Whenever I have the opportunity, I enjoy working from home. I get more done in the quiet environment and the lack of distractions helps me stay focused throughout the day. But working from home also has its challenges. One of my biggest issues is making and receiving phone calls while at home. In the office, I have the benefit of a landline for conference calls. At home, I rely on my cell phone, which means audio quality and signal strength can be an issue at times.
Over the past week, I have been giving VTech’s connect to cell phone system a try and it has helped with some of the connectivity issues. VTech’s system looks like a standard desk phone, but operates like a bluetooth headset for your cell phone. Basically, you connect the VTech desk phone to your cell phone via blutooth and then you can make and receive calls using the VTech phone.
The boost in call quality is one of the biggest reasons why I liked using the phone. I was able to leave my cell phone in the kitchen where the signal strength is strongest. But I was able to make calls using the VTech phone from my home office on the other side of the house. The VTech system comes with two wireless handsets, which makes it convenient to find a phone if you have a larger home.
I also liked that my cell phone battery got a break while I used the VTech phone. I just left my cell phone connected to a charger and used the VTech phone for all my calls. That way, my cell phone battery was still at the max when I needed to leave the house. Before I had the VTech phone, I would usually drain my cell phone’s battery after a few conference calls.
The VTech phone system has a few other bells and whistles, like being able to connect to two cell phones (so my wife and I can both use it to make calls from our respective cell phones). If you have a landline in your home, you can just plug that into the VTech system and either make calls through your cell phone or landline. You can also use the two receivers as a wireless intercom system in your home (which is nice if you have a second story or have a workshop in your garage).
My only issue with the VTech system is that it was challenging to place outbound calls. I am used to the touch screen on my cell phone and how easy it is to pick a contact from my address book. It felt clunky to try and place an outbound call directly from the VTech system, which is basically a traditional landline phone in design.
Overall, I found it was nice to have VTech’s Connect to Cell phone system in the house, especially when I was working from home. They sell two models of the VTech system, one with an answering machine ($59.99) and one without ($50.90). Both come with two handsets and can connect to both a landline and cell phone.
Thank you to VTech for sending me a phone to try out. I appreciate it!
Am trying to use a Bluetooth headset while making outgoing calls but not getting any connection. Any ideas. ?
I recommend checking the bluetooth settings on your cell phone. Sometimes, a device can be paired for audio only (like you would for an external speaker) instead of being connected as a headset (for audio + microphone). Good luck!