Best 2 Line Cordless Phones

Even though almost everyone has a cellular phone nowadays, we all still need a good quality landline phone at home or at our place of business. Cordless landline phones don’t just offer you a way of freeing you up, letting you make and receive calls anywhere in your house (your cellphone does that as well, after all). They offer other great features, like serving as an answering machine and having a speakerphone option or phonebook function as well. But a two-line cordless phone gives you an even more important feature: privacy.

A two-line cordless phone will allow you to have two phone lines in your home or office. You can have one solely for business purposes, and the other phone line for personal matters. Also, many two-line models that we’ll examine have additional screening capabilities: They’ll be able to filter out robocalls, by asking for a particular response that only a human can provide. Or they’ll have Caller ID, where you can see if the caller is in your list of permitted callers. And some have encryption features as well.

We’ll look at some of the best two-line cordless phone models. They can be a great option for a small business, as well as a convenient means of security from unwanted callers.

We can distinguish between different types of 2-line cordless phones:

• Base unit with single handset: This version will have a base unit with the pushbuttons to make calls, along with a detachable handset. The VTech DS6151 2-Line Cordless Phone has such a base unit with a speakerphone, with room for a single handset. It accepts wiring for two phone lines, and the buttons on both the base unit and handset to allow you to switch between phone lines.

VTech DS6151 2-Line Cordless Phone

Another configuration is the one used in the AT&T Phone Answering System. It actually can accommodate 4 phone lines, and 11 individual users. It has a corded phone on the base unit, and separate cordless phones.

AT&T Phone Answering System

• Two-handset version: There are also 2-line cordless phones without a base unit that can make calls. It just relies on handsets. Vtech’s Model No. CS6719-2 is such a device. They give you the choice of buying a single handset, or two handsets.

Vtech Model No. CS6719-2 Two-Line Cordless Phones

Here are some of the comments of customers, about the features that helped them decide on a particular model of two-line cordless phone:

• Features for the hearing impaired: Some two-line cordless phones have special features for the hearing impaired. They have volume buttons on the handset or base to raise the volume. In addition, all VTech phones comply with FCC requirements to hook up to t-coil enabled hearing devices. In addition, many cordless phones light up when they receive a call, giving an additional visual reminder.

• Security: There are cordless phones that use digital security, encrypting your call so that no one can eavesdrop on your call. This is important if your business deals in sensitive data.

• Conference calls: Since all of the handsets are interconnected, you can use the phone system as an intercom. Some also provide the option of having a conference call, although this may depend on your telephone service provider.

• Charging the phones: Each handset will have rechargeable batteries. Usually, it takes 12 hours for the batteries to charge up. You’ll need an outlet for each handset, in order to plug in the AC adapter.

Here are some useful features in two-line cordless phones, that may help you decide on a particular model:

• LINK2CELL: Some cordless phones allow you to sync with your cellular phone. If you get a cordless phone with this feature, such as the Panasonic 2-Line Cordless Phone System (Model No. KX-TG9541B), you can use your cordless phone to answer calls that arrive at your cellphone. It’s one more level of assurance that you won’t miss a call.

• Call screening: Some two-line cordless phones provide means to block certain calls. The Vtech Bluetooth 2 Handset Cordless Phone (Model No. VS112-2) gives you the option of blacklisting as many as 1000 phone numbers. It can also filter out robocalls, by requiring that the caller press the pound key. And if you receive a call from an unfamiliar phone number, it requires the caller to state their name. The phone will then ring you and announce who is calling, giving you the option of answering the call or declining to answer.

• Answering system: Your landline phone company probably will offer you a voice mail option, but that may incur an extra expense. There are cordless phones that have a digital answering machine as well. The Vtech Bluetooth 2 Handset Cordless Phone (Model No. VS112-2) can record up to 22 minutes of messages, as well as announcements that you’re trying to send to a calling list.

• DECT 6.0: Many of the cordless phones in the Best Reviews Guide list boast of DECT 6.0 technology. DECT stands for “Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications”. It’s the ability of a cordless phone to employ radio waves to access your landline telephone network. DECT 6.0 is the latest version, suitable for use in North America. DECT 6.0 uses a radio frequency that’s just for cordless home phones, which guarantees that they won’t suffer interference from cellular phones or devices that have emissions in the microwave region of the spectrum. It also offers protection against eavesdropping on your conversations.

• Expandable: If you run a small business, you’ll want phone access for your employees as well. These two-line cordless phones are expandable, letting you buy more handsets. The AT&T 3-Handset Expandable Cordless Phone has an option of hooking up as many as 12 handsets!

AT&T 3-Handset Expandable Cordless Phone

Final Verdict

We went through some of the options in two-line cordless phones. They offer more than just convenience: they also ensure that your phone service is protected against identity theft. They can also help you eliminate unwanted phone calls from questionable or nuisance sources. Check out the offerings in the Best Reviews Guide losing, and choose a set today!