Best Cordless Phones

Panasonic makes the best DECT phones

Cordless phone/answering machine combos usually come with two or more cordless handsets, plus the ability to buy additional handsets that can be linked to the system (extra handsets usually cost $20 to $40). Most let you use the handsets as walkie-talkies, as well as transfer calls from one handset to another and hold handset conferences. All of the models discussed here are DECT phones, which outperform older-style cordless phones in expert tests. All of these phones work with either standard plain old telephone service (POTS) through your local phone company or digital phone service, which routes calls through your Internet connection.

We found the best reviews overall for the Panasonic KX-TG1032S (*Est. $55) DECT phone/answering machine. This DECT cordless phone does well in both professional testing and owner reviews. More than 400 owners contribute to its high average rating at Amazon.com, and two extensive comparative reviews praise its excellent range, very good voice quality and long battery life.

The Panasonic KX-TG1032S DECT cordless phone is part of a series that differs only in the number of handsets that come standard. The KX-TG1032S comes with two handsets, while the Panasonic KX-TG1033S (*Est. $70) includes three and the KX-TG1034S (*Est. $80) includes four. You can expand any of these systems by purchasing additional headsets (*Est. $35), up to a maximum of six handsets total. Calls can be transferred between handsets, and two- and three-way handset conferencing is possible. One convenient feature of this model is phonebook sharing between handsets.

However, the Panasonic KX-TG1032S is not free from faults; the most common complaint is the lack of a backlit keypad. The answering machine can hold 15 minutes of messages, but it has just one mailbox. However, we saw no complaints about interference with this cordless phone system.

Panasonic cordless phones consistently rate best in expert tests. Most appear to perform pretty much like the top-rated model, but the features, design and prices are different. For example, the Panasonic KX-TG6412M (*Est. $55) has a backlit keypad but it doesn't have an answering machine. The Panasonic KX-TG6442T (*Est. $80) has a backlit keypad, an answering machine and adds a few extra features, such as speaking caller ID (the phone announces the caller's name). The Panasonic KX-TG9343 (*Est. $95) has the same features as the KX-TG6442T but comes with three handsets.

Some cordless phones/answerers include a corded phone on the base unit. This is especially handy for power outages, when cordless phones won't work. A corded handset also makes over-the-air eavesdropping impossible. The AT&T CL84109 (*Est. $65) performs well on every measure in expert tests, with an exceptionally long range from the base. It includes one corded and one cordless handset, and an answering machine. You can get a version with one corded and two cordless handsets, the AT&T CL84209 (*Est. $100). The base on this DECT cordless phone can handle up to 12 handsets.

Many people still want a phone with an answering machine, but if you have voice mail through your phone company (or don't need message recording at all), you can save money by skipping the answering machine. The inexpensive AT&T EL51209 (*Est. $40) is a DECT cordless phone that performs well in expert tests. It includes two cordless handsets but no answering machine. You can get one with an answering machine, the AT&T EL52209 (*Est. $50), or a version with no answering machine but three handsets, the AT&T EL51359 (*Est. $70).

VTech makes some inexpensive DECT cordless phones that perform well in expert tests -- but not in real life, according to reviews. Some owners say that when their VTech phones started having problems, customer service didn't seem to care. We found similar complaints about Uniden DECT phones. Not long ago, Uniden boasted some of the highest-rated phones, but some owners report poor quality from the new Uniden DECT crop -- and again, unhelpful customer service. Even theUniden DECT 2080-2 (*Est. $45), which gets good ratings in a leading expert test and from customers at RadioShack.com, suffers the same performance and service problems in recent reviews at Amazon.com. A better-performing model in reviews is the Uniden DECT 1580-2 (*Est. $55) and its sister models with more handsets -- but we still found customer-service complaints.