As smartphones have become more and more ubiquitous, younger generations have increasingly seen no reason to still use landline phones in their own homes.

  • Best smartphones: The top mobile phones available to buy today

However, there are still countless people who use landlines each and every day, whether because it saves them money compared to their mobile contracts, or because of the convenience of having a chat on a phone that doesn’t have a million other features to distract you.

That’s why we’ve gathered some of the very best landline phones on the market, below.

Our Top Pick: Best Cordless Landline Phone

For

  • Feels great to use Properly designed Great features

Against

  • Price

There are a few top-end handsets that you can buy for your home which cost truly silly money, most of them designed expensively and aimed at niche buyers, but BT’s Premium Phone is probably the top-end of the mainstream market, and it’s hugely impressive. The phones are really nicely designed, elegant and premium-feeling, but it’s their features that win out.

You can block callers at the press of a button, while a call-screening option lets you even force callers to identify themselves ahead of time (you can exempt your contacts, too). In fact, the call-blocking option is just about as extensive as you’ll find anywhere, which will be perfect for some. For everyone else, beautiful design and great call-quality will more than do their bit, too.

  • Priced nicely Speakerphone function Caller ID and blocking

  • Not too many features

It’s an affordable option from Panasonic, but the KX-TGD610B is still a nice phone to look at, or more accurately is a phone that will easily blend into the background in your home, which is what many people will be looking for. It’s simple and easy to use, as well.

Its soft-touch keys are easy to read and backlit for when you’re flailing around in the dark, and while its display isn’t exactly cutting-edge, you’re still getting a great package for the price, one which will do very nicely for most users.

  • Simple to use Nice and basic Good keys

  • Also quite ugly

AT&T has quite a few different landline phones for you to consider - but this three-pack, which can be expanded, is a great way to fill your home.

Though they look basic, the design is very handy for those who require enlarged fonts on a clear LCD screen, as well as big keys to dial. Those keys are also backlit, meaning dialling is just as easy in the dark, too.

There are additional features to explore, as well, such as four minutes of recording time, call screening, call intercepting and message retrieval.

  • Nice and affordable Simple in a good way Solid design

  • A bit plasticky

If the top priority for you is affordability alongside quality, we think that BT’s Everyday option is a really impressive one for those looking to spend less. It’s priced really nicely, especially since you can buy a single phone on its own, and yet still looks pleasant and feels sturdy.

Plus, its call quality is really solid, while you also get plenty of ringtones to choose from and settings to tweak. It’s far from the most feature-packed phone, but for a budget option, it’s an extremely sensible choice.

  • Value pack Retro looks Trilingual options

  • Some would say they’re a bit ugly

If you’re looking to keep things on a budget, VTech’s CS6719-2 is a package to consider.

They aren’t the most modern-looking devices, but they do have their strengths - the units are likely to blend into the background, and you can expand the army to include up to five phones.

There are also trilingual prompts that can be set up, allowing you to navigate the phone with the help of English, Spanish or French read-outs.

How to choose a landline cordless phone

A landline phone might not be the newest bit of tech, but it can be really handy. Here are some questions that could help you figure out what type is best for you.

Do you call abroad a lot?

Calling loved ones or friends abroad can get really expensive pretty quick, so you might want to look into landlines that can use Wi-Fi calling if you do it often. This can save you a pretty penny by using the internet for your call.

How many phones do you need?

If you have a big home and don’t want to be sprinting around looking for a handset whenever the phone rings, consider getting a pack with a few handsets that you can dot around the place. This means you don’t need to worry about phones going missing or anything.

How much range is ideal?

Similarly, it’s worth double-checking what the range is for any model you’re considering, to make sure that you won’t suffer from dropouts if you leave its base station too far behind. This is a great step if you’re on a bigger property.