8 Best Vintage Phones For a Truly Retro Look - The Old Timey (2024)

Having the best vintage phone sitting on a hallway cabinet or wherever you feel it looks best in your house can create a really retro aesthetic.

We’re spoiled for choice with different types of phone’s these days that can all do many wonderful things.

Sometimes the old ways are the best though and vintage phones have a certain simplistic charm to them not to mention the design elements they bring. In fact, they’re one of the best looking pieces of vintage techthat you can buy.

As a way of adding a vintage accessory to your hallway, kitchen, living room or even home office, they’re one of the most straightforward purchases.

We have come up with 8 of the best vintage phones that you can buy right now to add a retro look to your home.

8 Best vintage phones in 2022

1. Classic Style Landline Phone

Vintage phones tend to have a simple nature to them and this Classic Style Landline Phone really brings out a retro and basic aesthetic. It is available in three different colours – black, red or beige – so it is perfect for matching with the rest of your room.

It has easy to read numbers and its ‘blocky’ nature offers a classic style.

It has two ports for a phone line or data connection to a modem while there is a red indicator light that will light up whenever a call is incoming.

The phone itself isn’t particularly big so it isn’t going to take up a huge amount of space in your hallway or if you want to place this on a desk in a home office.

This Classic Style Landline Phone is the ideal combination of a vintage look with a very affordable price that will bring out the retro feel to a room.

2. Vintage Style Dial Home and Office Telephone

This marvellous looking vintage phone is inspired by the 1970’s and it has proper old timely feel to it.

In fact, it has a certain elegance and if you want something a big more outlandish that will more than likely be noticed straight away by anyone who visits your home, this is it.

The phone itself has a built in speaker which is a really cool feature so you can chat without using the headpiece and the rotary dial will spark many memories if you grew up around this time when these types of phones were widespread.

While it looks metallic, it is actually made from plastic so it’s fairly lightweight. It also has a retro ringtone and connecting it up to your landline is easy.

This vintage phone may not be the most durable out there and it is a bit more expensive than some other phones we’re going to list but it looks the part and will certainly add a noticeable feature to your home.

3. TelPal Retro Vintage Antique Telephone

If you are looking for a more elegant twist to a vintage phone, then this TelPal Retro Vintage Antique Telephoneis absolutely ideal. It has a floral design with hints of gold and wouldn’t look out of place in an antique shop.

Its ceramic construction also means it’ll be durable so it shouldn’t fade or discolor over time. With an old fashioned receiver combined with an LCD screen you kind of get a mix of retro and modern for the best experience.

With the LCD screen you get caller ID, time and date display and you can just hook it up to your existing landline.

The instructions with this vintage phone aren’t the best but it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how to get it plugged in and working.

Overall, it offers something a bit different with its floral design and elegant style.

4. Pyle PRT45 Retro Antique Country Wall Phone

We’ve already shown you three phones that sit neatly on a desk or a hallway cabinet – let’s bring you one that hangs on the wall.

The Pyle PRT45 Retro Antique Country Wall Phoneis the very definition of vintage. It has been designed taking inspiration from phones that were popular in the 1920s and has a handcrafted wooden body that sits snugly on the wall.

The bronze plates also add a rustic feel and if you have a country styled home this would look perfect in the kitchen or whatever room you choose to place it in.

The phone itself has a loud ringer and even though the ringtone can sound a bit digital the overall design certainly offers a vintage aesthetic.

One downside is that the phone cord can;t be replaced if you want a longer one but these are small drawbacks to an otherwise beautiful looking device.

5. Crosley CR55-RE Wall Phone with Push Button

Staying with our wall mounted phones, the Crosley CR55-RE Wall Phone with Push Buttonhas a more simplistic design than the Retro Antique Country Phone that was number four on our list.

The ‘off red’ colour really brings a vintage feel to it and the fact that it is wall mounted adds to this. You can’t replace the handset cord as it is hardwired but it should be long enough for most homes and the fact that the ring volume is adjustable as well is a bonus.

This vintage phone is simple but effective.

Having it on the wall in your home will invite comments from anyone who sees it. If you want something a bit different with a vintage and retro feel then this phone certainly does that for a very reasonable price.

6. EC VISION Rotary Phone

This old-fashioned but elegant phone will sit perfectly on a hallway cabinet or even in a home office if you want to create a timely feel.

It comes with features such as hands free and a redial function while the mechanical ringtone provides a retro edge to this sturdy device.

The actual design is European inspired from around the 1930s and 1940s and it is really at home in any kind of classical styled room.

The EC VISION Rotary Phonewould fit perfectly in a retro office, hallway, kitchen or really anywhere in your home that would complement an old fashioned design.

The design seems basic but has that refined elegance to it which is perfect for a vintage phone.

7. Wild Wood 746 Rotary Design Retro Landline Telephone

This type of vintage phone was popular in the 1960s and into the 70s and it’s easy to see why if you know a bit about interior design back then.

It’s pink color means that this phone is going to stand out wherever you place it and give your room a real vintage style.

The Wild Wood 746 Rotary Design Retro Landline Telephonecomes with push buttons that have a rotary style and there is also a handy on / off switch for the ringer as well.

There are several color schemes with this range including a vibrant red, biscay blue, French blue and Swedish green so you can choose one that fits in with your current design.

This is a fairly straightforward and nonsense phone that comes in a variety of colors and offers a vintage aesthetic to your home.R

Related: Learn more about the history and mechanics of rotary phones

8. TelPal Vintage Classic Rotary Dial Home Phone

The eighth and final vintage phone on our list is the TelPal Vintage Classic Rotary Dial Home Phonewhich is a bit more understated than the other TelPal above.

If you are looking for something that is decidedly 1930s then this is definitely for you. It has a black design with gold rotary insert and gives off a very vintage feel with a hint of elegance as well.

With this phone you’ll be able to use the different ringer settings and even though it has a plastic construction it doesn’t distract from the overall design.

This is a pretty basic vintage phone but one that will blend in seamlessly if you have an old fashioned room or design to your home.

Vintage Phones – Your Frequently Asked Questions