Cordless phone on a table

Cordless Phones Buying Guide

Cordless phones are adapting to a world increasingly crowded with wireless and Internet-based devices. New phones can happily coexist with home networks or let you place calls over your cell phone service or the Internet. Some can even switch from regular landline service to Internet phone service to help you save on long-distance charges.
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Getting started

When shopping for a phone, you'll need to decide whether you want a phone that uses analog or digital technology. Generally, analog phones are less expensive and have better voice quality, while digital models offer better security and are more immune to interference. But each technology has equally significant drawbacks. And, because cordless phones might interfere with other wireless devices and home networks, you'll also have to consider which frequencies the phone uses.

And you'll have to decide whether you want an 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. If you're considering an answerer, you need to make these two additional decisions.

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.

 
Next in this section: Types