Phone answering machines seem to have gone the way of the typewriter these days. These days, leaving a message is just as easy on a cell phone and some businesses even give dedicated phones to their employees. Even if your job requires you to be on the phone at lot, you probably won’t need an answering machine to begin with since you’ll be there. However, answering machines do not seem to be going anywhere.

While some businesses can give their employees cell phones, there are almost as many who can not afford to. Whether for business or personal use, it’s important to buy machines that will reliably give your messages.

The GE 29869GE2, while unimaginatively named, is one of the best rated answering machines around. This in large part due to its 40 minute recording time. That’s a lot of messages. It even has a time stamp to back you up if you need to know what order certain messages came in. For people who get a lot of spam messages, this model can also allow you to do a quick scan of all of the messages saved so you can get to the ones you want to hear. This gives this model a huge edge over some other machines. It even has a battery just in case the power cuts out. Overall, it is an extremely reliable machine that you, your business, or your family, would do well to invest in. However, this machine is around $35, so it may be too pricey for you.

The ATT 1722 only costs $15, which makes it an affordable choice. As with anything else, this low price does affect the machine’s functionality. This model can only retain 19 minutes worth of messages. It does have a power-outage protection in the form of a battery to make sure you get your messages no matter what. Remote access is definitely a plus and a reasonable need considering the purpose of phone answering machines. A downside to this model does not include two-way calling, which can be a kicker. Caller ID is also missing. Call clarity and voice quality may also not be as good as you may like, but overall it’s nothing that most people would notice. The ATT 1722′s best feature is its low price, which is sure to turn some heads.

Phone answering machines may no longer be as needed as they were before but they still definitely have a place in the working and home worlds. One of the two models outlined above should cover all of your needs. If they do not, these types of machines can be found just about anywhere.

You may mainly use your cell phone, but keeping a land line is a good idea. If you do have a land line, then you should look at phone answering machines so people can leave messages just like they would with your cell phone.