The Panasonic KX-TGM420EB Big Button Cordless Phone is a big button phone from Panasonic. Is it any good? We put it to the test in another of our in-depth reviews.
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Design
Panasonic produce all sorts of different phones, but most of the share a similar sort of design. As you might expect, though, the KX-TGM420 is a little different from the rest of their models. With this cordless phone, they've prioritised features over form. We'll get into some of these design features later on in the review, where we can go into a bit more detail about how they work.
Large, backlit buttons on the handset make it easy to use, even for those with poor vision or dexterity. The text on the screen is also a good size, although the screen itself isn't the largest we've seen in a cordless phone. That being said, the TGM420 doesn't have all the advanced features (and subsequent complex menu system) that some of Panasonic's more high-end models do. That means there's not really a need for a screen that does anything more than display text and numbers- and also adds to that general ease-of-use.
Sound quality
Generally speaking, we've been pretty pleased with the sound quality of Panasonic phones in the past. While they aren't quite up there with Gigaset, they're still a solid choice, and the KX-TGM420 is no exception. In fact, it sounds as good as their higher-end handsets- proof that big-button phones don't necessarily have to compromise on sound performance.
What's really worth noting, though, is the phone's Volume Boost Control. Activating this amplifies the handset volume up to +40dB. Panasonic note that this is up to 17 times the volume of a conventional phone, but that's compared to a regular handset on the earpiece mode. Compared to loudspeaker mode, it's four times the volume, which is still very loud.
It's also hearing aid-compatible. While not Bluetooth (so it won't connect directly to a hearing aid), it is compatible with ETS 300 381, so should work with most popular hearing aid models.
Range
As with pretty much all DECT phones, the KX-TGM420 offers up to 50m range indoors, and up to 300m outdoors. Of course, the precise range that you'll achieve in your home can depend on external factors, like the thickness of your walls or where your base unit is located.
Additional Features
As a cordless phone designed for older users (particularly those with hearing loss), the KX-TGM420 comes with a whole host of extra features to make it easier to use. The one we found the most interesting was the "Slow Talk Mode", which actually slows down the audio from the other end of the call to make it easier to understand.
There are also a couple of features to help the hard-of-hearing know when the phone is ringing. First of all, there's a flashing call alert. As the name suggests, this means that a light on top of the handsets (and one on the base) will flash when there's an incoming call. There's also the option of turning up the ringer on the base unit to a whopping 100dB, which should be plenty loud enough for most with hearing difficulties to still hear.
Panasonic KX-TGM420EB: The Verdict
As a cordless phone for the elderly, the Panasonic KX-TGM420EB is undoubtedly one of the best in its class. While it's not the cheapest option, it combines a plethora of handy features with remarkable ease-of-use- so we highly recommend it!