Before you buy a cordless phone unit, check magazines and websites that offer reviews of the different models available on the market today. You can choose to do an apple-to-apple comparison or pit different types against each other.

There are cordless phones that come with a built-in answering machine. Choose from those that offer multiple inboxes. Large families, or those who live with roommates, may find that having more than one inbox preserves individual privacy. Analog cordless phones, while not as secure as their digital counterparts, do offer a measure of security. Some come with an additional wired unit attached to the base. This prevents other people from looking for your signal and intercepting it.

Expandable cordless phone units come with backup power sources, such as batteries. When there is a power outage, you can still trust the phone to work.

You should also compare the caller ID memory capacities of the phones. Most phones allow you to store the most important and frequently used phone numbers in their memory.

Specialized cordless phones built for the hearing and visually impaired are also available. For the hearing impaired, there are units that have adjustable volumes for the earpiece (for incoming calls) and the ringer (to alert the user of an incoming call). The best ones are adjustable to levels that can make it easy for people with hearing difficulties on normal phones to have no problem. Voicemail messages are announced by a blinking light. Those with astigmatism or those who have difficulty reading can get units with large buttons that feature large letters and numbers and a flashing red light to indicate incoming calls.

But in the end, if you are looking for the best set of features, the digital cordless phone is the right choice for you. It may be a bit more expensive than its counterparts, but in the long run, all of its advanced features are worth the extra money.