Home office phones: Plantronics CT12 review

When setting up a home office with a new computer, fax machine, or even a photocopier, make sure you choose the right phone. Your phone will be an important link to the outside world, and you will likely spend a lot of time with it.

If you’ve ever tried to work on a computer or other office equipment while on the phone, you know how frustrating it can be. A hands-free phone is one item you can’t afford to be without. Fortunately, there are many hands-free phones to choose from.

A good choice might be the Plantronics CT12 Cordless Headset Phone. The 2.4GHz CT12 DSS is about the size of a cell phone and comes equipped with a two-way earpiece. This design allows you to make and receive calls hands-free while you work and on the go. The phone maintains a wireless connection to the base, which plugs into a landline jack.

The CT12’s handset is well designed and solid. Its small measurements (3 1/4″ x 2″ x 1″) make it the perfect pocket-sized display. The display is a three-line backlit LCD. The CT12’s keypad is easy to use, but the small buttons seem a little uncomfortable at first.Only problem is the belt clip – it allows the phone to fall off.

The lightweight headset can be worn over the ear or over the head. Either position is comfortable, but I prefer overhead. It just feels so much safer. The CT12 has a feature that the manufacturer calls “Firefly”. This is a small red light on the end of the earpiece that flashes to let others know when you’re on the phone.

Sound quality, both incoming and outgoing, is quite good. The microphone’s noise-canceling technology helps suppress background noise, such as air conditioners. The range of the CT12 is 100 feet. from the base You can walk around your house, into another room, or even outside without loss of reception. The lithium ion battery provides 5 to 6 hours of talk time or 14 days of standby time.

The CT12 comes with all the standard features: speed dial, a phone book with enough space for 100 numbers, call waiting, caller ID and chain dialing. Chain dialing allows you to store numbers that are used once your call is connected, such as extension or account numbers. There’s no speakerphone though, as the CT12 was designed for hands-free use.

The only downside to the CT12 is the occasional interference with wireless computer networks. This problem can be solved by pressing the channel selector button. Alternatively, you can change the channel on your wireless router.

The overall quality of the CT12 is very good. This is a phone that can take a lot of abuse. All things considered, I’d say it’s a good buy.