Answering Machine Review

Answering machines are nearly a thing of the past

Standalone answering machines are quickly becoming obsolete. GE and AT&T are about the only companies manufacturing these devices, and there aren't many models to choose from. More popular these days are cordless phone/answering machine combos, which are covered in our companion report on cordless phones.

ConsumerReports.org has not reviewed answering machines since 1999; therefore, we found opinion websites to be the best alternative to professional reviews. When it comes to answering machines, owner satisfaction hinges primarily on voice quality and ease-of-use. We found the best owner-written reviews at Amazon.com and eBay, along with some retail sites that also allow owners to leave comments for products, including JR.com and RadioShack.com.

Digital answering machines are the only types still being produced, because the older variety that recorded on tape was phased out years ago (you can find used models on eBay). Digital answering machines are faster and quieter, and they let you bounce from message to message, picking and choosing which messages to keep or discard.  Despite the fact that these products are slowly but surely disappearing from the marketplace, there is a small but loyal contingent of consumers who have a strong affection for these machines in comparison to a voicemail service through your phone company. A May 2009 post on ConsumerReports.org's electronics blog opened up a discussion about the pros and cons of answering machines. Readers come down squarely on the side of answering machines, citing features such as one-time cost (instead of a monthly fee) and the ability to screen calls (which makes caller ID unnecessary).

In the past, AT&T answering machines have received generally good reviews. Currently there is only one model in production. General Electric still makes a few standalone answerers, many of which do well in consumer reviews.

ConsumerSearch receives a number of inquiries from owners who have lost the manual to their answering machines. The best source we've found is www.InstructionSheets.com. This website has a large archive of owner's manuals available online or links to where you can find them. This is a great resource if you have a perfectly good answering machine but can't quite remember how to program it.