Reviews for Uniden ELBT595 5.8GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone

ABSOLUTE PIECE OF GARBAGE

Strengths: blue lights, the answering machine works

Weakness: just about everything

I have to say, i NEVER would have expected the lackluster quality of this phone after spending $250.00 of my hard earned dollars on this phone. Mcdonalds gives you a better value with its $0.99 double cheese burger than uniden can even start to provide with this waste of space.

You might think im being a little overzealous in my opening statement, but you should know that I have not only never had a worse phone, I also have NEVER had a worse experience with a company. Uniden simply DOES NOT CARE about their customers.

excluding the above, i will give an honest, unbiased opinion on this phone so yourself and other consumers can make an educated purchasing decision.

I purchased this phone in June of 2005, I have since gone through 2 handsets and am currently working on my 3rd.

The first handsets ear speaker would short out every 15 seconds while speaking on the phone. You could hear the other party one moment then not hear them the next, needless to say Staples replace this free of charge as it was still within my 14 day return period. My second handsets speakerphone was blown so badly that you could not even understand the person on the other end when using it. This happened within two months of recieiving it, and was again (thank god) replaced by Staples.

I am now on my 3rd handset, and have to say, the speakerphone has been blown since 15 days into owning it. I just gave up on returning because it was more of a pain in the butt to take it back again than to deal with the blown speaker. To top the whole thing off, now the phone has split/cracked along the hinge and is dangling by plastic and wires now. I did not drop it or damage it in any way, it just split from being used is my guess.

The handset menu/navigation is terrible! I would say it rivals one of the first cellphones. In todays world, uniden shouldn't have to look farther than a magazine or their own pockets to see how functional menu/nav systems should work on phones. There are way to many steps in doing the most simple tasks, I give it a 1/5 in usablility.

The bluetooth works fairly well, but the sound on my earpiece is always very quiet, and others tell me they cannot hear me very well when I'm speaking. I do not have this problem with the (exact) same earpiece on my Verizon (Motorola) V710 bluetooth phone.

Its nearly impossible to use the included USB system with this phone. You cannot simply import your address book, you have to move them over ONE AT A TIME! You also CANNOT backup your phone or transfer data from handset to baseunit! (What the heck is the point of bluetooth on this phone!)

The range on this phone is abismal, you may or may not believe me when I say this, we both know I'm ranting a little bit, but SWEAR TO GOD, I will be sitting at my desk with the base unit 3 feet from me. I will dial a number OR be talking on the phone and it will just DIE. I look at the phone and it says "NO SIGNAL". Let me say this again, I am 3 feet from the base unit.

Then answering machine does work pretty well. The sound is pretty clear, and it does an average job of recording your outgoing greeting.

The (handset) speakerphone is just plain terrible. You also cannot dial and hit the spearkerphone. You have to wait for the phone to dial / and or connect before you can place the call on speakerphone. Bad design if you ask me.

The base unit speakerphone is decent, it sounds good here, but people say they cannot understand me (no ambient noise in my office) when I'm speaking.

I could go on and on about my bad experiences with this phone, but instead I want to say one more thing!

UNIDEN CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE!!!!

I cannot emphasize this enough. After dropping $250 on a home phone, I not once, not twice, but THREE times get ignorant people that WILL not even speak with me about my warranty. For example, I only want my handset replaced. There is no way to get my stored phone numbers from my base unit out and back into a new one, so I JUST wanted to exchange my handset which is broken (again). They cannot understand (3 people) what I want to do and/or why. The last lady i spoke with, talked with me for maybe 2 minutes, and told me she would not advise me on the matter any more. She told me to send in the unit, and i asked about only sending the handset. Needless to say she hung up on me when i asked for a supervisor.

I also dont understand why I should have to go for 2 weeks without a phone if i want warranty service on my uniden. I dont have another phone, and I dont see why its on me after spending $250.00 to have to go buy ANOTHER phone so i can get my $250.00 phone fixed for "free?". Or if i want them to just send me a new one i have to pay another $10.95? This is absolute Bull.

I am a business owner, and have a lot of experience dealing with customers of all types. Uniden has not a clue as how to handle their PR.

I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER ITEM FROM UNIDEN EVER AGAIN.

70% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Uniden ELBT595 5.8GHz Digital Expandable Cordless...

Strengths: bluetooth, answering machine, does not interfere with my wireless network.

Weakness: very poor phone reception, some features are "clunky" to use, poor customer service reponses

I bought the unit 6 weeks ago, because I use bluetooth for PDA, laptop, mouse, keyboard, cell phone headset, etc. I expected the handset to work.

It is a sleek design, very feature rich, but after placing the base in 4 different locations, I was frustrated by the < 50 foot range of the handset. When I would step outside on the front porch, or into the garage where there were 2 or more walls betwen me and the base unit, the reception and sound quality was as bad as early cell phones, or a current cell phone on the fringes of the coverage areas.

I tried the Uniden e-mail customer support, but for some reason could not get them to understand that I was not looking for product information, but trying to resolve a problem.

I called Uniden hoping that I may just have a defective unit, but the response from the customer service agent was "wow, you even get any reception outside of your home?". She proceeded by telling me that 5.8 ghz phones were not capable of more than 50-75 feet of reception when there was anything between the handset and the base. She said that Uniden was working on improving reception, but in the mean time that was a restriction of the technology.

I didn't have the heart to tell her I was talking to her at the end of my driveway at the mailbox 150+ feet away from the base unit of my other 5.8 ghz Panasonic TG5438F.

I bought it for the feature set, and assumed that the phone would work.

If you're looking at 5.8 ghz to eliminate the conflicts between your wireless phone and your wireless network, AND you'd still like to be able to use your wireless home phone on the front porch, I would recommend the spread spectrum technology of other companies until the next version of this phone.

I have returned the phone for a refund.

66% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Expensive Bluetooth phone

Strengths: Bluetooth capability

Weakness: Too expensive

This phone is the best in the market but it is too expensive. The phone has a real clean look and works fairly well with my plantonics bluetooth headset. It has also tons of extra features like Call Hold, Call Record, Caller ID, Conference Call Capability, Dual Keypad....

I like it so much that I purchased 2 additional handsets (ELX500). I suggest buying this phone if you can find it under $150.

57% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Don't waste your money

Strengths: Looks good

Weakness: Cheaply made/Poor sound quality/Terrible customer service

I don't know where to start. The quality of this phone is unbelievably bad for the price. It feels like a cheap plastic toy. I only had the phone for a few months when the hinge in the handset started to crack due to poor construction. I returned to Uniden assuming that my warranty would obviously cover this defect. WRONG! I get a letter from Uniden telling me that due to "physical damage" that I inflicted on the handset it was going to cost me $70 to fix it. I called their so called customer service department to explain that all I did was open and close the phone in order to talk on it. They basically called me a liar and proceeded to be very rude to me. I will never again buy another Uniden product.

54% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Reply by member: zoglog
Mar 7, 2006

the product may not be good, but if you havent noticed a large large large large large large majority of electronics nowadays are made in China. I've had plenty of products "Made in USA" that have been subpar as well so there's no reason to assume "Made in China" instantly means cheap quality.

Report this as innapropriate

cordless and wireless, great idea and great product

Strengths: not interfere with wireless homenetwork; beautiful design of the phone itself;

Weakness: none so far

I have to replace my 2.4ghz system because of the wireless network interference. Crossed over on this one and fell in "trap" (considering the cost) by it's design. Now I feel the price is jusitified with all those features. Being able to program this phone via USB/software is such a plus.

53% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

cool phone with bluetooth

Strengths: cool design!

Weakness: None so far!

I have been using this phone for two days! I love it! The sound is loud and clear! The answering machine works fine! The handset is pretty light and portable! Cool design! Very satisfied!

53% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

A Useless Overpriced, High Tech Cordless Phone System

Strengths: Great Concept, Lightweight, Blue Tooth technology, Cell Phone integration feature

Weakness: Phone does not provide what is expected from a cordless phone. Poor Reception past 20ft Line of sight. Tech support (usefull) is for all intensive purposes unavailable, unfriendly &uninterested,

Called tech support first day. was told there is only one blue tooth technician for entire company. when he did call back his only suggestion was to move the base. Tried unit in various places with different blue tooth head sets over a one month period but there still was no reception beyond 20 ft or around a corner. Circuit city refused to issue a refund or store credit minus a restocking fee even at the highest level of customer support. Their final offer was to contact Uniden while I held the line. Multiple repeat calls to uniden can be summarized as follows. Do not put base station near Router's, computer equipment, microwaves, flourescent lighting, metal structures, against walls, near flat screens, plasma tv's or other wireless devices. Tech support even suggested my Linksys 2.4 G router might have been mislabeled and is really a 5.8. He became nasty when I suggested the problem persisted with the router turned off as well as every other piece of electronics in my house and I challenged him to provide me with an imaginery place home or office where someone would want to use a wireless Blue tooth phone, expandable to 8 stations and there were no flourescent lights computers, modems routers microwaves flat screens or other potentially interfering electronics.

52% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Good phone with some problems

Strengths: 5.8 GHz frequency, bluetooth, expandable

Weakness: Overpriced, not reliable

I bought it because of its bluetooth capability. I loved the features of this phone system, and for a while they worked great. After 1 month, the handset volume became too low to hear. I do not know the reason yet but I wil call uniden support.

So far bluetooth works great.

Overall I recommend this phone.

51% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

uniden ELBT595 Cordless Phone

Strengths: good quality; nice sound; stylish; convenient to use

Weakness: NA so far

The phone is well very designed. It's easy to navigate the menu. Many cool features. The handset looks like a cellphone. It's small and comfortable to hold. The bluetooth connection is one of the best features the phone offers.

51% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

it needs too much improvement

Strengths: design is good, has bluetooth, compact, cute

Weakness: signal is not very good sometime, bluetooth pairing is troublesome

This phone has compact design, cute, besides it uses bluetooth which is believed to be upgrade over traditional wireless phones. However, it needs a lot of improvement on the phone itself, it has bad reception sometime. The signal range is limited. In addition, i found the pairing is kind of troublesome. I hope we can see better product coming.

50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

ELBT595 Cordless Phone

Strengths: Compact design, ability to connect to wired and bluetooth headset, speaker phone, transfering call from mobile phone via bluetooth.

Weakness: Difficulties with registering bluetooth headset if one is also used for mobile phone.

I just got my ELBT595 Cordless Phone and without reading the manual I was able to connect it to my mobile phone and bluetooth headset. The phone is small and convenient. I'm still figuring out certain features but so far I'm very impressed.

50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Good price but still expensive

Strengths: Good design and bluetooth technics.

Weakness: The software is not easy and signal is not as good as expected.

I boought it from CC with 70 bucks rebate. The price is good but I still feel expensive to buy a phone over a hundred.I like the design of this phone. The phone itself is not bad, but just too many function might not be useful for me.

50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Didn't liked the machine

Strengths: Nothing

Weakness: Everything.

Phone does not provide what is expected from a cordless phone. Poor Reception past 20ft Line of sight. Tech support (usefull) is for all intensive purposes unavailable, unfriendly &uninterested. very poor phone reception, some features are "clunky" to use, poor customer service reponses. As far as usability, i think that the next generation will be better. Using this phone is like trying to navigate a newer cellphones options, with an old 'first cellphone' type navigation system... to sum it up, they could do MUCH better with this. Just hate this Phone, Everything is bad nothing is good.

49% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Bluetooth technology is here!!

Strengths: Bluetooth technology, compact handset

Weakness: Cheap built, poor reception, and sound volume is too low.

Purchased this item for my office, because I thought I could take advantage of the bluetooth technology. The handset looks like a cell phone which is easy to carry, but I am not too impressed with the overall quality of the whole set.

I've tried out all the features on the phone and overall it's not that bad. But I had a hard time making the volume louder even though it's set all the way up. Also, I am not sure if it's the location, but sometimes I could hear the fuss sound when I walk 25 feet away from the phone. It gets really annoying after awhile.

I recommend ppl to stay away from this phone unless you can get a good price for it. I feel I overpaid for the set and if I had a chance, I wouldn't buy it again.

48% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Uniden ELBT595

Strengths: Bluetooth and expandability. Base is really nice and easy to use.

Weakness: Flip-phone is mostly plastic. Have had trouble with reception when trying to use mobile line through handset, but that could be cell phone reception related.

I have had this phone for a month and not had any problems. I love the Bluetooth technology and the ability to use my Bluetooth headset. Love the way I can answer or make calls through either the cell phone or land line. The base unit is easy to read and use. I haven't had time to make use of all the features yet. Some are more complicated than my previous phone, but once I read the manual should be able to master. I haven't had to call Customer Service yet so have no remarks concerning them. So far my reception and sound quality have been fine. I really love this phone.

48% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

It is not very good

Strengths: Bluetooth, Deluxe call-waiting/caller ID, Sharp memory

Weakness: Poor Reception past 20ft Line of sight.

I'd mention if you're accustomed to cradling the phone between your ear and shoulder, it's nearly impossible with this one. It can be done if you have broad shoulders like I do, but it's not particularly comfortable and feels like it'll fall out. I took an ELT560 to use as an office phone, and discovered I tended to want to cradle the phone on my shoulder a lot since many of my calls involve me having to look up something on my computer, so it might have been better just to keep my old office phone. I haven't found this to be a problem at home, however.

48% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Uniden ELBT 595 - Home and Cell Phone Link in Next...

Strengths: Uniden is unique in a wireless home phone system that fully integrates compatible cell phone systems for easy access via up to 10 stations

Weakness: Quality is certainly within expectations of price range, technology incorporating compatible cell phones limited to range of Uniden tested units and is not compatible with the Treo 650 series

Uniden's ELBT 595 base station with up to 9 more ELX 500 blue tooth compatible wireless handsets is truly an elegant concept of intregrating your cell phone based calls to any station within this system. Prior reviews had us very cautious on its quality, range, and connectivity reports but we were intrigued enough to by a base system and one extra handset to test for ourselves. Amazingly, we encountered none of the range, signal/voice quality or even the overall quality concerns earlier users had noted. Combined with bluetooth connectivity to our Jabra headsets as well as our Motorola V3, I have a freedom of handling cell phone based calls that has me as a great fan of this system. An unexpected plus was the $50/unit rebate via Uniden. With rebate, our extra station (with bluetooth capability)net cost was $42/unit (via a vendor rate for 8 units). I could not approach this cost with far less capable units, let alone go back to running to my cell phone everytime those calls came in.

Overall, I am not aware of any other vendor providing a model that so completely integrates my cell phone line, bluetooth headsets and elegant extra station units in price, performance, or next generation communications technology. We have used this system for over a month now and have NO complaints on quality. I also love the broadcasting of phone memory to all units, the USB connectivity in programming various functions and options. We are very pleased with this system and believe it will serve us well, especially in integrating my work based cell phone communications whereever I am in the home or office.

Uniden has hit a home run with this system with us.

47% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Don't Waste Your Money

Strengths: Lots of features, Bluetooth Capable

Weakness: Poor Sound Quality, Confusing Manual, Not Intuitive, Doesn't work with cell phone.

The phone has the typical confusing, inadequate 100 page manual. Further, the manual has the usual poor index, so it is frustrating trying to find the items you are looking for. Even if a piece of software or electronic divice is full of great functions, it is useless if it takes a long time, or impossible to figure out. I spent a long time trying to figure out some of the functions, and some I was never able to get. My secretary is very frustrated with this phone.

Also, even at the highest setting the volume is too low.

Can't get it to work with my cell phone.

This phone is way too confusing

41% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Innovation & Technology - Best in the Market

Strengths: Bluetooth,USB connector,Battery Backup

Weakness: Compatible with limited number of Bluetooth Phones

This is the best phone I have ever used. Very easy to pair with my Motorola Razr. I use this to receive and make Mobile calls once I get home. Phone book options and Speaker phone on the hanset are definitely the best. Very good clarity and range. I love this phone.

33% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Not NEW, misrepresented, Handset does/did NOT WORK!!!

Strengths: NONE!!!

Weakness: I ordered this product as I am isabled and have had this phone in the past. It made it easy to be on the Bluetooth.

I ordered this product as I am disabled and have had this phone in the past. It made it easy to be on the Bluetooth and walk around. If I was going fr from the base I could put the handheld in my pocket and have freedom received this product when I returned from vacatipn Oct Apparently, it was delivered on the 19th of October but as I do not get the mail, I received it on the 31st and it takes an overnight charge to make it work and also Windows XP which I have on an old Dell Laptop.When charged, the Handiest would not work am having a problem with the supplier with reference to returning it for a refund.The product was not NEW, misrepresented and the Handset DOES NOT WORK!!They are giving me a hardtime with returning it-Most ASSUREDLY will NOT USE this supplier again.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Five years later, still a great phone

Strengths: Lets me use my cell phone plan on my cordless phone at home

Weakness: Uniden hasn't come out with a DECT version of it

I've had one of these phones for over five years now. I use it with my VOIP line and my spouse's and my cell phones (which makes it more like a three-line phone than a one-line phone). After about four years, one of my three handsets developed a crack in the hinge. Because Uniden seems to have discontinued the phone, extra handsets are hard to find and expensive. But I just now found the base unit with one handset included, refurbished, for $30 after rebate. I hope this will be enough spare parts to keep me going with this phone system until Uniden gets a clue and offers this same form factor in a DECT 1.9GHz version.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Best Cordless Phone Phone

Reception is Good according to 4 Phone experts. -- "the voice quality is excellent."-pcmag.com -- "Using the handset we got perfect sound up to about 120 feet away from the base station"-pcmag.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Usability, etc.

Read Full Review

Uniden ELBT595

Testseek.com has collected 2 expert reviews for Uniden ELBT595 and the average expert rating is 75 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

Read Full Review

Uniden ELBT595 Digital Bluetooth Cordless

The only cell docking system worth the price of admission, the Uniden has a large compatibility list and setup is a snap. It’s reason alone to make sure your next phone has...

Read Full Review