Home > Consumer Reviews > VTech ip5850 5.8 GHz DSS Cordless Phone with Dual Handsets and Digital Answering System

What I have found:

- Does NOT interfere with our wireless network. This was my biggest concern when purchasing the phone.

- Each handset takes takes 3 normal AAA rechargable batteries (Nickel Metal Hydride.) A BIG plus when you consider that the phone will probably outlast the batteries. This way they can be easily changed out, instead of dealing with those (expensive to replace) sealed battery packs like in other phones. Batteries were included in my box. ***UPDATE: The batteries that ship with the unit are JUNK! (After a couple months one handset's battery set wouldn't charge anymore.) Spend a few bucks and buy some real batteries.

NOTE on the batteries: I noticed that the batteries get really warm when the handset is in the charging cradle. I think the phone is constantly charging the batteries and doesn't turn off when they are full. Just a thought.

More on the batteries... when you lose power for an extended period of time (a few hours or more) you might want to take the batteries out of the handsets until the power turns back on. The handset will continue to "search" for a signal from the base and just drain the batteries which will cause it to beep occasionally until the batteries are dead. So, if you need to use the phone when the power comes back on you won't be able to.

- Works in the basement. I have the main unit on the ground floor and the second handset in the basement - the sound is clear and the reception is perfect all over the house.

- The lettering on the main base is REALLY REALLY small and printed with black ink on a dark grey plastic (why would they do that?) If this phone is to sit in a well-lighted area with a magnifying glass near by, then it will work for you. But, if it is to be placed in an area of the room that is rather dark you might want to consider having a flashlight close at hand. I used a Brother label maker to make larger labels for my base.

- This V-Tech purchase replaced a wall mounted phone that had a great little compartment on the back to stash the extra phone and plug wires so that it wasn't all over the counter. This, however, does not. I tried to shove it, coil it and tape it to the back of the wall mounting bracket, but it would take a miracle to make it work AND let me nail it to the wall. I had to coil it and zip-tie it to the bracket. Not exactly neat and clean, but it works.

- Second handset charging station doesn't have a light to indicate that it is charging. If you have had a cordless phone (or cell phone) you should know the fun that is had when you don't put the phone in the cradle completely and the contacts don't connect - a dead phone. A charging light is provided on the main base but not on the remote base.

- You can name the two handsets individually. This is just a cool feature that shows when you first look at the phone.

- Yeah, the ring tones are pretty annoying. They should have added the classic phone ring and a British telephone ring. That would have been cool. Instead, you get something that sounds like a sci-fi laser gun and some other really odd ring tones. My guess is that the default is what 99% of the users end up choosing.

- The instructions are clear and easy to follow.

I highly recommend this phone for the wireless network user and the people that have a large house (you can use it like an intercom!) For the price, you can't beat it.

*** UPDATE **** My roommate and I have been troubleshooting the wiring in my house and have been using the intercom feature on this phone to talk to each other (just like we were on the phone to each other.) IT WORKS FLAWLESSLY!! I was in the basement and he was 50 yards away in the garage and we had NO static or interference. My guess is that he could go half-way down the street before we would have a problem. The handsets' intercom works!!

Would be a nice feature if you are out in the yard and someone in the house wanted to talk to you, or if you were at the next door neighbors' house and still wanted to be connected. Real cool stuff.

We purchased this from Amazon a little less than one year ago. The features of this phone are great (speakerphone, shared address book, call waiting caller ID, 3 mail box answering machine, etc). Getting everything set up was a piece of cake, though it did take some time to get the address book set up. The phone worked great, but there are some cons...

- the batteries only lasted about 7 months (and you have to buy expensive vtech replacements)

- the base station handset has a lot of static now (just started happening).

- the other hand set will no longer answer calls.

- the other hand set caller ID no longer works.

So, we'll see how good their 1 year warranty is. I don't have the original packaging anymore so they may not accept it...

The key feature for me is to be able to share incoming calls with all the handsets.

When there is an incoming call, the first handset can pick up the call. Then the second handset can also pick up the call just by pressing On. And you have a three way conversation.

There are a lot of cordless phones but only a few can do this in such a simple way. Most of the time, the first handset has to select 'transfer call' or 'open 3 way conference' and I can tell you this is really a pain. You have to yell through the house and the garden to get this done. You can't just pick up the call.

So I would heavily recommend this phone.

Also neat: backlight for keys and LCD (have you ever try to call when it's dark and you can't see the keys?)

I gave it 4 stars because it seems I've bought a set that does not extend beyond 2 handsets. There is another one which extend to 5 handsets and I wish I had bought this one.

Don't be fooled, as I was, into buying this phone set. I have the Vtech ip5825, which is identical to the ip5850 minus the answering system. When you initially receive these phones the features will impress you, and it will work too. Then, after a short period of time (depending on your luck), things begin to run downhill fast. In my case (see my review on the 5825) the phone would not hang up the line after only 3 months of use. I had to contact customer service and only because I'm obsessive did I see the thing through in dealing with Vtech support or lack there of. I'm sure others would have given up early on. They (Vtech) sure don't make it easy to get them to honor their guarantee. After all is said and done, my refurbished Vtech phones are going south again. Now the batteries, as many other Vtech owners have attested to, are failing.

You may see some 4 and 5 star reviews but I'm sure most of these owners reported on their immediate impressions, not their opinions after owning the phones for a few months (that's all it takes for them to fail in some way). My advice is to look at the poor ratings and experiences of those who have had these phones for some period of time, and then steer clear of them. A word to the wise is sufficient.

I will say this, so far I love the phone part, and get a kick out of the fact it uses rechargable batteries.

But one point about the answering system makes me almost HATE the whole thing. You have to erase a message DURING the message. If you press 'Erase' as soon as you've heard the whole message, it erases the NEXT message. Since you don't know when a message is gonna end, this machine basically makes you listen to all messages first. This KILLS me. ALL other machines I've used have a pause at the end where you can press 'erase' and it'll erase the previous message.

Like I said, great phone. Answering machine pisses me off by wasting my time.