Over the past few years, both cordless-handset manufacturers and wireless carriers have been looking for a way to combine a traditional cordless phone with a wireless model. But to date, no one has found a good solution, so most of us are still hanging on to our landlines even as we rack up bills on our cells.

To help you narrow down your cordless choices, we've reviewed a cross section of phones from all the major manufacturers, compared call quality, and put together a trusty guide to current specs and features.

A little about our testing methodology: To evaluate voice clarity and measure range, we began talking at the base unit in our office labs and walked away until reception broke up. We clocked both talk and standby time by starting with a full charge and draining the battery. In some cases, we took models home to see how they handled daily abuse. However, keep in mind that such testing is an inexact science: your location, network, and other electronic devices can all affect your phone's performance.

We'll continue to review new phones as they come out, so check back regularly to get our take on all the latest designs and features.