VTech Connect to Cell Review

Since I often spend a lot of time on the phone, I’m always looking for ways to make it more efficient. Most people use little headsets with their cell phones, but since I’m primarily on a landline – hello, international calls! – that hasn’t been an option for me. That is, until I heard about the VTech Connect to Cell with Cordless Headset! This set of 2 landline phones comes with a lightweight, portable headset that can be used for landline calls or paired via bluetooth with a cell phone. I got excited when I saw this, because all of the headphones I’ve tried using with my landline phone before have been very clunky and had terrible sound – and the awkwardness of trying to carry around the phone with a long cord kind of defeated the purpose of trying to make it more portable. I do utilize speakerphone sometimes, but once again, the sound is not as good and it’s awkward to navigate.

Because many of my phone calls go on for several hours, it’s important that I’m able to get up and make myself a cup of coffee or just stretch my legs. I’ve long wished there was a way I could have my hands free, because that would enable me to do busywork with my hands while I’m talking, such as cleaning the house. With such a busy schedule, it gets hard to find time to do everything. So when I got this system from VTech, I was stoked to try it out!

The set comes with 2 phones and 2 bases, along with one lighweight cordless headset. Setup was fairly straightforward and once the devices were charged, I set about making my first call. I was very impressed at the sound quality and had no trouble hearing or communicating with my friend on the other line. As I chatted, I was able to walk all around the house and organize some items in my cupboard. It was awesome!

But next came the true test – calling my dad. Since dad lives back home in England, we often find the phone line quality to be poor just while talking on a regular phone – never mind a headset. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a workable option for making overseas calls, so when dad answered the phone, I told him I was on a fancy new headset and asked if he could hear me OK. He came through loud and clear and said, “You sound a little tinnier than usual, but not too bad!” We went on to chat for a good hour and a half with zero problems. During that time, I was able to walk all over the house – what I took note of was the fact that I actually had better reception on this than I normally do on my regular landline phone. I’ve noticed that with my old phone, there will be a dead spot in the laundry room, so I have to avoid walking in there while I talk to dad or he can’t hear me. Well, this time I was able to start a load of laundry with no issues in reception at all; I proceeded to walk all over the house, including the upstairs, with no issues or dropouts. This is absolutely fantastic – I can’t tell you how much time it will save me being able to take care of drudgery like folding laundry while I make long calls.

So, how about the “Connect to Cell” feature? As you may know, I have a rather unconventional phone setup. Currently, I’m using an unlocked iPhone 3GS with WiFi – I’m shopping around for a cell plan, but trying to find something that offers the amount of data I want plus coverage in this area has been a big headache, so the search continues. I paired my iPhone with the VTech Connect to Cell in hopes that I could use Skype with it, however this device only works for making and receiving calls – it doesn’t pick up any other sound through the iPhone or work with my Skype account. Since my primary concern was getting a headset I can use for landline calls, this isn’t a huge deal; my iPhone seems to pair OK with the Connect to Cell bluetooth, so at some point in the future when I get a voice and data plan, I’ll explore this option again.

I found the VTech Connect to Cell Answering System to merge seamlessly with my existing phone setup. My primary landline phone has a voicemail system built in, and I keep it turned to “Do Not Disturb” mode so that it does not ring, as I often get unimportant calls in the middle of the night and don’t want to be woken up! So when I hooked up the Connect to Cell system, I noticed the very loud, clunky ringer and the fact that its built-in answering machine became the default. However, with one button push I was able to turn off the ringer and switch off the answering machine, so my calls once again became routed through my other phone’s built-in voicemail. Perfect!

For anyone that makes a lot of landline phone calls, I would say that this VTech system is the perfect solution for freeing up your hands so that you can get other things done while taking calls. I like to give calls my full attention, but doing things like washing dishes or dusting doesn’t take away my focus and helps me make full use of the time spent, which is especially critical in this stage of my life and business.

The VTech Connect to Cell Answering System with 2 Phones & Cordless Headset is available on VTech.com for $99.95.