Panasonic cordless home phones from £30 on test

Our latest round of cordless phone tests have seen new models from Panasonic put through their paces, to find out everything from clarity and signal quality to how effectively these phones will block out pesky cold callers.

The best cordless phones are easy to set up, and have plenty of storage space for contacts and voice messages. Panasonic will be hoping that its newest cordless phones will be worthy of a Which? Best Buy.

Keep scrolling for more on the affordable Panasonic KX-TGE110EB and Panasonic KX-TGH720ES, along with tips on how to block nuisance calls for good.

Browse the best cordless home phones from our in-depth lab tests.

The budget option: Panasonic KX-TGE110EB (£30)

This cordless phone from Panasonic has just made its way back from our test lab. It can function as an answering machine and has a 1.8-inch LCD display. You can grab this cordless phone as a single handset, or as a multipack of two or three.

The Panasonic KX-TGE110EB has large keys and a well-lit screen that make it a breeze to use. This model is also hearing-aid compatible, which helps make sure you'll never miss an important call.

You can store up to 150 contacts, although you might not have much fun manually punching them all in. A dedicated button on the base of this cordless phone is used for listening back to messages - you'll see a flashing red light if you receive a new one. The machine can hold up to 64 separate messages.

Call-blocking support on the Panasonic KX-TGE110EB will restrict up to 250 numbers, although note that this phone can't block international or mobile numbers.

We've also tested:

• Panasonic KX-TGE722EB (two handsets)
• Panasonic KX-TGE723EB (three handsets)

To see how this cordless phone performed in the Which? test lab, see our full Panasonic KX-TGE720EB review.

The mid-range option: Panasonic KX-TGH720ES (£59)

If you have more money to play with, you might be tempted by this Panasonic cordless phone. It has a 1.8-inch colour display and an answering machine. You can buy this model as a single handset or as a multipack with up to six.

As you're spending more money, you'll get access to some features less common on cheaper alternatives. For example, you can store up to 200 contacts and permanently block up to a whopping 1,000 numbers. Callers that aren't in your phonebook will need to enter an access code before the phone rings.

Buttons on the base of this cordless phone let you sift through your new voice messages. The machine can store up to 64 messages at a time.

We've also tested:

• Panasonic KX-TGH722EB (two handsets)
• Panasonic KX-TGH723EB (three handsets)

How effective is the call-blocking feature on this Panasonic phone? Our Panasonic KX-TGH720ES review has the answer.

How much do you need to spend on a good cordless home phone?

You might be tempted to go cheap on a cordless phone - if you're only after the basics, why pay more? There are some things to look out for, though, both in terms of quality and important features.

The cheapest phone we've tested is the Gigaset A710 (£18). It's a very basic cordless phone and lacks features such as call blocking and an answerphone. The range is poor, too, so stray too far from the base station and quality drops noticeably.

There's no need to pay much more to find cordless phones that have useful features, though.

Cheap home phones with call blocking

We all know the pain of picking up the phone and dealing with a cold caller - billions of nuisance calls are made to UK people every year.

But if you buy the right cordless phone, you won't need to get an earful from a salesperson desperate to sell you something you don't need. Our expert cordless phone tests focus on how well phones can block unwanted calls from international numbers, mobile numbers, withheld numbers and unavailable numbers.

You'll be pleased to hear that cordless phones with call blocking aren't that expensive. The £25 iDect Vantage 9325 cordless phone (above) can block international, withheld or unavailable numbers. It's available with a single handset or as a twin pack.

This cordless phone has an answering machine on its base, along with a timed blocking feature that lets you silence calls between certain hours.

How to block nuisance calls on a mobile phone

Even while you're out and about, you're not completely safe from nuisance calls. If you want to block nuisance calls on a smartphone, follow these quick steps:

• On iOS Open the Phone app, press the 'i' symbol on the number you want to block, then select 'Block this caller'
• On Android Open the Phone app, press the 'i' symbol on the number you want to block, select 'more', then select 'Block contact'.

Note that the instructions above may vary depending on the make and model of your smartphone.

Banish nuisance calls with our expert guide on the top five call-blocking home phones.

Cheap home phones with answer machines

Most home phones include answering machines and you can expect to spend anywhere between £30 and £80 on a single handset. We test cordless phones with answering machines to see how clear messages are and how easy they are to use.

The £30 BT 3570 (above, left) is one of the brand's cheapest call-blocking phones. It has an integrated answering machine that you can control using the buttons on the phone's base. If you want to speak to somebody while they're leaving a message, you can pick up the phone and press the green call button to take over.

Up to 50 names and numbers can be stored in the phonebook. Even at this price, you still get some call-blocking functionality. The BT 3570 can be set up so that it doesn't ring for a number that's unavailable, withheld or arriving via a payphone.

The newer BT 3880 (above, right) is the same price and also holds up to 50 phone numbers. A dedicated redial button lets you quickly return a call without having to head into the phonebook menu to track down a contact.

You can use the BT 3880 to block international, withheld or unavailable numbers. With the 'do not disturb' mode, you can set the phone up so that calls received at certain times of the day are held back.

To make sure you pick the perfect cordless phone for you, browseall of our reviews of cordless homes phones with answer machines.