While cell phones are most often the telecommunications product of choice, a good cordless phone can be indispensible at home or in the office. Cordless phones have become smaller over time. They offer more features and have great range. Buying a new cordless phone requires just a bit of research. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about these devices and the answers that should help you make a better choice when shopping.

1. Which cordless phone will offer the least interference?
Cordless phones operate on the 2.4GHz, 5.8GHz, and 1.9GHz frequencies. The 2.4 and 5.8GHz frequencies are more crowded, forcing phones to compete with other devices. Therefore, at this time, cordless phones operating on the 1.9GHz frequency will tend to experience less risk of interference problems.

Some phones offer technologies such as DSS or FHSS which allow them to hop frequencies as needed which can also be useful.

2. Which cordless phone will offer the greatest operating range?
Most modern cordless phones are Dect 6.0 phones and offer great operating range, in fact many will operate out in the yard. There are however range extenders available for some cordless phones.

3. I want caller ID, what do I need to get this feature?
Many cordless phones now offer caller ID or talking caller ID. All you need is to select a model that offers this feature and to sign up for the caller ID service that your telephone provider offers.

4. My mother has both a hearing and vision loss. Are there features that would make a cordless phone more user friendly for her?
Sure. There are cordless phones with big buttons and larger displays with high contrast to make them easier to see. There are also models with a speakerphone function and even amplified phones  such as those made by Clarity and Clearsounds, which are ideal for those with a hearing loss. Another option is a talking caller ID cordless phone which allows the user to know who is calling without having to read the screen.

5. Aside from features like call blocking, conference calling, and so forth, what else should I consider when buying a cordless phone?
You might want to think about the future a little. For instance, maybe you just want a cordless handset for the kitchen and bedroom. You can buy a system with two handsets. But, if you buy a system with two handsets that is expandable, you can easily add a phone in the den, another bedroom, or the garage if you decide you want to in the future.

You might also think more about capacity for things like the phonebook and call logs. Do you need to store just 5 or 6 phone numbers or 100? Do you want to be able to see who called and when over the past 10 calls or the past 30?

The other big feature of course is an answering machine and voice mail. Most cordless phone answering systems offer this, but not all of them.