Panasonic KX-TGE274S
Pros
This cordless phone has phenomenal battery life and has an average talk time of 13 hours.
Cons
Some other cordless phones can allow up to 12 separate handsets, but this one only supports up to six.
Verdict 9.85
This easy-to-use cordless phone has many adjustable features and offers Bluetooth pairing. It is a great phone in either a
home or a small-business setting.
$114.99
Review:
The Panasonic KX-TGE274S combines a classic home phone with some cell phone functionality to make the best cordless phone on the market. The phone pairs wirelessly via
Bluetooth to your smartphone so you can make and take phone calls with one of the included handsets, even if you don't have a landline phone plan. This cordless phone has a
long battery life as well as plenty of memory for messages, contacts and numbers. It is also incredibly easy to use. For these reasons, we have given it the Top Ten Reviews
Gold Award for the best home phone.
Phone Features:
Boasting an average talk time of 13 hours with up to 11 days of battery life on standby, even the chattiest of Cathy's won't have to worry about being cut short by a dead battery.
If the battery does die, the phone comes with a standard of four handsets, which can be expanded up to six, so you can move to a new headset if you need more talk time. The
battery takes seven hours to charge, which is slightly faster than other phones on the market.
These cordless home phones sport a classic, familiar design. The handsets are made of durable plastic that won't break if dropped. They are easy to grip and comfortable to
hold, even for long periods of time. The phone is large enough to balance on your shoulder during lengthy conversation. The back of the phone is entirely white and the front is
silver in color. There are large buttons with big, bold numbers. The buttons are also illuminated, making it is easy to dial in the dark.
The phone's base also has a large and labeled dial pad. This comes in handy for conference calls, which make use of the base's loud speaker. If you don't want to be huddled
around the base with your friends, family or colleagues, you can use the handset as a speakerphone as well. This is convenient if you are multitasking and want to be free to
move around easily, such as in the kitchen. The base also houses a digital answering machine that can store a total of 18 minutes of messages. You have the ability to record
your answering machine greeting or use a preprogrammed one.
Device Features:
The phones sport a large, backlit display. The text is big, clear and easy to read. Menus aren't complicated and are simple to scroll through. If you get a text message while your
smartphone is paired to the phone, the display will inform you who the sender was (though you can't read or reply to texts using the handset). When you receive a call through
either a landline or your paired cellphone, the handset displays caller ID text. There is also a setting for a verbal caller ID. In between rings, the phone will announce who is
calling. While name pronunciation is wrong at times, the feature is convenient and saves you from having to physically check the phone if you want to screen your calls.
Each handset has a headset jack so you can plug one in for hands-free calls. Since the phone has Bluetooth functionality, you can also pair a wireless headset to the phone.
Other features include conferencing, an alarm, a handset locator and an intercom, so you can use the phone to communicate with your family or roommates in other parts of the
house.
Another useful feature is the cordless phone's ability to create a call block list. This will keep pesky telemarketers, or anybody else for that matter, from bothering you. You can
add numbers to the blocked list, and those unwanted callers will receive a busy signal rather than being given the opportunity to annoy you or waste your time.
Adjustable Features:
Another reason the KX-TGE274S is the best landline phone we reviewed is its range of adjustable features. You can add up to 600 names and numbers to your phonebook.
The caller ID stores 50 names and numbers and you can scroll through the phone's memory to redial the five previous numbers which you dialed.
The ringer has six volume levels, and you can select different volume levels for each handset. For example, you could turn down the telephone in the bedroom when someone
is sleeping but still have the phone in the kitchen on a much higher volume. There's also a silent setting for when you don't want be disturbed at all.
With Bluetooth connectivity, you can connect two different cellphones to this cordless phone and assign different ringtones for each of them. This distinguishes a mobile phone
call from one directed toward the landline number.
Help & Support:
Panasonic is well-respected and known for high-quality products; however, if you have issues with your cordless phone's handsets or the base, there is plenty of help and
support available. You can reach agents by telephone, but if your phone doesn't work or you don't have a cellphone, you can still email them or chat with them online. There is
also an extensive FAQs section on Panasonic's website. You can even write to Panasonic's physical address and a representative will respond within 48 hours of receiving your
inquiry. This cordless phone has a one-year warranty.
Summary:
The Panasonic KX-TGE274S cordless phone has several features that keep this classic-looking phone fresh and exciting. However, just because it has up-to-date features, like
Bluetooth connectivity, doesn't mean it is confusing or hard to use. The phone has large buttons, easy-to-navigate menus and many adjustable features that work well in both
