Specialty Phones

Cordless phones for the hearing/vision-impaired

Although there are several cordless phones touting features for those with hearing and sight limitations, these phones work well for anyone who wants better volume control and larger buttons. In fact, we find good reviews for some of these phones from people who just like their ease of use and extra features.

Currently, the only cordless phone/answering machine combo for the impaired that has gotten good reviews is the Uniden CEZAi2998 (*Est. $75), which has a corded handset on the base and one cordless handset. This phone has big, lighted buttons, flashing visual ringers and amplified volume that you can control. Talking caller ID tells you audibly who is calling, and the corded phone will still work in case of power failure. This 1.9 GHz phone gets excellent reviews from customers at Amazon.com and BestBuy.com.

Another phone, the Clarity D613 (*Est. $65), receives a recommendation from a consumer publication, but it gets mixed reviews from customers at Amazon.com. The Clarity phone has only one handset, though it is expandable to five handsets; at $50 each, however, expansion can be pricey. It also has an answering machine, though some users experience difficulty checking messages remotely. Others complain of interference and say that clarity is not this phone's strong point.

Skype phones

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a type of phone service that allows you to make calls through your broadband Internet connection instead of through traditional phone lines. See our report on VoIP if you're considering digital phone service with a provider like Vonage or your cable company. This type of VoIP service provider will provide you with an adapter (or modem) so you can use your regular telephone to make Internet calls. Other than the adapter, you do not need a special phone -- you can use any regular phone with VoIP.

Skype is different from a regular VoIP service, however. Skype is software that you install on your computer, allowing you to make free or low-cost phone calls. Unlike VoIP from your cable or Internet service provider, your computer needs to be turned on to make calls through Skype. You don't need a specific handset to use VoIP software; you can hook up a microphone and speakers, or use a headset connected to your computer to make calls. If you want to expand your mobility while you talk or increase the number of handsets you can use at once, however, you'll need a Skype-compatible phone that can connect to your computer or network. Be aware that we didn't find great reviews for any of these phones, which might partly be due to problems with Skype itself. You can also use Skype on mobile phones, including most Android smartphones and BlackBerry phones, by downloading a mobile Skype app. This may explain, in part, the waning availability of Skype-specific handsets. (Just one model is currently available on Skype's website.)

A few Skype phones have accumulated user reviews at Amazon.com, including the Plantronics Calisto Pro (now discontinued) and Keyspan VP-24A (*Est. $70), but too many of those users say the phones themselves are lousy -- emitting strange sounds, for example -- or not compatible with their computer's software. The Netgear SPH200W (*Est. $160), which seems to be on its way out, connects to your wireless network to make Skype calls. It can also connect to other public Wi-Fi networks (such as T-Mobile hot spots) to allow you to make calls over Skype when you're not at home. It's a neat concept, but we found mixed reports for how well this works in reality. Users say setup is tricky, and Netgear customer service isn't of much help, according to some of the user reviews we read.