When purchasing a cordless phone, consider the following:

* How many handsets do you want? And do you want each handset to have its own base?

* Make sure the batteries in the handset(s) on your cordless phone(s) can sustain approximately eight hours of continuous talking for four to seven days before needing a recharge.

* There will come a time when your handset battery can no longer hold a charge. Make sure you can locate a replacement battery when you purchase your phone. The replacement battery can cost $10 to $25; however, some phones use only AA or AAA batteries, which are much less expensive.

* Try to purchase a cordless phone with a DSS system, to ensure the security of your phone conversations.

* Some cordless phones have a speaker option on the handset, which allows you to place a call on speaker without having to use the base.

* If you commonly misplace your cordless phone, purchase one with a page/handset locator, a feature that allows you to send an auditory signal from the base of the phone to the handset.

* All phones have ringers, but some cordless phones come with ringers not only on the base but the handset as well. Not all, however, allow you to set the ringers to an “on” or “off” position, adjust the volume, or change the auditory tone.

* Some cordless phones come with multiple handsets that can be used as walkie-talkies, handset to handset.

Why we like it: • Two handsets • Good answering machine • Over 15 hours of talk time on a charge

* If you want to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, look for phones that have a built-in TeleZapper.

* Some phones have a built-in security feature in which digital verification between the base and handset prevents your dial tone from being intercepted and used to make calls on your line.

* Can my cell phone interact with my cordless phone? The answer is yes, because some cordless models can stand in for your cell phone if you place the cell phone near the cordless phone’s base. Via Bluetooth technology, you can access your wireless service and, as a result, use your cordless handset to make or take cell calls. The bonus is being able to use any of your cell phone plan’s unused minutes rather than accumulate minutes against your standard phone account.

* Other cordless phone features include redial, earpiece volume control, paging ability, tone/pulse dialing, and built-in phonebook.