples.com says the display on the Uniden dect1580-3 (three handsets, starting at $80, Amazon) is possible to read even without reading glasses.

Despite all the positive comments, some minor complaints about handsets crop up in cheap cordless phone reviews by users. Consumers aren't impressed with the handset design and functionality of the Verizon V100-1 (starting at $27, Amazon), for example. A phone review posted on Amazon says you can easily dial the wrong number because the buttons are too uniform. And a user commenting on Staples isn't happy about the shape of the handset, which makes it hard to cradle against a shoulder.

Cheap Cordless Phones Programming/Features.

Walking while talking isn't the only convenience cheap cordless phones offer - there are also modern-day necessities such as auto-dial, caller ID, phonebook, and choosing a ringer tone. Many consumers appreciate how little effort is required with the VTech CS6219. A budget cordless phone review by a Walmart consumer, for example, notes that adding a number to the phonebook or adjusting the caller ID on one phone automatically updates on all the other VTech CS6219 handsets. Similarly, in a cordless phone review on OfficeMax the user writes that deleting a missed call on one handset automatically deletes the number on all the handsets in the house.

But all cheap cordless phones aren't this versatile. Many users, including the one who wrote this cordless phone review on Best Buy, are slightly annoyed at having to update each handset on the Uniden dect1560 when they want to delete caller ID numbers or program in a new number. An Amazon consumer is frustrated with the unintuitive caller ID on the Verizon V100-1, complaining about the need to press two keys to begin scrolling and the separate displays of the caller's name and number.

Bargain Cordless Phones Answering Machine.

Many cheap cordless phones are voice-mail ready but lack an integrated answering machine. Some budget phones without an internal answering machine have companion models with this feature, albeit at a higher price. The basic AT&T EL51209 can't record a message when you're not available, although the AT&T EL52209 (starting at $45, Amazon - about $13 more than its no-frills sibling) can. Likewise with the Uniden DECT 1560, the baseline model in the 1500 series, lacks an integrated answering machine but the Uniden 1580 (starting at $30, Amazon) has one built in.

If you don't use your phone service provider's voicemail system or you want to save money on your monthly phone bill, choose a budget cordless phone with an answering machine; recording time with these integrated machines usually totals 14-16 minutes. Consumers posting budget cordless phone reviews on Amazon and Staples write about buying the Panasonic KX-TG1031S and the AT&T EL52209, respectively, in order to cut the number of phone services they were paying for.

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What to Expect: Cheap Cordless Phones Performance

Inexpensive Cordless Phones Voice Clarity.

Voice clarity on a cheap cordless phone is a crucial performance criterion. Thrifty shoppers will be pleased to know that scrimping on price doesn't mean you have to shout into the phone to be heard. Although the random user may wind up with a unit that doesn't work properly -- static on the line, perhaps, or volume that just isn't loud enough -- consumers generally say good things about voice clarity on budget cordless phones. Cordless phone reviews by users on Bestcovery, for example, note the absence of any interference or bad signals with the AT&T EL51209 and say the handset and speakerphone deliver excellent sound quality. Sound quality on the Panasonic KX-TG1031S gets a ringing endorsement in many cordless phone reviews on Amazon, although a couple of reviewers of this cheap cordless phone on Best Buy are less impressed. Sound quality on both the VTech CS6219 and Uniden dect1560 also passes muster with cordless phone reviews on Newegg.com and Best Buy, but with these two models some reports about buzzing and static occasionally crop up. The Verizon V100-1 appeals to consumers for its budget price, but voice volume that seems too low poses problems for some users, according to posts on Buzzillions and Staples.

On cheap cordless phones with an integrated answering machine, you certainly want clarity in voice on the outgoing message and on playback. The Panasonic KX-TG1031S gets high marks for clear sound from the answering machine, whether you're listening with the handset or from the base, according to a cordless phones user review on Amazon and expert reviews in leading consumer magazines. Ditto for the answering machine on the AT&T EL52209, according to Staples shoppers, who also like the day and time feature.

Cheap Cordless Phones Ease of Use.

A low-cost cordless phone should be easy to set up and easy to use - and for the most part, consumers found them to be just that. Plug in the base to an outlet and a phone jack, charge the handset for up to 24 hours (time required varies by model), and you're almost ready to go. Now comes the fun part: programming the handset for functions such as auto-dial, phonebook, and ringer. Inexpensive cordless phone reviews on Amazon and Bestcovery.com note the ease of programming the basic AT&T EL51209 and praise its no-frills simplicity. The Panasonic KX TG1031S garners similar comments from reviews posted on Overstock.com, although a in few cordless phone reviews on Amazon users grumble that set up takes some effort, in part because the symbols are hard to understand and the owner's manual not very helpful. A CNET review of the Uniden dect1560 likes the speaker phone in the handset and the ability to give different ringer tones to different numbers in your phonebook; Best Buy customers who add extra handsets to the Uniden dect1560 appreciate the separate ID lists and easy-to-copy phonebooks. The simplicity and low price of the VTech CS6219 appeals to users writing low-cost cordless phone reviews on Radio Shack, as does its use for free broadband (VOIP) phone connections. On the other hand, consumers complain on Amazon about the cumbersome caller ID and hard-to-use keypad on the VTech CS6219.

Bargain Cordless Phones Range.

DECT 6.0 technology has significantly improved the range and call quality (thanks to less frequency interference) of the latest generation of cordless phones. In addition, DECT 6.0 phones give you about two to three times the range of the 5.8GHz- generation of cordless phones. Note, however, that the effective range with either technology may be limited by factors such as population density and the construction materials used in a home or building. In other words, the phone's range partly depends on where you're making or receiving the call. For example, Panasonic phones have a reputation for quality, but two Best Buy customers are expressing disappointment in their cordless phone reviews with the sound quality and the range on the Panasonic KX-TG1031S, with one noting that the signal doesn't carry from the one floor to the next. On the other hand, a phone reviewer on Buzzillions.com happily reports that the handset of the Panasonic KX-TG1031S works in a neighbor's house. We found few user or expert comments about the Vtech CS6219's range, and what we did find on Buzzillions was fairly positive. In comparative tests of several cordless phone models, CNET reviewers found calls on the Uniden dect1560 started breaking up at slightly shorter distances from the base than did the other phones, but the reviewers were otherwise satisfied with this model's sound volume and clarity.

Low-cost Cordless Phones Battery Life.

Battery life is an important performance factor, one that experts say the DECT 6.0 technology has significantly improved. Battery life on Panasonic and AT&T cordless phones generally gets good reviews from experts and consumers, who post on sites like Tigerdirect.com about the Panasonic KX-TG1031S and on Amazon about the AT&T EL51209, where one user says he can make a two or three hour conference call without fear of the battery cutting out. There are, however, plenty of complaints about short battery life in cheap cordless phones. There aren't many user reviews for the GE 28213EE DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System (starting at $35, Amazon), but a Best Buy reviewer reports that battery life seems relatively short.

Note that certain batteries go with certain cordless phones and you should always buy the battery that matches your phone. When you have the option, experts suggest you use nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which cost more but are also more efficient and environmentally friendly than nickel cadmium (NiCD) batteries. Cordless phone batteries usually last about two years.

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Products Mentioned in This Review

Verizon V100-1 DECT 6.0
VTech CS6219
Uniden dect1560
Panasonic KX TG1031S
AT&T EL51209

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