Since cordless phones went digital, they’ve been easy to use, secure and simple to expand.

With DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunication), extra handsets - even if they’re a different brand - can be added to your existing phone.

What’s more, additional handsets don’t need to connect to the phone socket, only to the mains supply, allowing them to be situated in places without a phone line.

But what sets this Philips phone apart is neither its styling, though that’s neat enough, nor its colour screen, but the fact that it can make Skype calls without a computer being switched on.

Setting up the Philips VOIP841 is a simple procedure that involves charging the handset and connecting various cables.

Rather than connecting to a PC, the base station is tethered to a broadband router via a network cable. However, the phone handset and its charging cradle can be placed anywhere within the base station's wireless range.

Skype, as you might know, offers free calls between Skype users using the internet as a phone service. The final part of set-up is logging in to Skype. Key your Skype name and password into the phone and the handset will remember these details. If you haven't got a Skype account, you'll need to create one online using your computer.

Once logged in, the handset displays your Skype contact directory – you can add extra Skype contacts by adding them whenever you like. To make a free Skype call, select your contact and press the call button, just like you would on a mobile phone. To make a normal landline call, dial the number and choose whether to use 'landline' or 'SkypeOut'. The latter refers to Skype internet calls that terminate in a landline or mobile and which, though not free, are very cheap.

In essence, the VOIP841 is a very good home phone. Not only does it look good, it works extremely well. There’s a speaker on the back to call in speakerphone and the phone is comfortable. Call quality is very good, especially on DECT, and acceptable on Skype. The keys are easy to dial, and, most importantly, the Skype and DECT capabilities are seamlessly integrated.

The £130 price tag may sound expensive, but make enough free calls and it will pay for itself very quickly.

If there are a couple of negatives to mention it would have to be its ultra-annoying ring-tones and the dimly-lit key backlighting, which will have you squinting in the dark.

However, these are minor nuances and nowhere near serious enough to de-crown this phone's royal-like status. In short, it's the best device of its ilk we've seen.

See our video review for a more interactive look at the VOIP841.

Vista compatible: Yes