Wireless VoIP phones are convenient for workers who need to move while on the phone. And many workers need to move.
Often, that need to move comes with a bit of danger: you don’t want to ruin your phone while you use it. That might mean accidentally dropping it in a pool or exposing it to sawdust or having it fall from a crate you put it down on.
In cases like these, you need a phone built for durability.
When shopping for a durable wireless VoIP phone, the term you’ll come across most of the time is “ruggedized.”
In this blog, we clearly explain what “ruggedized” means for wireless IP phones and answer common questions about the term:
- What features make a wireless VoIP phone ruggedized?
- What ruggedized features should you look for when shopping for a wireless VoIP phone?
- Who needs a ruggedized wireless VoIP phone?
And more!
Before we get into this question, however, we need to take a brief detour to give a bit of background and explain the two types of wireless VoIP phones: DECT and Wi-Fi.
But First… the Two Types of Wireless VoIP Phones: DECT and Wi-Fi
There are two types of wireless VoIP phones:
- DECT
- Wi-Fi
The two types differ in the technology they use to connect to the IP network. There are wireless desktop phones and wireless handheld phones of both types.
In this blog, we’re focusing on handheld phones or handsets, because they’re the only ones you’ll find ruggedized versions of. After all, you’re not going to be carrying your deskphone around the construction site!
There are ruggedized DECT handsets and ruggedized Wi-Fi phones. The qualities that make them ruggedized are the same for both types.
DECT phones use the DECT protocol, which is a well-established protocol for wireless communications. If you’d like to know more about DECT, check out our blog, “Wireless Headsets for VoIP Compared: Bluetooth vs DECT.” The blog is about headsets, but the information about DECT is the same for phones.
The important thing to know about DECT phones in this context is that they require a base station to connect to the IP network. A DECT handset communicates wirelessly with its paired base station. The base station connects to the network.
Wi-Fi phones use Wi-Fi to connect to the IP network. Unlike DECT phones, they don’t require a separate base station for network connectivity. They connect directly to the network.
Both types of wireless VoIP phones are common and have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’d like to know more about the difference between DECT and Wi-Fi, check out our blog, “Wireless Handsets: DECT vs Wi-Fi.”
Now back to our regular programmed schedule!
What Does “Ruggedized” Mean for Wireless VoIP Phones?
When shopping for wireless VoIP phones, you’ll often come across the term “ruggedized.”
Ruggedized is a catch-all term for when a wireless phone has a number of durability-enhancing features, which might include:
- Improved water resistance
- Improved dust and debris resistance
- Improved drop or shock resistance
- Resistance to chemical cleaners
- Antimicrobial protection
On top of these features, ruggedized wireless phones often have related features like an alert button to use in emergencies, a PTT (push-to-talk) button to use the handset as a walkie-talkie, or an accelerometer that enables an automatic fall monitor.
A phone’s water and dust resistance are given as its IP rating, which stands for “ingress protection.” IP ratings are an objective standard codified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For a wireless VoIP phone to advertise its IP rating, it must be objectively tested to meet the standard.
An IP rating will be the letters IP followed by two numbers (most of the time) like IP67.
The first number indicates an enclosure’s resistance to ingress by solid foreign objects: 6 is the highest the first number can be and means the enclosure is dust-tight.
The second number indicates an enclosure’s resistance to ingress by water: 9 is the highest the second number can be.
So the first number is important if you use the phone on a worksite or in the shop, the second number is important if you’re a lifeguard.
For example, Yealink AX86R is IP67-rated, which means it’s dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion in water.
If you’d like to know what all the IP numbers mean specifically, visit the IEC’s IP ratings webpage (external link).
There are two standards you might see that indicate a phone’s shock resistance: its IK rating and MIL-STD-810. IK ratings are like IP ratings, except that they indicate how well an object resists impacts. MIL-STD-810 is a set of standards, one of which determines how well an object stands up to drops.
To be honest, though, when shopping for ruggedized wireless phones, the manufacturers often don’t list the phone’s ratings for this feature.
Instead, they’ll tell you its shock resistance in terms of how high you can drop the phone from.
For example, Grandstream DP735 is drop safe up to 2.5 m or 8.2 feet.
When you see the term “ruggedized” for wireless VoIP phones, these two features — dust/water resistance and shock resistance — are the primary ones that make the phone rugged.
However, they’re not the only features.
For example, Poly Rove 40 has integrated Microban antimicrobial treatment, which is an active ingredient that allows an object to resist the growth of microbes like bacteria or mildew.
And while water resistance is necessary in some cases, a phone being IP66-rated doesn’t mean that you can use a chemical cleaner on it.
We’re not aware of any standard for chemical cleaner resistance, at least none that is used by VoIP phone manufacturers. Instead, manufacturers will simply state in their materials that you can use a chemical cleaner on it.
Why would you want to use a chemical cleaner on a wireless phone? That gets us to our next topic:
Who Uses Ruggedized Wireless VoIP Phones?
Do you need a ruggedized wireless VoIP phone?
There are two parts to this question:
- Do you need a wireless VoIP phone?
- Do you need that phone to be ruggedized?
Wireless VoIP phones are used by workers who need to be mobile within a given area. We say “within a given area” because a mobile worker might also refer to a delivery driver, for example, in which case the worker needs a smartphone. Wireless VoIP phones need a Wi-Fi network or a DECT base station to work, so the phone needs to be close to a router or base station — they can’t be on the go.
If you’re using your VoIP phone at your desk in the office or in the home office, you probably don’t need a wireless VoIP phone. That said, you might want one if you like to pace around while you talk. But probably you should get a regular VoIP deskphone paired with a wireless Bluetooth headset, which also keeps your hands free when you talk.
In either case, you probably don’t need that phone to be ruggedized, even if your son in his terrible twos.
There are many workers who’d use a wireless VoIP phone, and in many cases a ruggedized phone is essential. Having a ruggedized wireless phone might even be a good idea just to provide reassurance.
When shopping for a ruggedized wireless IP phone, think about what the common use case for the phone is. Here are some examples and the important feature to look for:
- Warehouses, storage facilities, hangars, and truck lots. Look for a phone with good shock resistance, because the chances of dropping the phone onto a hard surface are high.
- Fire stations. Also look for a phone with good shock resistance, because you don’t want your phone breaking when an emergency happens.
- Factories where wood, stone, or metal dust is present. Look for a phone with an IP rating where the first number is 6, because the phone needs to be dust-tight.
- Logistics buildings where paper products are used. Also look for a phone with an IP rating where the first number is 6 to prevent dust from breaking the phone.
- Pools. Look for a phone with an IP rating where the second number is at least 7, because the phone needs to withstand immersion in water.
- Treatment plants and garbage/recycling facilities. Look for water resistance and resistance to chemical cleaners.
- Hospitals and sensitive fabrication facilities. Look for a phone that withstands chemical cleaners. Also look for a ruggedized wireless phone with an emergency alert button.
- Food manufacturing facilities. Also look for a phone that can be cleaned using chemicals.
- Retail stores. Look for a phone with integrated antimicrobial protection, because many hands will be using touching it.
- Locations that require security guards. Look for a ruggedized phone with a PTT button.