Last Updated: 4 months ago
Our Selection for the Best List (Quick link to the content on this page)
1. Clarity
2. Panasonic
3. VTech
4. AT&T
5. Motorola
Cordless phones are still around.
Fashion from the past always has a way of showing up again.
Corsets from the 1900s are now our shapewear to tuck in body fat where we want to. The bell bottoms of the 70s are the wide-leg pants we live to wear today. Timeless pieces like watches and sunglasses never go out of style.
Much like fashion, old becomes new. And so can our cordless phones.
Over the last 20 years, mobile phones have gradually become a must-have item everyone owns. It left cordless or landline phones to the side for a while, but not everyone sees the value of using a small screen for making phone calls at home.
We sense that cordless phones are here to stay. But we can’t forget why these phones were purposeful to us in the first place.
Is there any reason to keep a landline phone?
Anyone who says cordless phones have replaced the smartphone is wrong. There are many good reasons why having a landline is applicable, even though we all own smartphones.
Safety
For those of us who have a landline phone, better 911 service is available through the landline. The operators can locate the exact address where the call is coming from. With the smartphone and GPS, it can be challenging to pinpoint exactly where the call is coming from. Landline will give you the quick response you need in emergency times.
You’re not attached to your smartphone
Some people are just by their cell phones at all times of the day. However, some of us are just unsure where we placed our mobile phones or leave our phones charging in another room. With a cordless phone, we have the option of multiple phones for one number. Multiple phones can be placed anywhere. As a result, we can pick up the phone closest to or near us.
Poor reception
Even though we can send a rocket out of the planet, some of us still live with poor internet connectivity or reception. It can happen even in the busiest and most congested cities. Too much cell phone usage in a small area can block transmission and prevent anyone from making a call or hearing clearly on the phone.
How we evaluate
We sourced the internet for reviews and comments from people with hearing loss who tried cordless phones and how well they worked for them. Whether they have moderate or severe hearing loss, our evaluation is a curated form of opinions from people who understand what is important to have an easy and accessible way to make a call with hearing loss.
Hearing aid compatible
Phones in North America are regulated to be hearing aid compatible (HAC). Therefore, all phone manufacturers in the US should have, as of April 2022, 85% of all the phones they made have a HAC marker. This law will make many telephones compatible with hearing aids—a considerable increase from when more than half of the phones were regulated to have an HAC rating. Having an HAC rating assumes that your hearing aids or cochlear implant have a t-switch that you can use to make a call. If the phone isn’t HAC, we’ll mention it.
Audio quality
Audio quality is essential. Now we know that turning up things louder can do nothing for us if the audio sound quality is poor. Loud doesn’t necessarily mean clear. Our evaluation will look for comments about the quality of the audio as well as the volume capabilities of the cordless phone.
Usability
Cellphones that are too complex to use are annoying. I think a good phone should be intuitive and straightforward. If you have to constantly ask for help or read the instruction manual to remember how to get or delete your voice messages, it’s going to take years, not days, to master the usage of the phone.
Design
It seems as if the devices we often see for people with hearing loss look like they belong in a hospital, rather fitting nicely with our home decor. There are too many products for people with hearing loss that need an upgrade in design. We certainly do not want you to have an ugly item living with you.
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Best phone for hard of hearing
Features
- Connect your listening devices or favourite headset using a 3mm jack
- Phone ringing amplification
- Amplify up to 50 dB to listen to callers with the boost mode button
- Amplify calls for others on the other end by 15 dB higher
- Speakerphone feature
- Visual light when the phone rings
- No answering machine
- Can purchase up to 2 handset bundles
Features
- Volume boost button to amplify callers’ voice up to 40 dB
- Slow talk button to slow the speech of the caller on the other line
- Noise reduction feature for listening in a noisy environment
- Speakerphone feature
- A visual ringer and ringer tone goes up to 100 dB
- Answering machine feature
- Adding another handset comes at an additional cost
Features
- Add photos of your favourite contacts
- Can alert authorities or listed contacts in the case of an emergency.
- Increase volume up to 50 dB
- 90 dB phone ringer
- Pair phone with other VTech devices like a doorbell or emergency necklace pendant
- Can purchase one handset at a timed
Features
- Quiet function to silence the phone ringer
- Keypads light up when off the base
- Voice messages can be picked up from the phone and not the base only
- Comes with 2 or 3 handsets
- No visual light indicator of voice messages
- No voice announcement of caller ID
Features
- Intercom to talk to others through other handsets placed in different locations in the house, condo or apartment
- The handset can be labelled to locate which phone is where
- No automated voice announcement from the caller
- Beeping noise to indicate voice messages
- Visual ring indicator to see when a call is coming
- Answering machine included
- Ability to increase the volume of the ringer
- One to four handsets available with this model