The BT Elements 1K is BT’s flagship model for a long-range, hazardous environment. But does it truly fulfil what it sets out to achieve? We put it through another in-depth review to find out. Read on to find out how we got on!
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Design & build
One of the standout features of the BT Elements is its resilient, no-nonsense attitude. With such a robust outer casing, the Elements can withstand almost anything you throw at it (or throw it at). There’s no need to worry about taking it out in the garden or on site. Come rain or shine it’s prepared with a weatherproof, waterproof and dust proof design. Even if you don’t have a hazardous work environment, this is ideal in a busy household where phones are easily dropped. It also comes with a handy belt clip so you can carry your phone around with ease, handsfree.
Set up
The Elements follows an easy plug-and-play set up to get you up and running. The phone display is rather on the simple side and has no frills. However, as it’s targeted as a more industrial phone this is no surprise. Missed calls and messages are displayed in bold making it easy to view when out and about. Unwanted call blocking is straightforward to set up and this can include withheld, international or individual selected numbers. BT haven’t stopped here and have included parental controls to restrict the outgoing numbers that can be called. This includes international calls and premium services, to help stop running up unwanted bills.
Sound quality
The audio quality is not what BT are best known for and the Elements doesn’t break the mould. After testing calls from landline and mobile, we found this to offer a mid-tier audio performance. It does not compete with the likes of Siemens Gigaset. However, this model is more focused on the signal strength and robustness. It has adjustable volume and handsfree function to make sure it is loud enough in a noisy environment.
Range
What sets the BT Elements 1K apart from the competition- other than its rugged nature- is its massively extended range. While standard DECT phones can only reach up to 300m outdoors, the Elements 1K can achieve over triple this distance. True to its name, it offers up to one kilometre maximum range. This makes it the ideal choice for those who need to use their landline outdoors a lot.
Additional features
The BT Elements includes a built-in answer machine with up to 30 minutes recording time. This can be accessed from the handset on the move. As well as call blocking and parental control, you can also programme this with VIP callers. This is a useful feature which allows VIP numbers to still come through even when you have do not disturb mode on, if you are busy or in a meeting.
BT Elements 1K: The Verdict
If you’re looking for something to withstand the harshest tests, with the ability to roam carefree. While still offering the additional features you expect from a cordless phone. The BT Elements 1K is a selection which is hard to beat. Although it lacks in areas such as sound quality it truly fulfils its brief as a resilient long range cordless phone. Expandable up to five handsets, it’s an excellent choice for outdoor sites or households of all sizes.
