Big-button phones: amplified home phones buying guide

Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.

A big-button phone is a home telephone with large, well-spaced keys, a louder ringer and a louder earpiece. The best ones also block nuisance calls and work properly with hearing aids.

Who a big-button phone suits

These phones suit anyone who finds a standard handset fiddly or quiet: people with arthritis or a tremor, reduced eyesight, hearing loss, or simply a dislike of tiny buttons. They are also a kind choice for a relative who is muddled by menus, because the simplest models do one job and do it clearly.

The main types

• Corded phones sit on a table or wall with a curly cable. They never need charging, cannot be mislaid and tend to be the loudest. Many have photo buttons: press the picture of your daughter to ring her.
• Cordless phones have a handset you carry around and a base that plugs into the mains. Look for sets with two or three handsets so there is always one within reach.
• Amplified phones are built for hearing loss, with a much louder earpiece, tone control and a flashing light when the phone rings.
• Combination sets pair a corded base by the armchair with a cordless handset for the kitchen or bedroom.

What to look for

• Button size and contrast. Black numbers on white keys, or the reverse, with a clear gap between them.
• Volume. Loudness is measured in decibels (dB). An amplified phone states how many decibels of extra volume it adds; the higher the figure, the louder the earpiece. If your hearing loss is more than mild, compare this figure rather than trusting the word "loud" on the box.
• Tone control. Many people lose high-pitched sounds first, so being able to boost treble can help more than volume alone.
• Hearing-aid compatibility. A phone marked "hearing aid compatible" works with the T (telecoil or loop) setting on a hearing aid, cutting out background whistle.
• Call blocking. Good call blockers ask unknown callers to say their name before your phone even rings, and let through numbers you have saved. This stops most scam and sales calls.
• Memory buttons. One-touch keys for the people you ring most.
• A loud, adjustable ringer and a flashing light when the phone rings.
• Speakerphone, so you can talk without holding the handset.
• A clear display with large caller numbers, if you want caller display (your provider may need to switch this on).

Rough price guide

As a rough guide only, at the time of writing (November 2026):

Setup tips a family member can help with

1. Store the important numbers in the memory buttons and label them, or slot photos into the photo keys.
2. Switch on call blocking and add family, friends, the GP surgery and the pharmacy to the allowed list so they ring straight through.
3. Set the earpiece and ringer volume with the person who will use it, not for them.
4. Put a cordless base where the signal reaches the whole home, and a handset by the bed.
5. If the home has a digital landline, plug the base into the phone socket on the back of the router, or into the adaptor the provider supplied.
6. Write the user's own number on a label on the phone.

Mistakes to avoid

• Buying on button size alone. If hearing is the real problem, amplification and tone control matter more.
• Relying only on cordless handsets. They go flat if left off the base. One corded phone is a sensible backup.
• Too many features. Answering machines, intercoms and menus confuse some people. Simpler is often better.
• Forgetting the alarm. If a personal alarm shares the phone line, check with the alarm provider before changing anything.

Other ways to cut nuisance calls

Registering with the free Telephone Preference Service tells legitimate UK companies not to cold-call you. Many landline providers also offer a call-screening service; ask yours what it is called, whether it is free and how to switch it on. Neither stops criminals, which is why a phone with a built-in blocker is worth having. Our guide to spotting scams explains the telephone tricks to listen for, and Ofcom has advice on unwanted calls.

Common questions

Will a big-button phone work with a digital landline?

In almost every case, yes. You plug it into the router or an adaptor instead of the wall socket. Very old phones, such as those with a rotary dial, may not work; ask your provider.

Are amplified phones too loud for other people in the house?

Many have a boost button that returns to normal volume after each call, so a partner with good hearing is not deafened. Check for this if you share the phone.

Do I pay VAT on a phone for hearing loss?

Most ordinary phones carry VAT. Relief applies only to goods designed solely for disabled people, and the rules are narrow; see our VAT relief guide and ask the seller.

Is there a mobile phone equivalent?

Yes. See our guide to simple mobile phones, which covers big-button mobiles and flip phones.