The Geemarc Amplipower 50 looks like your average big button phone for the poor sighted, but it is actually an amplified telephone designed for use by the partially deaf / hard of hearing. It can amplify both the call itself and the ring tones to 60 decibels and is actually recognised by the RNID as an aid to those registered with a hearing disability.

I bought one only recently for my Grandpa who is 92, he is near blind and extremely hard of hearing, so obviously we need to get him all the aids we can. I use it regularly as it is his only phone and I am his registered carer and I chose it based on a) the fact it has large buttons so he can see who he is calling and b) the amplification is by far the best I have heard on an amplified phone.

It doesn't just amplify the sounds however it also has a flashing strobe light to indicate of an incoming call as well as a vibrate function with an optional pad to put on the bed to warn / wake you of a call in the night (we don't use this as the phone is situated in the lounge).

The phone itself is very bulky which is good, it feels very well made and certainly I do feel it will last. The handset is corded which again for such a phone is a good idea - it wouldn't be good to lose a cordless phone on such a unit for safety reasons.

The phone has an inbuilt memory speed dial of 10 numbers so great for all the frequently used and hard to remember mobile numbers. It does have a handy pull out 'drawer' on the side to remind you of which number is which but in practice I find this a bit small compared to the buttons and is too small for anyone with anything other than decent sight to read properly. But it is good as a guide even if you might need a magnifying glass. Generally you would remember which number to press I think if they are frequently dialled.

I am very impressed with the sound quality because usually when you amplify a signal on a small unit it can be tinny, or distorted. Even at it's highest setting on the boost of 60 decibels the sound was still clear and easy to understand, which is great. The unit also has a built in induction loop (like you see in some shops and cinemas) and if you wear a hearing aid you can set it to the 't' position and this phone will send a clear audio with no crackle or interference.

The phone is available online from the RNID website, the Boots hearing website, on various Ebay shops and also on Amazon. It costs around £80, though for approx £40 - 50 you can get the model down, the Geemarc Amplipower 40 which I believe is 10 decibels quieter. For the more hard of hearing I would absolutely recommend this phone, it has been an absolute gift to us, I can use it at normal level and then pass it to my Grandpa and 'boost' the sound so he can hear the caller too. It's also very easy for him to use on his own and it gives me peace of mind that when I am out shopping for him or when he is at home at night that he has a way of communicating in an emergency.

The phone comes boxed with the handset, ear reciever, curly cord, wall cord and instructional manual. It has a three year manufacturer warranty.

All in all I have to give this phone 5/5 as it's by far the best amplified phone on the market - in fact I would and will buy Geemarc products again due to my satisfaction with this unit.