How to Choose the Right IP Phones for Your Business

Why Choosing the Right IP Phone Matters

Your IP phones are the primary interface between your team and your hosted VoIP system. Choosing the right models ensures clear call quality, efficient workflows and a professional image. With dozens of VoIP desk phones on the market from manufacturers like Yealink, Poly (formerly Polycom) and Cisco, it can be difficult to know where to start. This buyer's guide breaks down the options by type, features and role to help you make the right decision.

Types of IP Phones

Basic Entry-Level Phones

Entry-level IP phones are ideal for communal areas, warehouses, reception desks and staff who make occasional calls. They typically feature a small monochrome or colour screen, 2–4 SIP lines and essential call features like hold, transfer and speakerphone. Examples include the Yealink T31G and Poly Edge E100. Expect to pay between £40–£70 per handset.

Mid-Range Business Phones

Mid-range phones suit most office workers. They offer colour displays, more line keys, better audio quality and features like Bluetooth headset support and programmable keys. The Yealink T46U and Poly Edge E300 are excellent choices in this category, typically costing £80–£150.

Executive and Manager Phones

Executive phones feature large colour or touch-screen displays, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, superior HD audio and support for expansion modules. The Yealink T54W, T58W and Poly Edge E500 are popular options, ranging from £150–£300.

Conference Phones

Dedicated conference phones are designed for meeting rooms with 360-degree microphone pickup, echo cancellation and bridge capabilities. The Yealink CP920 and Poly Trio 8300 are market leaders. See our conference phone setup guide for more detail.

DECT Wireless Phones

DECT cordless phones are perfect for staff who move around — warehouse workers, retail staff and facilities managers. A base station connects to your network and handsets connect wirelessly with a range of up to 50 metres indoors. The Yealink W73P and W76P are popular choices. Learn more in our DECT wireless phone guide.

Key Features to Look For

When comparing VoIP phones, consider these features:

HD Voice — Wideband audio codecs (G.722, Opus) deliver crystal-clear call quality. All modern IP phones support HD voice.
Power over Ethernet (PoE) — Allows the phone to be powered through the Ethernet cable, eliminating the need for a separate power adapter and reducing cable clutter.
Colour Display — Makes navigating menus, directories and call logs much easier than monochrome screens.
Bluetooth — Enables wireless headset connectivity and mobile phone pairing for seamless call handling.
Wi-Fi — Useful in locations where running an Ethernet cable is impractical. Built-in Wi-Fi is available on models like the Yealink T54W.
Expansion Modules — Sidecar modules add extra programmable buttons for busy-lamp-field (BLF) monitoring, speed dials and line keys. Essential for receptionists and call handlers.
Gigabit Ethernet — Dual Gigabit ports allow you to daisy-chain a computer through the phone, saving a network port on your switch.
USB Ports — For USB headsets, call recording to USB drives or Bluetooth dongles.

Recommended Models by Role

Here are our recommendations based on common business roles:

Receptionist / Call Handler — Yealink T54W with an EXP50 expansion module. The large colour display and extra programmable keys make it easy to monitor extensions and transfer calls quickly.
Sales Team — Yealink T46U. The large colour screen, 16 SIP lines and dual USB ports make it ideal for high-volume calling with a headset.
General Office Staff — Yealink T33G. A reliable, affordable colour-screen phone that covers all essential features without unnecessary extras.
Mobile / Remote Workers — A softphone app on their laptop or smartphone. This eliminates the need for physical hardware entirely. See our softphone setup guide.
Conference Rooms — Yealink CP920 or CP965. Purpose-built for meetings with superior microphone pickup and speaker quality.
Warehouse / Mobile Staff — Yealink W73P DECT bundle. Cordless handsets with rugged design and long battery life.

PoE Switches: Powering Your Phones

If you choose PoE-capable phones (recommended), you'll need a PoE network switch to power them. Key considerations:

Ensure the switch has enough PoE budget (total watts) to power all connected phones. Most IP phones draw 5–13W each.
Choose a switch with enough ports for your phones plus computers if daisy-chaining.
Managed switches allow you to configure VLANs to separate voice and data traffic for better call quality.

Headset Compatibility

Many office workers prefer using a headset with their IP phone for comfort and to keep hands free. Most Yealink and Poly phones support:

Wired headsets via RJ9 or 3.5mm jack.
USB headsets on models with USB ports.
Bluetooth headsets on models with built-in Bluetooth (e.g., T54W, T58W).
EHS adapters for wireless DECT headsets from Jabra, Plantronics and Sennheiser, enabling remote answer/hang-up from the headset.

Next Steps

Choosing the right business phone depends on your team's roles, your budget and your office environment. If you're unsure which models are right for your business, get a quote for hosted VoIP and our team will recommend the perfect setup for your needs.